I should get something out of my faith

[ZiSunka]

Do you feel that your faith in God should entitle you to something besides salvation? Like, good health, wealth, happiness, pleasure, or things that you want?

Why or why not?

What happens to your faith when you don't get the things you expect?

[AJ]

I don't believe that we are entitled to anything and should be thankful for what we have. I know that I end up taking a lot of things for granted that I really shouldn't when I start feeling selfish... Like that fact that I have a job, a house, a wife, a daughter, dependable transportation... I view all of these as gifts from God.

There is no promise that we will be healthy, comfortable, pleasured or anything in the Bible... We live in a fallen world and there will be tribulations. Being a Christian is not about comfort and the good life... We are blessed to have a gracious God who has the mercy to save us when we are not worthy of being saved. We are charged with spreading His Word and showing others the Light through our actions, words and lives. Even when things aren't going the way WE want them to. :)

I can't say that I haven't struggled with my faith when bad things happen. I have seen some really horrible things in my life and have often struggled with why God would allow them to take place. Being human, we all struggle with doubt from time to time (I think). Ultimately we have to rely on the truth that everything happens for a reason and that it is all by Him, for Him and through Him that we continue on.

[AJ]

When we start basing our faith on what blessing we can get out of it is when we get sideways with God.

[Cright]

I feel like it "entitles" me to persicution and also maybe with occasional fellowship with Christians and/or those I can help lead to Christ. Of course the latter is my responsibility to seek. I also feel that I'm "entitled" to my feelings as I go through this life, I'm entitled to many things. Most if not all, involve hard work and dedication to the Lord on my part. My expectation of God, was already promised by him so I don't think it's a bad expectation. It's that he hears my words, prayer, praise, confession, and such.

[BigNorsk]

I don't think our faith entitles us to anything including salvation. Salvation is a free gift. If we were entitled to it, it really isn't free is it? Worldly blessings are so unimportant. What is important is that God uses us and our lives to bring others to him and to protect us. Eternity is what's important. Not this little time on Earth.

We are told that God choses the foolish things of this world yet we always seem in our desires not to be the foolish things. The beautiful people with millions of dollars don't tend to put their trust in God, they tend to trust their looks, their money, their friends. Yet so many Christians seem in their desires to be like those lost people instead of being like God.

Marv

[AJ]

I feel like it "entitles" me to persicution and also maybe with occasional fellowship with Christians and/or those I can help lead to Christ. Of course the latter is my responsibility to seek. I also feel that I'm "entitled" to my feelings as I go through this life, I'm entitled to many things. Most if not all, involve hard work and dedication to the Lord on my part. My expectation of God, was already promised by him so I don't think it's a bad expectation. It's that he hears my words, prayer, praise, confession, and such.Great points Cright! :) Couldn't agree more!

[AJ]

I don't think our faith entitles us to anything including salvation. Salvation is a free gift. If we were entitled to it, it really isn't free is it? Worldly blessings are so unimportant. What is important is that God uses us and our lives to bring others to him and to protect us. Eternity is what's important. Not this little time on Earth.

We are told that God choses the foolish things of this world yet we always seem in our desires not to be the foolish things. The beautiful people with millions of dollars don't tend to put their trust in God, they tend to trust their looks, their money, their friends. Yet so many Christians seem in their desires to be like those lost people instead of being like God.

MarvAMEN! :thumbsup:

[PastorJim]

Do you feel that your faith in God should entitle you to something besides salvation? Like, good health, wealth, happiness, pleasure, or things that you want?

Why or why not?

No. Jesus died to save us from Hell, not to make us happy or healthy or wealthy.

What happens to your faith when you don't get the things you expect?

It's true that it's easier to have faith in God in good times than in bad times, whatever the reason. But if our faith is based on the idea that Jesus will make our lives easy or happy, then we set ourselves up for a big fall.

[Joykins]

I do expect abundant life. Not that I can define what that is, but it is not necessarily anything to do with worldly blessings.

[ZiSunka]

I do expect abundant life. Not that I can define what that is, but it is not necessarily anything to do with worldly blessings.

Amen.

Before I got saved, I used to get mad at "abundant life" churches in poor neighborhoods because I thought they were trying to mislead people into believing that faith in God will make you rich.

After I was saved a while, I realized that abundant life is deeper life, rich with real love and experiences, not money or worldly wealth.

[HumbleMan]

I don't expect anything, but I am grateful for what I have. I've never connected prosperity, health, happiness ,etc., with faith. This is a temporary life, and my only prize will be at the end of it.

[Joykins]

A shot at defining abundant life would include joy in the Lord and an existence in a harmonious and close relationship with God, other people, and His creation. But horrible things might still happen and physical blessings are not guaranteed.

[MrJim]

I expect one day to be put up against a wall and shot

<<mennonite martyrdom syndrome>>

[trinityisunity]

I do not expect eternal life but I do gladly accept it, it is through none of my righteousness but through the salvation in Christ I now have. Salvation is all that we need but any other blessings God choses to bless us with are a bonus.

It rains on the righteous and the unrighteous so we can expect hardships and health problems,etc, etc. The best thing about being saved compared to being unsaved is that through our hardships we can pray to the Sovereign Lord God Almighty and we know He hears our prayers. He will answer them in His perfect timing and He will answer them in His own way. How blessed are we who call God our abba Father.

[arunma]

Do you feel that your faith in God should entitle you to something besides salvation? Like, good health, wealth, happiness, pleasure, or things that you want?

Why or why not?

What happens to your faith when you don't get the things you expect?

It sounds like what you're describing is the Prosperity Gospel®. It's a rather vile doctrine which teaches that faith in Christ makes you money.

Anyway, I do expect a couple things out of my faith. First there is faith itself. Faith comes from God, so I suppose this is something that I expect from him. I also expect fellowship and brotherly love from my fellow Christians. And I admit that when I do not get these two things, I do feel disappointed. Apart from that, I can't think of anything off-hand that I expect God to give me.

[AJ]

It sounds like what you're describing is the Prosperity Gospel®. It's a rather vile doctrine which teaches that faith in Christ makes you money.

I know of a few preachers who must have read that one...

[Sweet Pea]

I think a lot of people don't understand what a real relationship with Christ is or that we won't be laying around on lounge chairs in heaven eating grapes for eternity. :P

When we become a christian we are saying we're no longer ours but we're now servants of Christ,to do whatever he ask of us. No where it's promise becoming a christian becomes easy but really harder.

[ZiSunka]

I think a lot of people don't understand what a real relationship with Christ is or that we won't be laying around on lounge chairs in heaven eating grapes for eternity. :P

As I learn more about the beliefs of Islam, I am more and more amazed at how much Islamic belief has leached into American Christianity. Our Bible never says that heaven is a place of rest or that we will be on easy chairs being fed grapes by beautiful servants. It doesn't say that when we die we become angels, or that there are categories of demons, each doing some unique destructive work. Those are all beliefs of Islam that American Christians have adopted into our faith.

When we become a christian we are saying we're no longer ours but we're now servants of Christ,to do whatever he ask of us. Nowhere promise becoming a christian becomes easy but really harder.

I think a lot of people struggle with the fact that being a Christian isn't just about going to church and attending Bible study.

It's a lifestyle, a complete change of who we are and what we do. We don't just add church to our schedules when we get saved, we become whole new people.

[Sweet Pea]

^^I agree. Too many people has a little Jesus with a whole lot of them instead of the opposite. If we don't reflect Jesus everyday in our lives all day or try the majority of the day we should be careful saying we're christians, so we don't cause shame to him & turn people off cause of it. :)

[Tenken07]

Ive got a real problem thats been goin on for almost two years. Sometimes its like God is answering my prayers, sometimes it isnt.

Lately things have gone downhil and god isnt or hasnt yet answered my prayers and the problems seems to be getting worse.

When that happens, I just have a hard time with it. I keep thinkin Gods gonna go and fix my problem and make it better for me. When lately its just been getting worse. I dont understand why this keep happening. its happened several times before, god not answering me leaving me to my problem. Even my friends prayers about my problem arent being answered....

Am I doing something wrong? I just.... really hate having to suffer, as ive already suffered quite badly....

[AvgJoe]

Do you feel that your faith in God should entitle you to something besides salvation? Like, good health, wealth, happiness, pleasure, or things that you want?

Why or why not?

What happens to your faith when you don't get the things you expect?

No, we Christians are not entitled to anything, not even salvation. The only thing we are entitled to is hell, that's what we deserve. All good things come down from the Father of Lights and He bestows them upon us as He sees fit.

This life is not about us, its all about Jesus.

[Sweet Pea]

Ive got a real problem thats been goin on for almost two years. Sometimes its like God is answering my prayers, sometimes it isnt.

Lately things have gone downhil and god isnt or hasnt yet answered my prayers and the problems seems to be getting worse.

When that happens, I just have a hard time with it. I keep thinkin Gods gonna go and fix my problem and make it better for me. When lately its just been getting worse. I dont understand why this keep happening. its happened several times before, god not answering me leaving me to my problem. Even my friends prayers about my problem arent being answered....

Am I doing something wrong? I just.... really hate having to suffer, as ive already suffered quite badly....

Do you have a Godly mentor to talk with locally? I know this is taking this thread off track. God answers prayers in 3 ways yes, no, later. You said something about God isn't fixing your problems for you. Not knowing what problems and how you expect for him to fix it. Some of the things we do is cause of our *free will* to make good and bad decisions. We have to live with consequences of our actions. Parents clean up messes made by children but when you get older you learn to clean up after your own messes and not expect your parents to have to constantly clean up after you. (Not saying, it's that case since I don't know what your problems is). As Christians we need to grow up and stop expecting God *our father/parent* to have to clean up constantly after us. We need to find out what his will for us (rules/laws) and live by them. :) When we live outside his perfect will for us then we have to live with consequences of our actions. Life is a series of lessons. :) After messing up ourselves or watching others mess us it should be lessons not to repeat or do whatever in the future. :)

If you don't have a regular Bible study time...start it. If you don't have a regular prayer time...start it. :)

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[MadFingerPainter]

Hbr 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

No I don't. If we get those things then to me they are simply extra blessings. I feel we are lucky that God has loved us enough and been merciful enough to even offer us salvation to begin with. :)