These pages are designed for use to aid discipleship among Christians through individual Bible study, Cell groups, Home groups, or for meeting one to one. If you wish, you could use the questions, while leaving the group to choose their own translation of the Bible.
Tried and Failed?
- Tried and Failed
- The Key Requirements
- The Kingdom has a King
- Repentence
- Believe
- Two way agreements
- Examples
- The distraction of feelings
- Suggestion
How frustrating when we try something and fail. Meanwhile it seems to work for everyone else. Doubly so when it is a whole aspect of our lives like the spiritual life.
If you are in that sad place of having been given some instruction on how to turn to Jesus, but it does not seem to work for you then I would suggest that there are two possible reasons. The first is that you were given unreal expectations of some emotional experience that did not happen. The second is that you were given a very real expectation of a transformed life that is not happening.
If the problem is the first, then I am sorry you were mislead. There are people who do have very real and very exciting emotional experiences. They are however in a minority. I would propose that you start again from the beginning but start with an expectation of God working in your life to work changes as you seek Him in your daily life.
If the problem is the second, that you are not seeing God at work to change your life, I would suggest that the problem is most likely that the beginning did not happen as you thought. When someone turns to Christ, God comes to work in them. He does not let them go. If then you have tried the Christian life and it does not seem to have worked, it is worth going back to the beginning to work out what happened. It could be there was no real start.
Becoming a Christian is simple enough, but there are those who have made it too simple. Jesus’ message was summarised Mark 1:15 as “The Kingdom of God is at hand, Repent and Believe the good news.”
I will take you through these requirements, asking questions about your thinking at the time. Remember, we are trying to identify the root problem. There is no requirement for a precise formula, rather we a heart attitude.
Jesus is the King. He has authority. This raises a question: At the time you prayed, were you willing to submit to Jesus as your King?
If you were just looking to get a right relationship with God and hence some sort of ticket to heaven, or maybe even to persuade God to do something for you, while not being prepared to submit to Him as your King, then it is unlikely that He accepted the commitment.
Jesus calls on people to repent. That means to turn around from living for self and at least intending to live for God. Repentance is a strange thing in that there is almost an implicit understanding from Jesus that we are not able to live up to any commitment. He does insist however that we intend to live for Him. He is looking at our heart attitude.
Repentance is often a stumbling block. For many there is something in their life that they will not allow God to touch. It is guarded in their hearts and they will not let go. If this was the case at your commitment, then it is unlikely Jesus accepted the commitment.
Jesus calls on people to believe or trust in Him. This is a key dynamic that we respond to what God says trusting Him for the outcome. At the beginning this may be no more than believing that Jesus is all He says, and the He is able to save us though the Cross. In some way shape or form however there needs to be some level of trust worked out.
Without this faith in God, it is unlikely that He would have accepted your commitment.
Becoming a Christian is a two way agreement. It requires us to submit to Jesus the King, to Repent and to Believe. When we do Jesus sends His Spirit into our lives. Jesus promised this in Revelation 3:20 (NIV) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” If we don’t fulfil our part, Jesus does not send His Spirit. There is the chance that a person follows a formula, but with a heart that was not really aligned with God. Jesus did not send His Spirit, the person is left confused because God is not at work in their life.
An example of someone becoming a Christian is found in Luke 23:40-43 (NCV)
40 But the other criminal stopped him and said, "You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is.41 We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong."42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43 Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Notice that the man on the cross does not follow any standard formula, however, each of the three elements - Kingdom, Repent and Believe are all clearly there. Can you spot them? Jesus clearly had no doubts for He received him.
I had a personal experience when a friend made a commitment. Following this however, he continued to live as someone who had never committed. Later he would agree that though close, he had not really committed to Christ. I in my inexperience at the time I did not realise it, but found the whole experience very frustrating.
There are many for whom becoming a Christian has resulted in an exuberant and emotional roller coaster. Others who have come to Christ look at this, and assume that for them it did not work because they have had no such emotional ride. This was the case for me and it was only when some friends helped me go through the commitment again that I had a settled sense of assurance.
Fundamentally, God’s work is through faith and the feelings are no requirement. The real indication of change is that God works in your life bringing new priorities. If you give yourself to living God’s way, seeking Him in prayer and reading the Bible, then change should begin. We can be our own worst enemies, not seeing changes that are evident to others. Make sure you are around others and ask them their opinion.
At this point if you have seen the conditions for receiving Jesus and think that maybe your commitment was in some way flawed, then I would suggest that you return to the place of commitment. Try going through the Bridge illustration and start again.
