Keeping the faith in a state of hypocrisy.

[Hopehealer]

I find myself currently struggling with holding on to old ideas that no longer serve purpose in my life right now. My question is does having little faith make me less of a Christian? I know and I pray to god that my previous beliefs which are hindering my progress in developing as a mature Christian be extinguished. I'm inquiring to know how faith and sin intertwine as it pertains to the bible? I'm new on my spiritual journey.

 

[AlexB23]

I find myself currently struggling with holding on to old ideas that no longer serve purpose in my life right now. My question is does having little faith make me less of a Christian? I know and I pray to god that my previous beliefs which are hindering my progress in developing as a mature Christian be extinguished. I'm inquiring to know how faith and sin intertwine as it pertains to the bible? I'm new on my spiritual journey.

You might want to talk to a priest or pastor about this, on ways to strengthen your faith. You are still a Christian, but it is important to build up the faith.

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV): "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."

In 1 Chronicles 16:11, the verse emphasizes the importance of looking to the Lord for strength and seeking His face always. This means trusting in God's power and presence in our lives, and seeking a deep and personal relationship with Him. By focusing on God and His strength, we are reminded that He is our source of hope and comfort in all circumstances. This verse imparts hope by reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles and that God is always with us, ready to provide the strength we need to face life's challenges.


From Confidence in the Lord devotional:

1 Chronicles 16:11 & Luke 21:28 - Be Confident in the LORD

Hello folks. Today's Bible analysis is on 1 Chronicles 16:11 and Luke 21:28. Some folks nowadays seem to have lost faith, or the message in the Bible about trusting in God, so here are two verses that help us become confident in the Lord. Date May 7, 2024 Verse 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)...

www.christianforums.com

 

[FreeinChrist]

ADVISOR HAT

This thread was moved from Ethics & Morality, which includes non-Christians, to this forum.​

 

[St_Worm2]

I find myself currently struggling with holding on to old ideas that no longer serve purpose in my life right now. My question is does having little faith make me less of a Christian? I know and I pray to god that my previous beliefs which are hindering my progress in developing as a mature Christian be extinguished. I'm inquiring to know how faith and sin intertwine as it pertains to the bible? I'm new on my spiritual journey.

Hello Hopehealer, first off, since I see that you are a new member, WELCOME TO CF

It would be helpful to understand what some of those "old ideas" are, the ones that you do not believe serve a purpose in your life anymore, as that would make it possible to have a better discussion about them (of course, you should only give us more specific details if you feel comfortable doing so).

As far as being less of a Christian goes (due to the little faith that you now possess and/or perhaps a decrease in the faith that you once had?), I think that it's more a matter of the level of maturity in the faith that you have (or the lack thereof), than it is of being more of/less of a Christian (which is something, like being pregnant, that you either are, or you are not).

Again, it would be helpful to know more specifics (if possible) to have a better discussion about all of this.

Lastly, concerning how faith and sin "intertwine", we start out as lost sinners until God steps in and changes us from the inside out .. e.g. Ezekiel 36:26-27; Ephesians 2:1-5 by saving us and making us "His workmanship" (or "masterpiece") as wholly "new creatures" in Christ .. e.g. Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17 cf Ephesians 4:22-24 (so we are also "sanctified" by God from the moment that we become believers .. this is sometimes referred to as "relational sanctification", because we immediately begin and continue to act in a way that is at least somewhat/typically commensurate with our new self/new nature as the "new creatures" in Christ that we become*.

*(BTW, this new way of living/talking, and even thinking, since becoming "new creatures/creations" in Christ, that is, is perhaps the best evidence that we have that we really are who we claim and believe ourselves to be, Christians).​

Following our initiation into the faith as believers (our quickening/salvation/justification/relational sanctification, etc.), we enter into the lifelong process of what we refer to as "sanctification", which is a mighty/ongoing work of God in us for the balance of our days here (e.g. Philippians 1:6), a process that God also intends and makes possible for us to be a part of with Him .. e.g. Philippians 2:12-13.

Our "sanctification" in the faith can be best understood as our growth in Christlikeness on the one hand, and our becoming less and less sinful on the other (so I believe that this may be where it is easiest to see faith and sin "intertwine", or perhaps better, where they continue to unwind, where our faith and Christlike character can be seen increasing, and our sinfulness can be seen taking a nosedive).

I've never thought of/talked about some of the above topics in the exact way that I just did, so I may edit what I said and/or have more to say later if something else comes to mind.

Questions about any of this or additional questions, in general? Please don't hesitate to ask them (and I will do my best to answer them, as clearly as possible)

Praying for you!

May God bless you as you seek grow in your knowledge and understanding of Him/His word/the Christian faith.

--David

Psalm 119​

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word.​

11 Thy word I have treasured/hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.​

​

1 Thessalonians 5​

23 May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body ​

be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ​

24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. ​

 

[Its Okay]

The more you trust in God the less of yourself remains intact.

 

[timf]

Having little faith lets you be swayed by every wind of doctrine. It allows you to walk in the flesh which can bring you into contention with others. We all start out with little faith, but are expected to grow and mature.

Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

 

[Its Okay]

We are dust, scattered and longing for the One who formed us, yet in our foolishness we cling to an illusion of control. We shape our lives with fragile hands, pretending to command destinies that only God can ordain. His love, a storm too wild to comprehend, surrounds us—cutting off every escape—and we flee in terror because His honesty threatens everything we’ve built. It feels like death to surrender to His burning love, so we grasp at the safety of traditions, communities, and human affections, hoping they will shield us from His fire.

We say we trust Him, but in truth, we trust more in the fragile structures of this world. Family, systems, and our own efforts become our anchors, while God’s love peels us away from them like the skin from fruit. His love is gentle but also intentional; a sharpened knife that shaves us bare, exposing the raw truth of our waywardness: the insidious attachment we have to sin. But rather than accept this work, we tighten our grip on ignorance. We deny that God never settles for anything less than the highest standard of care.

This is why every turn we take, we run into His image, His proclamation in Christ defeating all dangers. Christ’s confidence in God is a rebuke against our thinking, a declaration that our pursuit of control is pointless. We cannot hide from God, and His love will destroy every illusion. In His love, there is no escape—only a calling to trust beyond ourselves, beyond our shallow faith in people and habits and powers and structures. Christ’s death and resurrection stand against our thinking, against our worldly education. It cries out: “A rebellious heart cannot win! Love easily defeats death!”

Let us surrender to God and be undone by Him. His love will kill everything false in us and make space for life to grow. The cancer of our prideful and sinful thoughts can only be burned away by the consuming fire of His extraordinary mercy. And though it feels like death to let go of control, only in total surrender will we find the life He offers—life beyond our fears, beyond our illusions, a life fully trusting Him. This is faith.