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- Follow through. Tell a Christian friend about your commitment.
Get yourself in training in basic Christian disciplines of prayer, worship,
Bible study, and fellowship with other Christians. You can contact our
church office at 415-346-6994, and we will connect you with someone
who is gladly willing to help you grow as a Christian.
- Consider reading: Go For It, by John Guest, or The Fight, by John White. Both are good books for developing a new Christian life.
Why Should I Seek to Know God?
On one hand, you may feel that you "need" him. Even though you
may recognize that you have needs that only God can meet, you must not
try to use him to achieve your own ends. It is not possible to bargain
with God. ("I'll do this if you do that.") That is not Christianity
at all, but a form of magic or paganism in which you attempt to "appease"
the cranky deity in exchange for a favor. Are you getting into Christianity
to serve God, or to get God to serve you? Those are two opposite motives
and they result in two different religions. You must come to God because
- You owe
it to Him to give Him your life (because He is your creator), and
- You are deeply grateful to Him for sacrificing His son (because He is your redeemer).
On the other hand, you may feel no need or interest to know God at all. This does not mean that you should stay uncommitted. If you were created by God then you owe Him your life, whether you like it or not. You are obligated to seek Him and ask Him to soften your heart, open your eyes, and enlighten you. If you say "I have no faith" that is no excuse either. You need only doubt your doubts. No one can ever doubt everything at once you must believe in something to doubt something else. For example, do you believe you are competent to run your own life? Where is the evidence of that? Why doubt everything but your doubts about God and your faith in yourself? Is that fair? You owe it to God to seek Him. Do so.
What If I Am Not Ready to Proceed?
Make a list of the issues that you perceive to be a barrier to your crossing
the line into faith. Here is a possible set of headings:
- Content Issues. Do you understand the basics of the Christian message--sin, Jesus as God, sacrifice, faith?
- Coherence Issues. Are there intellectual problems that you have with Christianity? Objections to the Christian faith that you cannot resolve in your own mind?
- Cost Issues. Do you perceive that a move into full Christian faith will cost you dearly? What fears do you have about commitment?
Now talk to a Christian friend until these issues are resolved. Or call our church office and we will be happy to connect you with someone you could talk to about these matters.
Consider reading:
- Hope Has its Reasons, by Rebecca Pipert (Harper & Rowe)
- Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis (MacMillan)
- Basic Christianity, by John Stott (IVP)
By Dr. Timothy Keller, ©1991