My faith is wavering- please help! Doubting Jesus!

[fred_conty]

How do I do that when I find it hard to believe in His divinity? What can I do to get that faith in His divinity back? Because I do believe He existed and was able to perform miracles and such, but what makes Jesus any different from any of the other religion’s prophets, ex Mohammad, Buddha, etc?

Hi again,
What makes Jesus different that all the others who claim to be sent from God or that they too are holy men?

Nobody, but nobody has ever brought themselves back to life after death as Jesus did on Easter Sunday.

Other people have brought another deceased people back, but never themselves.

Jesus is the only one. “If you don’t believe in me, believe in my works.”
“I will raise this temple up in three days” , referring to his body and self resurrection before his death.

Death comes when there is seperation of body and soul, or the soul leaves the body.
But Christ was a divine person, second person of the trinity who is eternal and above dying in any form. Therefore this divine person could reunite his human body and soul, which others could not do since there person dies as well as their body.

He truely is the Son of God to be adored and worshiped.

 

[CompSciGuy]

First of all, let me say that I undoubtedly believe in God. Every single cell in my body knows that there God is all around us.

For the last couple years, I have been majorly struggling with my faith. I have read many, many books on the subject, talked to a priest and had many conversations with friends and family about it. But I’m no closer to regaining that faith. In fact, I’m even further away.

Right now, my focus is on Jesus. Again, I absolutely believe that he lived on this Earth. I know he was here. What I’m doubting is his divinity, per say.

Ok.

The reason I say this is because I don’t feel that people of other religions are not “saved” in the Christian way. Because I believe that God is **all encompassing love **and compassion, I don’t believe that He would send any loving and moral person to Hell because they happened to be born in India and believe in someone named Ganesh. However He is able to save them (giving them a chance to recieve Him at Heaven’s Gate, dismissing their earthly beliefs because of thier moral character, etc) I believe that if He can, He will.

I believe Vatican II talks about that. Those who, through no fault of their own, did not accept the gospel of Jesus can still be saved. Thus, those who haven’t heard the gospel for whatever reason or have some mitigating circumstance that would affect their decision to accept/reject the gospel can still be saved. But why does this make you doubt the divinity of Christ?

Do I believe that Jesus was able to perform miracles, heal the sick and blind, raise the dead, etc? Do I think he was able to speak to God and had a direct connection to Him? Do I think he was an ascended Holy man that was closer to God than I can ever hope to come in my lifetime? Yes. I can believe in that. But if God says that we are all His children, what makes Jesus being the Son of God any different?

Let me quote you from John chapter 1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD. HE (Jesus) was in the beginning with God. Through HIM all things were made, and apart from HIM nothing was made that was made.
…skip ahead to verse 14…
THE WORD BECAME FLESH and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This is why it’s different for Jesus being the son of God. He is more than just a “child of God,” he is the blameless, divine second Person of the Holy Trinity. You say you believe he did many miracles and signs, and that he was close to God, thus was full of truth and authority, an authentic messenger from God. Don’t you know that Jesus himself claimed to be God? He said "I and the Father are one. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. (John 10:30) He also told the Pharisees “Before Abraham was, I AM.” This was literally his claim to be God. It was the same wording used by God to the holy prophet Moses in Exodus at the burning bush. The Pharisees knew exactly what he meant by this and wanted to stone him for blasphemy. So, given this evidence, if Jesus was not really divine, then he was a liar, and he could not be close to God. But you already said you believe he was an authentic man of God. How can these two realities coincide?

And believe me when I say that all of this is making me sick to my stomach. I HATE having doubts in my faith. What I wouldn’t give to go back to having that unwavering faith in both God and Jesus. What I wouldn’t give to be strong in that.

My husband tells me that this is something I will have to reconcile with myself because on this earth in my lifetime, I will never know these things. People cannot answer them for me. I will have to come to peace with all of this on my own and in my own terms. I’m praying that that is sooner than later.

So, I beg for your prayers for me to find my strong faith again.
Thank you.

I can absolutely relate to your situation. I have struggled with doubt most of my young adult life. My confirmation saint is Thomas the apostle. Invoke him often. This is something you have to work your way through and it is a cross you will have to bear (as I do). I would strongly recommend you look for ways to live your faith. An active faith will not die, it will grow strong and flourish.

 

[Monica4316]

First of all, let me say that I undoubtedly believe in God. Every single cell in my body knows that there God is all around us.

For the last couple years, I have been majorly struggling with my faith. I have read many, many books on the subject, talked to a priest and had many conversations with friends and family about it. But I’m no closer to regaining that faith. In fact, I’m even further away.

Right now, my focus is on Jesus. Again, I absolutely believe that he lived on this Earth. I know he was here. What I’m doubting is his divinity, per say.

The reason I say this is because I don’t feel that people of other religions are not “saved” in the Christian way. Because I believe that God is **all encompassing love **and compassion, I don’t believe that He would send any loving and moral person to Hell because they happened to be born in India and believe in someone named Ganesh. However He is able to save them (giving them a chance to recieve Him at Heaven’s Gate, dismissing their earthly beliefs because of thier moral character, etc) I believe that if He can, He will.

I have been called heretical and not a Christian because I believe this. So, I can take it if someone on here says I’m going to Hell. I don’t believe I am.

Do I believe that Jesus was able to perform miracles, heal the sick and blind, raise the dead, etc? Do I think he was able to speak to God and had a direct connection to Him? Do I think he was an ascended Holy man that was closer to God than I can ever hope to come in my lifetime? Yes. I can believe in that. But if God says that we are all His children, what makes Jesus being the Son of God any different?

And believe me when I say that all of this is making me sick to my stomach. I HATE having doubts in my faith. What I wouldn’t give to go back to having that unwavering faith in both God and Jesus. What I wouldn’t give to be strong in that.

My husband tells me that this is something I will have to reconcile with myself because on this earth in my lifetime, I will never know these things. People cannot answer them for me. I will have to come to peace with all of this on my own and in my own terms. I’m praying that that is sooner than later.

So, I beg for your prayers for me to find my strong faith again.
Thank you.

Jennifer, it might help you to read more about the Church teaching on this… if a person never heard of Jesus through no fault of their own, God simply judges them based on what they DID know, and their conscience… He judges everyone individually, based on what they did what they knew. As it says in Scripture, to whom much is given, much is expected… Furthermore, when people go to hell, they go there through their own CHOICE - God is loving and merciful and wants everyone to be saved, it says in the Bible that He wants everyone “to come to repentance” and not to perish, BUT, people still choose sin over Him and so they block themselves from His grace… and if He took them to Heaven, they would be in utter pain from His presence, - so they flee, to hell. They are in pain there because of their own self chosen condition. God doesn’t want people there, that is why Jesus died to save us. The reason why it’s important, and in fact crucial to accept Jesus if you know about Him, is because - He opened to us the way to the Father… so if we reject Him, how can we get to the Father? And if someone doesn’t know about Jesus, we should tell them because it would be easier for them, - even if they are invinsibly ignorant, they still need to follow their conscience, but in the world that is difficult unless you have God’s grace because of pressure from society etc. Try to just open your heart to Jesus and ask Him for more faith

God bless

 

[followingtheway]

God bless you for your non-judgemental answer. It is good to know im not alone. And thank you for your prayers. As you can see, I need them. God bless you.

You’re very welcome I apologize for the delayed answer.

 

[JenniferB]

CompSciGuy and Monica: Thank you for your wonderful responses. I do realize this is a cross I do have to bear and I pray to God each day for me to do His will and not mine. I only hope that this period of doubt is used to bring me closer to Jesus and thus God.

I am currently reading a Case for Christ and listening to Dr Gary Habermas’s take on his evidence for the ressurection of Jesus. These seem to be helping

Thank you for your help and prayers, friends!

 

[hazcompat]

Thank you for the prayers and responses thus far.

Can someone answer this: If Jesus is God, then why pray to Jesus as all. I mean no disrepect to his honor, but why not go straight to the Big Man?

Because it is Our Fathers Simple plan

peace