How much does your personal experiences affect your faith?

[tribesman]

My personal experiences effect my faith 100%...

I didn't see this option in the poll...

In your case it would most likely boil down to the option very much then.

 

[Grandpa]

Ok... Very much... Should I vote twice?

 

[tribesman]

Nope. I didn't see that you had voted already. Sorry.

 

[Grandpa]

I was just trying to be funny. I guess I missed...

 

[Crossfire]

I'm sorry I didn't make myself clearer. What I meant was that fundamentalism teaches that it should not be influenced by experience, but that in reality, fundamentalists actually are influenced by experience, moreso than non-fundamentalists. So yes, growing up a fundamentalist, you would have noticed that, too.

It seems to me that "fundamentalism" is fading away. I see more people embracing "evangelist" views, which is similar to fundamentalism, but not nearly so doggedly strict. Is this just a product of me being on the West Coast, or have others noticed a shift?

I'm assuming you mean "Evangelical"? Many from the Reformed persuasion are now embracing Evangelicalism for whatever reason. Most likely so they won't appear to be "out dated".

 

[TheGrungeDiva]

I'm assuming you mean "Evangelical"? Many from the Reformed persuasion are now embracing Evangelicalism for whatever reason. Most likely so they won't appear to be "out dated".

Yup ... brain fart, I meant "evangelical" -- thank you for correcting me.

I think some who embrace the Evangelical movement do so honestly. They recognize that Fundamentalism is lacking and for whatever reason distrust orthodoxy (it's not uncommon to reject authority), so Evangelicalism (I don't know, "Evangelism" still sounds right to me) is one solution.

It's just not my preference.

 

[GreenNnice]

Only one choice applies, so it will be clear where you lay your emphasis.

Of course you may explain your views further, if you wish.

'God's personal experience for us' is how you should put it, tribers. For me, I won't sleak for you, but, yes, unequivocally, and, obvious, by your choux s for us that you are TOTALLY going in the wrong direction, thinking our personal choices do not matter for OUR FAITH TO GROW . God tells us, through His teaching on earth, manifested as 'His Son,' that 'IF we have the faith of a mustard seed, we can move a mountain. ' This is a direct hypothesis answer to a proposition. If you do this, this will happen, Jesus says.


My choice of vote, incidentally, is not even up there: completely .

 

[eternally-gratefull]

My personal experiences effect my faith 100%. How could I know God is good if He didn't show me? How could I know the promises of the bible were true unless I test them for myself? Is the bible really for all of us or just written to the people back in that time...?

Without personal experience there is no point. I think that is what the book of James is trying to explain when the author states faith without works is dead. There is a difference in the intellectual belief in the Lord Jesus and the trust in Jesus that can come from this intellectual belief. Trust in Jesus causes a person to ask for wisdom and understanding. Trust in Jesus causes a person to humble themselves before God.

Intellectual belief in Jesus has a tendency to puff itself up and become prideful. Intellectual belief in Jesus doesn't necessarily cause anything in the believers life. Trust in Jesus doesn't happen until after experience. Otherwise, its just an intellectual trust, theoretical.

You can have an intellectual belief that the life vest will cause you to float if you fall in the water. You can't have trust in that life vest until you've been in the water with it... I think there is a big difference in being saved, and thinking theoretically that it is possible that a person can be saved.

I didn't see this option in the poll...

I agree, the problem people get into is they take bad experiences, or they don;t get there way, and use them as excuses to "lose" faith in God.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Yup ... brain fart, I meant "evangelical" -- thank you for correcting me.

I think some who embrace the Evangelical movement do so honestly. They recognize that Fundamentalism is lacking and for whatever reason distrust orthodoxy (it's not uncommon to reject authority), so Evangelicalism (I don't know, "Evangelism" still sounds right to me) is one solution.

It's just not my preference.

I left all traditional churches. they all have issues. even my church is not perfect. but it more resembles the origional churches of the NT than any church I have been too. and I have learned and grown more at this church over the last 5 than i did in 30 some years of the traditional church.

I don;t trust orthodoxy because of their works based gospel is no different than Catholicism, as for as evangelical vs fundamentalism. I am not sure there is really a difference.

 

[Red33]

I wonder just how many of us would admit to having experienced much grace in our life because we have sinned much. How many would say that they love much because they have been forgiven much in their experience. Has any of this kind of personal experience from a loving and just God through His Son effected your faith? To experience being cleansed and forgiven of all sin by the love of God through grace, is there any greater experience that we can receive from God for our faith than that? To forgive a guilty person who has sinned against you before they recognize what they have done, does that experience add to your faith? To take the blame for the guilt of another as Christ did for all of us, does that give you some kind of understanding in your faith of just how good God is to sinful man? To know that we have been called by God and have been given an abundance of mercy through the blood of Christ and have been justified once and for all and made complete by that blood and never having to be justified again, does that give you an experience of fellowship with the living God and with one another that can never be taken from you? Does the Holy Spirit call us unto the deep things of God...

1Cor 2:9,10
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

 

[TheGrungeDiva]

I left all traditional churches. they all have issues. even my church is not perfect. but it more resembles the origional churches of the NT than any church I have been too. and I have learned and grown more at this church over the last 5 than i did in 30 some years of the traditional church.

I don;t trust orthodoxy because of their works based gospel is no different than Catholicism, as for as evangelical vs fundamentalism. I am not sure there is really a difference.

Interesting. No "church" is going to be perfect, this side of paradise, because they're filled with people, who are imperfect. We can try to follow Christ, but we always miss the mark, and for that reason, no church on earth is ever going to get it quite right, 100% "complete." We are incomplete without Jesus.

I'd be interested in hearing how you define "traditional church," and what issues they had.

I attended a church for a while that was, I think, the closest any church could come to 1st century Christians. About half of the members -- roughly 10 people -- lived together in a large home, which they purchased together as an intentional community. They pooled their resources to support what was their living quarters, ministry center, worship center, etc. Worship was in the living room: the rest of us joined for worship. And then those of us who were members stuck around for other stuff -- Bible study, ministry to others, etc. We took on specific causes as we saw need and were able. Peace was one of the biggest ministries, but there were lots of others. Members held each other accountable. Membership was quite limited. Unlike a lot of churches, where you just show up for a while and say "I wanna be a member" and then you're a member. You had to make a commitment, and breaking that commitment was tough. When I left the community to move to another area, it was hard -- they let me leave, because they saw that God was calling me to a different ministry, but no other church will ever be quite like that.

 

[Abiding]

for those who say very much or much. Seek God and his grace and his salvation. and nothing should affect your faith at all.

exactly Job gives a multitude of experiences both great and horrible and his faith was stable
through it all. Some sawn in half...etc

In our day people think of personal experiences as something to parade and bragg
about....and
they refer to it as a testimony...yet testimony is to be about the Lord not ourselves....its a kind
of false testimony based on emotional hype and imagination sometimes to copy what they see
others doing.

 

[Abiding]

My personal experiences effect my faith 100%. How could I know God is good if He didn't show me? How could I know the promises of the bible were true unless I test them for myself? Is the bible really for all of us or just written to the people back in that time...?

Without personal experience there is no point. I think that is what the book of James is trying to explain when the author states faith without works is dead. There is a difference in the intellectual belief in the Lord Jesus and the trust in Jesus that can come from this intellectual belief. Trust in Jesus causes a person to ask for wisdom and understanding. Trust in Jesus causes a person to humble themselves before God.

Intellectual belief in Jesus has a tendency to puff itself up and become prideful. Intellectual belief in Jesus doesn't necessarily cause anything in the believers life. Trust in Jesus doesn't happen until after experience. Otherwise, its just an intellectual trust, theoretical.

You can have an intellectual belief that the life vest will cause you to float if you fall in the water. You can't have trust in that life vest until you've been in the water with it... I think there is a big difference in being saved, and thinking theoretically that it is possible that a person can be saved.

I didn't see this option in the poll...

actually i think in Pauls prayer in Ephesians he asks that we be given and experiencial understanding of truth
yet without a knowledge of scripture we would have no proof it was a true experience.

 

[Abiding]

I was just trying to be funny. I guess I missed...

thats cuz yur so dang old

 

[Abiding]

I agree, the problem people get into is they take bad experiences, or they don;t get there way, and use them as excuses to "lose" faith in God.

And thats sad since scripture teaches us we will all suffer for character and to have our faith purified.
Again experience and truth go togather.

 

[Abiding]

And these all having died in faith didnt receive the promises(experiences) heb 11:13;39

 

[Abiding]

I wonder just how many of us would admit to having experienced much grace in our life because we have sinned much. How many would say that they love much because they have been forgiven much in their experience. Has any of this kind of personal experience from a loving and just God through His Son effected your faith? To experience being cleansed and forgiven of all sin by the love of God through grace, is there any greater experience that we can receive from God for our faith than that? To forgive a guilty person who has sinned against you before they recognize what they have done, does that experience add to your faith? To take the blame for the guilt of another as Christ did for all of us, does that give you some kind of understanding in your faith of just how good God is to sinful man? To know that we have been called by God and have been given an abundance of mercy through the blood of Christ and have been justified once and for all and made complete by that blood and never having to be justified again, does that give you an experience of fellowship with the living God and with one another that can never be taken from you? Does the Holy Spirit call us unto the deep things of God...

1Cor 2:9,10
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Sniffle...yes

 

[Abiding]

when i least deserve it and pray for Him to give me grace He does
when i deserve it and pray for grace He doesnt.

Ha....but thats just what the Word told me would happen.
There is no faith at all without the word of God.

Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God.

 

[Abiding]

im experiencing having to much fun in this thread! cya

 

[PopClick]

when i least deserve it and pray for Him to give me grace He does
when i deserve it and pray for grace He doesnt.

Wait... when do we deserve grace?