Losing Sight of Christ

Every once in a while I will get an e-mail or a comment from someone who has read one of my hubs. I try to answer any questions about the Bible as best as I can to help that person in their situation. When I say I try, I mean I am not a theologian nor do I have a degree in psychology. I do, however, have a Maters’ degree in Life from the School of Hard Knocks. I am honest and straight to the point, and I pull no punches when the situation calls for it, especially when it comes to the Word of God.

So when I get a message from someone who has stopped believing in Jesus Christ because they feel Christ does not answer prayers like He promised, and they want me to give them hope in a situation they placed themselves in, I get mix feelings on how to go about it. Therefore, I pray. I pray that God will reveal to me how He would like me to answer their questions. I pray for guidance. I am grieved when I hear that someone has stopped believing in Christ. However, it grieves me even more when I find that a person has stopped believing because they have no understanding of the Spiritual teachings in the Word.

Then I ask myself (and God), are people blinded by the truth because God is causing the blindness or are they blind because they allowed the lies of this world to enter their hearts? Maybe the answer lies in both questions. Perhaps God blinded them to the truth because He saw their hearts and how they followed the lies of this world instead of His Word.

God is no fool. He searches the hearts of men and sees how people say one thing with their lips but their hearts are very far from Him, and that is a sin against God. This may come as a surprise to some Christians, but everyone has doubts. We all have unanswered questions, however, that is not a reason to lose hope or our faith in Christ. People go around searching for answers in others when they should be reading their Bible, and asking God to teach them and give them understanding.

When people begin to listen to the distorted teachings of others and don’t know what the Bible says, it is for certain they will fall for these lies. Then they feel lost and confused, and lose faith. As I said earlier, I have mix feelings for people who put themselves in this situation because the truth is there for all to see but people reject the truth. People do not use discernment or search scripture when they hear others teach. So what happens when people lend themselves to everything but the truth? God will then give us an alternative to truth, and that is the “lie.” If you reject truth, you will get a lie. It’s that simple, and we get to choose.

Read what 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 says about those rejecting truth:

^"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (KJV)

You do not have to have a doctorate in theology to understand the Bible. The apostles were simple minded people but God gave them wisdom and understanding, and it was given to them to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Why? Because they chose to follow Christ, and they held on to Christ even unto their deaths. They did not give up at the first sign of trouble; they had joy in their suffering because they had the hope of Christ in them, and knew their reward was not in this world.

When you pray and your prayers are not answered, do you call Christ a liar because He did not deliver on His promise to give you what you ask for in His name? This is where this man’s comment left on my hub nearly blew me away. Where is the spiritual understanding in what the Gospels teach? God’s Word does not revolve around man’s wants and needs, or what man feels is righteous. God is no respecter of man, and He is not concerned about you throwing a hissy fit either because you didn’t get what you asked for. God is concerned about His Kingdom. He is concerned about the church and reuniting with her.

Let’s put our individual feelings aside and stop running away from God when we can’t get what we want or find the answers we want. God has greater problems. We can pray but if it is not in God’s will and does not line up with what is written in His Word, then no amount of begging will get you what you pray for.

We already have a comforter in the Holy Spirit. Rather than searching for answers in man, turn to God for that hope and faith you feel you lost. He is more than willing to pull you out of your pit. And if you feel that this message comes through as being abrasive, that’s because it is. I call it tough love.

Five months ago I found myself undergoing emergency surgery. Twelve days later after the surgery (while still at the hospital), another emergency surgery was performed and I nearly lost my life. I cannot describe in words how lonely I felt in my pain, both spiritually and physically. I thought God had forsaken me. And in a moment of fear and helplessness, I saw a glimmer of hope. I saw a cross hanging from a chain on one of the hospital transporters. I reached out and touched the cross. I think back now and wonder what that man must have thought of me, but at that moment it did not matter.

You see, it was not the metal shaped in the form of a cross but what it represented that filled me with hope where there was none. Suddenly I was filled with strength and indescribable love, and I survived the ordeal to tell you about it here. There was no one holding my hand and encouraging me, no one trying to talk hope back into me. It was my Lord who pulled me out of that pit, and not man, because I reached out to Him. I don’t know how long I’ll have on this earth; this life is but a short passage. It is my final destination I keep my eye on.

May God fill you with His love, wisdom, and knowledge, as you draw closer to Him.

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