To all true Bible-believing christians.. Please tell me what to do...

I know exactly how you feel.
Ivienna, you won't always FEEL saved. Your feelings about the situation don't matter. The fact is, that when you are trusting Christ, you just know because-- well, you know because the Bible says...and you just know-no feelings involved.
1. Ask God to show you the truth. If a lost (or saved) sheep is seeking the truth, God is OBLIGATED to show him-"I hold a place for them that search." God WILL reveal the truth to you.
2. Be willing to accept the possibility that you might be on your way to hell. Many people I've met live in fear and confusion brought on by themselves because they deny the truth. I cor 14:33
3. Make sure your heart is in the right place. Not perfect-God isn't looking for perfection, He's looking for the right DIRECETION. James 4:8
4. Don't panic and do something out of desparation. Wait (the most dificult part of God's will) until you KNOW WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. If God alows you to die before you get the chance to do what you must, you will be the first one in all of history.
5. Remember, God wants you in heaven more that you want to be there! (Remember what he did to secure your reservation?) As long as you have the ability to search for the Lord, you have the ability to be saved as well. Those from whom the conviction of the Holy Spirit has departed are those who have consiously said "no" one too many times.
Read the book of John.
Look, my friend, God said he'd tak you to heaven, right? John 3:16? Why would you doubt that? You're calling God a liar. You need the faith of a child-simple, unassuming. the only thing holding you back may be pirde, unwillingness to admit the truth, or some sin that you haven't completely forsaken.
I think you know the verses. now you need to spend some time alone, praying, asking God to reveal the truth to you in an undeniable way. this is how I was saved on my bed in the middle of the night at the age of 16, and this is how Charles Finney used to soulwin.

We love you here at BB. Keep in touch.

 

Hi.

Don't fret, go back and read in your Bible God's promises to us, and KNOW that you are saved. I think John's first epitsle has a lot of information on assurance. God is not an indian giver or a liar. He PROMISES us the Holy Spirit when we are in Christ. Salvation should never be completely based on a feeling you have, because above all the heart is decietful. There's also nothing the devil likes more than a joyless Christian. I still have the same fearful feelings at times but it's also written that God didn't give us a spirit of fear but one of sound mind. I'm doing a lot of un-exact (is that a word??) pharasing because I JUST woke up. Ask God to show you anything in your life (unconfessed sin, unforgiveness, ect) and just wait on Him because He IS faithful in all situations. You will be in my prayers. Again I want to stress that salvation should NEVER EVER be based on emotions. Christians have good days and bad days like everyone else on this earth.

God Bless,
Dustin

 

Wow.

Where to start?

First, I would say that part of the problem may very well be what that church was teaching you. Their reliance on the Bible is immediately drawn into question when you refer to an elder as a "she". I noticed on your profile that they voted you out without you knowing it... that is definitely NOT the biblically prescribed way to deal with member issues.

I don't know what your options for a church are in the Phillipines. Perhaps this is the only one?

Second, the first three paragraphs you wrote give a clue that you are much too concerned about what you have done concerning your salvation and much too little concerned about what God has done. If you are saved, a supernatural work of God has been performed within you. God changed a spiritually DEAD person into a spiritually alive person.

You seem to be continually asking yourself, "Did I do enough? Was it genuine?" Instead, you must put your trust and faith in what God did.

Your doubts may come from a number of things. My first suspicion is that you've been subjected to skewed teaching. (That isn't to say that nothing they taught you was good and right.)

Sin can also cause such doubts. I am not accusing you at all but it is something for you to consider.

Doubt is also a tool of Satan to keep Christians from being effective- it keeps you fearful.

If you are saved then it is very doubtful that the emptiness you feel is because the Holy Spirit was dealing with you but you failed to get saved... again. More than likely you have purged a false "feeling" but haven't replaced it with sound doctrine/faith. Perhaps you are finding "nothing" where you expect to find fear and guilt?

Recommendations: Pray (EM Bound's books on prayer are available on-line here if you can't get it in a book: http://whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/E.M.Bounds.html) These books will help you stop being defensive by teaching you to pray aggressively.

Study the scriptures.

Witness to others the grace of Christ.

Find a good church if possible. If not, find a group of believers to meet with.

God bless you. I am sure a great number here will put you on their prayer list.

 

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. “ Romans 10:9

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. " John 3: 16

Notice the periods at the end of the Scriptures.

Feeling the need to feel something in order to recognize your salvation is what so may seem to cling to now days. We tend to want things to be tangible...

"...blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20: 29

You do not have to worry. Christ is right there wherever you are. He is immovable!! When you got saved, you were indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God. He LIVES inside of you. To guide, comfort, chasten... You will not feel Him 24/7, but he is there. He promises that. Have faith in that.

 

Once upon a time there were two children waiting in front of the school for their father to come after them. They were brothers and they knew their dad sometimes would be held up by something but would be trying to come along.

The first brother started fretting and saying O dear, Dad isn't going to come pick us up, He's not going to be here!

The second brother said, naw, we know Dad better than that, we can count on him, he loves us!

The first brother started worrying "Oh, now I've gone and doubted him, he won't pick me up, just you, because I've been doubtful"

The second brother said, naw, we know Dad better than that, we can count on him, he loves us!

Well, this went on for some time and finally the Dad arrived where they were. What would a good and loving father do with these two sons?

I tell you they will both be taken home with him, and the one who consoled his brother will be commended for doing so.

It doesn't matter how much you fret over what the father is going to do when it is time to take us all home. He's going to bring home all his children, not going to leave any behind.

 

Hi there. I started typing this in the morning, but had to leave and it's now been a number of hours. I haven't checked to see if anyone replied yet as the same screen is still up, so if I repeat anything, I apologize. Here goes...

Do you believe in Jesus Christ?

We are constantly reaffirming our faith and growing. Often times people come to a deeper faith, a stronger realization of the truth and a longing for a more committed life. That is great, but when a person hasn't been grounded in Christ/has been taught to doubt/judge their faith based on appearances, struggles, or problems that may arise, it's easy to see this new level of growth as a sign that you were "unsaved" before.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The rest follows. It is normal to occasionally stumble in your Christian life, it is normal to occasionally have some fears and doubts. It does not mean you are unsaved, or that you need to be re-saved. It means you're going through a spiritual struggle, or dry spell.

Now, if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you have a problem. If you have no evidence of that belief, you have a problem. From what you've posted, it sounds as if you
1. Are a believer that has repented of past sins.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Yes, it is that simple.

2. Have not been shown the simple truth that Jesus already died for you. Once. He won't do it again, anymore than you can become lost again.

So what do you do now?

Before anything, you figure out if you believe in Christ. It's a yes or no question.

If you are a believer, the rest falls into place, you realize who God is and who you are, and you live accordingly.

How do we live accordingly?

We start by telling others about Christ. We love our neighbors. That means:

1. We tell them about Christ

2. We help them when they need it. We pray for them, with them. When they have a need, we do our best to share it with them whether that means someone to talk to, help raking the yard, or food in their refrigerator.

An important part of keeping strong in the faith is to fellowship with other believers. Most of us do that by meeting with other believers in church once a week to study more about the Bible, and to worship God together. It's a time of renewal and refreshment, a sort of "sanctuary" from the world and its pressures.

Prayer on your own is also important. Talk to God throughout your day if you find it difficult to sit down and pray for x amount of time. Pretty soon it'll become more personal and familiar, and you'll find yourself able to pray more readily, which makes praying with others when they need it much easier.

Be extremely cautious of others who try to judge your spiritual condition, or who try to put fear in you that Christ is rejecting you. How very depressing that must be! You need encouragement in your faith. Nobody can tell you what Christ is or isn't doing in your heart, whether or not the Holy Spirit has chosen to leave or not. You work that out, talk to God, pray, and most of all, remember that the Holy Spirit isn't around to persecute you and cause you doubt. That's the job of Satan and his angels.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

I hope this helps somewhat.

 

ivienna;
I have Pastored for over 25 years and I can tell you that more than once a old person has come up and give a confession that they were baptized long ago but they were not really saved. They beleived with all their hearts that the Lord had come into their lives now and they wanted to be baptized again, and we baptized them. They had their names on the church book for many years. I am just telling you this because you are not the first that has felt this way. Let your heart lead you for God is working with your heart and if the Spirit of the Lord is leading you to do something then do it. As His mother said: whatsoever he says do you do it. I will pray for you and may God help you make the most important decision of your life. God Bless,

BBob

 

When looking at the question you raised about a hardened heart, I came accross this bible study that seems to go along with the original problem you described. I hope this helps.

Hardened Heart

 

Dude, the Bible says we can have assurance of our salvation but if it makes you feel better simply ask the Lord to forgive you of all of your sins and to help you to be the best Christian you can be.