I’m always suspicious of believers who claim to have zero doubts about their faith and salvation. That’s not my experience. I wish I could say I never doubt, but sometimes I do.
I arrived at Christianity through the study of scripture. It wasn’t so much an emotional experience as an intellectual decision that Christ was plausible. He made a good case and seemed to have a very good explanation for why the world is the way it is (His parables, especially, are very enlightening).
Christ didn’t leave a lot of wiggle room either. You can either believe He was telling the truth, something that compels one to act, or you can think He lied. He himself didn’t leave any middle ground (contrary to those who think He was a prophet or just a guy with good intentions).
So it comes down to putting trust, call it faith, that Christ was who He said He was. If it turns out that I end up being a fool for Christ, I won’t know it. On the other hand, I hope and pray for mercy and will receive it if He was who He said He was.
BTW, I periodically re-evaluate my decision when doubts arise. I always come back to the realization that I’ve never heard a better explanation than Christ’s.
Excellent reflection comments. There comes a point where your belief and faith are tested to the limit. At that time you are given an experience where you know longer believe based upon faith, but know based upon experience that the teachings are the truth. That experience is the journey through the dark-night-of-the-soul. There can be many false dark nights as the ego battles its diminishing, but when you truly go through it you realize why Jesus stated, “My Father and I are One.” after He went through it. It’s an experiential awareness that develops as a result of raising the operational frequency of consciousness to a new level of perception. It is a true born again experience.
Communion is Jesus offering us to realize that we are One with Him, and in being so are also One with our Father.
I use Russian nesting dolls to teach this concept in workshops. We are the little doll in the middle and God is the outer large doll. Jesus is the doll just below God.(1) As we grow spiritually, our awareness and perception of the higher (greater) levels develops. This is the basis for the sacred teachings of the squaring of the circle in some secret groups.
(1) This is the reason for the statement that you can’t get to God except through Jesus. It is a very true statement no matter which religious path you have chosen.