“With all the various denominations and other teachings out there, it can be hard for people to find the truth if people base their faith on the words of a family member, friend, or their own feelings. This is why we must absolutely base our faith on the Scriptures alone, if it’s not in scripture, then those doubts will always be there.”
Recently, I had a conversation with Gabriella, a member of the church, New Heaven New Earth (NHNE) (Shincheonji). She became a member after studying with them through their study course. She was willing to share her story of how she carried out a life of faith before and since entering New Heaven New Earth Church. While I won’t post the full interview, I do want to share some key moments she shared and how her faith and belief in God and the Bible have changed since becoming part of NHNE Church.
Growing Up in the Church
I asked Gabriella about her background growing up and if she was always a Christian. She said she had grown up attending a church all her life. Her parents and grandparents had been attending their home church for years, and she had been going there since childhood. Her church wasn’t part of any particular denomination, and it was quite large. Even though large congregations might make one feel somewhat disconnected or isolated, Gabriella mentioned she knew a lot of people and was friends with many of them. Gabriella also was active in her church as a youth with volunteer opportunities such as hospitality care or nursery care. She said she attended service weekly every Sunday and enjoyed being active, saying that was her life of faith at that time.
As we kept talking, Gabriella said she became more introspective. Sometime later, in 2019, Gabriella began looking more closely at her own life of faith. She began questioning what she had been taught about the Bible. Despite being active in volunteering and other church-related activities, Gabriella said she felt like she wasn’t growing closer to God. She began to wonder if she should seek God on her own, and not expect everything to come from her church’s pastor. Through her own reflection, she realized that a lot of what she had been told was focused on herself – how to manage finances, how to live a good Christian life, and other ideas like that.
While they weren’t necessarily bad, she felt like she wasn’t interested in those things anymore. She had heard some negative things from some of her friends and family members but never thought much of it. She mentioned there were internal politics and other things happening that weren’t part of the Bible or God, and she felt like there wasn’t any presence of the Bible there.
Questions, Answers, and New Understanding
As Gabriella kept sharing her own story, I could relate to her a lot, as my own story is quite similar. I asked how she heard about New Heaven and New Earth church. She mentioned she had heard of it through a family member who was studying already. Later, Gabriella began studying the Bible through New Heaven New Earth’s Bible study program with a personal teacher. During her study, she was able to find answers to some of those big questions she had been thinking about before.
Questions like, “Why am I a Christian?”, or “Why is Jesus the Messiah?”, these are questions people often ask believers, and many of them give answers like, “Everyone, where I live, go to Church,” or “I was just raised that way”. Gabriella also may have answered in a similar way back then, but through her study, she began to understand the Bible in a clearer and more logical way than before and it changed her entire view of God, the Bible, and faith. She could understand there is a lot more to God’s Word than she previously thought. Gabriella could really see God’s heart contained within the Scriptures, and could truly begin to have faith in and understand, God, and His Word. She could begin to believe that even though difficult times may come, God and His Word will carry us through.
“I Want to Know More About God, But Where Do I Begin?”
I asked Gabriella for any advice she has for those who are curious to know about and study the Bible more deeply with New Heaven New Earth’s Bible study program. She says it all starts with one’s heart.
How willing are you to hear new ideas?
Change is hard and most people are afraid to change. But, in order to truly understand God’s Word, people must be open to hearing new ideas, even if they might sound odd at first, but through studying God’s word, those new ideas are backed up with Scripture.
“What if I study, but have doubts?”
Gabriella mentions that at the end of the day, it’s still our choice. With all the various denominations and other teachings out there, it can be hard for people to find the truth if people base their faith on the words of a family member, friend, or their own feelings. This is why we must absolutely base our faith on the Scriptures alone, if it’s not in scripture, then those doubts will always be there.
Gabriella mentioned that through studying with New Heaven and New Earth, people are able to find the truth according to the Scriptures – but again, it’s a choice to believe or not. She reminds people to have an open heart and mind and take it one day at a time.
Beginning a New Life of Faith
Out with the old. In with the new. Jesus talks about being born again in John 3, and in Colossians 3 Paul also writes about putting on the new self. Gabriella talked about how she changed through studying the Bible on a deeper level. She left her old life of faith, based on traditions, and began a new life of faith based on the Word. After all, that’s what God and Jesus want. For those of you who are thirsting for something true, something you can hold on to, perhaps you can find courage in Gabriella’s own journey she’s shared with us.
Change is not something that comes easily or quickly, but change we must. Even if it seems difficult or impossible, when it seems like friends or family turn against you, that hope of being with God and Jesus in heaven should push us forward. I hope you can begin a new life of faith by studying the Bible just like Gabriella.
Written by Kenny
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