“My parents think I am a Christian, but I am not, or I am unsure if my faith is real!” This is one of the phrases that some of my students shared with me a few days ago. They added that even though they had prayed to receive Jesus, they were unsure if they really believed in Him. They mostly did the prayer for the sake of their parents. Christian parents know that the most important decision one can ever make is accepting Jesus’ gift of salvation by repenting of our sin, and that believing that Jesus is God, and that He died on the cross to take the punishment that we deserve for our sins, and that He came back to live again as it is written in the Bible (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Accepting Jesus completely changes and improves a person’s life. For example, once a person believes in Jesus, that person becomes a son or daughter of God – the broken relationship with God is restored (John 1:1-12); God also assures the person that after he or she dies, he or she will be able to be heaven with God and that they will never die again (John 3:16). These are some of the many blessings that come from believing in Jesus as Savior.
If your parents or grandparents are Christians, and if you have been in a Christian church, you may have heard this many times. Maybe you know all the right Christian answers for what we need to do to place our faith in Jesus, and have even been baptized. But for some reason, you are not sure if you believe all of this. The first thing you need to know is that God loves you, and His love for you is so big and enough (Ephesians 3:18) that He wants you to honestly tell him what you think about Him and what questions you have about Him (1 Peter 3:15). He is loving and willing enough to listen, answer, reveal, and assure you of your faith in Him if you seek and let him do it. Even though it is easy to fake Christianity in front of others (even our parents), it is not possible to fake it before God. He knows and sees your heart (Hebrews 4:13).
You are not the first one and the only one in this situation, and are certainly not the last. According to the findings of the Christian research organization Barna, 33% of Christian “teens identify themselves as Christians but have not made a personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ.” An example of this kind of teen was C.S. Lewis. In his book Surprised by Joy, Lewis explained how he followed some Christian practices “in total disbelief, acting a part… I knew very well that I was acting a lie with the greatest possible solemnity [gravity].”To his dad, Lewis showed that he believed and acted as any Christian of his time would. Nonetheless, his heart was far away from the words that his lips were saying and from the image that he presented to his father. For the sake of pleasing his dad, Lewis was displeasing God and himself by faking his belief in Christ.
Just as Lewis’ case is not far from our reality today, it is also not far from Jesus’ reality when He was on earth. Jesus knew that the Pharisees and teachers of the law, the most religious people of his time, also said many things with their mouths about God but did not believe in Him (Matthew 15:7-9). Opposite to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, the disciples ran and asked Jesus their questions and doubts (Matthew 13:10-12; 15:15; Mark 4:10-11; Luke 11:1; John 14:26). Jesus was loving enough to reveal himself to them and assure them of Himself- the Truth. To Thomas, Jesus cleared out his doubt that Jesus was truly who he claimed to be (John 20:24-29). To Peter, God revealed and assured him who Jesus was (Matthew 16:17). Just like God did it with the disciples, God the Holy Spirit does and will do it in us. He is the One that reveals and brings assurance to our hearts of who Jesus is and our belief in Him. We only need to come to Him, express to Him our questions and doubts in prayer, and believe and trust what He has said and promised in the Bible, even if we do not quite understand it yet. Remember, He created the whole universe, has all knowledge, and is not bounded by time. Opposite to Him, we have limited knowledge, did not create the universe, and have not discovered the whole universe (according to NASA, we have only discovered 4.6 of the universe), and most likely we will not be able to discover the whole universe; plus, we are limited in everything – especially in time. Besides telling God in prayer, we can also share our doubts with our parents or people who love and believe in Jesus, who loves us, and who are more mature than we are.
If you are currently not facing any of this doubt, I praise God for the season you are in. If you are currently facing any questions, doubts, or disbelief, I also praise God for this season you are in. The Lord has promised to use everything for our good (Romans 8:28). I know this situation is hard and undesirable, but our Lord can use it to strengthen our faith in Him if we seek Him in prayer and through the Bible (Isaiah 40:29-31). Most importantly, you are not alone in this situation, God is with you and will not leave you just as he had promised in Hebrews 13:5b, “he [God] himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.” The Lord is with you before you question and doubt, while you question and doubt, and after you overcome your doubts and questions. No matter what, trust in God, and believe what is written in the Bible. He will take you through and bring you to the other side.
Written by Camila Hernandez, edited by Lydia Parker