First Post
I can answer those questions personally. Note that i am not judging nor imposing anyone's beliefs, but certainly it may challenge them - and that's ok. The easiest way to start is with part of my story.
When I was in Jr high my mom took me to a local christian church. it was fun, i liked the songs. I always thought that probably the purpose of life was to be 'good enough to get into heaven'. At 15 in a new (and still my current) church when i learned that Jesus died for my sins and my faith in him saves me(reconciles me to God), i chose him and got baptized. This made sense to me for many reasons, philosophical,theological and personal,objectively. 4 years ago I got serious and truly surrendered my life to see what he could do with me.
(What?)That is my definition of being a christian. Believing that Jesus Christ is Lord, that he died for my sins to reconcile me to himself, so i may give the same love(sacrifice) back to him, and that he IS God. its a Relationship. Its worth it.
On to your answers:
How?-
I suppose my All-or-Nothing attitude plays a major role in how. I'm not here to fool around. I want to live life and live it to the fullest(however short it is). But what does it mean to live? Enter the Bible. Supposedly its God's word. And i heard He's perfect(he doesn't mess up), is all powerful, and defines love (not the other way around).
So if i am going to believe in this God, or myself or anyone/thing, then it has to be for who they ARE, not for what i make them. If I am going to believe in this God, I will have to believe he is who he says he is and can (and did do) what he says he does. This leaves no room for compromise. Jesus claimed he was God. Either He was God or he was crazy. there is no in-between, loving hippie, smart teacher, huggy teddybear nonsense. Belief and faith is not a checkout of our brains, nor closing our hearts, it is based on our intelligence, experience, knowledge, wisdom, - our everything - and in the end, (whether based on those things or not) it is a choice. So now he has to prove he is who he says he is.
Why?
1-as an INFJ i have a good understanding of the world, how it works, how people are at their core (deepest human nature) and I know more of myself than i'd like to know. So I put what the bible says to the test. I read other books(even scientific theories and physics, and psychology - boltzman Brain principle, etc.), not just the bible, and have not found anything that contradicted or didnt follow what true unconditional love is. Religion is a human attempt to understand and approach God. Jesus is God coming to us, doing it for us. But such love has only one response (not only logical, but we were made to) - to love back in the same way.
2-I have personally lived out my relationship with God. Striving to understand him more and not tell him who he is or who i want him to be. My faith and wisdom has been proven by its results in both through great and some of the most difficult experiences in my life. But Jesus is not a self help tool, or a crutch, nor a comfort for troubled or insecure people. That is a flawed human understanding of both someone we can never fully understand and ourselves as humans. Thus my adventure of full life with Jesus has been the greatest and most fulfilling inspite of the worst the world had to offer - and impose.
(skip this next part if you don't want to hear me preach)
This quote is one of my favorites: "The fact that we cannot control God is proof that he exists." What you do or believe in(or don't) cannot create or destroy God, though it can affect your world/reality, and thus affect others. But God is proven by his results, and my humility in giving him the glory is just an outward expression of what is true whether or not I give it. Christians who truly follow Jesus make the world not just a better place, but heaven on earth in its imperfection. We are all hypocrites and imperfect, and we all think we know what love is, but experience it with the one who created it, us, defines it, and with his children that he made so beautifully and to live in community and friendship with each other; and you can decide for yourself. For me, Its worth it.
(ok done.)
For anyone wishing to discuss why Faith must accompany God, or any other discussions about me or God or what i believe in or what I wrote, or even philosophy, physics and the depth of the human heart and love. feel free to contact me.
-MAC