Abigail Adams wrote: “Tell me if I am wrong, but you seem to think that Christians cannot know if they are really Christians or not. I think we can know, and we do know.”
This is Saundra: When I was a Southern Baptist, the same people used to go to the alter to get saved over and over. I never felt sure of my salvation. Once saved always saved . . . ?
Then I got re-baptized into the Pentecostal Church of God (talk about the emotional); I spoke in tongues (although the baptists had warned me that speaking in tongues was from the devil). I was “slain in the spirit” many times. I ended up not liking the fact that the guy in the wheelchair just sat there with a sad confused look on his face while another guy was jumping up and down praising the Lord because he got healed of a headache! The preachers said that it is ALWAYS God’s will for you to be healed so therefore if you didn’t get healed, you just didn’t have enough faith. I heard plenty of anti-Mormon sermons.
I joined Youth With A Mission (Christian missionary group stationed in Kailua-Kona Hawaii, a/k/a University of the Nations) and we “served a mission” for 18 months in Belize Central America during which time my little boy came down with giardia. I felt funny in Belize (Village of Roaring Creek) because as far as I’m concerned the Christians (for example Pastor Ochoa) were better and deeper Christians than we YWAMers could ever hope to be and yet we were sent to “save” them. It was weird. Also went to China, Hong Kong and Okinawa Japan on missionary outreach.
I did not like it that one preacher would preach one thing and another preacher would come along and contradict the other preacher. It made me kind of sick to my stomach. I think I understand how Joseph Smith felt (a little anyway) when he was confused about which church to join and asked the Lord for help.
I find it interesting, Saundra, that you eventually fled from religion based on emotional appeal, only to settle upon a religion that claims you ought to trust a feeling. You might keep this little suggestion in the back of your mind for future reference when you have doubts about Mormonism: trust in the Lord with all your heart and mind isn't based upon your integrity to keep your promises to God, it is based upon His integrity to keep His promise to you.
Thank you, Saundra, for sharing your story. Sounds like you had a confusing experience!
I would say that a church that says you need to keep getting “saved” over and over is out of line with Christian doctrine. Yes, once saved, always saved is true.
If a church says that speaking in tongues is of the devil, I would say that is out of line too, as the Bible clearly lists it among the spiritual gifts. But it is not a necessary gift, some people have it and some don’t, as it is with the other gifts.
I think the issue of healing is confusing, but I would say that if a church teaches that it is always God’s will to be healed, and that if you don’t get healed it is a lack of faith, that is out of line too. I think most Christians would say that God heals when it is his will to heal, and if he doesn’t then it is not the person’s fault or lack of faith...but perhaps God has some higher reason for not healing in that particular instance. His thought are higher than our thoughts. I can see how it would be difficult to see someone in a wheelchair not get healed, while someone with a headache claims to get healed (who knows if they really did or not, as they may not have wanted to be accused of having a lack of faith in that situation).
That’s interesting that you were with YWAM, and were sent to “save” other Christians? I don’t know a lot about YWAM, although I do have an aquaintance who works with them. What exactly were you commissioned to do in the churches where you served? I’d be interested to know.
Yes I can see how it would make you feel sick to hear preachers contradicting each other. I have to say that there is a lot of crap out there...preachers and teachers who grieve the Holy Spirit by making people feel guilty or feel they are lacking in faith or what have you. That’s why Jesus got so angry with the Pharisees. They put burdens on people, while Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. That is why the Bible tells us to be discerning, to test the spirits, to be careful about false teachers and prophets.
I am sorry you had such a confusing experience in Christian churches. I don’t have any easy answers for you. I guess in my experience, I have used my intellect, the Bible, and spiritual discernment to test what is true and what isn’t true when it comes to individual teachers and churches. I do believe the Holy Spirit will help make things clear to us in our minds and hearts if we ask for wisdom. Thanks again for sharing your story!
SD, as a born-and-raised member, I am always fascinated by the experiences of those who find the Church later in life; I think part of it is because I wonder how I would have reacted to the Church if I hadn’t been raised in it.
Without getting uncomfortably personal, what about the Church attracted you? Why did you find it preferable over the faiths in which you’d been raised and nurtured?