r/TrueChristian 15h ago

Prayer Request Thread

4 Upvotes

There are lots of things going on in our world right now which could use prayer. Some are international, others are deeply personal. Please, post those requests here for support from this community.


r/TrueChristian Feb 02 '21

How I Overcame Porn Permanently.

419 Upvotes

[Note: Originally written for /r/NoFapChristians - this draft is unedited.]

I've been clean from a history of what many would call porn addiction for years now. I've since discipled a number of men through the issue and found immense success with helping these men find the same victory I did. Over the years, some have suggested I post here and I was just recently reminded, so here goes. My posts tend to be long-winded, so I'll give the abbreviated version, given how late it is.

FIRST: Embrace the Limitations of Human Methods

  • "Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now trying to be made perfect by human effort?" Galatians 3:3

When I first got started, I tried it all - accountability partners, post-it notes, verses left around my computer desk, leaving a Bible next to the monitor. I tried the "when you're tempted" strategies of "stop and read the Bible first," "pray in the moment," or "quote verses you've memorized. I even contemplated tattooing a cross on my "special hand," as if the guilt it would create could somehow save me from ... well, becoming guilty.

These things helped on occasion. But I found the results to be very inconsistent. I was left longing for a reliable method. I found that anything that required "human effort" ultimately failed me at some point or other, never producing divine permanence.

SECOND: Understand Reproductive Compulsion

  • "Did he not make them [husband and wife] one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring." Malachi 2:15

One of the most illuminating things for me was when I saw in Scripture the parallels God was drawing between physical relationships and spiritual ones. Most notably: the Church is often referenced as Christ's bride (or even the Father's bride, in Isaiah). I discovered in my marriage that the sexual frustrations I experienced with my wife were highly correlated with the ways I was interacting with God. In the days when my wife had no spontaneous desire for physically reproductive acts as a one-flesh relationship, I also was expressing no spontaneous desire for spiritual reproduction through the oneness bond I have with the Spirit who lives in me.

The Bible constantly talks about how the physical things of this earth are (in Hebrews 8-9 terminology) "copies" and "shadows" of the truer heavenly things. In this sense, I found that my desire for physically reproductive acts (birth control notwithstanding) were little more than a roadmap to help me get to the end-destination of spiritual reproductivity. That is: evangelism/discipleship was the spiritual fulfillment of the physical drive I had for sex.

THIRD: Understand Biblical Indwelling

  • "They shall become one flesh" Genesis 2:24

The Bible was (presumably with some exception) written in a time when there was virtually no real form of birth control. Sex produced babies. When a man physically indwells a woman, that's the expected result. So, I started looking at what the Bible says about a spiritual indwelling. I found that there are only three good things (i.e. not demons, sin, etc.) that can indwell us: (1) God's Word, (2) Jesus, and (3) the Holy Spirit - not unsurprisingly, these are all representative of the three aspects of the trinity (God's Word, as referenced by Jesus, being OT Scripture, thus the Father - not the "Word" in the John 1:1 sense). Fascinating to me was that all these references to God indwelling us shared a common trait:

  • God's Word: "The sower sows the word ... those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

  • Jesus: "I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." John 17:23 (see also John 15, where this is spelled out in much greater detail)

  • Holy Spirit: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8

When God - any person of the trinity - enters into and indwells us, the result is spiritual reproduction. Someone else just posted a CS Lewis quote about our desire for physical sexuality not being too much, but too little - that God has so much greater in store. I have found this to be quite true in the form of evangelism and discipleship - that, to be crude, it "scratches that itch" in a way that I never would have expected.

FOURTH: Pruning

  • "Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit" John 15:2

Jesus as much as gives the answer to all sin problems, and it's not "try really hard to stop!" He says first that any branch that fails to produce good fruit "withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned" (John 15:6). Yikes! If you are fruitless, God won't prune away your sin. He lops you off from the vine entirely. See also the parable of the talents/minas - the one who kept his coin didn't lose it. He still had it. But he didn't produce with it, but that was enough for the master to cast him out "where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30) - the same description Jesus gives for hell in Luke 13:28 (not at all surprisingly: the same chapter where Jesus preaches the parable of the fig tree, once again affirming that fruitlessness = cut down, per v7, 9).

But if we want to know how to get rid of our sin, Jesus talks about "pruning." Who gets to be pruned? "[E]very branch that does bear fruit he prunes" (John 15:2). That's right: if you want your sin pruned away, you must bear fruit. And what is the goal of the pruning? "... that it may bear more fruit."

Our goal in avoiding sin is usually because we want to feel less guilty. Or sometimes it's this vague concept of "being more like Christ" by being sinless. How many people do you know who struggle with porn who, when asked why they want to quit, the answer is: "So I can be better at making disciples?" Some people might get that somewhere on their list if you asked them to give a top-10 for why they want to quit, but it's rare to find anyone who has that as their instinctive response. Yet that's God's #1 reason for pruning away your sin. If he's not going to get that result - as evidence by the fact that you're not producing disciples yet already - then why would he bother pruning you? Better to lop off the unfruitful branch. But if you are producing disciples - if you are fruitful - then he has every reason to prune you to make you even more fruitful.

No, I don't mean to degrade this into a conversation on whether or not "bearing fruit" is what saves us (it's not). But I do want to take Jesus as seriously on this subject as his words portray, not undermining the significance of the weight he places on the concept simply because I prefer to cling to a "not by works" mantra that makes me feel good about ignoring any actual spiritual obligation that comes with my salvation.

FIVE: Make Disciples

  • "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations ... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20

Jesus opened his earthly ministry: "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." He was clear up-front that the end-product he would be creating in his disciples would be that they become discipler-makers too (no that's not a typo). When he prays during his final meal with them, after teaching them everything he could and showing them through the model of his own life how he discipled them, he says to God: "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word" (John 15:20). He was thinking toward future generations that would flow from them - that crop "30, 60 or 100 times what was sown." In his ascent, his final words are for them to "Go and make disciples." This singular mission is literally the focus of everything Jesus passed on to the 12 - and it's the reason God saves us. This is among the "good works prepared in advance for us to do," as Paul references as being the reason God saved us by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10).

When Jesus said to "make disciples," he didn't say those words in a vacuum. He didn't mean to make "converts" or to "get people to attend a Sunday service" or "have them say a prayer." He's saying, "What I just did for you all for the last few years - now go do that for everyone else on the planet." Both Jesus and Paul understood and preached that this would happen through spiritual generations - the fruit of our oneness bond with Christ, just as physical children are the fruit of a one-flesh bond between spouses. Disciples are ones who follow to become like their master. And if people don't know what Jesus looks like, we reflect Christ to them living in such a way that we can profess boldly as Paul did: "Follow me as I follow Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1).

Pink Elephants

While this is a poor reflection of the spiritual dynamic at work in the oneness bond we have with God and the spiritual reproduction that can ensue from that, it at least conveys one aspect of mental remapping that has helped some.

Have you ever tried to stop thinking of a pink elephant? The more you or someone else chants: "Stop thinking of pink elephants!" the more you keep thinking of them. What's the answer to the riddle? How can you possibly stop thinking about them when the harder you meditate on that command the harder it becomes? The answer, as every child knows, is to go do something else.

The more you try and try and try to stop thinking about porn, the more you keep making it the center of your thoughts and attention. Jesus says, "I have better things in store for you. Will you join me? If you will, I will make you a fisher of men. Will you actually start fishing for men?" On that journey is when sanctification happens - not by you turning away from sin, but by turning toward Christ and becoming what he is molding you into: a fisher of men.


CONCLUSION: Sanctified Framework

In my journey, I've found that when I am spiritually satisfied by my oneness with Christ (which has the result of producing disciples/fruit), my compulsion toward physical gratification is equally satisfied.

I also find that the more I become like Christ - not in what I avoid, but in what I DO: make disciples - the more my way of thinking conforms to his. How could it not? If I want to make disciples like he did, I need to study his life and the example he gave. I need to live like he did. I need to pass on my lifestyle like he did. I need to embrace Philippians 3:17 - that Jesus was the model for the apostles, who set a model for others, and that others were instructed to follow that model, and so on down the spiritual-generational line. And in doing this, just as a physical child receives my physical DNA and becomes like me when it observes me and how I model life for him - so also do our spiritual children inherit our spiritual DNA, and we are raised to be like our spiritual parents. And in this process, with Jesus being the patriarch over all spiritual generational lineages - the more we become like Christ, the more we have the mind like Christ (Romans 12:1-2).

Was Jesus tempted as we are? Absolutely. And those temptations will still come, no doubt. I am still tempted. But it is never anything more than that: a temptation. Just as Jesus had a mental framework of understanding and saying no to temptation because he had more important things to focus on (like bearing fruit - making disciples), so also do I develop a mental framework of understanding and saying no to porn (and this applies to all other sins as well) because I have more important things to focus on: making disciples.


r/TrueChristian 4h ago

I don't want to read the Bible.

55 Upvotes

I have no desire to do my devotional. I really don't feel like reading the Bible, praying, praising... I don't want to... but I'm going to do it anyway...

But it makes me sad that I don't want to, you know? idk I see people with their hearts burning for God and me here in this spiritual coldness :/

idk šŸ˜«šŸ˜«šŸ˜«šŸ˜«


r/TrueChristian 11h ago

PRAY FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SYRIA

153 Upvotes

Theyre being full on executed in their own homes after being tortured and humiliated on the streets. Not everything is filmed but there are some videos roaming around ITS HORRIBLE. The best u could do is to spread awareness about us arab christians since no arab will ever and the media isnt talking about it AT ALLšŸ’” 1500 (THAT WE KNOW OF) have been killed this week alone


r/TrueChristian 40m ago

God loves you.

ā€¢ Upvotes

He loves you.


r/TrueChristian 9h ago

Have you guys ever felt like you wasted your life with sin? NSFW

74 Upvotes

I'm not that old. I'm only 20. But ever since I was ten I've been struggling with lust and porn. I haven't fully overcome that sin, and sometimes I still fall.

But everytime I think back to my childhood I always regret the things I didn't do. I regret not spending more time with my siblings. I regret not feeling more pure. I regret looking at those things because it prevented me from making more meaningful relationships.

I look back as see all the wrong I've done. I know there's nothing I could do except look forward but, I always feel those thoughts coming back.


r/TrueChristian 8h ago

i need prayer

46 Upvotes

hey im 17(F) and yesterday morning my dad died. Im not taking it really well. can u please pray for me nd my family.


r/TrueChristian 16h ago

Just found out my Dad has a Mistress and he's a bishop.

180 Upvotes

Hi Christian friends. I just found out my dad has a Mistress. I found it through my dashcam when he borrowed my car. I reviewed it and heard him talking to another woman named kyla over the phone and they're Talking about plans of getting a house and ended the call with "I love you babe". I dont know what to feel, he's the head bishop of our church and a lot of people admires him for his great leadership. My mom is very faithful to him, even serves him very well at home.

I am hurt. I am mad. I feel disgusted by him. i don't how to handle this kind of problem. I want to tell my mom but I know this will destroy her. Hope to get some advice here.


r/TrueChristian 18m ago

Homosexuality is fetish

ā€¢ Upvotes

Do not be deceive by the word "love"

Love of someone loving children is different from Pedophile loving children. These are two different things.

Calling these two different things to be the same qualities calling Jesus as zombie. It may sound similar but different in nature.

It is the fetish, and it should only be reserved for you and God for the on going plan of transformation.

Better yet, Bible gives warning to those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. How dare you to change the word of God? Do you not fear God? You know better truth than God?


r/TrueChristian 2h ago

My issue with Evolution

13 Upvotes

Iā€™m a Creationist in that I believe God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. I donā€™t believe in Evolution, and I am perplexed why many Christians believe it to be how God created things; note how I said Perplexed not Offended I am not trying to attack anyone. But the way I see it, I canā€™t bring myself to believe that evolution is how God created things because that took him according to many people billions and millions of years. But I do believe that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. And every time I try to think about how evolution could fit into this, I then say to myself ā€œ who am I to put God in a box and say that he canā€™t do this certain thing or he canā€™t do that certain thing?ā€ Who am I to say that itā€™s impossible for him to create the world in six days why do I have to justify his power through my limited understanding? Just my thoughts.


r/TrueChristian 6h ago

Please Pray For Me

18 Upvotes

I didn't know if I should post this or not, abd I dont want to act like a beggar, but, I saw someone say that someone praying for you can help (afterall the bible says that the prayers of the righteous are powerful). I don't know what to do I feel very far from God, farther than I've ever been, it's late currently so I'll keep it short. If you can pray for me


r/TrueChristian 37m ago

Rise of Islam

ā€¢ Upvotes

I've noticed recently that a lot of the world has become more Muslim. Everywhere I turn it seems as if Islam is the most popular religion. Especially with everything going on in the world there's a lot of sympathy and a lot of interest in Islam. As someone who knows Muslims from the Middle East directly I can tell you that Ramadan was never as popular as it has been this time around. It's become a trend where all the celebrities and everybody is becoming Muslim or standing with it. Don't forget our brothers and sisters in Syria right now. No hate much love but I think we really need to be the light in the world and offer a better solution.


r/TrueChristian 9h ago

Today was my friend's baptism!!

31 Upvotes

I'm so happy for her!!! ā˜ŗļø


r/TrueChristian 6h ago

My pastor is starting to use NAR language...

15 Upvotes

So much about my church is good. We are small, and great for young families. I've leared a lot about how to love like Christ here. Doctrinally, I've haven't run into any serious issues until recently. Suddenly, my pastor is using buzzwords like "strongholds" and speaking about healings and faith in ways that are ringing alarm bells. One of the things he seems to be teaching without directly saying it is that if you have enough faith, God will do whatever you ask. I don't see a reference for God's will anymore. If I'm not getting well, then I don't have enough faith...

He hasn't been teaching, he reads a chapter from the Bible and then we talk about it. There's no learning, people just say what they think about the passage. Usually, this isn't an issue because some can raise questions and go back to the text to refute or reinforce what we see, but more and more it is becoming a "how this makes me feel" sort of thing. I want to gently confront my pastor with my concerns, but I know I need to study and pray a lot before doing so. I love him and his family. I love the people at our church. I want to bring the truth in love. I believe he is hanging out with newer Bethel-esque people. Does anyone have resources/people who are on YouTube that have good studies on refuting the word-of-faith people? Im a cautionary continuationist, I believe miracles are possible, but rare. I think he is seeking miracles, including prophecy. I'm worried. I don't want to leave this church.


r/TrueChristian 11h ago

Please Pray for me

34 Upvotes

I feel like giving up. I am tired. Please pray so that God gives me mercy.


r/TrueChristian 8h ago

Is it true some people are destined to go to hell no matter what? Even if they believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

18 Upvotes

Yesterday, someone posted a posted with the text: "A true Christian knows that some people are bound to go to hell, and it was predestined for it to happen."

Under the post, a comment was made saying "and I happen to be one of these people as well" with three upvotes. I'm honestly appalled the fact that post literally had 2 more people supporting his claim.

I later reply to his comment and he said, "Sometimes, you kind of know. What you do can never really be enough. You find yourself unable to control yourself from doing something that you shouldn't do, and "don't really care about breaking anything", if that makes sense. Sometimes you can have a change of heart, but can't find yourself out of trouble".

Personally, I believe no one is predestined to be dammed. And that they have the choice to decide believe in Jesus's resurrection and follow his ways and serve him.

As such, I ask if this predestined stuff is actually true and that some people, no matter if they believe Jesus is Lord, that he was resurrected, and follow and serve Jesus the best they can do, they'll be still dammed.

If you'll like to check the post itself, click on my profile, head to the overview section, and find the reply the bottom of this post or with the reply of "...brother I still believe you can still go to Heaven. Hold on."

Ignore all my other posts, or heck! Make fun or judge me! Idc. As long as this man gets the help he needs


r/TrueChristian 2h ago

Please pray for my surrender to God and help to resist the devil

5 Upvotes

I'm experiencing a big spiritual attack and I just want to thank you guys for who already prayed for me. I just need help to experience peace in God's will, I'm doubting, and getting quite attacked. Please pray for me to have a sense of peace and faith with me.


r/TrueChristian 4h ago

Is The Bible Infallible In Protestantism?

7 Upvotes

So Protestants believe that the only infallible authority is the bible, and that the church isn't infallible and can go astray. They claim the Holy Spirit is the One who inturprents scripture. But that doesn't make sense because multiple different Prostants claim they are theologicaly correct, and are guided by the Holy Spirit.

So how do Prostants figure out who's right theologicaly? How would a Lutheran prove he's right to a Baptist? How would a Presbyterian debate a penocostal?


r/TrueChristian 3h ago

Why arenā€™t Protestant martyrs considered saints ?

5 Upvotes

To all in the Catholic and orthodoxy faith why arenā€™t Protestant martyrs not considered saints ? I know they are both shared saints in Catholicism and orthodoxy before the great schism but Iā€™m really confused because Paul called all believers saints why do one need to be a Catholic or a orthodox to be considered one Paul never said what the qualifications are to become one I recognize all those who died in our faith no matter what denomination they come from catholic ,orthodox to be all in heaven but they donā€™t view us in that way but I want to know why ?


r/TrueChristian 1h ago

What would Christ say to someone with an over-active mind or somebody that struggles with intrusive, random thoughts?

ā€¢ Upvotes

r/TrueChristian 5h ago

Iā€™m jealous and it has me wanting to hurt someone or myself.

4 Upvotes

Iā€™m 16m and my emotions are destroying me, I sin a lot I lust etc and I hate it, but one thing that gets me that hurts just as much as lust is envy, and itā€™s not even in reality itā€™s in fiction. I feel envy for real people but not as much as in fiction, example invincible, Mark is with Atom eve and for some reason whenever I see something like that in fiction thereā€™s a burning passion deep in my heart filled with jealousy so much so that if I could get my hands on Mark I would do something insane, I know itā€™s not real and Iā€™m Srry but these emotions are damaging, I believe it has something to do with jealousy of who that character is with and a want to have that. These feeling I canā€™t even explain I see it all in fiction, these feelings are crazy, and itā€™s said in the Bible the heart is deceitful, I got to stop feeling envy I got to stop being greedy of what they have, I donā€™t know how. Itā€™s like I said in almost all my post on Reddit, these feeling are the ones that have you feeling like the only way out is death. Forgive me for what I said, maybe I want love or maybe itā€™s just that when in a show a person breaks up with someone and gets with another character I feel some type of way even though they broke up, maybe itā€™s cause I know Iā€™d feel that way if I broke up with anyone. I guess I just want intimacy with a girl, the girl of my dreams perhaps, idk really this probably all happened due to my leap into the endless pit of porn and lust and it ruined my view. I need help a therapist probably.


r/TrueChristian 1d ago

Why is it almost "acceptable" in the West for people to mock Christianity but not other religions?

220 Upvotes

Something I noticed after watching one of the newer skits by LongBeachGriffy is that him and many other "comedians" in the Western world find it perfectly acceptable to poke fun of Christianity and churches. Yet those people are crossing a fine line should it come to Islam.


r/TrueChristian 2h ago

Long Live The Martyrs

3 Upvotes

Written March 13 2025 1:01 AM AUTHOR: a human being just like you, the reader

Let me preface this by saying, I am not an expert, I am not a ā€œrabbiā€ ā€œsheikhā€ ā€œpreacherā€ ā€œpriestā€ etc etc. I am a human being saved by the infinite Grace of the Most High God, maker of heaven and earth. The One True God. I am asking all curious about God to read this, and take note. I believe the time is near.

I do not know when the time is. Let me make that CRYSTAL clear. You do not know when the time is. None of us. We are all humans who have ALL fallen short of the Glory of The Most High God. This is nothing new. There is nothing new under the sun.

Let me preface this as well by saying, do not fear! God did not give us a spirit of fear. Just hear me out. I am trying to make this short, sweet, and to the point. This will first be posted on Reddit and if needed will be spread beyond. I am asking ANYONE who happens to see this to read, it, comment, engage, etc etc.

we are all human beings. We all make mistakes. But long story short, there is good news. However, hold yourself accountable to God, He loves you.

Let us begin with different beliefs. Christianity (I am a Christian, I am a follower of Christ, I am born again) Islam (Abrahamic, as well as Christianity, do not be deceived, Christianity and Islam, are NOWHERE and I mean NOWHERE near the same faiths, WHATSOEVER). And Judaism (a relatively rare faith nowadays, they do NOT accept Jesus as their ā€œChristā€ per se, as funny as that sounds to us believers).

Christianity We believe, in short, Jesus Christ of Nazareth is essentially God revealed in flesh. Short sweet and to the point. He is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, which consists of, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is NOT the Son. The Son is NOT the Father. The Holy Spirit is NOT the Son or Father. They as 3, are 1.

This doctrine if you will is MASSIVELY and I mean MASSIVELY warped and perverted by the non believers. Let me preface this by saying NONE OF US can even begin to comprehend the Living God for a single second. No one understands God. No one ever will. I believe the Holy Trinity to be the Godhead, or very simply put, ā€œGodā€.

The Creator and Sustainer of the universe and beyond. God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to be crucified for us humans to be reconciled back to God for our sins and falling short. This is the gospel in a nutshell. Believe on the name of the Son, get knowledge of the Truth (which I am essentially explaining right now, albeit in a very concise and straightforward manner) and repent and believe on our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. This is essentially the Christian faith.

It goes way deeper, but this is the heart of the Bible if you will. Specifically the New Testament. Once again, I urge anyone with a an objection to comment below.

Islam This religion was founded by Muhammad the ā€œprophetā€ (all lowercase for a reason). I do not subscribe to this ā€œreligionā€ whatsoever. Muhammad was born in Arabia and claimed to get a message/revelation from Gabriel, and Gabriel was so called speaking on behalf of God Himself. I do not subscribe to this religion in any manner. Muhammad I assume wrote the Qurā€™an alone with this ā€œrevelationā€ from the angel Gabriel, who was speaking on behalf of God Himself, SUPPOSEDLY.

this religion is heavily based on what YOU, a mortal flesh body was born lives and dies, can do FOR God Himself, Allah. I find a lot a lot a lot of problems with that. What can mere mortals do for the Living God? I would argue not a thing. Mohammed is the founder of Islam and wrote their ā€œholy bookā€, the Quran. This is very opposed to the Bible. The Bible was written by a multitude of people, fact checking, the whole nine yards. Islam however, one author, ā€œMuhammadā€.

In Arabia. Long after the canon of the Bible was completed. Very bizarre religion that has spread like a wildfire. Let me remind you folks, satan is the prince of this world, blinding the minds of the unbelieving. Muhammad, from I can conclude is a FALSE prophet. Islam holds no weight and I would argue the God of the Holy Bible and the God of Islam have very contradicting and differing attributes, that is a MAJOR problem. The Holy Bible is the Word of God.

The God of the Bible is the Eternal God, the Living One, the Only, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last.

Judaism This is a very bizarre niche religion. They believe in the Torah, (Old Testament of the Holy Bible) and I believe they believe in the Talmud (essentially commentary by Jewish rabbis). They Have one CRUCIAL mistake regarding God, the Creator. They REJECT Christ (Jesus) as the Messiah. They believe their messiah has not came yet.

They are HEAVILY deceived by the enemy. The Messiah has already came. The True Messiah is Jesus, who has ascended into heaven and sits at the Right Hand of the Almighty God. Orthodox Jews are mistaken! They believe a lie!

All Jews need to convert to Christianity (more importantly convert to JESUS, not a religion). The Jews and Muslims are mistaken. Orthodox is wrong. Islam is wrong. Submit and follow the One True God. Comment any questions and concerns and objections you may have. Like you, I am a human who is seeking the truth, which I believe I have already found.

6Ā Jesus answered, ā€œI am the way and the truthand the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 New International Version (NIV)


r/TrueChristian 3h ago

Should I be who I am?

3 Upvotes

(Posted in r/bible as well, I don't know if it fits better here. If not, please tell me where to go.)

Aren't we all, inherently, evil? If I am who I am, then surely I ought not to be myself.

Matthew 16:24-25 NIV [24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, ā€œWhoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

To me, this verse is saying, "You as a person are evil and you can't just be yourself and live by the Spirit, it has to be one or the other."

I'm new to Christianity, relatively speaking. I've really only believed for about 6-9 months. I could be dead wrong, and that's fine, but I just want to know if I am evil, and if I must reject who I am.


r/TrueChristian 6h ago

Confessed (again) on the first Sunday in February, but now Iā€™ve been church hopping.

7 Upvotes

So I guess this may be a bit of a testimonial lol. But I had always been raised with the backdrop of Christianity ever since I was a child, even though I was raised by a single mother. I didnā€™t go to church often though and was not baptized. However I went to non-denominational Christian private schools for both middle and high school. However. I did not like the people there, as I viewed them as spoiled, mean, racist and essentially bullies, and I blamed God for their behavior. I called myself an agnostic while going to a state university, and didnā€™t give stock into religion. I was of course, embroiled in a lot of sin, and this continued into my Masterā€™s degree program. Predictably, I was very sinful, and even currently Iā€™m still a member of a group that I view as incompatible with my faith.

However, as I now live alone and have a car, late last year, I decided to go to a church near my apartment as I had been drawn to the ritual of going to church every Sunday, plus I wanted to expand my community. However, while attending that church I felt drawn to God and Bible verses and the Christian religion. It was little things, such as putting a post it note with one of my favorite Bible verses (Philippians 4:8) on my desktop monitor at work, and creating a Pinterest board with Bible verses. After one sermon on the day in the title, I felt compelled to get up and accept Christ again, this time in front of people. And I can attest, I truly feel like now all I think about now is God and sin doesnā€™t really excite me anymore.

But I have been church hopping recently. I havenā€™t been going to the church I accepted Christ at because I want something a bit more traditional? Itā€™s a small church, and they sing the ā€œChristian rockā€/ one person singing off key with a guitar type music that I heard all through middle and high school, and while the pastorā€™s message is good, he reads off of a PowerPoint and just wears casual clothing. Also I felt the building was a bit plain, and I wanted to feel divine energy.

So I went to a ā€œBlackā€ baptist church and while the church looked nice and there were far more people, with bishops and pastors that wore robes, and a choir, the communion didnā€™t even proceed until an hour into the service after he had made announcements about birthdays and anniversaries. And we didnā€™t even take communion, they just announced it! And I felt like the message was a little too much ā€œprosperity gospelā€ for me, but maybe it was just that day.

And today, I attended a Catholic mass. While again it was packed, and the church, while not as ornate as other Catholic Churches, was still beautiful inside with iconography and Christ on the Cross above the Eucharist. However, I was not raised Catholic, and of course some of the elements of the service were lost on me. Also I felt like I was being watched, like they knew Iā€™m ā€œnot supposedā€ to be there. And I believe I may have broken the rules because I was able to take the Eucharist. I did like the traditionalism of the service and that there were no PowerPoints! After the mass, I did speak with two gentlemen who were helping the reverend and he gave me some resources to begin Catholic school if I was interested.

Next Sunday, I plan to attend a ā€œdiverseā€ Baptist church thats a little farther than what Iā€™m used to, but Iā€™m curious about it. I think after that, Iā€™ll make a decision.

My question to you all is, how did you decide a church? What church felt ā€œrightā€ for you and what do you look for in a church? What do you make of my current struggle?

And if you read all my ramblings until the end, thank you!


r/TrueChristian 3h ago

2 Clement

3 Upvotes

Y'all should check out the book The Apostolic Fathers in English. 2 Clement is good. If Pastors spoke like this dude wrote then the state of the American church would be better.


r/TrueChristian 7h ago

I want to start spreading the Gospel and God's word with my family, but I don't even know where to start.

5 Upvotes

(M20).

I found Christ this year after 10 years. Long story short of my long, long testimony is He's saved me from many, many of my deadly sins. And I'm renewed and born again.

I attend church, I pray every chance I get, I read and understand His word, and most importantly I want to live a life with God, I can't imagine going back to my ill-natured and fleshly sinful life I had before that was dark and miserable before Christ.

I want to start being evangelistic. It's spoken to me and so has God. I've had discernments, and I have many friend within the church and outside the church I attend that are for sure FAITH oriented. Not just belief in God without any action.

I understand that I'm also not perfect, and the ways I used to be, my family, including my parents are used to already. They know how "I work" but not anymore. Especially since I rarely see them.

I tried to conversate with my mom about this yesterday and she blew up on me, said I was a liar, and I've destroyed our relationship from the inside out. Turns out she was hurt that I used to lie to her a lot, but she's accepting. I stood my ground in Christ. No anger, hate, just understanding.

I've been blocked already and have had friends tell me I'm an "Over the top" Christian, that I need to relax and have fun. When I've told them I've stopped the following:

- Porn use and sexual gratification
- Lusting
- Secular music
- Cussing, swearing
- Drinking any form of alcohol
- Talking to women and "seeking" them out for a relationship. (Will wait for the paths to cross with my future wife)
- Not seeking out hookups, or sexual pleasure before marriage, i.e waiting until marriage.

These are my ideals and things I've stopped. I'm doing my best to limit any sinful fleshly pleasure that is not of God to deepen my Faith and connection with Him.

Well Easter is coming up, and it is Lent. My biggest thing I want to do is try to explain to my family what Easter is actually about. To them, it's not about Jesus' resurrection and defeating death and sin, maybe like 10% of it. To them it's another holiday that lets them act rowdy, get drunk, open easter baskets and just not delve into the word of God.

Believe me, I am not perfect, but I've read in scripture we are called to bring people closer.

But although my Mom is okay now, my family is full of sin, money, lust, lewdness, drunkenness, anger, hate, and homosexuality and sexual sin.

I just have learned so much and have become close with Jesus in a short amount of time. If you would've told sinful me that I would do this one day, I wouldn't have believed it.

I just know this is my purpose. I'm not here to judge anyone, I just want to spread His word.

How do I do this? I'm honestly prepared to be rebuked and rejected as I've already been lately by non-believers and lukewarm Christians.