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I need spiritual people who really believe the Bible to help me answer this question. I'm afraid that it won't make a lot of sense to everyone else, and it barely makes sense to me, really.
Anyway, I think I was recently "saved" again, but I'm still really confused. I'm already extremely OCD about religious matters, and I'm worried that I damned myself with some kind of confusing promise to follow the rules the people at the church I attend preach. They are pretty strict about everything, no listening to non-Christian music (they don't even allow Classical music), no dancing (except non-choreographed "praise" dancing), no "worldly" activities (I'm afraid to ask, but I know going to the theatre, listening to concerts, attending festivals--like Mardi Gras--and other similar activities are off of the list, no gambling (I think raffles are included in this definition, too), no makeup (I can see justification for this, but some people, like me, need it,), etc. When I first started attending this church, I thought a lot of their rules were silly, perhaps overly cautious misinterpretations of scriptures, but now, especially with the idea that I told God I would follow this (even though I was honestly trying to say that I wouldn't follow it and just said it the wrong way) I've actually been feeling guilty about every day activities that might violate some of these rules. I'm at my wit's end. I wish I could be free of all of this confusion. I work as a teacher, and I have to show videos sometimes, and videos contain music, usually non-Christian music, for instance. I hate all of this confusion. I feel like I've somehow ruined my life.
I've been told to seek God about it, but I'm kind of afraid of what I'm going to learn. I do remember the man who vowed to God that he would sacrifice the first thing that came up to him if he won the war, and it was his own daughter...We truly do need to be careful with our words, but I can't imagine actually having to live my life like this.
One sentence from Paul: 1It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Somebody has sold you a bill of goods and tried to control you. Jesus is not about control, but about love. Run from those people. Get away from that control. Find the freedom we have in Christ.
The Galatian church was rife with similar laws. Throughout the NT, there were many references to circumcision of the heart, as the church was becoming a battleground to discuss the need for male converts to engage in circumcision. The grace of G-d is liberating and the true circumcision is to be separated from sin with a holy life. If you are dead to sin, you are dead to religious conversion. This is not the absence of law, but the law of love. If you are freed by Christ, you are free indeed. Get out of that church and find one that celebrates G-d's love. Pigs and jackasses don't do any of what you were requested to promise, and it doesn't make them holy.
Get that OCD fixed too - there are meds for that. I don't believe in a 'medication society,' but you can lower the volume on that OCD with the right combo of pharmaceuticals, in most cases. Altogether, you don't have to limit your spirituality as much as you need to eliminate your religiosity. The spirit of Christ offers liberation from all sin, including denominations and sectarianism.
I need spiritual people who really believe the Bible to help me answer this question. I'm afraid that it won't make a lot of sense to everyone else, and it barely makes sense to me, really.
Anyway, I think I was recently "saved" again, but I'm still really confused. I'm already extremely OCD about religious matters, and I'm worried that I damned myself with some kind of confusing promise to follow the rules the people at the church I attend preach. They are pretty strict about everything, no listening to non-Christian music (they don't even allow Classical music), no dancing (except non-choreographed "praise" dancing), no "worldly" activities (I'm afraid to ask, but I know going to the theatre, listening to concerts, attending festivals--like Mardi Gras--and other similar activities are off of the list, no gambling (I think raffles are included in this definition, too), no makeup (I can see justification for this, but some people, like me, need it,), etc. When I first started attending this church, I thought a lot of their rules were silly, perhaps overly cautious misinterpretations of scriptures, but now, especially with the idea that I told God I would follow this (even though I was honestly trying to say that I wouldn't follow it and just said it the wrong way) I've actually been feeling guilty about every day activities that might violate some of these rules. I'm at my wit's end. I wish I could be free of all of this confusion. I work as a teacher, and I have to show videos sometimes, and videos contain music, usually non-Christian music, for instance. I hate all of this confusion. I feel like I've somehow ruined my life.
I've been told to seek God about it, but I'm kind of afraid of what I'm going to learn. I do remember the man who vowed to God that he would sacrifice the first thing that came up to him if he won the war, and it was his own daughter...We truly do need to be careful with our words, but I can't imagine actually having to live my life like this.
Hi Kmb501.
The church you belong to is very legalistic and has some very silly and non-Biblical prohibitions. A Christian can be spiritual while listening to 'non-Christian' music (I'm listening to some smooth jazz as I type this), and dancing. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with going to the theatre or concerts, etc. Makeup is fine as well. Indeed, these prohibitions that your church imposes on its members are simply taboos in the minds of that church's leaders who don't really understand what spirituality and carnality are. My advice is that you find another church. One which understands grace and is doctrinally oriented.
The man you referred to (Jephthah), who made the rash and foolish vow to God in Judges 11:30-40 wrongly assumed that by making a vow he would impress God and therefore be assured of victory against the sons of Ammon. While there are legitimate vows such as in a court of law, one should not make foolish vows and vows you cannot pay. Ecclesiastes 5:5 says that it is better not to vow than that you make a vow and not pay. When Jesus (Matthew 5:33-37) said not to make any vows at all He was not referring to legitimate vows such as the previously mentioned oath in a court of law, but to the frivolous oaths used in common conversation. The Pharisees were big on making oaths and would make them at the drop of a hat. They would swear by heaven, by the earth, by Jerusalem, by their head, and in so doing, they thought the oaths weren't really binding because they weren't swearing by God. But Jesus corrected them on that assumption (Matthew 5:34-36).
You said that you told God that you would follow the rules of the church you're attending but that you really meant to tell Him that you wouldn't follow them but you just said it the wrong way. And now you feel that you must therefore follow the rules of your church but can't because of your job. You are worried that you have damned yourself because of your confusing promise. But you haven't. God isn't going to revoke your eternal salvation and send you to hell because you made a promise you can't keep. Once you've been saved, born again by grace through faith in Jesus Christ you are eternally saved and therefore you cannot be, and do not have to be saved again in that manner. Once you have eternal life you cannot lose it so that you would need to be saved again. If you have believed that Jesus died for your sins and rose again with the result that you have placed your faith in Jesus for eternal life then you are eternally secure. Eternally saved believers can and do come under divine discipline in time, but loss of eternal salvation is never a possibility.
Since you can't and don't want to follow the rules of the church you are attending then simply find another church and don't worry about your 'confusing promise.' If you think you've sinned then just name the sin to God as per 1 John 1:9 and move on with your spiritual life.
The 20 reason to abandon Christianity posted is atheism and misconceptions so do not take it to heart , ..................as Christianity is true and God ordained a interaction through Christianity for all people ...........Sound like you found a holy rollers church which are full of restriction or isolation in irregular activities away from the world ................ People who like those things in the tolerances should stay there and people who like the freedom and liberty in Christ that Jesus frees His believer need to move on to a church with it still true to Jesus but allows the liberty in Christ for the believer ...... See there are many churches which still preach the gospel and have evidence of Holy Spirit which are not to Conservative in their tolerances to rules for the attendants of the church .... Maybe find churches with fellowship on their name to go there for example and less intuitions traditional or away from leaders who are to restrictive in their laws that they make up
I need spiritual people who really believe the Bible to help me answer this question. I'm afraid that it won't make a lot of sense to everyone else, and it barely makes sense to me, really.
Anyway, I think I was recently "saved" again, but I'm still really confused. I'm already extremely OCD about religious matters, and I'm worried that I damned myself with some kind of confusing promise to follow the rules the people at the church I attend preach. They are pretty strict about everything, no listening to non-Christian music (they don't even allow Classical music), no dancing (except non-choreographed "praise" dancing), no "worldly" activities (I'm afraid to ask, but I know going to the theatre, listening to concerts, attending festivals--like Mardi Gras--and other similar activities are off of the list, no gambling (I think raffles are included in this definition, too), no makeup (I can see justification for this, but some people, like me, need it,), etc. When I first started attending this church, I thought a lot of their rules were silly, perhaps overly cautious misinterpretations of scriptures, but now, especially with the idea that I told God I would follow this (even though I was honestly trying to say that I wouldn't follow it and just said it the wrong way) I've actually been feeling guilty about every day activities that might violate some of these rules. I'm at my wit's end. I wish I could be free of all of this confusion. I work as a teacher, and I have to show videos sometimes, and videos contain music, usually non-Christian music, for instance. I hate all of this confusion. I feel like I've somehow ruined my life.
I've been told to seek God about it, but I'm kind of afraid of what I'm going to learn. I do remember the man who vowed to God that he would sacrifice the first thing that came up to him if he won the war, and it was his own daughter...We truly do need to be careful with our words, but I can't imagine actually having to live my life like this.
You have real problems, I can see and telling you to give it all up is not what you want to hear. The only suggestion that I can make is that according to Christian beliefs,
God knows everything.
God is loving, understanding and wise.
God knows your problems better than you do.
The rules that your particular church have are their rules. Other churches have other rules. But - ask yourself - is God going to pick one or two churches that have a particular set of rules and damn all the others, even though they really believed? Of course not.
So, if you belong to a church, then they make the rules. Follow them. But, don't take them too seriously. Their rules are the rules they have, not what is in the Bible. This means that, what is outside the church can have different rules and you can live according to those when you need to. Your beliefs, immortal soul, hope of an afterlife are not in peril. Of course, the church may get a bit niffy if they find out that you are hearing music inadvertently when you show a video, but I bet you would find quite a few others there also have to live in the Real World at times.
Your problem is not with God, but with your Church. I do hope that might help a bit.
I feel pretty foolish. I was afraid that I was going to say that I was going to keep some of those awful rules and messed up and said that I was going to keep them anyway! I honestly can't get it out of my head that those things are sin now. I was trying to listen to some Classical music earlier, and all I felt was this awful condemning feeling, like I was doing something really wrong. I can't stand this. There is no way to live a normal life and try to be subject to all of those rules.
I should have never tried to say that I wouldn't do what that church wanted. I should have just said, "if the Lord wills," but I was so adamant about not wanting to follow those rules, but what I said was so vague that it got twisted somehow.
I really don't get it. Really spiritual people are at this church. How can really spiritual people who love God with all of their hearts be bound to such confusing beliefs? This apparent contradiction has made me feel like leaving the church many times, but they're full of faith and have enough influence over me to cause me to think that they know God's will for my life. Plus, they're not really keeping me there. It's something else. I'm mishearing and misunderstanding them, I think. It's part of my OCD. I'm afraid to ask them any questions about what they believe, because I think it might end in a shouting match. They really are sincere, just ignorant?
This is why I hate religion but love spirituality. I said that I WOULDN'T follow those rules multiple times, but said automatically that I would because I was tired and didn't register what I was saying. Now, I feel like, ironically, I'm displeasing God by not acting superstitious. Wow...this is a problem.
I could be forgiven for breaking this, I'm sure, but is it ever broken? The idea is that since I'm not dead, I can still try to do what I supposedly said, leaving me in a state of confusion. I can't deal with this. Religion will probably be my downfall and path to the insane asylum, and people stubbornly attach it to a firm relationship with God! I can't stand this.
I, too, once had the spirituality without hard religion. I kept what I knew of the Bible, and I was happy, but this is misery. It makes part of me loathe Christian things, honestly. In all likelihood, I will try to work through the guilt that now seems to accompany almost EVERYTHING I do and don't do and hope that it's just a failing of my own mind, not something God is really holding me to.
I need spiritual people who really believe the Bible to help me answer this question. I'm afraid that it won't make a lot of sense to everyone else, and it barely makes sense to me, really.
Anyway, I think I was recently "saved" again, but I'm still really confused. I'm already extremely OCD about religious matters, and I'm worried that I damned myself with some kind of confusing promise to follow the rules the people at the church I attend preach. They are pretty strict about everything, no listening to non-Christian music (they don't even allow Classical music), no dancing (except non-choreographed "praise" dancing), no "worldly" activities (I'm afraid to ask, but I know going to the theatre, listening to concerts, attending festivals--like Mardi Gras--and other similar activities are off of the list, no gambling (I think raffles are included in this definition, too), no makeup (I can see justification for this, but some people, like me, need it,), etc. When I first started attending this church, I thought a lot of their rules were silly, perhaps overly cautious misinterpretations of scriptures, but now, especially with the idea that I told God I would follow this (even though I was honestly trying to say that I wouldn't follow it and just said it the wrong way) I've actually been feeling guilty about every day activities that might violate some of these rules. I'm at my wit's end. I wish I could be free of all of this confusion. I work as a teacher, and I have to show videos sometimes, and videos contain music, usually non-Christian music, for instance. I hate all of this confusion. I feel like I've somehow ruined my life.
I've been told to seek God about it, but I'm kind of afraid of what I'm going to learn. I do remember the man who vowed to God that he would sacrifice the first thing that came up to him if he won the war, and it was his own daughter...We truly do need to be careful with our words, but I can't imagine actually having to live my life like this.
If you are this stressed about the rules of a Church you are in the wrong Church.
Church is supposed to be a peaceful, welcoming inviting time for quiet reflection of self and God.
It is God's house to bring you closer to God not stress over a bunch of man made rules.
Find a new Church immediately and run don't walk to the nearest exit of your current church, no regrets, no guilt, no looking back.
Saved again? Wouldn't that require a second crucifixion of Christ?? Once saved always saved, unless of course one never honestly accepted the love of Christ to begin with..
Now, about this "bible believing"--Wouldn't it be more correct to say JESUS believing?
What you really need is to question the scriptures for YOURSELF and discover the TRUE persona of JESUS. Once you understand and ACCEPT that Jesus is LOVE--no more, no less--you are then on the road to recovery
In actually, you didn't make this commitment to God, you made to the human beings that make up this particular church.
You owe them no allegiance.
Bible based religious 'rules' can be confusing enough when found in the Bible. These rules aren't.
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