Just trying the Serious option out.
So I've been wondering, we have some current Christians who believe that once a person is saved, they are forever saved, and that if you really knew Jesus, you would be a true Christian and never stop being one (or something of the sort) ... so anyone who claims they knew Jesus but no longer believe was never a true Christian in the first place (according to them).
But my problem with this reasoning is I'm not convinced at all that any current Christian "knows" Jesus in a way that is clearly and conclusively different from how former Christians "knew" Jesus. And I remember making a thread asking Christians themselves to explain to me what they really meant by "knowing" Jesus, and while I got answers, I didn't get exactly what I was asking for in these answers. They were rather vague and failed to clearly distinguish the kind of knowledge former Christians had and the kind of knowledge current Christians have regarding Christ.
So this time, I want to ask those who used to be Christian, especially of the "I had a personal relationship with Jesus" type of Christian, what exactly did it feel like to "know" Jesus? And what would you say to current Christians who are convinced they "know" Jesus and think you never truly "knew" him yourself?
By the way, this is not to exclude theists (or atheists who were never Christians) from coming in here to discuss, they're very well free to do so. But the question is really for former Christians.
So I've been wondering, we have some current Christians who believe that once a person is saved, they are forever saved, and that if you really knew Jesus, you would be a true Christian and never stop being one (or something of the sort) ... so anyone who claims they knew Jesus but no longer believe was never a true Christian in the first place (according to them).
But my problem with this reasoning is I'm not convinced at all that any current Christian "knows" Jesus in a way that is clearly and conclusively different from how former Christians "knew" Jesus. And I remember making a thread asking Christians themselves to explain to me what they really meant by "knowing" Jesus, and while I got answers, I didn't get exactly what I was asking for in these answers. They were rather vague and failed to clearly distinguish the kind of knowledge former Christians had and the kind of knowledge current Christians have regarding Christ.
So this time, I want to ask those who used to be Christian, especially of the "I had a personal relationship with Jesus" type of Christian, what exactly did it feel like to "know" Jesus? And what would you say to current Christians who are convinced they "know" Jesus and think you never truly "knew" him yourself?
By the way, this is not to exclude theists (or atheists who were never Christians) from coming in here to discuss, they're very well free to do so. But the question is really for former Christians.
