I have lost my faith

The following is a conversation with an individual struggling with how to reconcile Jesus Christ and the Bible with their rough upbringing:

I find it harder and harder to relate to Christ and the Bible. It didn't help that I was abused growing up and that those I turned to did nothing. When a Christian says "I'll pray for you," I think, "Why don't you DO something to help." Praying is fine, but if no one does anything, nothing happens.

• I am sorry to hear about your suffering. Usually, when somebody says, "I'll pray for you," it is because someone asked, "Will you pray for me?" If you desire or need help, ask and maybe they can assist you.

Why did there HAVE to be a tree with forbidden fruit? And why did we name our phones and computers after them (Macintosh, Apple, Blackberry...lol).

• God gave the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because He wants people to come to Him through free will and not by force. Love is best defined when someone wants to be with you, not because they are forced. That is not loving. You'll have to ask the phone manufacturers about those names. 😂

If this is the fallen world, well then, this is hell. Obviously.

• This world is fallen. And it is not heaven. But, it is not hell, either. Hell is eternal. You will be forgotten in hell. It is a form of a blessing to die and find an exit out of here. But, only if you come to faith in Jesus Christ will it be worth it.

Why so many parables? Why not just tell us. Make it clear.

• Jesus did speak clearly and people didn't believe Him. He only spoke in parables afterward because people had hardened their hearts toward Him.

Why must some be damned? Why don't the elect know who they are? More anxiety.

• God does not want anyone to perish. However, if you don't accept His only provision through faith in Jesus Christ, He hasn't provided anyplace else for the "damned" to go except to be with the devil and his angels in hell. The elect do know who we are (see 1 John 5:11-13). Anxiety is a companion of fear. Fear is alleviated by the truth.

Why do we eat the blood and the body? Does this sound right? Feels vampire-ish?

• It is symbolic of the sacrifice for sins obtained when Jesus shed His blood on the cross to forgive the sins of the world and the consumption of the bread symbolizes the indwelling Holy Spirit. Believers become the "body of Christ" because our physical bodies are now the "temple of God."

Why were books left out of the bible?

• Books were left out of the Bible because they are not the inspired word of God. In the interest of time, here is a link to go more in-depth if you want.

I lost my faith, and the Bible tells me I wasn't chosen, so I fell away. Not fair.

• Maybe it is a good thing you have lost your faith. It is not about your faith, it is about the object of your faith. If you are believing things that are not true, then losing your faith is a way for you to test what you believe. Maybe you have the wrong Jesus. The Bible does talk about different Gospels and false Christ's. Now is the time to find the truth and be set free.

Why is there possession, but also the Holy Spirit?

• God designed mankind in such a way that only He, through His indwelling Holy Spirit, can occupy that emptiness inside of us. We were designed to receive perfect love, acceptance, meaning, and purpose to life. God is the only one that can meet that need through Jesus Christ. The devil, whose desire is to his "throne on high (Isaiah 14:13)" cannot indwell mankind. He can only possess us and influence our behavior, but he cannot occupy the space in our spirit meant for God alone.

Why are there few miracles, but also magic?

• If something is common and natural, it cannot be a miracle by definition. Hence, why there may seem to be so few. But, also, just because you may not have experienced a miracle or many of them does not mean they are not taking place. God is active in this world despite the rest of us not always being informed of His activity to our liking. The difference between magic and miracles is the source. Magic is from the god of this world and miracles are from God. For more information click this link.

If you could move a mountain, wouldn't that be weird for others?

• If I could move mountains then I would be tempted with arrogance and it would probably make me struggle with humility. The focus would be on me and my abilities and not on God. People would come to me to perform for them and not go to God. It would be just like you read in the Bible. People only came to Jesus for His miracles and not what He came to offer them; Himself. I would be entertainment just like the Lord was to so many people. Is that weird? Perhaps.

I could go on....but none of this makes sense to me now.

Pre-Corona world was a better one. Maybe we were sent here because we failed in life, and the Bible was given to us to believe and go quietly.

• The world is the same now as it was "Pre-Corona." Since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, thousands of years ago in the Garden, the world has been in a fallen state full of sin and death. We were not sent here as if we are reincarnated or there was some previous world we failed in. If anything, we have been given a second chance by God. Prior to God flooding the earth He said, "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5)." Mankind is wicked from the moment we are born and our hearts are only focused on evil all the time. While people may disagree with this, the opinion of God is the only one that matters. This is why we suffer from things like abuse all the way to having to battle deadly diseases. None of it would be in the world if we had just believed God from the start. The Bible was given to us as a testimony of Jesus Christ and God's plan of redemption through faith in Him. 

I could go on...I am so lost and numb.

• This is a good thing to be "lost and numb." Jesus Christ said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).” Jesus came for people like you. All you have to do is let Him find you by accepting His offer of salvation. 

Grace and Peace