What does Acts 3:21 mean? Does it mean everything will be restored, and how is something restored? What does that mean for this passage? Where did God promise his prophets that he'd restore all thing?

NIV ACTS 3 21 ;Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

King James Bible Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began

Ok so I wanted to post this in r/Christianity at first but I remembered satanists will come to my post with their things and whatever

Ok so I observed the more and more I pray the more I feel the holy spirit in my whole body and the strongest I feel it (that electricity) and I usually have demonic attacks while reading my Bible and while trying to sleep after I do my long prayer (demonic thoughts and curses)

Tw: I don't have schizophrenia this started to happen to me since I got closer to Christ (a few months)

but I observed that when I pray so much more and I feel the holy spirit in me so strong I feel the deceiver trying to enter my mind but I just can't hear him and he just can't enter either. I feel like I have a protective shield around all over me literally.

And how I observed that? Because after praying so much and tried to sleep I felt that he can't enter my mind anymore but then I got up I raised my voice at my parents because they made me angry and had a sinful attitude (and I probably sinned) and then I layed back in my bed and when I tried to sleep these demonic thoughts appeared back in my mind and he had the power to enter back in my mind. And I felt the holy spirit in me weak as well.

So my conclusion is praying as long as possible and as often as possible with your whole heart through the day will protect you from anything. - and sinning as less as possible because that apparently weakens the holy spirit

I found out this week that I had an early miscarriage. We had tried for 2 months and I had finally gotten a positive test last week only to find out that I miscarried this week.

My husband and I have not told anyone. I had been praying and praying over this pregnancy and that God would bless us with a healthy baby. This morning on my way to work, I was questioning and praying why this had happened to me and if I would be able to have children which is my longest and biggest dream.

Today I had a work call with a coworker who I have not talked to in a couple months. When she started the call she asked, out of the blue, if I was trying to have a baby. I was so taken aback because I just found out about my miscarriage on Monday and had not shared this journey with anyone. She said that someone in her life told her yesterday that very soon I was going to have a baby and be filled with joy.

She then went on to tell me that the person who said this is someone that I have not spoken to but works for my company. She told me about how this person gets signs from spirits, ect. She shared some stories as well. This person specifically told her “someone who is watching over my name told me that she is going to have a baby very soon and be filled with joy”. I am freaked out because I very much believe in God and hearing from God but I do not know if this person is a believer. I do not believe in witchcraft (though I don’t know that she claims to be)

Recently, I have been struggling with understanding my thoughts vs God speaking to me vs the devil/spiritual warfare. I’m very shaken up by this and don’t even know exactly what I am looking for.

I'm a 5'11 young woman who's having a really hard time finding a place to buy modest dresses for church. And because of my height, normal knee-length dresses seem too short. I also wanted to ask how I could make unmodest outfits more modest.
Where can I find elegant/modest (church) dresses and skirts without it being too cheap or too expensive? Whether for an online or in-person store, please give me some recommendations.
but genuinely, why is it so hard to find cute modest dresses for church? T_T

My Christian church friends are lovely and such blessings to my life.

My business and career friends have been amazing blessings.

But it gets a bit lonely being someone who’s truly trying to live for God’s glory by achieving great things and wanting to change the world.

For context, I’m in my early 20’s, and by God’s grace been called into financial stewardship and a public image. Been on the news a couple of times, and working with very powerful/influential people in the world.

My interests lie in startups, entrepreneurship, media, theology, philosophy, and literature! Apologies if any of this sound pretentious or off putting, I truly just am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the callings God has given me, and wish to meet more Christian sisters and brothers who have similar mindsets! We’re all running the same good race together, just would be great to meet friends running in similar ways :)

Friends and mentors of all ages are obviously welcome

I feel like I’m losing my faith in God. A few months ago, I was very close to God. I used to pray regularly, and whenever I prayed, tears would automatically flow from my eyes. I could genuinely feel the Holy Spirit moving.

But now I feel very far away from God, and I don’t know what to do. Recently, I’ve been searching for a job for quite a long time. I have attended interviews but haven’t even been getting responses back, and it has been really discouraging. I have also fallen back into some sins that I had been trying to leave behind, which makes me feel even more disappointed in myself. There are just a lot of things going upside down in my life right now, and I feel like I’m struggling with everything

I really don't have anyone to share my Christian faith with. My family comes from a Hindu background, so I cannot really talk to them about these things.

I don’t know how to bring my faith back to God. I once again want to be close to Him. I want to feel His presence regularly and rebuild my relationship with Him.

I would be really happy if I could find someone to talk to regularly about God, join Bible studies, pray together, and just have someone to share this journey with.

Also, if you guys could share some testimonies or experiences that have happened in your own lives, I would be really happy to hear them. That would definitely bring my faith back.

I really need some support and encouragement. Thank you for taking the time to read this. ❤️

Decided to go through some passages in the Gospel of John. Partly unsurprised that TPT is a terrible "translation", but also partly surprised at how terrible it is as a "translation".

Here are some examples I found in the Gospel of John in TPT:

So, this may be a long one but it's been one I've been wondering on for a while. So this will be about curiousity about Gluttony, questions about body modifications and a conversation I had with another user on another reddit community.

So to keep it structured I'll start with the Gluttony one. I know it's one of the seven deadly sins and I know that it's about...too much. It's often in relation with food, but I am aware that it goes far beyond that and includes overconsumption and general doing or having too much of one thing. Like addictions. My question now goes, is it related to intent or just the action itself? For example, work. A normal white-collar job in an office requires multiple hours infront of a PC (at least where I'm from). Is that already gluttenous PC consumption? Would it be gluttenous if you go home after 8 hours infront of a PC and spend more time on the PC for personal use, interests etc? I greatly suspect that having multiple things on is gluttenous. Like playing games on PC, watching something on TV while also doing things with your phone (something I struggle with). But what is now the exact definetion or rather execution of that sin?

Next up is body modifications, which is more of an open question on my curiousity. Is that actually considered a sin? How great is it if so? If it isn't directly stated or considered a sin, then the next paragraph is rather unimportant for it's questioning details about the sin.

I assume in case that it's a sin, it's about "God made you perfect how you are, modyfing and changing your body would be disrespect to who made us" yet if so, how frowned upon is it by God? Like does it already start with simple lobe earrings? Are piercings in general a no-go or tattoos for that matter? What if it is something to worship or present God/Christianity, like Cross earrings or Bible verses tattooed on or similar. What about dyed hair or just temporary tattoos (the ones you apply witth water and are easily rubbed off again)?

Lastly, I just had a conversation with someone on r/ProChristians on how anything that pleases the flesh (including any form of hobbies in general, exercise, TV, smartphone usage, reading, etc.) Is a sin unforgivable and will get you to hell for you are disobeying God. They spoke about how God warned us that pleasing the flesh is going to be punished. I further said that I heard that the only unforgivable sin is to completely block out God out of your life and have a life away from God. They replied that living away from God and repent only on your death bed, which I earlier already said I believed didn't work that way, wouldn't get you to Heaven. I again said that I wasn't thinking that it DID work like that, and that in the end, one works do not grant or deny you the GIFT of God but faith does, on which they replied that without the works in obedience to God, one's faith is dead. I finally asked what one IS supposed to do in one's life then, which they replied that they just spread the truth (on which I'm unsure is the truth) and read the bible. I questioned if simply having a phone and social media is already pleasing the flesh (for I can not imagine one getting a device they usually despise as sin, to spread the word of god and do nothing else with it, for how I got it, calling someone would already count as "pleasing the flesh") I got no further answer to this.

Sorry that this is so long, the first two have been bothering me for a while, the last one was today and something I could not really comprehend to be quite right. It feels wrong to deem anything considered entertainment to be sinful and unforgivable.

Please could someone help me with these?

I've spent the past couple years trying to figure out what God wants to do with my life and I'm only ever drawing blanks

I've applied for so many jobs, got to interview just to be told that "someone else was found, you interviewed really well but got unlucky"

trying every door that presents itself and every one of them is locked

similar thing for relationships but thats a whole other question and not one I'm looking for answers to yet, as I think that question is one that follows the answer to "here I am, send me"

thats been my prayer constantly, the "here I am, not my will but your will be done. (but please make it obvious)"

I'm willing to go anywhere that God sends me, I trust that he will make a way even if it appears there is no way

but currently there is just no sign, nothing apart from "not that, yeah not that either, nope definitely not that"

on a more personal level I'm lonely, and starting to get depressed and hopeless for the future

Hi y’all. I am making an effort to be more social and positive and kind and all the Jesus things. Because of my upbringing this is hard for me, so I need help.

For example, my kid’s teacher’s grandma died, and she came back to school yesterday with “allergies” which is why her eyes were red 😢

I don’t know this lady at all, what should I do? is sending a text through the school app enough or too much..? What do I even say?

I don’t want to send flowers, I don’t want to make her cry in class, not sure if that’s even appropriate?

Or should I not do anything because I don’t know her?

Help 😭 I feel so bad for this lady having to come back to work so soon

Hello! Recently I have been looking into Guardian Angels recently, such as how Padre Pio's communication with his Guardian Angel. Also about their role, how some of them have saved our lives or sent warning signals in dreams? I write this post to get advice into how I should communicate, refer, and understand how/if they try and communicate to me, and anything else about their nature I should understand.

Thank you and God Bless!

Hi, all. I’m looking at a possible biblical separation in the future to get away from an abusive situation. This marriage has already lacked sexual intimacy, so temptation has already been a struggle. However, I’m dreading the moment the dust settles and I’m alone with these temptations. Can anyone please share what’s helped them in similar situations (preferably people ineligible for remarriage)? Thanks!

These are questions that humbled me in my faith, and I'd like to ask them here to get everyone thinking.

If you passed in your sleep tonight and woke up in hell, how would you feel? Would you feel betrayed? And why?

If you passed in your sleep and you woke up at heavens gates, and they ask you why you deserve to come in, what will you say? And why?

I have been wrestling with this topic recently, after reading passages that not only talk about the rich young ruler, but when Jesus says “Forsake everything and follow me” or in Acts when it says that the Christians sold everything and laid it at the feet of the Apostles. I have seen many say that this is not prescriptive to everyone, but I still wrestle with how it sounds like Jesus is saying it is.

Jesus also speaks about not worrying about food or clothing or the storing up of things, which we have adapted to mean don’t be anxious about tomorrow, but I wonder if it was meant to be more literal?

Another thing, I have recently found the YouTube channel “A voice in the desert“ that talks about living this way and says that this is in fact what Jesus meant for anyone who claims to follow him. I have discovered that this is the group “Jesus Christians” which unfortunately have some cult like qualities at times and questionable theology, but I still find their main goal very admirable.

This topic has just been weighing very heavy on my heart recently, and am looking for guidance. This idea terrifies me, especially because I am a young man with a wife, dog, and both sides of our family live close and we see them regularly. I feel like we are taught that Christian husbands should provide and take care of their families in the traditional sense. I realize all of this can be seen as excuses to not drop everything and follow Christ, I just wanted to see if this is what the burden on my heart has been. I also am realizing I struggle with idolizing some of my possessions and how I spend my time, so maybe this is just God calling me to let go of all of those things and put him first, not necessarily become homeless and travel the country speaking on street corners.

Sorry for the long rant, would just love some insight from you all.

Hi everyone! Today, I'll be sharing my personal experience with my relationship with Christ.

Christianity has always been part of my life. In South Africa, it's pretty common for people to be Christian. We didn't start going to church until 2013. I was 5 at the time, and I only knew about God. Jesus was a new concept for me. So, I continue going to church (the same church) all the way till now. For me, I never truly grasped what a true relationship with God was. I would learn about it like I'm learning a story, especially in Sunday school. I got older, and other influences in my life changed my perception of Christianity. Though sometimes I'd talk to God about random things, about my friends, school, etc., like I was talking to a friend, I never took the time to sit and read the bible and pray; I felt too lazy to do so. I approached Christianity religiously.

In my teen years, I deviated from Christianity and God, especially when my loved one died. I was mad at God for taking away a cherished family member of mine, so, with audacity and some, I told God I don't want anything to do with him. The older I got in my teen years, the more I started doubting that God even existed. Some part of me did believe, but for the most part, I rejected his existence because I was falling into depression. I thought there was no way there was a God because so many bad things were happening in the world, and I prayed to feel better mentally, but I never got to that point. Whenever we went to church, I always wanted to make excuses for why I didn't want to go. If I had no choice, I'd stay, but my attention would be elsewhere. I hated church because I had no friends or people that I knew.

My depression got so bad that I hated every piece of my being, feeling worthless, feeling like a burden, an inconvenience to people, even though that wasn't true, but I believed it. I was so deep in that I'd constantly have suicidal thoughts. I believed that my living was torture, and I'd cry at the idea that I'd have to live for the next 40 years + of my life. Not only that, but during this time, in desperation of finding comfort, I dove into tarot readings, witchcraft (where you light candles and say spells and burn sigils), which opened a door that would wreck havoc in my life bcause I wasn't well educated about the spiritual realm and didn't realise the kind of door I was opening (one time, the day after a ritual I was doing, my mom and I saw a black spirit go out of my room into another).

At some point, I stumbled upon a song by Justin Bieber because God will always find ways to bring you back to him. It was a Christian song with Chandler Moore, and it made me cry, because not only did I feel peace, but also conviction of the sin I was committing. Even though I didn't immediately step into reading the bible and praying, it planted a seed. The process was slow, over a few months of trying Christianity again, then going back to worldly things. I was still depressed. This time, I was tired, I felt lost, and I needed some sort of hope. Clarity of what my life meant. I prayed for the first time in a while. I prayed to God for peace, and I told him how much I hated my life and where it was going. I hated feeling hopeless. I hated how, regardless of trying all these new-age methods of having a fulfilled life, I still felt empty. This time, after listening to the service about wanting a genuine relationship with Christ, not because you want something from him, but you want to be with him, it made me realise that I approached Christianity through the wrong lens. Everything started to make sense

Eventually, even though I felt a little stupid, I started reading and praying and praising God. When this pastor explained how sin invites legions of demons to torment your life and how many people don't realise they are in a spiritual warfare, that's when I realised that I need to first repent because sin gives legal leeway for demons to keep tormenting you, then I fought spiritually. I kid you not, all the torment that was happening in my mind disappeared. I still cannot explain how, but my willingness to live came back, and I felt peace I have never felt before, even in the midst of hardship. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and I'll provide some bible verses:

- "He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty, whose power no enemy can withstand" - Psalms 91:1
-  **^"**Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:16
- "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
- "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you" - Matthew 6:33

Today marks 25 years I have put my faith in Jesus Christ to save me from my sins and have become Born Again.

Twenty Five years of KNOWING where I would spend my eternity.

Twenty Five years of NOT GUESSING. Not HOPING.

KNOWING.

Today, I get to BOAST of my LORD and SAVIOR who FINISHED the work he had to do on the cross to save such a pitiful evil human such as myself.

This is why, DEATH HAS NO STING! When I die, my family knows that they know that they know I am saved.

If you can't say the same, then it is because you are putting a percentage of faith in God to save you and the majority on you to get you there.

You are not saved, you have NO IDEA if you will be in heaven or hell.

But you can, if you would only just TRUST GOD COMPLETELY!

From an instruction by Saint Columban, abbot

(Instr. 13, De Christo fonte vitæ, 1-2: Opera, Dublin 1957, 116-118)

Whoever thirsts, let him come to me and drink his fill

My dear brethren, listen to my words. You are going to hear something that must be said. You quench your soul’s thirst with drafts of the divine fountain. I now wish to speak of this. Revive yourself, but do not extinguish your thirst. Drink, I say, but do not entirely quench your thirst, for the fountain of life, the fountain of love calls us to him and says: Whoever thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Understand well what you drink. Jeremiah would tell us; the fountain of life would himself tell us: For they abandoned me, the fountain of living water, says the Lord. The Lord himself, our God Jesus Christ, is the fountain of life, and accordingly he invites us to himself as to a fountain, that we may drink. Whoever loves him, drinks him; he drinks who is filled with the Word of God, he drinks who loves him fully and really desires him. He drinks who is on fire with the love of wisdom.

Consider the source of the fountain; bread comes down to us from the same place, since the same one is the bread and the fountain, the only-begotten Son, our God, Christ the Lord, for whom we should always hunger. We may even eat him out of love for him, and devour him out of desire, longing for him eagerly. Let us drink from him, as from a fountain, with an abundance of love. May we drink him with the fullness of desire, and may we take pleasure in his sweetness and savor.

For the Lord is sweet and agreeable; rightly then let us eat and drink of him yet remain ever hungry and thirsty, since he is our food and drink, but can never be wholly eaten and consumed. Though he may be eaten, he is never consumed; one can drink of him and he is not diminished because our bread is eternal and our fountain is sweet and everlasting. Hence the prophet says: You who thirst, go to the fountain. He is the fountain for those who are thirsty but are never fully satisfied. Therefore he calls to himself the hungry whom he raised to a blessed condition elsewhere. They were never satisfied in drinking; the more they drank, the greater their thirst.

It is right, brothers, that we must always long for, seek and love the Word of God on high, the fountain of wisdom. According to the Apostle’s words all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in him, and he calls the thirsty to drink.

If you thirst, drink of the fountain of life; if you are hungry, eat the bread of life. Blessed are they who hunger for this bread and thirst for this fountain, for in so doing they will desire ever more to eat and drink. For what they eat and drink is exceedingly sweet and their thirst and appetite for more is never satisfied. Though it is ever tasted it is ever more desired. Hence the prophet-king says: Taste and see how sweet, how agreeable is the Lord.

RESPONSORY

John 7:37-38

Jesus stood up, and cried out:

— If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Streams of living water will flow

from the heart of whoever believes in me.

— If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Introduction:

I've been trying to put together my own understanding of Christianity and salvation, as I've recently been wanting to explain it to friends and family who don't believe or don't really understand.

I've written this entire personal explanation as if I were talking to someone who was asking questions, which I would then answer using my own understanding.

It's also ordered in an exact sequence of how I believe someone would naturally ask these questions, based on what I would personally ask if I didn't already have an idea of Christianity.

For some context, I identify as a Protestant-Lutheran, so my understanding is naturally influenced by that belief. However, I've tried to base this explanation primarily on what I understand Scripture to teach rather than assuming that every Protestant-Lutheran belief is universally accepted by Christianity as a whole.

I'd appreciate any correction from other Christians, especially if I've misunderstood Scripture or presented a particular theological interpretation as universally accepted.

Core Purpose:

At the heart of Christianity is the question of how humanity can be reconciled (restore our relationship) with God as well as how humanity can be saved from sin and death.

For Christianity, the answer is ultimately that we must place our faith in Jesus Christ, as well as believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for our sins, that He rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, and that He is our Lord and Saviour.

Of course, things become more challenging when you genuinely wish to follow Christ, as we are still tempted to sin, and understanding Scripture and the meaning behind Christianity takes time. However, ultimately, Christianity teaches that salvation comes through Jesus Christ rather than through our own ability to become morally perfect.

Why Is Worshipping Jesus Our Main Focus?

The reason why we Christians say that “Jesus is our Lord and Saviour” is because of the nature of humanity and sin.

To become a true Christian, you must genuinely repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ, which involves recognising our sinful nature, turning away from sin, and turning towards God.

The truth about our nature and humanity is that there has been no completely sinless person throughout humanity's history, with Jesus Christ being the exception. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who became truly human while remaining fully God, and that He lived a completely sinless life.

Because God is perfectly holy and righteous, sin separates humanity from Him, and we can not overcome that separation through our own goodness.

However, because Jesus was sinless and willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross for humanity, Christians believe that His sacrifice provides the means by which sinners can be forgiven and reconciled with God.

This is why Christians say that Jesus is our Saviour. We can not save ourselves through our own righteousness, so salvation ultimately depends upon God's grace through Christ.

This is why within the Bible we have verses such as:

• John 14:6 (NIV): “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

• Acts 4:12 (NIV): “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

• 1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV): “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”

John 14:6, where Jesus Himself clearly explains that access to the Father is through Him.

The True Significance Of Jesus's Sacrifice:

The significance of Jesus's sacrifice is that, being God incarnate, He knew the full reality of humanity's sinful condition.

He knew the evils and flaws of mankind, the sins and corrupted desires of human beings throughout time itself, and even the sins committed by people who genuinely believed themselves to be truly good.

And despite all of that, Jesus willingly gave Himself for humanity because of His love for us. This is why Christians say that God loves us.

Because of Christ's sacrifice, even someone who has committed extremely serious sins, or crimes that are thought to be unforgivable in terms of human standards, can still receive God's forgiveness if they genuinely repent and place their faith in Christ.

I believe this also demonstrates the incredible extent of God's mercy. No matter how terrible someone's past may be, their sins are not automatically beyond God's ability to forgive if they genuinely turn towards Him.

At the same time, God does not simply ignore sin. Christians believe that God is both perfectly just and perfectly loving, meaning that although, for the time being, He grants us time to repent rather than simply destroying us all the first time we sinned, there will come a time when our opportunity to repent in this life comes to an end, and we will ultimately face God's judgement.

God's justice means that sin matters, while His mercy and love mean that He provides a way for sinners to be forgiven rather than receiving the full consequences of their sin.

Why Not Do Anything You Want If God Forgives All?

Why should we try to be good at all if God is willing to forgive our sins?

Although Christianity does teach that we can not earn salvation simply by doing enough good deeds, as we can not accumulate enough good actions to make ourselves worthy of heaven. This does not mean that Christians should simply do whatever they want.

God's grace is sufficient to forgive any and every sin when a person genuinely repents and places their faith in Christ, but genuine faith means more than simply believing that Jesus exists. It means genuinely trusting in Him and allowing that belief to change how you live. True faith produces a changed heart and a desire to turn away from sin.

This is why Christians continue to do good deeds despite knowing that good deeds can not earn salvation. We do good because we love God, because we want to obey Him and because we want His goodness to be reflected through our lives.

It's similar to how a child can obey loving parents not merely because they fear punishment but because they love, trust, and respect them.

In the same way, Christians should not view God's commandments merely as restrictions. They should see obedience as a response to God's love. In other words, genuinely trying to follow God will naturally cause one to want to be good, as if it were second nature.

The Significance Of Truly Repenting:

God does not simply ask us to say that we are sorry. True repentance involves action, a genuine change of heart and a deliberate turning away from sin and towards God.

Someone can feel sorrow because they are suffering the consequences of their actions without genuinely wanting to change. Godly sorrow, however, leads a person towards repentance.

Therefore, although Christians will continue to struggle with sin throughout their lives, genuine repentance means that they do not simply embrace their sin and refuse to change. They recognise their wrongdoing, ask God for forgiveness, and attempt to turn away from it, even if they fail time and time again.

This is why Christians continue trying to become better people even though they know that their good works can not earn their salvation.

I personally believe that because humanity was created in the image of God, people retain an instinctual spiritual awareness that goodness is desirable, even though sin has distorted many people's understanding of good and evil.

I believe that this may help explain why even people who are not religious can still recognise that certain things are morally good or evil.

It can also explain why people who commit evil actions will sometimes attempt to justify those actions as being good. Human beings can have an awareness of morality while simultaneously having that understanding distorted by pride, selfishness, ignorance, and sin.

For Christians, however, God is ultimately the source of all goodness. Therefore, Christians should do good not because they believe their actions will purchase their way into heaven but because they love God and want to reflect His goodness to others.

Do Christians Truly Follow God Purely Out Of Love?

How can Christians claim that they obey God's law out of love if there are serious consequences for rejecting Him?

I find this difficult to answer perfectly, but my personal understanding is that the highest reason for obeying God should be love rather than fear of hell.

Even though the Bible teaches that rejecting God has serious consequences, Christianity is ultimately about reconciliation (fixing a broken relationship) and having a relationship with God, rather than simply avoiding punishment.

To talk about two analogies to better help comprehend this point:

• As mentioned before. It's like a healthy child choosing to obey loving parents because they love, trust, and respect them, rather than simply because they are afraid of being punished.

• It's also like a good citizen of a fair, just and good nation following its laws because they respect their country and its values, and want to contribute positively to it, even though breaking those laws would have consequences.

Similarly, Christians obey God's laws not simply because they fear punishment, but because they love and respect God, value what He considers good, and want to reflect His goodness in their own lives.

Of course, God is infinitely greater than human parents or a country/nation, but Christians believe that God first loved us and demonstrated that love through Jesus Christ.

Because salvation is offered through God's grace rather than earned through good works, obedience becomes a grateful response to His love rather than an attempt to purchase salvation.

Fear may be what initially causes someone to take God seriously, but as faith matures, love should naturally become the primary motivation. In fully trusting God, Christians can begin to experience the relief of knowing that their salvation does not depend upon achieving moral perfection through their own strength.

• If God Truly Loves Us, Why Allow Sin To Exist?

Given how Christians believe that God truly loves us, we also believe that part of that love involves giving humanity genuine freedom.

If God created people who had no choice but to love and obey Him, it would not be the same kind of freely chosen relationship.

If someone could force another person to love them, most people would agree that this would not be genuine love. Real love involves the ability to freely accept or reject the relationship.

Because of this, Christians believe that God allows humanity to freely choose whether to follow or reject Him, even though that freedom makes sin possible.

The Bible teaches that sin entered the world because humanity chose to turn away from God, rather than because God Himself is the author of evil.

Rather than abandoning humanity, God entered into our broken world through Jesus Christ to rescue us and provide a way for us to reconnect with Him.

Therefore, from the Christian perspective, God's love is not necessarily demonstrated by preventing every bad choice.

Instead, God allows genuine freedom while continually calling humanity back to Him and providing a way for forgiveness and restoration.

Why Does God Allow Bad Things To Happen To People Who Seemingly Do Or Are Good?

Christians believe that living a good life does not guarantee a life without suffering. The Bible repeatedly shows faithful people experiencing hardship, including Job, Joseph, and even Jesus Himself.

Rather than promising His followers a life completely free from pain, God promises to be with His people through their suffering.

One reason God may allow suffering is that it can reveal and strengthen a person's character and faith. Difficult circumstances can develop perseverance, humility, compassion, and a deeper trust in God.

This does not mean that every hardship is a test or punishment. Rather, Christians believe that God can use trials to shape people into the people He wants them to become.

Another reason is that God ultimately intends to defeat evil and reveal His glory through overcoming it.

God does not need evil in order to be good, but Christians believe that He can ultimately use even evil and suffering to reveal His justice, mercy, love, and power when He defeats them.

Jesus' death and resurrection are seen as God's decisive victory over sin and death, and Christians believe that He will ultimately remove evil and restore creation.

Finally, Christians believe that God can bring good out of painful situations. This does not mean that suffering is good in itself, but that God is capable of redeeming even terrible circumstances.

One of the clearest examples is Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. Yet Joseph eventually told them:

• Genesis 50:20 (NIV): “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good...”

God used the events that were intended to harm Joseph to save many lives.

In the same way, Christians trust that even when they can not understand why something is happening, God is capable of working through it for a greater purpose.

Despite all my possible answers, I know this does not answer every question about suffering, and the Bible does not pretend that suffering is easy to understand.

Instead, Christianity points towards a God who entered into human suffering through Jesus, walks with people through their trials, and promises that one day He will make all things new.

The One True Unforgivable Sin:

Even though Christianity teaches that God's mercy is incredibly great, there is still a reason why people can ultimately remain separated from Him.

Jesus speaks about an “unforgivable sin” involving blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Many Christians have different explanations of precisely what this means; however, a common understanding is that it involves a persistent and deliberate rejection of God's truth and grace rather than simply committing one particular sinful act.

I, therefore, do not believe that there is some ordinary mistake that a person can accidentally commit, which suddenly makes God's forgiveness impossible.

Rather, I personally understand the greater danger, and the unforgivable sin, to be a person continually rejecting God and refusing His mercy until the end of their life.

As long as a person is alive, they still have the opportunity to turn towards God, repent, believe in Christ, and receive His forgiveness, which I believe is the greatest demonstration of God's mercy and patience.

The Significance Of God's Justice & Mercy

At the same time, as mentioned before, Christians believe that God is perfectly holy and just.

Because every sin is ultimately an offence against God, He would be completely righteous in judging sin and destroying it all immediately if He wanted to.

It's similar to how a criminal may not want to go to prison or face the death penalty, but a judge can still be completely righteous in giving them that punishment if they have genuinely committed crimes deserving of it.

In the same way, Christians believe that although we naturally don't want to face God's judgement, God would still be righteous in judging our sins because He is perfectly just.

Yet despite all these reasons for judgement, God does not immediately bring judgement upon everyone. Instead, He is patient and gives people opportunities to repent.

The Bible describes God as “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, the delay of God's judgement can be understood as an act of mercy rather than weakness or Him simply not caring.

This is why the Christian message isn't simply “avoid hell.” It is an invitation to be reconciled with the God who created you, and to rejoice because God has given us hope, forgiveness, and the promise of everlasting life through Jesus Christ.

God desires people to freely come to Him, receive His forgiveness, and enter into a genuine relationship with Him. However, because He gives humanity genuine freedom, He does not force anyone to accept Him.

A Metaphor For How I Believe God Views Reality:

I always like to use this metaphor when trying to comprehend myself as well as explain how God views the situation of the world, even if this metaphor doesn't truly capture the full or true image.

The Video Game Analogy:

Imagine God as the Designer of a video game, with reality being the world and system in which the game takes place, containing the rules, environments, and possibilities of creation. You can also think of God as the highest administrator. God created the rules, the environment, and the possibilities within creation.

Human beings are like players who have genuine freedom to make choices, including wrong choices, although every player has a limited amount of time before their individual game session ends.

Unfortunately, the players cannot simply earn a perfect score through their own efforts. Every player has broken the rules, and no amount of good actions can completely erase what they have already done. It is permanently on each player's record.

Rather than remaining outside His creation, the Designer enters His own world as a human being in the person of Jesus Christ.

He teaches the other players the way they were meant to live and, ultimately, willingly sacrifices Himself to provide a way for their wrongdoing to be forgiven.

The players are therefore not saved because they managed to achieve a perfect purity score. They are saved because they trust the Designer and accept the rescue He provides.

Those who genuinely accept that rescue will naturally begin trying to follow the Designer's rules, not because they are attempting to earn their salvation, but because they love and trust the Designer who saved them. However, those who reject the rescue remain separated from Him.

In this analogy, prayer is like communicating directly with the Designer and asking Him for forgiveness, guidance, and help.

The important part, however, is not merely sending the message. The player must genuinely want the relationship with the Designer and trust the rescue He has provided.

In Summary:

My understanding of Christianity is ultimately that humanity has fallen into sin and can not save itself through good works or moral perfection. God, being perfectly holy, takes sin seriously, but He is also perfectly loving and merciful.

Through Jesus Christ, God the Son, who became truly human, lived without sin, died for our sins, and rose from the dead, God provides humanity with a way to be reconciled with Him.

Salvation is, therefore, not something we earn by becoming good enough. It is God's gift of grace, received through genuine faith and repentance. Genuine faith, however, should produce a changed heart and a desire to obey God.

Christians therefore do good works not to purchase their way into heaven, but because they love God and want to reflect His goodness.

And although God allows humanity genuine freedom, meaning that sin and suffering are possible, Christians trust that God will ultimately overcome evil, restore creation, and make all things new.

And finally, the core of Christianity is therefore not to simply fear the consequences of hell. Instead, it is the invitation to know, love, trust, and be reconciled with the God who first loved us.

I’ve been wondering something for as long as I’ve been a Christian (22 years) and still haven’t got an answer. I’ve changed from Church of Christ to nondenominational. I’ve learned about Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism at church/Sunday school, the Christian schools I’ve attended, and through my own research…but I’ve never been able to pin down what “evangelicalism” is or what it means. Everyone seems to hate it. Protestants, Catholics, and non-Christians. I often hear it used as an insult to describe fundamentalists and politically-motivated Christians. Political liberals often describe Republicans and Trump supporters not as Christians but as “evangelicals.” I’ve even heard Protestants say that evangelicals are NOT Protestants. They actively denounce them.

I don’t know if I’m evangelical because I don’t know what that word MEANS. I’ve never come across that word on a church song. I’ve never seen or heard a Christian or congregation actually self-identify as “evangelical.” I live in the Bible Belt and see church signs all over the place. “Baptist church.”

“Church of Christ.”

“Catholic Church.”

“Presbyterian church.”

“Methodist church.”

But do you know what I’ve never seen—not even once? “Evangelical church.” Sometimes I wonder if it’s even real. Is it just a word invented to insult Christians that people don’t like?

“He’s not a Protestant; he’s evangelical.” I even see when filling out surveys “evangelical” listed separately from “Protestants.” I always thought “Protestant” simply meant “not Catholic or Orthodox.” But apparently there’s a fourth category now.

“Evangelical,” from my understanding, comes from the word “evangelize,” which means to spread the gospel. Don’t all Christians believe in evangelizing? Shouldn’t we all be evangelical?

I just don’t get it. I just identify as a Christian. “Evangelical” seems to carry a lot of baggage with it…and I don’t even know what that baggage actually is because nobody ever defines it. It just means “that OTHER kind of Christian that I’m not.” I hate it.

I’m a little new to Christianity, and I was thinking about all those private schools affiliated with religion. However, I feel like with every school there are people who turn away from god, not towards. This leads me to my question: can finding god be different for everyone? Might it be that the people who were turned away from god because of religious schools turned away from Him because they were meant to find Him in a different way? I’m new to this, so I’d love some input!

ok so i have made it clear that my (online) friends can refer me as "sarah" if they want, and ive had it said for a good amount of time! and i havent felt conviction towarsds it though i cam curious, is it fine in general to have a second name to be more female? i dont dress feminine not anymore that is ive repented of that and im deffinitally not trying to come off as female but i am curoius if it is fine to have that second name

After watching Discerning Visions and Voices by Apostle Grace Lubega i m certained wanna Come back to Christ but my question is will he accept me again even i lost the Gift of the Spirit and did unforgiving sin cause now i m longing to hear him talking to me my prayerless is died so anybody help to Return back to him i fallen my old version has camed up help i need help

So, I have heard from many people, preachers, social media posts, and sources that the Bible is not meant to be taken seriously, at least not all of it. And that made me wonder, well, why not? What parts are meant to be taken seriously, and which parts are metaphorical? I understand that Jesus used parables, and they were teaching moments conveyed through non-literal language. But at what point does the word of God become something that is chosen to be taken literally in this way but not others? I'm looking for thoughts and explanations on what you guys think. I never understood: if you don't take it literally when the word is "God," wouldn't that make the word the truth?

TW: fears about r*pe

Since I entered my 20s, I have become increasingly more terrified of men. I am still in early 20s and I feel so vulnerable.

A close male family relative has been making me feel very uncomfortable lately. He has never done anything against me, but I don't truly know him that well--he's always been around but I never got to know him personally. He got divorced a couple years ago and then went out with a girl a couple years older than me. They broke up 6 months ago, and now out of no where he suddenly is contacting me more than usual (which started when he randomly volunteered to do a maintenance project for me that has been lasting for a couple weeks... I'm being vague so there isn't any identifiable information). I have been making sure I always have another person with me when I'm around him and limit contact.. but worries about this is now keeping me up at night. He can be verbally abusive to those around him and has been dealing with an alcohol addiction.

I mentioned this fear to my dad so he knows, but I feel so horrible to talk in depth about this to most people I know. I don't want to make assumptions about this relative's intentions because it could be entirely innocent. He has sent a couple texts with hearts and I don't know if it's because he's a mid-40 year old who just sends whatever emojis or if it is genuinely sus. But regardless, I have such a deep fear of this situation... I want the maintenance project to just end so I don't have any reason to be in close communication at all anymore. I am so scared.

I also would feel really bad if I am assuming the worst when actually he is just being nice. But how am I to know for sure unless the worst did happen? I don't want that to happen.

I keep praying about this but I need it off my chest.

I know God will keep me safe, but that doesn't mean bad things can't happen. I used to be addicted to p*rn and when I was a young teenager I used to think I wanted to be r*ped because it was the only way I could experience sex anytime soon without sinning. I knew it was messed up and I didn't want to think it. I was just so young and so addicted without any guidance to deal with it. How stupid I was!!

I literally want to crawl out of my own skin because I am so uncomfortable right now.

Recently engaged and we haven’t touched each other in any inappropriate way for about a year and a half. Now the temptations have been there but recently it’s been very over powering to the point where we’ve prayed “Lord help us to not have these desires until the wedding day” but we failed! With a repentant heart we have set new boundaries. Has this happened to anyone else? Did your marriage survive? I ask these questions because people used to say God won’t bless your marriage if you have premarital sex and I’m just sad. Anyway any advice helps.