ARCHIVE: A confession of faith

[Lighthouse]

Somebody's already got that user name, Lighthouse.

Well, I have no idea then.

 

[SOTK]

Justin, as I recall, you were a Christian before you were Wiccan. Is that correct?

I also understand you to be saying here, not that you've become a Christian again, but that you've begun to look for a better way to serve God ... and that you are open to it being through Christianity.

For what it's worth, I thought I would chime in here and say that I, too, have been feeling more open to theism again, and have felt some of the old devotional love of God from my Christian days returning. It never left me, in truth, and I don't believe I ever rejected it in spirit; I just turned to it in a different way, and found it through a different form. The "language" and images of the Christian world in which I'd immersed myself eventually came to seem inadequate to me, and I looked into my heart and into the great traditions of the world to try to go deeper. I recall saying in a prayer once, as I stood outside the doors of a church in Korea, "Lord, I am turning my back on You -- on all that people have told me about You and where You are to be found; but I am doing it in order to better and more deeply find You."

After this journey, some of the Christian message does speak to me in a new way now. That is not a way of saying I'm "coming back" to Christianity, however, or that I'm leaving what I've found. But it is an acknowledgement of the original roots of my journey away, and an opening to make more room for what I'd left behind.

Peace,
Balder

I'll be keeping you in my prayers, Balder! :up:

 

[Charity]

we should just take the name "Justin" away from that other guy, I never see him post :devil:

or Justin (ex-Wiccan) should be called "The real slim Justin"

yes i like
Just in time 2

 

[Lighthouse]

Balder-
I will pray for you, as well.

 

[Clete]

Am I a Christian? I do not know.

Justin,

I know everyone seems very excited about your change of heart and I don't really want to be a kill joy here but perhaps you've been around long enough to have read one of us say that when we aren't sure that someone is or is not a Christian that we give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are not. Well, while such comments are intended to be somewhat shocking, that doesn't mean that they aren't true, and while it's terrific that you've stepped away from your paganism and I congratulate you for having done so, that isn't quite far enough for me to start jumping up and down with excitement, especially when you said yourself that you don't know whether you're a Christian or not.

I would very much like to put the issue to rest by simply asking you to explain to the group what it is exactly that you believe about Jesus Christ. Your answer to that should be enough to tell us whether there is really something here to celebrate about or whether you've simply exchanged your Hell bound Bobsled for a hand-basket. I sincerely hope that it is the former and not the latter and promise to pray for you to that end.

May God bless you!

Resting in Him,
Clete

 

[Balder]

May God bless you!

Though he may yet fry you!



Pass the salt...

 

[Justin (Wiccan)]

Justin,

I know everyone seems very excited about your change of heart and I don't really want to be a kill joy here but perhaps you've been around long enough to have read one of us say that when we aren't sure that someone is or is not a Christian that we give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are not.

Clete, I have absolutely no problem with that, and I take no offense whatsoever. I would rather claim nothing than claim a name I'm not entitled to.

I would very much like to put the issue to rest by simply asking you to explain to the group what it is exactly that you believe about Jesus Christ.

Clete, I'll tell you the truth--I'm still figuring that out. What I know right now is that I believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. He was crucified, but God raised him from the dead. I do not understand how (and I rather have my doubts that any human understands how), but because of His death and resurrection, I am saved because I believe in Him.

*shrug* That's the absolute best I understand it and can express my understanding. There's more there, but I don't have the words to explain it.

 

[Frank Ernest]

Clete, I'll tell you the truth--I'm still figuring that out. What I know right now is that I believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. He was crucified, but God raised him from the dead. I do not understand how (and I rather have my doubts that any human understands how), but because of His death and resurrection, I am saved because I believe in Him.

Welcome aboard, Brother! :thumb:

 

[Delmar]

Welcome aboard, Brother! :thumb:

:up:

Justin
Just checking, did you get my PM

 

[On Fire]

What I know right now is that I believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. He was crucified, but God raised him from the dead. I do not understand how (and I rather have my doubts that any human understands how), but because of His death and resurrection, I am saved because I believe in Him.

Perfect.

I also applaud your courage and humility....God will honor you for it.

 

[BillyBob]

Justin,

I know everyone seems very excited about your change of heart and I don't really want to be a kill joy here but perhaps you've been around long enough to have read one of us say that when we aren't sure that someone is or is not a Christian that we give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are not. Well, while such comments are intended to be somewhat shocking, that doesn't mean that they aren't true, and while it's terrific that you've stepped away from your paganism and I congratulate you for having done so, that isn't quite far enough for me to start jumping up and down with excitement, especially when you said yourself that you don't know whether you're a Christian or not.

I would very much like to put the issue to rest by simply asking you to explain to the group what it is exactly that you believe about Jesus Christ. Your answer to that should be enough to tell us whether there is really something here to celebrate about or whether you've simply exchanged your Hell bound Bobsled in for a hand-basket. I sincerely hope that it is the former and not the latter and promise to pray for you to that end.

May God bless you!

Resting in Him,
Clete

:cow:

 

[Frank Ernest]

:cow:

:darwinsm: Faith Cop on the job.
Cop pulls driver over for speeding.

Driver: Yes, Officer, I was speeding.
Officer: Justaminit, how were you speeding?
Driver: My speedometer said 35 and this is a 25 zone.
Officer: Your speedometer could be defective.
Driver: Well, yes, it could be, but I don't think so.
Officer: When did you check it last?
Driver: I haven't. I trust what it says.
Officer: Then you don't really know if you were speeding or not.
Driver: Guess I don't.
Officer: I'm writing you a ticket for a defective speedometer.
Driver: What about speeding?
Officer: We don't really know that, do we?

 

[Clete]

Clete, I have absolutely no problem with that, and I take no offense whatsoever. I would rather claim nothing than claim a name I'm not entitled to.



Clete, I'll tell you the truth--I'm still figuring that out. What I know right now is that I believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. He was crucified, but God raised him from the dead. I do not understand how (and I rather have my doubts that any human understands how), but because of His death and resurrection, I am saved because I believe in Him.

*shrug* That's the absolute best I understand it and can express my understanding. There's more there, but I don't have the words to explain it.

Excellent answer! Understanding how is not necessary nor perhaps, as you've suggested, even possible. Welcome home!

:bannana: :jump: arty: :juggle: :BRAVO: :cloud9: :sinapisN: :guitar: :drum: :singer: :Nineveh: :the_wave: :thefool: :straight:

 

[Clete]

:darwinsm: Faith Cop on the job.
Cop pulls driver over for speeding.

Driver: Yes, Officer, I was speeding.
Officer: Justaminit, how were you speeding?
Driver: My speedometer said 35 and this is a 25 zone.
Officer: Your speedometer could be defective.
Driver: Well, yes, it could be, but I don't think so.
Officer: When did you check it last?
Driver: I haven't. I trust what it says.
Officer: Then you don't really know if you were speeding or not.
Driver: Guess I don't.
Officer: I'm writing you a ticket for a defective speedometer.
Driver: What about speeding?
Officer: We don't really know that, do we?

 

[allsmiles]

I've been wrestling with this for a while ... not because I didn't want to make the change, but because while I desire to serve the Creator with all my heart, I wasn't sure if I was qualified to serve in this fashion.

Am I a Christian? I do not know. I'm probably not a terribly orthodox Christian--but then again, I wasn't a terribly orthodox Wiccan. But from where I stand, and from the very best of my understanding, the symbol in my postbit is not the important issue--the important issue is the relationship between God and me.

Maybe it's time to look at that relationship in a different context.

since you've already related to us that you don't fully understand what you're getting into, i'll keep away from asking about particulars in regards to what you're jumping into... i must admit that i'm confused that someone as intelligent as yourself would jump into a decision like this without fully comprehending what you're getting into.

faith at work i suppose: intelligent people doing things that not even themselves understand.

yeah, big trade mark of an informed decision.

i apologize if i don't mask my disappointment very well

how were you compelled to this particular decision?

was it just faith, or reason, or evidence, or the lack of results from wicca? like i said i won't ask about the system you're adopting, just about the reasons behind the switch.

i don't care if people have a tendency to change their socks very often, i just wonder at people who change their socks when none are needed at all and they already know that...:think:

 

[Frank Ernest]

:darwinsm: It's a parable.

 

[2ephesians8]

Clete, I'll tell you the truth--I'm still figuring that out. What I know right now is that I believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. He was crucified, but God raised him from the dead. I do not understand how (and I rather have my doubts that any human understands how), but because of His death and resurrection, I am saved because I believe in Him.

*shrug* That's the absolute best I understand it and can express my understanding. There's more there, but I don't have the words to explain it.

:the_wave: :the_wave: :the_wave: :e4e: :e4e: :e4e: :drum: :guitar: :cheers:

Time for a party!

Hallelujah!
Praise God in His holy temple; praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him for His excellent greatness. Praise Him with the blast of the ram's-horn; praise Him with the lyre and harp. Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe. Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud-clanging cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Hallelujah!Psalm 150

 

[Ninjashadow]

Congrats Justin.

As far as your name goes, I don't know if anyone suggested it, but how about Justin (Christian)?

 

[Jefferson]

how were you compelled to this particular decision?

It was probably due to Romans 1:19,20 - "What may be known of God is manifest in [men], for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse."

 

[koban]

Congrats Justin.

As far as your name goes, I don't know if anyone suggested it, but how about Justin (Christian)?

Nope, I think we were all trying to be clever.

Good suggestion!