[mattatca]

Hi,
If you have become a Christian in the last couple of years would you mind posting about how you've found it and if you are glad you decided to do it! What helped you reach the point of decision.
Matt

[RK]

Sadly I've been one for just over three years now, so am outside your time frame. But I'm interested in what others have to say

[mattatca]

(Original post by RK)
Sadly I've been one for just over three years now, so am outside your time frame. But I'm interested in what others have to say

Oh well lets extend the time frame considering it is only you at the moment...
Matt

[Christ Is Lord]

I too only got saved about three/four years ago. I'll share my story anyway.

I was born into the Catholic denomination. I was baptised at the age of three(1995), and went through most of the Catholic rituals. I was taught to pray to Mary, that she was the mediator between God and humanity, I was taught to pray to Saints and pray the rosary, bow to statues and portraits, confess sins to priests, be very sorry for and fix my sins, do good works, and hope to make it to heaven. I had a vague idea of who Jesus (died for mankind) was but was never presented with the gospel message.

Things changed when I moved countries, and started attending a different Church. I started hearing pastors talking about people getting saved. It was something new to me. Getting saved? I mean, really? The atmosphere in the Church was very different too. It wasn't ceremonial, funeral like, the way it was in the previous Church. It was joyful and vibrant. People smiled at you, welcomed you and worshiped God the way I've never seen before. They were very kind, and offered me much help settling into their community. Some time after, I learnt the gospel message. Christ died on the cross and shed His blood for me.. The Holy Spirit convinced me that If I trust Jesus alone, apart from any works of self rightousness, He'll forgive all my sins. I'd go to heaven.

I learned that Christianity is not a bunch of rituals you have to follow, or a set of rules you have to obey. I learnt that it's not the works I do that determine my eternal destiny, but what my Saviour did on the cross 2000 years ago. All of my sin was dealt with on the cross. Jesus was the answer to my longing for a relationship with God. I learnt that Christianity is nothing more and nothing less than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I thank God so much he set me free from the bondage of religion. I thank Him so much for relieving from the prison I was in back home. To know Christ as your Saviour is something wonderful. Salvation is a wonderful gift. To know that no matter what happens in this life, one day you'll meet your Saviour in a place of no more pain, tears or worries is priceless.

I hope you discover that too one day.

Here's how to become a Christian, it's very easy

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/how_to_be_saved.html

Many blessings.

[darkeneddreams]

(Original post by mattatca)
Hi,
If you have become a Christian in the last couple of years would you mind posting about how you've found it and if you are glad you decided to do it! What helped you reach the point of decision.
Matt

I was brought up going to a baptist church and baptised as a child. I grew up going to church but had my doubts, so I questioned religion and pretty much everything. I became agnostic in my teens, I didn't care much for the church, nor the community, nor the world. I became distant from everything I had known. I separated myself and thought I could 'find' the answers to life without God.

I soon realised, the answers don't exist, or thought that life is more complicated, and many people search for something, they'll never really understand or appreciate, then they could look back on their life and realise they missed out on something. But what?

Life is simple or complex, depending on the way you look at it. In reality, we all end up dying, that's pretty simple, even if you found a way to live another 100 years, you'd still end up dead +1year after.

Then I asked myself and others who is Jesus, did he really have the answers? If you start realising he had the answers and start realising I can't prove the greatest of thing in life, which is love.

Love is unprovable, and life without love, is pretty depressing. I remember Dawkins saying he thought;
"I think it's depressing that anybody should suggest that you actually need God in order to be moral. I would hope that our morals come from a better source than that, and therefore they are genuinely moral rather than based on outmoded scripture, or based on fear. "

The scriptures aren't based on fear but love, yes I have read some of the old testament. There's many stories there, and stories can teach...... even if people believe in God, how disobedient man is..

But to me, morals don't ever change, not like ethics. And God is unchanging, as he is perfect. Morals are perfect. Ethics are relative to time (hence they change with society). The entire 'morale' is trying to get people to keep up good spirits so to speak, not to change. If you question our language, you might start to have a pinnacle understanding that without religion, our present day language would have not formed, neither would our present day society, actually the stability that religion or belief or faith or love, gives us, is actually quite over-whelming. But of course Dawkins wants to sell millions of books and become a idol, which in most he has done so very well.

Now what the scriptures teach us of idols, love and faith..

To me, being baptised, believing and loving God, believing Jesus died for our sins and He is our saviour. That's it. It's that simple!

Question the world all you want, but you'll probably find nothing but blame and hate. People like blaming, it appears the buck gets past a lot. There have been many wars in history, and they'll be wars in the future. People enjoy blaming religion, passing the buck. But my belief is in God not in the world.

[BrasilianBarbie]

Yes! I gave my life to Christ Feb 2011.

I was bought up in a Christian household, went to sunday school etc so I knew about God, and the crucifixion of Christ, but it wasn't until coming to university that I truly experienced God and understood exactly what Christ did for me on the cross.

My offer for university was AAB, but I only got ABB, but by God's grace I was still accepted. When I started university, I met some amazing people that really influenced me. I started going to church regularly (I stopped when I was 16) and was going to Christian Union meetings. In Feb 2011, I spontaneously (like 3 days before lol) decided to go on a retreat with a fellowship group at the university. On the 2nd night of this retreat, there was a night of prayer, where everyone was praying for eachother and just experiencing God's presence. Well some friends started to pray for me, and then suddenly the gravity of my sin hit me. I had been living my life in complete rebellion to God, and the realization that God was willing to welcome me into his family, and adopt me has his own even though I was nothing but sinful man astonished me. At that moment i decided to give up everything for him, because he is just so worthy. Its been an amazing experience, and I'm looking forward to drawing closer with Jesus!