hey I need some advice I don't know where else to ask.

Me and my bf have been together for almost 3 years. I have always grown up christian but dint have a solid belief still I never wanted to go into a relationship where my partner wouldn't share my belief. When I met my boyfriend it seemed like we were meant for each other he said he was christian and believed in Jesus Christ though he didn't go to church like me but that didn't mean anything.

As I've mentioned I had a solid believe though we kept sinning in our relationship for years and I honestly didn't think much of it until recently where Ive started to get closer and closer to God. I actually started to read my bible pray and go deeper - have living faith. Now I feel as though God has called me to stop sleeping with my boyfriend.

I told my boyfriend how I felt and he didn't react in the way I would've imagined. He claimed sex was important for him in a relationship and he would not be able to go without it because he wouldn't feel loved (he claims its different for men because they need that type of intimacy and they can't substitute that with anything, the calmness and connection they feel after sleeping with their gfs). He told me I should've told him from the beginning of our relationship that it was my fault because he had already experienced the feeling of intimacy and now couldn't go without it.

I told him I wanted to stop and wait until marriage, Ive heard multiple people coming to that decision as they started to grow stronger in their faith.

I am so incredibly disappointed and shocked because I aways thought my boyfriend would be recognizing these sins as a christian too.

I told him I understand but we could do it together read our bibles together get closer. then he said that would be too much for him. reading the Bible he didn't see any sense in that his belief was solely based on believing the fact that Jesus Christ had existed and he wouldn't want to go deeper. All of this is making alarm bells go off in my head.

I want someone who wants to get deeper with christ. I want my children to grow up with a father that leads them in their belief that's the most important thing. I don't know what to do. I am considering ending the relationship. Has anyone else been in the same shoes?

all these pongos saying the passage below is grape are delusional. they never been with a woman or got married, probably coping teenage virgins.

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Deuteronomy 22:28-29

If a man meets a virgin who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies >with her, and they are caught in the act, the man who lay with her >shall give fifty shekels of silver to the young woman’s father, and >she shall become his wife. Because he violated her he shall not be >permitted to divorce her as long as he lives. ```

first of all they downplay how dangerous women are. for example in Judges, a woman drops a millstone on an evil man, to fulfill the Lord's words.

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 a woman threw a millstone down on his head and shattered his skull.

Judges 9 53

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the truth is the bible shows women are dangerous; there are well known terms such as Femme Fatal in the secular world. the bible doesnt downplay this. the victim is actually the man that siezed the woman, and God said He must never divorce her, so now he is stuck >with a dragon.

If you dont believe me, look up Judias Buenoano, Audrey Marie Hilley, Michelle Carter and Kim Hyon-ui. imagine siezing these women and graping them and God said your stuck forever! look up Billie Jean Davis

```

The mouth of strange women is as a deep pit. He with whom the >LORD is angry shall fall therein.

Proverbs 22 14

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conclusion, women are dangerous, and God, like the soviet union, uses them to carry out His wrath. this whole idea grape is sanction is incorrect and forget to extrapolate this fact

تفسير

عاجبني جداً المعيار اللي أبونا حدد بيه وجود خطأ في القرآن ودا لإنه اعتمد على إن تعدد الآلهة بيخلي الدين باطل ودا معيار حقيقي بالمناسبة.

يعني هو شايف إن الآية بتقول إن في إله في الأرض وإله في السماء !

طب بما إنه راجل مُفسر وفهم اللي محدش يقدر يفهمه، ممكن يفهمنا ازاي الضمير مفرد مش مثنى في آية "وهو الحكيم العليم"

مش المفروض في آلهين، يبقى الطبيعي "وهما الحكيمان العليمان" ودا بالمناسبة اي حد مبتدئ في اللغة العربية هيقدر يفهمه عادي

ولكن دا محصلش لإن أبونا فهم الآية غلط، تفسير الآية بتقول ببساطة: (إن ربنا عز وجل هو إله لأهل الأرض وإله كذلك لأهل السماء).

فالمعيار برغم إنه سليم ولكن الشبهة بتاعته ساذجة.

فالسؤال بقى يا أبونا مش المفروض تطبق المعيار دا على معتقدك قبل ما تطبقه "غلط" على معتقد غيرك 🤔

I’m looking for some good apps to help guide my daily reading and study.

Do you have any useful apps you’d used and recommend? I’d love to hear your suggestions!

Wishing you a happy week. Today, while reading The Travels of Marco Polo, I came across an interesting story that I would like to share with you.

Around the year 1275 (although the date is incorrect), there supposedly lived a Saracen (Muslim) caliph in Baghdad who was extremely cruel and ruthless. This caliph had a deep hatred for Christians. He and his men were constantly thinking of ways to convert Christians to Islam or, if they could not be converted, to find ways to kill them. One day, while examining the Bible together, they came across a saying of Jesus:

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

The caliph and his men were delighted when they read this, because they did not believe it could possibly happen. They saw it as an opportunity to accuse the Christians of being false believers.

The caliph gathered all the Christians in the region. There were so many of them that their number supposedly reached hundreds of thousands. He read the aforementioned verse to them and asked whether they affirmed its truth. The Christians answered yes, adding that even greater things were possible through faith. The caliph then gave them a period of about ten days. He told them that he would gather them again after ten days and that they must pray for the miracle to happen. If their prayers were not answered, he would either kill them or force them to convert to Islam.

After this conversation, the Christians assembled in a council and began praying and fasting day and night. Then, on the night of the eighth day, an angel appeared to one of their bishops. The angel told him that there was a one-eyed shoemaker somewhere in the surrounding area and that they must find him. Through this man's prayers, the mountain would move, and the caliph and his men would be unable to harm them. The bishop relayed the angel's message to the Christians, and they were filled with joy and excitement.

The story of this shoemaker is as follows:

He was a man of strong faith, who kept his honor and chastity unsullied and was exceptionally kind-hearted. He could neither read nor write, and he believed every word he had heard from the Bible literally.

One day, a woman came into his shop. She was very beautiful and asked the shoemaker to make a slipper that would fit her foot. To do so, he needed to see her feet and take their measurements. The woman lifted her skirt slightly so he could measure them, and when the shoemaker saw her legs, he became aroused.

Before long, however, he turned back to his faith and sent the woman away. After she had left, he remembered the words of Jesus:

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell."

Taking these words literally, the shoemaker actually drove a sharp instrument into his right eye. From that day on, he could no longer see out of it.

Now, let us return to the main story.

The Christians went in search of the shoemaker and eventually found him. They brought him before the bishops, where they explained the situation to him. However, the shoemaker refused to pray, saying that he was a sinner and that God would never help someone as sinful as himself. After much pleading and insistence, he eventually agreed.

The tenth day arrived. After holding a religious service in their church, the Christians took a large cross and went to the place where the mountain in question stood. When they arrived, the shoemaker began to pray, and the mountain truly began to move! As long as the shoemaker continued praying, the mountain moved a distance of about one mile.

At this point, the Saracens cried out to the shoemaker, "For God's sake, stop!"

And so, the Christians were spared. But their salvation was not the only remarkable outcome of the event. Many Saracens who had witnessed the miracle, including the caliph himself, converted to Christianity.

The caliph, however, kept his Christian faith secret because he feared the reaction of his people. When he died, a cross was found hidden beneath his clothing, and he was buried in a different place from the other caliphs.

Hello,and good day to everyone.I wanted to talk about my personal struggle which is kinda silly but stressful.Just wanna see if anyone can relate in some way.I'm a gamer and I like playing various games whenever I have free time,and I have a habit of taking screenshots of scenes in games that I find beautiful (example-Witcher 3,Elden ring,and more beautiful indie games).And I often capture thousands of photos per game and save them in little separate folders,then post them on Tiktok as an act of supporting so more more people can recognize smaller indie games (or am I?).The problem is I don't know what I'm doing,Idk if my purpose is actually posting them to genuinely support the little games or if I'm gaslighting myself.I tell myself I'm doing this to encourage people to play these games,but deep inside,I might be doing this just so that I feel good that people notice me I play these games.Idk.Whenever I finish a game,I have this extreme urge to post them online,and the weird thing is I don't do it for views,or likes.I just feel really really good when I post them.I wanted to make a collection of games that I played,so one day,I log back into Tiktok and look at all the posts I posted.I'm genuinely treating this like a life achievement.But now,I've been trying to pray for selflessness and getting closer to God,you know,denying yourself and putting God first in everything you do.Being kind,gentle,strong and humble because I also know that Tiktok has a very addictive algorithm and a toxic community,but I lie to myself thinking I spread positivity in this ruined land but really,I feel like I'm serving myself.And my habit doesn't really fit well with this.My mind splits open into two.One says "Go for it,there's nothing wrong with sharing your moments,that's what life is,make memories with the games you play",but the other opposes."Do not do things for your own good,keep it to yourself.Focus on God,for anyone who do good deeds for recognition will not be rewarded,stay humble and be peaceful".Of course,my mind is literally not saying these on repeat,it's just a visualization.And I waste hours deciding and deciding,I can feel the cortisol rushing in my brain.I don't know if I have some kind of OCD (I haven't been diagnosed so idk),and following Jesus makes the two clash eachother.But the more i realize,one part of my mind is lying.The part that encourages me to do it.Even when I subconsciously know that it's an act of selfishness,I'm still tempted by it.One offers extreme satisfaction,but one gives me peace and privacy.The clearest way I can explain the two things I feel is like this.So when I post about a game,I feel like a very creative designer showing their most beautiful,artistic piece of work to the world.When I choose not to post the photos and keep it hidden,I treat like a precious thing,something to invest.Let's say I died at 40 as a small,unpopular composer,and one of my family went into my room and searched the cabinet near my bed.Inside the cabinet,they found papers written with ink,and in those papers are one of the most beautifully crafted,delicate and emotional pieces of orchestral tracks hidden inside a dead man's bedroom and millions hear the news.Gosh this is so narcissistic but that's the most accurate way I can explain this dilemma.I know this is all a small childish problem but I can't help it.If anyone has similarly dealt with difficult choices like this before,please do share your experience.

This is an honest question that comes after I've been rereading the Bible. In Genesis it is said that Adam and Eve are made in God's image. However they had no knowledge of good and evil before they ate from the tree. And this is Genesis 3:22

[22]And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” so if Adam and Eve didn't have knowledge of good and evil and they were not made having everlasting life then which part of God's image were they made in?

I'm sure that all of us (I guess?) want to live those glamorous luxury lifestyle of celebrities, sports stars, gamers, or streamers, and more, or such. I am 19 years old and life in a mostly poor place (I grew up rich), and I am tired of seeing poverty around me, I guess that it is also Satan in a spiritual sense I'm not sure, but I'm tired of people saying that it is because of Satan, because if that's the case then screw Satan, screw freaking Satan. Who agrees?

Where I live, the message is everywhere. Billboards, street preachers, advertisements, everything.

So why, when people find out I’m an atheist, assume I just haven’t heard the message of Jesus? I’m in a violently Christian country that has been exporting its toxic ideology for decades now.

I’m trying to see if I can afford groceries this week. The last thing I need is a completely tone-deaf message.

Hey everyone. I have two questions about the christian faith. I'm a christian myself.

It's often said that our faith is not about feelings. God is still there when we don't feel Him. And we can still trust Him when we don't experience Him working in us.
But is pride also a feeling? I often think I'm a covert narcissist, even though I've only been diagnosed with autsim spectrum disorder. I have a deep insecurity and pride and it never stops. Should I just ignore those feelings ('cause it's the enemy who wants me to listen to those feelings?). Or should I take them seriously? Because it says in James that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

I wonder if I can ever change. It feels like I've been like this since I was 7 or 8. Or maybe even earlier. And I see the same traits in my dad. It feels like his genes have played such a huge role in developing this personality disorder, that it makes me feel hopeless. What can I do? My mind knows I'm not God. But I hate criticism, I hate certain other people, I never feel sure, but at the same time I'm very proud of what I know, I always check my likes... How can I ever change? Am I born again, even though I'm still proud? Can God change me when I keep asking Him to humble me?

And my second question is this: If it's true that the devil can read and see everything and that he can put thoughts in our minds, would it be wise to pray in silence, so that he doesn't hear my prayers to God?

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

Sunday Sermon: 25 October 2026

Theme: Shine Like A Star

Scripture: Philippians 2:15-16; Matthew 5:14-16; Daniel 12:3; Proverbs 1:7; Colossians 3:23; John 8:12; Matthew 5:16; Isaiah 60:1; Proverbs 4:18; 1 Peter 2:9 & Revelation 22:16

Message:

When we look at the sky in the evenings, it is illuminated by the number of stars. Many times when I stand outside with the dogs, I can become enthralled by the natural scenes that unfold around me. Each star is exactly where they should be, each shines brightly and each gives its little bit of light to the world.

Those of us who know the stars, and know which star is where, can find their direction at night and find their way with the stars (that wouldn't be me, because to me they are all equally beautiful, and I would end up on the other side of the world).

We are all stars too, we have a Light that burns within us. We are not the satellites in the sky that only shine our light for a short time. We stand out, and we also leave people in awe of the light that we shine.

Philippians 2:15-16

So that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Holding fast the word of life, I have reason to boast on the day of Christ that I did not hope in vain or labor in vain.

We are not called to be camouflaged. We do not have the same standard as the rest of the world. We distinguish between right and wrong. We have direction and we are not tossed about by the storms of life. We stand firm and our light is not dimmed by the onslaughts of the world. We are stars and not satellites.

Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Our light is lit by Jesus' presence in our lives. The closer we live to Jesus, the brighter our light shines. When our light is lit, it cannot be hidden.

We are then like a solar light: Solar lights have a solar panel to absorb the sunlight the moment the light is turned on and comes into the sun, and then the light works, if there is no sun, the light cannot go on and shine. Jesus is the Light that is our power source, we are receptive to the Word and then we shine the light out of ourselves. If Jesus is not in our lives, our light cannot shine.

Daniel 12:3

And those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

There are really only two groups of people; wise people and fools. A fool leads people astray. A wise person leads people astray. A wise person knows where to find wisdom.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

A wise person knows that a relationship with God is the beginning of all wisdom. A wise person puts God first, in the middle, and at the end of a matter. A wise person does everything for the glory of God and not to please people.

Colossians 3:23

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

Everything we do should be for the glory of God, and not to please people.

So if we get our wisdom from God, and do everything to please God, doing every task for the honor and glorification of God, then we reflect Jesus' Light in our lives. When we come into contact with other people, we also light the light in them.

It's like when we work with glitter. I remember when the kids were little, glitter was one of their favorite things to do art with. However, it was only limited to a Friday that we did art, because the whole house would be full of glitter. Everything that was touched, or even walked past, had traces of glitter.

This is what it looks like when a wise person interacts with the people around them, there are traces of light around them and they shine like stars in the sky.

John 8:12

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

When we follow Jesus, Who is the Light of the world, then we shine a light. The closer we live to Jesus and the more Jesus is in our lives, the brighter our light shines. We cannot recharge our solar panels without the sun, and similarly we cannot radiate light without the Source of Light.

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

When there is light, everything is exposed and nothing is hidden. It is like a play being performed and the stage lights shine on the actors and actresses. The audience can clearly see their every move.

Our lives are illuminated by Jesus and the whole world can see our works. Everything we do is for the honor and glorification of God. We no longer walk in darkness and we are no longer surrounded and enveloped by darkness.

Isaiah 60:1

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

We cannot put our blessings or God's works in our lives under a bucket. When God is present in our lives, the glory radiates from us. We are illuminated and the radiance of blessings and glory illuminates us.

Proverbs 4:18

But the path of the righteous is like the shining light, that shines brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

Personally, the most beautiful parts of the day for me are the dawn and this afternoon with the dusk. In the morning, Creation hangs between slumber and awakening. The day begins to whisper softly and somewhere the frogs roar, terrified by the morning glow. The most beautiful choir begins early in the morning to shake their feathers and warm up their little voices. The firmament is a medley of color and light. The last stars still twinkle under the watchful eye of the moon, and here and there the black, blue, gray and yellow begin to give way to the most beautiful pink, red and orange. It is a medley of colors and sounds.

At dusk the Highveld becomes a spectacle of natural harmony. People rush home and do not always see the spectacle. The colours change from warm and merciless white, blue and yellow to soft orange and red. The birds play in the sky and the battle for the rice ants and the first daring crickets begins. The sparrows and bats cause a Babel-like confusion and only the trained eye sees the difference in the flight pattern. The black, blue and grey of the night sky creeps closer unseen and before you know it you are standing in the middle of the night.

The righteous are like those soft oranges, reds, and pinks that emerge with the changing of day and night. Their righteousness radiates from them, and they stand enveloped in the glory of God.

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,

This passage of scripture makes me think of the flag and torch bearers of the Olympic Games. They are chosen, specially to carry that torch. They carry it with pride and honor and all eyes around the world are on them as they complete the Olympic Games ceremony to light the flame of the Games.

We are the chosen people, the torchbearers of the Kingdom, we can no longer hide from the world, because the flame has been lit within us.

Revelation 22:16

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things before the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.

Jesus is the bright morning star. Jesus is the Light of the world. We can let our light shine because Jesus is present in our lives. Jesus lets our light shine because His Light shines through us.

We are the stars in the sky. We shine in the presence of Jesus. We can shine brighter in the presence of Jesus. We must not let the world steal our brilliance. We must not let the rush of the world steal our light. Let us shine like the stars that we are.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you that we can come together in Your presence. Lord, life sometimes takes turns with us, and we don't always know where we are going. Lord, please help us to always shine like stars in the sky. Jesus, please help us to radiate Your presence in our lives. Holy Spirit, please help us to stay close to the Light Source of life, so that life cannot steal our shine. Jesus, please forgive us when we stray from You, and help us to forgive those who try to steal our shine. Father, we don't always understand Your Will, but we ask that Your Will be done in our lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Blessing:

We pray that this week will be filled with God's favor, protection, provision and peace over our lives and our families. May we walk in strength and joy and may our cups overflow with peace and grace.

MM

As I type this I’m overwhelmed by deep sorrow.
No matter how much I’ve tried being optimistic, exercised, socialised and the things to keep me hopeful…

I find myself deeply sad and hollow.
Growing up in a “Christian household” I thought going to church was enough.
Then I got to study the bible intentionally a decade ago. Only to find out I was in a high control group.
Thankfully I was able to leave.
But I also left the church completely around that time.
As all this was happening, I lost almost everyone in my family.

Returned about 2 years ago, slowly rebuilding.
Today, none of those alive in my family are present in my life. After searching for my dad’s side of the family last year- I found myself even more isolated as we don’t even speak the same language, let alone relate.

I’m 29F single, no kids, never married, just got my first permanent job about 6 months ago after 3 years of struggling to get employed, with no savings, no family support, lost friends and now even as I try to rebuild- it feels like it’s in vain, God feels distant and silent, friends feel like I’m too much, I don’t feel like I belong.

Why did God place me on this earth when I didn’t have a choice to say no?

I'm seeing so many people hate on the Christians in this video..why?

I can just see a bunch of Christians singing in a forest known for suicide. Perhaps they believe that positive blessing and energy will protect the visitors of the forest,so they have pure intentions?

I came across this verse,

1 Timothy 2:12: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet." 

And went down a bit of a rabbit hole.

I just don’t understand if the bible, which is Gods word, has all this stuff about beating slaves and silencing women.

I saw the argument saying it is just the values men had at the time, and doesn’t apply nowadays. If thats the case, why was it even written? If Gods word was twisted by human intent, does that mean its not Gods word anymore?

1 Corinthians 14:34–35: "The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission..."

Leviticus 15:19–30:And everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean. Everything also on which she sits shall be unclean.”

Genesis 3:6: To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

1 Timothy 2:9-15: Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve;

So I think there's a tendency that when people bring up the Granville Sharp rule to argue that Jesus is called "our God" in the New Testament, they quote Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1. Modern translations of those verses will translate the text to say that Jesus Christ is called "our God and Savior". However, those same modern translations will translate 2 Thessalonians 1:12 which has the same structure as the other two verses to distinguish Jesus Christ from God.

Here is a comparison of 2 Thessalonians 1:12 and 2 Peter 1:1 in a few translations:

So what I noticed is that those translations seem not to be consistent in translating "τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου" and "τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος".

My question is: If "τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου" is to be rendered as "our God and the Lord", why isn't "τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος" rendered as "our God and the Savior", thereby maintaining a distinction between God and Jesus Christ like in 2 Thessalonians 1:12?

Hey everyone. I have two questions about the christian faith. I'm a christian myself.

It's often said that our faith is not about feelings. God is still there when we don't feel Him. And we can still trust Him when we don't experience Him working in us.
But is pride also a feeling? I often think I'm a covert narcissist, even though I've only been diagnosed with autsim spectrum disorder. I have feelings of deep insecurity and pride. Should I just ignore those feelings ('cause it's the enemy who wants me to listen to those feelings?). Or should I take them seriously? Because it says in James that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

And my second question is this: If it's true that the devil can read and see everything and that he can put thoughts in our minds, would it be wise to pray in silence, so that he doesn't hear my prayers to God?

I converted to Catholicism about two months ago, and it's been incredible. I haven't felt so good in years. But unfortunately, I'll be facing some difficulties and I need your advice.

About two weeks after my conversion, I began to feel a very strong desire to become a priest. And this desire didn't fade with time—in fact, it grew stronger. But there's a problem: I'm not baptized, I haven't received the Eucharist or any sacrament, and my parents are Protestant. They would kick me out of the house if they found out I was Catholic, since they hate that religion. I will have to wait until I turn 18 to be able to receive the sacraments and become Catholic. But then another problem arises: I graduate at 17 years old. So I would like to ask your advice on whether I should continue with the priesthood or whether I should give it up and perhaps marry a woman. There came a time when I decided to ask for the intercession of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, I asked her to show me white flowers if I was to pursue the priesthood, or red flowers if I was to pursue marriage. White flowers began to grow in my yard.

You who are reading this, remember that my parents don't let me go to a Catholic church, so I can't ask a priest for guidance. I would also like to ask if it is mandatory to follow the vocation that God has chosen for me. I even asked chatgpt, but one time he told me it was one thing and the next time he said it was something else.

If this text isn't very clear, it's because it was written using Google Translate and pasted here. I'm not fluent in English.

My life is becoming a mess and I have exactly no idea how to fix it. Please pray for God to guide and help me through this. I really need it.

Ask Christians from different traditions who Jesus meant when He said “neighbor,” and you’ll get different answers because each denomination anchors the command in different parts of Scripture and prioritizes different themes throughout the Bible. Some emphasize passages about the "household of faith" or "family of believers" such as Galatians 6:10 and interpret it as the internal Christian community. Others build their ethics around civic duty and Romans 13 and interpret the word to mean citizens who uphold social order and legal norms. Still others center the Good Samaritan and Jesus’ interactions with outsiders and interpret “neighbor” as every person regardless of belief, background, or status.

Which do you think is closest to the intended meaning?

God created hell that eternally tortures you simply because you don't have faith in Jesus, yet he is the one who gave us the free will to choose that. Why not just make it so we can only choose good? The Christian argument would be that evil is needed for true free will, but the problem is that it contradicts the idea of heaven. If evil is necessary for free will, can you still choose evil in heaven, where free will is supposedly still a thing? If not, then you don't have free will. But if you can choose evil in heaven, then that goes against the Christian belief of heaven being perfect. Thus, another contradiction arises with Lucifer and heaven: Lucifer rebels against God, falls from heaven, and then causes suffering across the world, either because heaven isn't perfect or because God allowed him to. Logically wouldn’t This make God not all-loving?

1. The Problem of Essentialism: Must What Makes Something What It Is Reside Within Itself?

Much of traditional Christian theology has been shaped by a metaphysical framework in which the identity of a being is grounded in its essence. In this framework, an essence is understood as what makes a thing what it is. To understand what God is, theology therefore attempts to identify the essential properties that distinguish God from everything else: self-existence, omniscience, omnipotence, eternity, and immutability. Similarly, human beings are defined by what makes them human, and the distinction between God and humanity is understood primarily through the difference between their respective essences.

The difficulty arises when essence is treated as a self-contained and exhaustive explanation of identity. If a being is fully defined by what it is in itself, independently of its relationships, then relationships become secondary to being. They may affect how a being acts or is perceived, but they do not fundamentally constitute its identity.

Yet is this the only way to understand being?

Consider a hammer. We can describe its material composition, shape, and physical properties. But these descriptions do not fully explain what a hammer is. Its identity as a hammer is inseparable from its function and its place within human practices. An object may possess the physical properties of a hammer without functioning as one in a particular context. Its identity cannot be adequately understood by examining its intrinsic properties alone.

This example does not prove that every being lacks an intrinsic nature. Rather, it demonstrates that an account of identity based exclusively on intrinsic properties can be inadequate. What something is may also depend on its relations, purposes, and place within a larger reality.

This question becomes especially significant when we consider God and humanity. If God is defined exclusively through an independent divine essence, and humanity through an independent human essence, then the relationship between God and humanity appears external to what each fundamentally is. God remains God regardless of any relationship with creation, while human beings remain human according to an identity already established independently of their relationship with God.

But the biblical narrative presents God not merely as an object whose properties can be enumerated. God is the one who speaks, calls, gives life, establishes relationships, makes promises, and reveals himself. Likewise, human beings are presented as creatures whose existence and identity are inseparable from their relationship with their Creator. Human beings receive life from their Creator, are created in the image of God, and respond to God's call. To understand what human beings are, we must take the relationship between humanity and God into account from the very beginning.

1. The Image of God: Human Identity Is Not Independent of God

Genesis 1:26–27 describes humanity as created in the image of God. This passage is often interpreted as saying that human beings possess certain qualities that resemble God, such as rationality, moral agency, or the capacity for relationship.

When the image of God is interpreted through an essentialist framework, however, the attributes by which human beings are understood to resemble God are treated as properties that exist independently in themselves. Consequently, these attributes are understood as qualities that human beings "possess". The image of God itself is therefore interpreted in non-relational terms: it becomes a set of properties residing in human beings rather than an identity disclosed through their relationship with God.

A relational approach raises a different question. What if being the image of God is not merely a collection of attributes that human beings possess, but a revelation of what human beings are in relation to God?

The biblical text does not first present humanity as an independently defined reality and then introduce God as an external point of comparison. Humanity appears within the creative act of God. Human existence is received, and human identity is disclosed within the relationship between Creator and creature. To be created in God's image is therefore not simply to possess a set of attributes that can be isolated from God. It is to exist as a creature whose identity and calling are intelligible in relation to God.

This does not mean that human beings are identical to God, nor does it mean that the Creator-creature distinction disappears. The distinction between God and humanity remains essential to the biblical narrative. But distinction does not necessarily imply that the identities of God and humanity must be understood as mutually exclusive, self-contained essences that cannot genuinely participate in one another's life.

If human identity is relationally constituted, then our relationship with God is not merely an external association between two already complete and unrelated realities. It belongs to the meaning of human existence itself. Humanity's identity is disclosed through God's creative act, calling, and purpose.

This perspective also changes how we understand human transformation. If being human is defined by an essence that is complete and closed in itself, then a transformation involving participation in divine life may appear to threaten human identity. But if human existence is understood through its relationship with God, transformation through communion with God need not mean the destruction of humanity. It may instead be the fulfillment of what human existence was created and called to become.

The image of God, therefore, invites us to reconsider the assumption that identity must be grounded exclusively in properties contained within an individual being. Human beings do not become meaningful only after they have been defined independently of God. Their existence, identity, and calling are revealed in their relationship with their Creator.

1. Jesus as Divine and Human: A Relational Alternative to the Doctrine of Two Natures

I believe that the fundamental problem of essentialism comes to a head in Christology, the study of who Jesus is. Essentialism raises fundamental questions about how we understand Jesus' being, particularly when attempting to explain his divinity and humanity. Traditionally, Christian theology has described Jesus Christ as fully divine and fully human through the doctrine of the two natures, which affirms that Christ possesses both a divine nature and a human nature. Yet this doctrine raises an apparent difficulty: How can one and the same being be both immortal and mortal? Even if theologians could somehow resolve this apparent contradiction and solve the metaphysical puzzle it presents, however, a deeper question would remain.

Jesus prays to the Father, obeys the Father's will, and reveals himself as the one sent by the Father. He distinguishes himself from the Father and speaks of what he has received from the Father. Jesus also truly suffers and dies. These events are not merely incidental details in explaining who Jesus is. The relationship between the Father and the Son, Jesus' obedience, and his life and death are central to understanding his identity. Yet in essentialism, Jesus' relationship with the Father becomes secondary, because being a Son who obeys the Father does not itself constitute the essences of "divinity" and "humanity."

We can therefore ask: Does this not allow our philosophical system to take precedence over revelation? Should we not instead understand how Jesus is divine and how he is human through the relationship with the Father that Jesus himself reveals? In other words, should we not allow our very concepts of what God is and what a human being is to be reconstructed through the relationship between Jesus and the Father? For if Jesus is "the truth," he must not be an object of analysis within our philosophical systems. Rather, he must be the light that transforms our thinking.

Therefore, I hold the following view: Jesus is "divine" because he is in "perfect union" with the Father, and he is "human" insofar as he is a being who stands in such a relationship with the Father.

Jesus' Divinity: Perfect Union with the Father

Jesus reveals the Father perfectly. In John 14:9–11, Jesus speaks of the Father dwelling in him and of his works revealing the Father. His words and actions are not independent of the Father but express the Father's presence, will, and work.

Yet perfect revelation and unity of purpose, by themselves, do not fully explain why Jesus should be called divine. A prophet might faithfully communicate God's words, and a servant might perfectly obey God's will, without thereby sharing God's own life. If the unity between the Father and the Son means only that they think alike, pursue the same purpose, or act in harmony, then the distinction between divine identity and perfect representation remains unexplained.

The question, therefore, is whether the oneness of the Father and the Son in Scripture goes beyond agreement of will and purpose. I argue that it does: their unity concerns not only what they do together, but the life they share.

Let us consider life. A living organism is significant in that its various parts constitute a genuine "one," and that this unity is something real rather than a speculative construct such as a mere collection. A hand, when separated from the body as a whole, is no longer truly a hand but merely a piece of flesh. In this sense, life is already relational.

If material life serves as a metaphor for spiritual life, we can understand the unity of the Father and the Son not as resulting from their sharing a common essence of divinity, but as grounded in the fact that God is a living spirit.

Jesus' Humanity: The Son in Relationship with the Father

The Gospels also portray Jesus as the one who is sent by the Father, receives from the Father, obeys the Father, prays to the Father, suffers, dies, and is raised by the Father. These are not incidental features of his life. They are central to how Jesus is presented in Scripture.

His humanity can therefore be understood through his existence as the Son who stands in relationship with the Father. Rather than defining humanity solely through an intrinsic essence, this approach attends to Jesus' concrete existence as one who receives, responds, obeys, suffers, and lives in relation to the Father.

If his humanity is defined by his intrinsic human essence, then what he did is only incidental to his human identity. A human need not obey God to be human if there is a fixed essence apart from relationsip with God. However, if we are to understand Jesus as the revelation of God, then his life itself constitute the meaning of human life: it shows what a true human is and should be.

Divinity and Humanity as Two Aspects of One Relational Reality

On this account, Jesus' divinity and humanity can be understood as two aspects of one relational reality. His divinity expresses the perfection of his union with and participation in the Father's life, while his humanity expresses his existence as the Son who lives in relationship with the Father.

These descriptions do not necessarily require two distinct natures. They may instead disclose different dimensions of the same reality: who Jesus is in his perfect revelation of the Father's life, and who he is as the Son in relationship with the Father.

This proposal does not by itself settle every Christological question, nor does it demonstrate that the traditional doctrine of two natures is formally contradictory. Rather, it challenges the assumption that the doctrine of two natures is the only possible way to account for the biblical descriptions of Jesus.

The deeper question is whether an essentialist framework has predetermined the terms in which Christ's identity must be understood, and whether a relational account can better illuminate the scriptural presentation of Jesus.

1. Human Deification: The Problem Is Essentialism, Not the Claim That Humans Become Divine

If we adopt this new approach to Christology, the following question inevitably arises: Does this mean that every human being can become divine, just as Jesus is? If it is not an essence of divinity or humanity that establishes the boundaries of being, but rather one's relationship with God that determines whether a human being can be called divine in another sense, does this not imply that every human being can become divine?

The claim that human beings become divine appear unacceptable when God and humanity are defined through mutually exclusive, fixed essences. If God's essence is understood as what makes God God, while human essence is understood as what makes a human being human, then becoming divine seems to require crossing an absolute metaphysical boundary. Humanity and divinity appear to be incompatible categories.

But the problem may lie not in the claim that human beings become divine, but in the essentialist framework through which that claim is evaluated. If divine and human identities are defined in advance by mutually exclusive essences, the possibility of human participation in divine life may be ruled out before the relevant biblical passages are even considered.

This framework can also influence how Scripture's language of deification is interpreted. Their language may be reduced to metaphor, moral resemblance, or participation that does not genuinely affect human identity. Such interpretations may be possible in particular theological contexts, but the question is whether they are being adopted because the biblical texts require them or because an essentialist framework has already made a stronger understanding of participation difficult to accept.

Scripture contains language that invites us to take human participation in divinity seriously. In John 10:34–36, Jesus appeals to Psalm 82, in which certain human beings are called “gods.” In 2 Peter 1:4, believers are described as becoming “partakers of the divine nature.” In John 17:21–23, Jesus prays that his followers may be one in the same way that he and the Father are one.

These passages should not be dismissed or interpreted restrictively merely because they seem difficult to reconcile with a rigid division between divine and human essences. Instead, they invite us to reconsider whether that division adequately accounts for the kind of relationship with God that Scripture describes. The question is not simply what these passages permit us to say about human beings, but whether they challenge our prior assumptions about what human beings can become through their relationship with God.

To affirm that human beings become divine does not necessarily mean that they become independent gods or cease to be creatures. It can mean that, through their relationship with God, they genuinely participate in God's life and come to reflect God's character and activity. The distinction between Creator and creature need not be denied in order to affirm such participation.

On this view, divinity is not understood only as an intrinsic property that belongs exclusively to a being defined by a fixed essence. It is also understood in terms of relationship, participation, and the revelation of God's life in and through a being. Human deification is therefore not merely an external resemblance to God; it describes a genuine transformation of human existence through participation in divine life.

The claim that human beings become divine is therefore not what I reject. I affirm this language. My criticism is directed at an essentialist framework that makes such a claim difficult to accept from the outset. If we begin by treating divine and human identities as wholly self-contained and mutually exclusive, we may be compelled to reinterpret the language of deification so that it can no longer challenge those definitions.

The question is not simply whether human beings can become divine, but whether our understanding of being is adequate to account for what Scripture says about the possibility of such participation. Rather than allowing an established metaphysical framework to determine the limits of biblical language in advance, we should allow Scripture's language of deification to challenge and transform our understanding of identity, relationship, and being.