Troubled people showing interest in reading the Bible: how to explain to them that faith is a lifestyle and not an "ATM"?
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Unfortunately, the problem is a result of the "Modern Gospel". (God is love, come to Him and He will fix your broken marriage, drug problem, financial woes, etc.)
The Gospel as told in Scripture is not even close to what's being preached by most Evangelical Churches today.
(That we're sinners who have offended God by our selfishness, disobedience, and unbelief, and that we have earned hell, but if we simply rely on His free gift, repent, and trust in Christ, He will save us from an eternity in Hell.)
Notice that The Scriptures don't promise an easy life. They promise trials, hardship, and persecution. See my answer here.
Some relevant verses:
(Mark 8:34-36) If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
(Acts 9:15-16) But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
(John 15:18-21) If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you... If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you... because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Unfortunately, all we can do with those who have been taught the modern gospel is to take them to Scripture and tell them the truth.
Unfortunately, un-teaching false doctrines spread by well-meaning, but misguided people is a part of life. I'm sure there are plenty of people un-teaching my mistakes as well.
Upvote:3
I don't think that by the definition of "Christianity" provided by this site, all Christians could agree with your assessment of faith's role in prayer. However, speaking from a Baptist tradition, I am inclined to agree.
Christ prayed in the garden that if it was His Father's will, that the cup would pass from Him.
Concerning the conditional "not my will but yours be done," we can say one of two things: either Christ had little faith or else He was showing good form in making His request conditional.
Secondly, the cup did not pass. We can say either Christ did not have enough faith, or else the cup was not to pass from Him by the will of the Father.
The same man that taught us how to pray would surely know the proper nature of making his prayer conditional upon the Father's will.
The same man that told us that faith the size of a mustard seed will move a mountain, the same man who withered a fruit tree by command, the same man who made blind men to see, the same man who made lame men walk, the same man who made dumb men speak, the same man who made dead men live again surely had the faith to make the cup pass, if it had been contingent upon that.
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