 » Site Navigation | | | |  | 
08-20-2008, 03:43 PM
|  | Puritanboard Doctor | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Clarksburg, WV
Posts: 11,797
Thanks: 5,023
Thanked 2,581 Times in 1,572 Posts
| | | What Do You Hope To Get Out Of Your Faith?
I had this question posed to me by an unbeliever and to my shame I was kind of taken aback by it and was unsure how to answer. I stammered a little and said the only thing I can hope for is eternal life. Not the deepest of answers.
How would you have answered?
|
08-20-2008, 03:51 PM
| | Puritanboard Sophomore | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Wichita, KS
Posts: 963
Thanks: 147
Thanked 633 Times in 265 Posts
| | |
Two thoughts come to mind.
1. If an unbeliever asked a question like this it sounds like it is coming from wrong presuppositions. You are not a Christian merely for what you can "get out of it". You are a Christian to glorify God. One can challenge this backwards way of thinking. Simon Magus in Acts 8 was baptized for what he hoped to get out of Christianity and it proved to be false.
2. That having been said, the Bible does teach us of inestimable benefits that are the result of being united to Christ. See the shorter catechism...
Q36. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
A36. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.
Q37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A37. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.
Q38. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
A38. At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgement, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.
As Christians, not only do we glorify God, but ours is the promise that we will enjoy him forever.
| | The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to ADKing For This Useful Post: | |
08-20-2008, 04:54 PM
|  | Puritanboard Junior | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,971
Thanks: 655
Thanked 791 Times in 375 Posts
| | |
I agree with Rev. King, and would add that if faith exists only for what we can get out of it, then it is inherently selfish, and thus not of God. Our faith should be out of obedience and love for God with only the desire to please him as our interest...
__________________
Mason
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA)
New York, NY
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." - Isaiah 1:18
|
08-20-2008, 08:37 PM
| | Puritanboard Junior | | Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mountain Lake Park, MD
Posts: 1,103
Thanks: 366
Thanked 284 Times in 197 Posts
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by Backwoods Presbyterian  I had this question posed to me by an unbeliever and to my shame I was kind of taken aback by it and was unsure how to answer. I stammered a little and said the only thing I can hope for is eternal life. Not the deepest of answers.
How would you have answered? | The end of my selfishness and sin that would cause me to ask questions such as that!
__________________
Charles Plauger
Member/Grace Reformed Church
Oakland, MD
|
08-20-2008, 08:48 PM
|  | Puritanboard Senior | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Texas
Posts: 2,133
Thanks: 676
Thanked 807 Times in 438 Posts
| |
This came to mind: Quote: |
If I had to die like a dog, and had no hope whatever of immortality . . . let me serve my God, let me be a follower of Jesus. If there were no hereafter, I would still prefer to be a Christian . . . for I am persuaded there are more delights in Christ, yea, more joy in one glimpse of His face than is to be found in all the praises of this harlot-world, and in all the delights which it can yield to us in its sunniest and brightest days. (Spurgeon, Autobiography, Vol. 1, p. 96)
|
__________________
Jim
1689 LBCF
Independent Bible Church
North Texas, USA
| | The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Jimmy the Greek For This Useful Post: | |
08-20-2008, 09:26 PM
|  | Puritanboard Graduate | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rockville, CT
Posts: 3,642
Thanks: 609
Thanked 924 Times in 708 Posts
| |
It is not a matter of what we hope to get out of our faith, so much as it is a hope which is given to us by our faith.
This quote from Ambrose comes to mind: Quote:
I will not glory because I am righteous,
but I will glory because I am redeemed.
I will not glory because I am free from sin,
but because my sins are forgiven.
| Redemption and forgiveness of sin is mine through a faith given to me! What more is there to hope for! The gift of salvation is already beyond the wildest imagination of the sinful heart.
Last edited by Presbyterian Deacon; 08-20-2008 at 09:49 PM.
Reason: sentence structure looked like it was written by a 7 year old, had to fix it! :lol:
|
08-20-2008, 09:47 PM
|  | Puritanboard Junior | | Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bradenton, FL
Posts: 1,594
Thanks: 610
Thanked 327 Times in 200 Posts
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by Backwoods Presbyterian I had this question posed to me by an unbeliever and to my shame I was kind of taken aback by it and was unsure how to answer. I stammered a little and said the only thing I can hope for is eternal life. Not the deepest of answers.
How would you have answered? | Peace with God.
__________________
Steve Butts - Former SBC-er
Three Forms of Unity - Bradenton CRCNA - Bradenton, Florida
(A conservative member in a conservative congregation)
"Turning away to false Theology is equal to turning away to false gods" Francis Schaeffer (Death in the City) |
08-20-2008, 10:02 PM
|  | Snow Miser | | Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 3,279
Thanks: 308
Thanked 1,377 Times in 726 Posts
| | |
I would have answered that I'm not in it for me and that his starting point is all screwy.
__________________ Andrew DeShazo
Husband of Kathryn 
Father of Phillip-Giles B. DeShazo 
Deacon
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
|
08-20-2008, 11:57 PM
|  | Pastor | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Beloit, Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 10,022
Thanks: 1,418
Thanked 1,373 Times in 1,038 Posts
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by Gomarus This came to mind: Quote: |
If I had to die like a dog, and had no hope whatever of immortality . . . let me serve my God, let me be a follower of Jesus. If there were no hereafter, I would still prefer to be a Christian . . . for I am persuaded there are more delights in Christ, yea, more joy in one glimpse of His face than is to be found in all the praises of this harlot-world, and in all the delights which it can yield to us in its sunniest and brightest days. (Spurgeon, Autobiography, Vol. 1, p. 96)
| | Amen! Many excellent responses. Perhaps I would say that I have been given by the LORD the ability to glorify God and love Him forever.
__________________ Ivan R. Schoen, B.A., M.A., M.L.I.S.
Pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church (SBC)
Poplar Grove, IL, USA http://maranatha-sbc.org |
08-21-2008, 11:15 AM
|  | Puritanboard Graduate | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Pickens, SC
Posts: 3,257
Thanks: 904
Thanked 1,244 Times in 667 Posts
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by Gomarus This came to mind: Quote: |
If I had to die like a dog, and had no hope whatever of immortality . . . let me serve my God, let me be a follower of Jesus. If there were no hereafter, I would still prefer to be a Christian . . . for I am persuaded there are more delights in Christ, yea, more joy in one glimpse of His face than is to be found in all the praises of this harlot-world, and in all the delights which it can yield to us in its sunniest and brightest days. (Spurgeon, Autobiography, Vol. 1, p. 96)
| | I would add a hearty 'Amen' to that as well. To know Christ, to have Him in my life is everything.
__________________ J Baldwin
Keowee Presbyterian Church, PCA
Pickens, SC
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27 Check Out My Blog: http://reflectjoy.blogspot.com/ |
08-21-2008, 06:27 PM
|  | Puritanboard Sophomore | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Lisburn, Northern Ireland, UK
Posts: 727
Thanks: 168
Thanked 387 Times in 217 Posts
| |
It is easy to consider what we would have said and it is easy to give an answer after spending a few moments thinking about it. However it often happens that in a live situation when a question is sprung on us we give a quick answer and later we are in disbelief that we did not say this or say that.
As I read the question the first thing that came to my mind would be to say "What do you want to get out of yours?"
If I had time to think, Gomarus answer is spot on Quote:
Originally Posted by Gomarus This came to mind: Quote: |
If I had to die like a dog, and had no hope whatever of immortality . . . let me serve my God, let me be a follower of Jesus. If there were no hereafter, I would still prefer to be a Christian . . . for I am persuaded there are more delights in Christ, yea, more joy in one glimpse of His face than is to be found in all the praises of this harlot-world, and in all the delights which it can yield to us in its sunniest and brightest days. (Spurgeon, Autobiography, Vol. 1, p. 96)
| | Some answers we feel are inadaquate whilst other answers we feel are very good, wise and powerful (and we can even become proud of our answers) yet I am reminded of Paul in 1 Cor 1.17,21; 2.1-3; etc who says it is not by eloquant speech and fine sounding arguments that people are won over. Very often in the kingdom it is the answers we deem inadaquate that God uses to great effect.
__________________
Stuart
Elder, Lambeg Baptist, Northern Ireland, UK
In Him the fulness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form and in Him you are complete (Col 2.9-10)
The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God. (RM M'Cheyne)
|
08-21-2008, 06:32 PM
|  | Puritanboard Postgraduate | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Roanoke VA
Posts: 4,195
Thanks: 766
Thanked 388 Times in 276 Posts
| | |
....that I may gain Christ......
__________________
Donald Jacobs
Roanoke VA.
Covenant Reformed Episcopal Church.
Cum vero infirmor tunc potens sum. |
08-21-2008, 07:23 PM
|  | Puritanboard Junior | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Leesburg, VA
Posts: 1,232
Thanks: 154
Thanked 546 Times in 334 Posts
| | |
Every time I see this thread, my instant thought is: "To glorify Christ and to enjoy Him forever." Can't think of a better way to summarize it, and likely that is what I'd express to an unbeliever if asked the same question ....
|
08-21-2008, 08:43 PM
|  | Puritanboard Junior | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Kansas City, KS
Posts: 1,404
Thanks: 204
Thanked 204 Times in 135 Posts
| | |
My first thought was the same as yours, eternal life. Just about anything else you can get without being saved.
| |
| Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
| | |
|
John Calvin, Institutes III:xv.3.
Martin Luther, Table Talk
