Fallen and Flawed

How do I know Christ is real?

My ultimate surrender to him has had an everchanging effect on the changing and renewal of my mind. In other words, it changed that day for good, but the changes, my growth are increasing daily into what the Bible talks about how I should be.

My increasing understanding of Scripture.

Each day that passes, I find myself more firm and steady on Him as a rock. The next trial that hits will undoubtedly be met with a more surprising steady hand of of His grace that will be evident in my mind during the turmoil.

More patience with those around me that seem to cause all others to gripe and complain about those people’s actions.

A conviction to pray for people I see in passing that I don’t even know, or a glimpse of what may need praying for for those people.

Is His reality changing me?

Overall yes, more by the day, even during the dry times He’s working in me.

Can He be more real in my life?

Absolutely, since “He must increase, and I must decrease.”

Well said, J. Shelton. John 3:30 is a ample, classic statement of our position in Christ. And I do like what you said about increasing understanding of Scripture…a testimony to the illumination that occurs post conversion versus the blindness and hardness of heart. Thank you for your thoughtful comment, friend.

Regarding #1, what is the testimony of the Spirit?

If it is a little voice inside of me:
How do I know when it is the Spirit, or when it is just my mind?
And of course, whatever that little voice is, it disappears when I struggle with doubts.

Because of those problems, I would say the testimony of the Spirit isn’t really a little voice at all.

It must be a deeper conviction.

The Spirit testifying to my spirit, giving me assurance, sounds like God sustaining the gift of faith.

Of course, then that sounds circular: My faith that Jesus exists proves that Jesus exists.
But if my faith comes from God, then really it would be God telling me God exists. In that case, the reasoning would be necessarily circular because it truly is self-substantiating.

Thoughts? What am I missing?

Something other-worldly is going on when the natural self is not acting naturally. Regeneration is real. And for those who can testify to the reality of your list above, they can say that without Jesus it would not be possible. Great post!

[...] and Flawed has a good article – How Do You Know Christ Is Real. The original question was “How do you know Christ is real to you?” – and [...]

What has been interesting is I have been spending a lot of time exploring creation and the amazing acts of God (the Father) in the OT. This has made Him more real to me. This has allowed Biblical theology to take a firm grasp on me. The more I am exploring one part of the Trinity (the Father) the more real the other two parts have become. The more I can see their unity working together.
Knowing what is real has taken the focus off of me and my total depravity and has allowed me to be more receptive of the grace of God. Instead of walking in my typical doldrums while focusing on how bad I have become, I feel more I am focusing on God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. This, of course, is allowing my faith to grow.
This comment may only make a little sense. Sorry bout that.

Daniel, it IS God sustaining your faith. But that’s not why you know that it’s God. You have other ways of knowing God exists–cosmological, ontological, teleological, Jesus’ testimony. The Bible simply assumes God exists. It never presumes otherwise. And it is the Bible that tells us what that deep, unrelenting conviction is–the Spirit testifying with our spirit. Whacha think?

Demian, your last line answered my questions – “And it is the Bible that tells us what that deep, unrelenting conviction is–the Spirit testifying with our spirit.”

Let me make sure I got this right: By conviction, you are referencing our belief that the arguments for God’s existence, and the Bible, are right/true?

No. The conviction is simply the Spirit of God inhabiting our spirits. It’s the idea that in spite of evidence God testifies to his existence. You have to remember, many people come to faith in third world countries or prohibited nations where apologetic materials are absent. All they may have is a photocopy of the book of Galatians and a family who wants to kill them. Why do they hold on? Why do they believe? The Spirit testifies that they are children of God.

Of course, their faith is rooted in the historical fact of Christ’s life, death and resurrection–a life that was lived perfect, a death that pardons us from the wrath of God and a resurrection that demonstrates Jesus was who he said he was [God]. That’s the Gospel they hear and believe in. And that’s the mechanism the Holy Spirit uses to regenerate a person. But that’s all they may hear. And that’s okay. Cause God then testifies that they are now children of God, that Christ did live, die and rise again. The Spirit assures them of the historical fact without having them study Apologetics 101.

Good question. Hope my answer makes sense.

Demian, as kind of a spin on #4, how do you distinguish between the regenerate believer who through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit doesn’t struggle with a specific sin anymore (let’s say alcoholism) and the unregenerate person who through a 12 step program hasn’t had a drink in 20 years? They look the same on the outside but the heart is completely different. Convince a skeptic that spiritual growth isn’t just behavior modification.

Praying for our appetites.

Good question, Rob. See my latest post.

Daniel, Demian, et al,
We here in Laodicea, er, America are used to refering to the entire Bible when we say “The Word of God,” because we have plentiful access to it in scores of versions & hundreds of styles. But, as Demian has indicated, some parts of the world have to hide single pages in order to preserve them from confiscation & destruction by the govt or zealots of other beliefs. That’s where the full import of Isa.55:11 comes to bear: so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
It is not necessarily the Bible as we know it, but the very words of God as He spoke them (cf. Dt.8:3f, Mt.4:4) that form the foundational evidence upon which the Holy Spirit bases His witness to our spirits that we are children of God. We who are theologically wealthy can explain that “Sola Scriptura” is first and foremost in our knowledge of God because all else is founded upon what He has said, but those who have never heard such an explanation are as protected as we by its validity. There is no surer truth in all the world than that what God has spoken He will do, and no other person’s comprehension of it is required to make it so.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isa.40:8)

Al, that’s a great comment. Reminds me of Calvin who viewed it as you described and is what fueled his passion for the sanctity and authority of Scripture.

Which I think is a helpful distinction, because otherwise, with our abundance of Bibles we become numb and desensitized to the idea that these are in fact God’s Words.