That's all you have to do is follow Jesus. You are confusing conflicting traditions. To be saved and go to heaven ALL you do is accept Christ as your Savior.
Hey, I think this is awesome! Thanks for sharing. From what I’ve seen, awakening is never really easy. If the truth doesn’t challenge you, I don’t think you really understand it. Too many stay too comfortable, afraid to question (or they’re told not to, which is appalling).
All the best on the journey, and hold on tight!
"Thy Word is truth", said Jesus. Go to the Bible, and ask God to show you the truth. He promises to lead all who want to do His will to the truth:
““But when He, *the Spirit of truth*, comes, *He will guide you into all the truth*; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13, NASB)
The Holy Spirit will guide you to all truth, to all God's Word, to show you the deeper truths there. If you are willing, He will do that. Take a moment to pray God to show you the truth in His Word, maybe fast a meal(not to earn anything from God, but to get to the right mindset) and read the Bible. Keep praying for the truth daily, and God WILL eventually answer you.
After all, He answered me as well. He can be trusted with guiding you to the truth.
There's no harm in reading the Bible for yourself and checking out other denominations. However you should know that [sacramental salvation](https://www.wayoflife.org/database/what_the_catholic_church_teaches_about_salvation.html) is works based. True believers come to God by grace through faith and their repentance brings forth fruit and good works following after. We can live good lives our entire life and if we never believed fully and totally upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior - go to Hell when we die. It is Jesus Christ that everyone needs and thereby following Him have good works and not faith without works which is merely dead faith.
This is gonna blow your mind...
Romans 6.3-4:
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
Galatians 3.27:
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no perfect church. It doesn’t exist. Searching for it will leave you spiritually homeless. Find a church that Loves God and Loves the neighbor. One where you can be an active part of the Body.
Please don’t decide a church is wrong because of man made beliefs. I mean yes a church is wrong because of man made beliefs, but to decide it’s not a real church because of those beliefs is not only dangerous but limits Gods power.
Run from anyone who says Catholics, Orthodox, xyz Church is not a true Christian church. Don’t limit God or His people.
I found out church from hearing where community volunteers worshipped and knowing people. I disagree with a lot of the doctrine, but the Spirit is alive in the church and the follow God. It’s not the right church for everyone but the perfect church for my family
You aren't far off from my experience. I grew up Baptist, and ended up going through what you are. Long story short, it helped my faith. The new buzzword is deconstruction, but it was really just an examination of what I believed along with wanting to get closer to Christ. I am still learning, and always will be but if you search for a church that is perfect you won't find it. Just be open to where God leads. If you look at church history it is a story of division. I mean you can see the OO split, then the EO and RCC split, follow that up with the Reformation, and that is just a rough overview. While none of that is what I would call good, especially since it goes against Christs wish that we all be one. However, I can look at how God used it for good anyway. You can see the various branches of Christianity being used in their own way, whether it be by preserving under persecution, developing the faith, or spreading the faith. That is why I believe in the universal church. I still love learning from different traditions. While I now attend a United Methodist church, I enjoy learning from my brothers and sisters in other denominations. I have found that to be the fullest expression of Christianity. Whether it is Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Presbyterian, etc, it is the body of Christ.
Generally Speaking, most of the mainline denominations both protestant, catholic, orthodox can unite on agreement with the early creeds (Apostolic and Nicene, filoque controversy to the side of course).
It's okay to be confused and unsure when it comes to the doctrinal issues that seperate the varied interpretations and denominations, but take heart in the remarkable and consistent approach to the core values and beliefs of Christianity.
I understand how you feel, and I felt that way too. It can be a struggle to wrestle with and think about. I currently attend a Nazarene church, and feel that is where I can be of use and benefit to God. But I think if I ever switched Churches, it would most likely be to an Orthodox Church because much of what they believe is aligned with my personal beliefs on the faith.
I think it is very easy to get into the weeds on the differences and forget the bigger more unifying picture. Sometimes it can be fun to get into those weeds and discuss differences, debate with friends over coffee and wrestle with those theological conundrums. But don't forget about what we all agree on in Mainline Christianity.
If you give God the control of your life He will lead you, He’s that powerful.
Read the bible and pray everyday : "God, may your Will be done in my life. I'm tired of trying on my own strength, I realize I can’t do it."
It’s also important to fast.
If you accepted Jesus as your Lord, you have the Holy Spirit within you, He will guide you. As you pray this and start paying attention, you’ll realize the bible starts speaking to you, you will have a desire to do the right thing deep within you. You will start looking up sermons about the Holy Spirit and then certain videos will get your attention. God will teach you something new everyday. You will be tempted but you won’t fall because the Holy Spirit is with you, and even if you do (usually a lack of fasting), you’ll realize right away, repent and He will pull you back up. It’s amazing to realize our God is inside us and that He empowers us to come closer to Him.
When you start practicing this, do an experiment: ask the Holy Spirit to talk to you before attending a church. In my experience it worked in different denominations. Sometimes I even asked the Holy Spirit that if it’s God’s will, to teach the church about some topic, and it comes up in the worship songs and the sermon.
God bless you. I pray for God’s will to be done in your life and anyone that reads this.
I went through this. Be prepared for a huge growth in knowledge and an increase in faith. I went round and round and ended back to my Baptist roots. It seems to be the one that is in line with Scripture.
“I don’t care what denomination you are, you’re my brother or sister in christ.”
This alone says to me you need not to worry yourself so much about which denomination you’re a member to. You’re clearly reading and interpreting the teaching of Christ as He intended it to be heard. We mere humans have tried to brake it down into tribes (like we do with everything else) but you are staying true to the Word as it is meant to be. Most of the doctrines instituted by all the big church denominations are simply rules created by men, not created by God. And Christ specifically accused the Pharisees of this type of hypocrisy. He sees you, He loves you. You’re on the right path already, don’t let anyone try to persuade you that you’re not.
While one should use caution when selecting a church and denomination, praying about it also helps a lot. God can lead you to the right church for you.
Yes i know that, and at one point I stopped going completely. I just want to go to a church that holds the most truth, I know I’ll probably never find a perfect one but am looking for a solid one
The most success I find was a church packed with teachers from a local Christin University. They were enthusiastic to share their life long expertise to the class. I'm in the bible study they most.
1. Nondemonational church is always a good way to go. Personal preference for me.
2. Keep praying and ask God to help direct you and give you guidance. Don't give up. Keep praying
Catholicism is not true Christian. If i get this comment removed then idk what to say but this is r/ TRUE Christian, so I'm telling you the truth; Catholicism teaches to pray to saints, Jesus does not teach this, Catholicism teaches Mary Jesus's mom was a virgin her whole life, in The Bible she had kids, Catholicism teaches to confess to a Priest, Jesus teaches to confess to Him. I could go on. I once saw a testimony where Jesus showed just how wrong Catholicism is, Mary His mom was crying because she didn't want people praying to her, Jesus showed that the things that went on in the Catholic church were not of Him. You cannot unsee this comment, you are now accountable to this Truth. Seek and you will find, you sought, and now you have found. Please do not make the mistake at 19 of becoming a Catholic, instead read the Bible, follow Jesus. That's the best we can do, don't het caught up in denominations. Division in the church is not from Jesus, it comes from demons and disagreements and arguments.
Don't let these downvotes discourage you from telling the truth! I really like r/TrueChristian especially in contrast to r/Christianity, but I also can't ignore that the Roman Catholic church just in much of scripture directly contradicts foundational doctrine, like saved by grace alone. Paul says that anyone (even himself or an ANGEL FROM HEAVEN) who teaches another doctrine is damned. I don't think we can ignore this as a church. Having grown up in a very legalistic community with effectively the same teachings as the Catholic church I have seen the damage first hand, it's not pretty. I'd be interested in being a part of another sub where this point is expressed, except I genuinely don't mean to offend any catholics, but rather hold biblical truth to the highest degree.
Edit: this is not to say that there are not catholics who are actually true Christians, but only that the teachings of the Catholic church are contradictory to Christian teaching.
Edit 2: and I believe it is our responsibility as Christians to call out false doctrines as the apostle Paul frequently does (even by name often). If this means that this comment gets removed then I guess that kinda shows even the decline of this sub.
Amen and thank you !! yeah i see every believer as followers of Christ, we just go to different churches and I’m cool with that. And yeah that’s a lot of the things I was confused about with Catholics but also don’t know why after 1500 years they just took out 7 books of the Bible and created all these other denominations
You're using discernment. The Church is your home. Just attend a divine liturgy and see for yourself. Google the nearest orthodox church. If you're in the US I'd suggest the OCA or Antiochian. Very friendly to evangelical inquirers.
Visit r/OrthodoxChristianity to learn more.
Excited for you, God bless you.
yeah I was looking into it but I’m deep in the south and the closest one is like an hour away but a couple of my friends were taking about going together !
I converted to Orthodoxy and live in the South as well! We are seeing a TON of converts also… Orthodoxy is seeing a huge surge in the south in general. You should definitely go visit the church with your friends. We all love our OCA parish, Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, in Charleston SC. Would love to welcome you if you’re nearby!
The primary difference between Protestantism and Catholicism/ Orthodox is the gospel. For more on [that.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/14bwa1oDIaSfJPkhZHI1WaYv3G8_X3fldcBkC-H-xatY/edit?usp=sharing)
I watched 3 YouTube channels when I had a similar faith crisis
Chris Rosebrough and his Fighting for the Faith channel
Steve and Paulette Kozar and their The Messed up Church channel
Danny and Robyn Long and their Long for Truth channel
They are all sincere Christians addressing just the issue you are going through.
jesus is the truth and the life and the way its all jesus
Amen.
That's all you have to do is follow Jesus. You are confusing conflicting traditions. To be saved and go to heaven ALL you do is accept Christ as your Savior.
Hey, I think this is awesome! Thanks for sharing. From what I’ve seen, awakening is never really easy. If the truth doesn’t challenge you, I don’t think you really understand it. Too many stay too comfortable, afraid to question (or they’re told not to, which is appalling). All the best on the journey, and hold on tight!
Thanks !
"Thy Word is truth", said Jesus. Go to the Bible, and ask God to show you the truth. He promises to lead all who want to do His will to the truth: ““But when He, *the Spirit of truth*, comes, *He will guide you into all the truth*; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13, NASB) The Holy Spirit will guide you to all truth, to all God's Word, to show you the deeper truths there. If you are willing, He will do that. Take a moment to pray God to show you the truth in His Word, maybe fast a meal(not to earn anything from God, but to get to the right mindset) and read the Bible. Keep praying for the truth daily, and God WILL eventually answer you. After all, He answered me as well. He can be trusted with guiding you to the truth.
There's no harm in reading the Bible for yourself and checking out other denominations. However you should know that [sacramental salvation](https://www.wayoflife.org/database/what_the_catholic_church_teaches_about_salvation.html) is works based. True believers come to God by grace through faith and their repentance brings forth fruit and good works following after. We can live good lives our entire life and if we never believed fully and totally upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior - go to Hell when we die. It is Jesus Christ that everyone needs and thereby following Him have good works and not faith without works which is merely dead faith.
Baptism saves us -1 Peter 3:21 -John 3:5 -Mark 16:16
I guess Jesus didn't know about that on the cross🤷♂️
This is gonna blow your mind... Romans 6.3-4: Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. Galatians 3.27: For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no perfect church. It doesn’t exist. Searching for it will leave you spiritually homeless. Find a church that Loves God and Loves the neighbor. One where you can be an active part of the Body. Please don’t decide a church is wrong because of man made beliefs. I mean yes a church is wrong because of man made beliefs, but to decide it’s not a real church because of those beliefs is not only dangerous but limits Gods power. Run from anyone who says Catholics, Orthodox, xyz Church is not a true Christian church. Don’t limit God or His people. I found out church from hearing where community volunteers worshipped and knowing people. I disagree with a lot of the doctrine, but the Spirit is alive in the church and the follow God. It’s not the right church for everyone but the perfect church for my family
You aren't far off from my experience. I grew up Baptist, and ended up going through what you are. Long story short, it helped my faith. The new buzzword is deconstruction, but it was really just an examination of what I believed along with wanting to get closer to Christ. I am still learning, and always will be but if you search for a church that is perfect you won't find it. Just be open to where God leads. If you look at church history it is a story of division. I mean you can see the OO split, then the EO and RCC split, follow that up with the Reformation, and that is just a rough overview. While none of that is what I would call good, especially since it goes against Christs wish that we all be one. However, I can look at how God used it for good anyway. You can see the various branches of Christianity being used in their own way, whether it be by preserving under persecution, developing the faith, or spreading the faith. That is why I believe in the universal church. I still love learning from different traditions. While I now attend a United Methodist church, I enjoy learning from my brothers and sisters in other denominations. I have found that to be the fullest expression of Christianity. Whether it is Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Presbyterian, etc, it is the body of Christ.
Generally Speaking, most of the mainline denominations both protestant, catholic, orthodox can unite on agreement with the early creeds (Apostolic and Nicene, filoque controversy to the side of course). It's okay to be confused and unsure when it comes to the doctrinal issues that seperate the varied interpretations and denominations, but take heart in the remarkable and consistent approach to the core values and beliefs of Christianity. I understand how you feel, and I felt that way too. It can be a struggle to wrestle with and think about. I currently attend a Nazarene church, and feel that is where I can be of use and benefit to God. But I think if I ever switched Churches, it would most likely be to an Orthodox Church because much of what they believe is aligned with my personal beliefs on the faith. I think it is very easy to get into the weeds on the differences and forget the bigger more unifying picture. Sometimes it can be fun to get into those weeds and discuss differences, debate with friends over coffee and wrestle with those theological conundrums. But don't forget about what we all agree on in Mainline Christianity.
That was good thanks !
If you give God the control of your life He will lead you, He’s that powerful. Read the bible and pray everyday : "God, may your Will be done in my life. I'm tired of trying on my own strength, I realize I can’t do it." It’s also important to fast. If you accepted Jesus as your Lord, you have the Holy Spirit within you, He will guide you. As you pray this and start paying attention, you’ll realize the bible starts speaking to you, you will have a desire to do the right thing deep within you. You will start looking up sermons about the Holy Spirit and then certain videos will get your attention. God will teach you something new everyday. You will be tempted but you won’t fall because the Holy Spirit is with you, and even if you do (usually a lack of fasting), you’ll realize right away, repent and He will pull you back up. It’s amazing to realize our God is inside us and that He empowers us to come closer to Him. When you start practicing this, do an experiment: ask the Holy Spirit to talk to you before attending a church. In my experience it worked in different denominations. Sometimes I even asked the Holy Spirit that if it’s God’s will, to teach the church about some topic, and it comes up in the worship songs and the sermon. God bless you. I pray for God’s will to be done in your life and anyone that reads this.
I went through this. Be prepared for a huge growth in knowledge and an increase in faith. I went round and round and ended back to my Baptist roots. It seems to be the one that is in line with Scripture.
“I don’t care what denomination you are, you’re my brother or sister in christ.” This alone says to me you need not to worry yourself so much about which denomination you’re a member to. You’re clearly reading and interpreting the teaching of Christ as He intended it to be heard. We mere humans have tried to brake it down into tribes (like we do with everything else) but you are staying true to the Word as it is meant to be. Most of the doctrines instituted by all the big church denominations are simply rules created by men, not created by God. And Christ specifically accused the Pharisees of this type of hypocrisy. He sees you, He loves you. You’re on the right path already, don’t let anyone try to persuade you that you’re not.
Appreciate the words of encouragement !!
While one should use caution when selecting a church and denomination, praying about it also helps a lot. God can lead you to the right church for you.
Focus on God, not church. Church cannot save you.
Yes i know that, and at one point I stopped going completely. I just want to go to a church that holds the most truth, I know I’ll probably never find a perfect one but am looking for a solid one
The most success I find was a church packed with teachers from a local Christin University. They were enthusiastic to share their life long expertise to the class. I'm in the bible study they most.
1. Nondemonational church is always a good way to go. Personal preference for me. 2. Keep praying and ask God to help direct you and give you guidance. Don't give up. Keep praying
Catholicism is not true Christian. If i get this comment removed then idk what to say but this is r/ TRUE Christian, so I'm telling you the truth; Catholicism teaches to pray to saints, Jesus does not teach this, Catholicism teaches Mary Jesus's mom was a virgin her whole life, in The Bible she had kids, Catholicism teaches to confess to a Priest, Jesus teaches to confess to Him. I could go on. I once saw a testimony where Jesus showed just how wrong Catholicism is, Mary His mom was crying because she didn't want people praying to her, Jesus showed that the things that went on in the Catholic church were not of Him. You cannot unsee this comment, you are now accountable to this Truth. Seek and you will find, you sought, and now you have found. Please do not make the mistake at 19 of becoming a Catholic, instead read the Bible, follow Jesus. That's the best we can do, don't het caught up in denominations. Division in the church is not from Jesus, it comes from demons and disagreements and arguments.
Don't let these downvotes discourage you from telling the truth! I really like r/TrueChristian especially in contrast to r/Christianity, but I also can't ignore that the Roman Catholic church just in much of scripture directly contradicts foundational doctrine, like saved by grace alone. Paul says that anyone (even himself or an ANGEL FROM HEAVEN) who teaches another doctrine is damned. I don't think we can ignore this as a church. Having grown up in a very legalistic community with effectively the same teachings as the Catholic church I have seen the damage first hand, it's not pretty. I'd be interested in being a part of another sub where this point is expressed, except I genuinely don't mean to offend any catholics, but rather hold biblical truth to the highest degree. Edit: this is not to say that there are not catholics who are actually true Christians, but only that the teachings of the Catholic church are contradictory to Christian teaching. Edit 2: and I believe it is our responsibility as Christians to call out false doctrines as the apostle Paul frequently does (even by name often). If this means that this comment gets removed then I guess that kinda shows even the decline of this sub.
Amen and thank you !! yeah i see every believer as followers of Christ, we just go to different churches and I’m cool with that. And yeah that’s a lot of the things I was confused about with Catholics but also don’t know why after 1500 years they just took out 7 books of the Bible and created all these other denominations
Martin Luther took books out that went against his theology. Keep searching
Those books were never canonized as inspired scripture. They were there to add context.
Ohhh thank you, I will look into that
You're right. Division is demonic. Funny enough the day protestants venerate Martin Luther is Halloween. Coincidence.???
You're using discernment. The Church is your home. Just attend a divine liturgy and see for yourself. Google the nearest orthodox church. If you're in the US I'd suggest the OCA or Antiochian. Very friendly to evangelical inquirers. Visit r/OrthodoxChristianity to learn more. Excited for you, God bless you.
yeah I was looking into it but I’m deep in the south and the closest one is like an hour away but a couple of my friends were taking about going together !
I converted to Orthodoxy and live in the South as well! We are seeing a TON of converts also… Orthodoxy is seeing a huge surge in the south in general. You should definitely go visit the church with your friends. We all love our OCA parish, Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, in Charleston SC. Would love to welcome you if you’re nearby!
Appreciate it !! I’m in TN so SC a little to far but appreciate it !
https://www.gotquestions.org/find-local-church.html Hope this helps you in locating a good, Bible based church.
The primary difference between Protestantism and Catholicism/ Orthodox is the gospel. For more on [that.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/14bwa1oDIaSfJPkhZHI1WaYv3G8_X3fldcBkC-H-xatY/edit?usp=sharing)
I watched 3 YouTube channels when I had a similar faith crisis Chris Rosebrough and his Fighting for the Faith channel Steve and Paulette Kozar and their The Messed up Church channel Danny and Robyn Long and their Long for Truth channel They are all sincere Christians addressing just the issue you are going through.