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19 Oct 2007 Alpha Course: Week 3
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This week session was entitled “How I Can Be Sure of My Faith?” Because in today's society, and presumably back in the day, how could anyone be sure of their faith when there are so many things putting doubt in your mind?
The minister said that the new testament was written in a way to make sure that there was no doubt in a person's mind that they're were either a full Christian or not. So that a Christian would be sure in their faith.
He also mentioned about the facts of God being truth. He also promised great things and bliss and crap like that, but only if you believe in Him. And there (I think) lies the problem. What good is the promise if you do not believe?
He also got two volunteers from the crowd to illustrate a point. He stood in between them and they all face forward. The guy in from was the facts [of God] and the guy behind was feelings and he was in the middle. He illustrated the point of if you focused your faith upon the 'constant' truth of God then your faith is stable. However if you focused your faith upon ones feeling then your faith waxes and wanes as your feeling do. It is at this point where most people's faith can fail.
As soon as he said that my mind began to ponder what he said. If we focus our faith on the facts [of God] and forego our emotions, that would surely make us all into emotionless automatons. What a frightening and dull world that would be. Still sense did come to me as I realised that the minister did not say “solely” upon the facts, meaning that there's always gonna be some emotions involved.
The minister went on to discuss the difference between religion and Christianity. Religion is defined by 'Do and Don't', in other words “If you do this and that and don't do this, etc, then God will accept you”. However Christianity is about what has been Done. Jesus had died on the cross so that everyone's sin would be forgiven. All we have to is believe in Him and be thankful for His sacrifice. That is the basics for being a Christian.
That seems a little bit too easy to me. Does that mean that we are all born as Christians as default? I guess not because we don't know who Jesus Christ is when we are born.
Oh yeah, I think the minister also mentioned something about Jesus asking for obedience as well, but he didn't go into too much detail about that.
After the minister rant we broke up into our usual groups to take in what was said and to discuss. During one stream of conversation we somehow gotten on to the subject of the bible. As you do. One of the people in the group talked about how she has this 'bible verse per day' notepad thingy. The idea is that each day has a verse that relates to the day your having. Sometimes it doesn't mean anything, but sometimes it's eerily relevant to your day.
The following conversation went something like this:
“Ah, so it's like Horoscopes then?” I stated.
“No, it's nothing like Horoscopes” she defended.”It's nothing like horoscopes. The bible is the absolute truth whilst horoscopes are something that somebody makes up”
“But it is like horoscopes” I said.
“No it isn't”
“Yes it is. It's a random verse and the person reading it is trying to twist it so that it applies to them for that day. By chance no less!”
“No” she replied, “No its not like that”
“It's still a random verse per day chosen by some guy. Tell me, who determines which bible verse goes in which day?”
We both went quiet at that point as we'd reached a stalemate. We had to agree to disagree.
One of the guy's answer to everything was “It's about having a relationship with God”. It's starting to become a bit of a one-liner joke. It's starting to get a little bit old...
There was also a little bit of history about the bible, namely how preachers of old were pretty much the only people who can read (as nearly everyone was illiterate back in the day) and so they told everyone what the bible said. It was a rather interesting bit of information, a nice chance of pace.
I left this weeks Alpha Course feeling like I was still no closer to becoming a Christian. The answer presented to me didn't convince me that I needed to be a Christian. Truth be told it's more fun being the troublemaker in the discussion groups and creating heated discussions. I'm may not be sure of my faith, but I'm quite sure I'm no Christian.
Here's a question that keeps playing on my mind and I'm sure I've been given an answer but I forgot it. If all our sins are forgiven because of Jesus Christ does that mean we don't sin again? That is to say, any new sin does not get stored up but gets instantly forgiven?
Posted at: 11:05 AM
Your Thoughts
Sam Brewin said on Thursday 8th of November 2007 at 12:00:45 AM
Sorry if I seem like a bit of a randomer. Well, actually, I am. I'm helping to run an alpha course in my college at the moment and I wanted to know what the next week was about so I googled "alpha week 3". Anyway, from one searcher of the truth to another, the way I understand it is that sins are only forgiven by our permission. That is to say God does not force his loving forgivness on us, because that would not be loving, it would be like hugging a stranger and lot letting go. Instead, a little word called repentance (or whatever you want to call it) has to take place, in which we allow God to forgive us and desire to grow closer to him by trying not to sin again. Interesting question. Come to think of it, I dont know when this was posted. Could have been years ago. Nuff said
Sam
Tony said on Sunday 11th of November 2007 at 05:00:37 PM
So do you have to *ask* for forgivness, or *want* forgiveness? There's a massive difference.
"...God does not force his loving forgivness on us..."
Nope. Just his loving punishment, and loving rules?
No? So what's to repent? If I have to *want* forgivness then I *have* to repent, so god is forcing it on me anyway. A sin is a sin, but in who defines?
Remeber, "be good or I'll punish you"?
Rachel North said on Thursday 13th of December 2007 at 04:55:29 PM
um, what punishment exactly? any why are people always suspicious that someone would want to give them something freely?