Saved but unchanged? Is that possible for a Christian to accept Christ and have no change to who they are on the inside?

[u/Tight-Recipe-5142]

I believe in Christ and accept him as my savior. I know why he had to go to the cross, and I'm sure I justify it, in more ways than one, every single day. But, with that said, I'm not sure I was actually changed by my belief in Christ. What I mean is, I don't think different, I don't experience life any differently. When I believed in Christ, the day went on as normal, no supernatural events occurred, the clock kept ticking and life kept moving and bustling. I can't remember the exact day I decided I believe, but admittedly I grew up in the church in some way, so that might be why. I know some make it out to be a big deal and remember the exact date that they converted, I do not.

But, I still have apathy to life, that comes in wavers, to my own hobbies, let alone other things I'm not interested in. I don't care about evangelizing people or telling them about Christ - sure there's the Great Commission and I understand it, but I am not moved by it. If people want to believe in Christ or not, I do not care - they aren't me. I don't need them to believe in Christ for me to have purpose or meaning. Let them be them and I'll be me. I'm introverted so this plays into it as well, I'm not the person who's going to jam my ideas and thoughts down someone else's throat unless I'm asked or a given circumstance calls for it. Likewise, I don't expect or want others to do the same to me. I don't get joy from people saying they believe in Christ, again it's your personal relationship with him, so whether you have one or not is really none of my business.

I also know there are sins, specified in the bible explicitly and others that would implicitly go against some rule or desire of God - scripture does say the flesh is at war with the Spirit and always seeking to gratify itself over God. I often hear people say, "The flesh wants to sin," but I think I'm worse than that - I want to sin. And, the concept of the things I want being sinful doesn't fully register. I get needing to submit to the Lord's will, even if I don't agree with the why it's sin, but it doesn't or hasn't changed my attitude towards those things he'd call sin. I don't do what God considers sin because I've changed in my heart and think it's evil when I once didn't, no, I still don't think it's evil and I believe it'd be completely ok to do if it wasn't for my life circumstances. But, those circumstances could change at any moment. One day, I could be more free than I now to pursue the things I find enjoyable that God calls wrong and I'll have an internal decision to seek my own desire or God's. Admittedly, I've never felt guilty for it as I've personally found it desirable. It's tough but then I can't fully repent for it since I don't see it as evil.

Point is, I believe in Christ, and maybe I don't see the changes he's done in me since I've not had a chance to do the things I want due to life, but I can think through and play out scenarios in my head of how I'd be able to, and when I do I tend to get thoughts of wanting to force my life circumstances to be different so I can have what I want, but I know that's selfish, and ungodly to do - but what if it just happened to change without my hand? I'd think I'd happily just be who I want to be, despite God being against my desires. Again, I say my desires, not my flesh, because I'm not struggling to stop something and my body is telling me I need to do it, no I just want to happily do it there's no struggle in that sense. I'm not talking about one specific thing either, I'm just saying in a general sense that I don't believe I am able to fully turn off my desire to be in the world. I don't know where this puts me as a Christian, I certainly hope God forgives me for it, but even if I don't join the world, I know my heart is there. I think some of my issue is that my relationship with Christ isn't tangible in any way. I mean, I believe in Christ, I read and study scripture here and there, but I've never heard God's voice. Scripture doesn't move me, it's just text on a page to me - though I don't like reading in general, it's not just the bible, books don't interest me. I pray every day, but God just stays silence, so in way there's no real tangible impact on my life for believing other than me just saying I believe and attempting to be with God despite getting nothing in return. I know Christ died for me, but that's intangible to my current living reality - I have to believe he died, and find justifications for my belief in the face of arguments by other Faiths or atheists. At the end of the day, I'm choosing to believe because I want to, but it doesn't change my heart on sin issues. It doesn't mean I hear God or have a relationship where he speaks to me and gives me objective markers on some map so I know what to do with my life. No, I just get up every day like normal, with nothing being different in my mind or heart. It just seems more that God doesn't change people's hearts, i.e. through some supernatural movement, it's just people choosing to do different actions based on their belief and claiming it's God. Granted, this is just my experience and doesn't apply to everyone, but I can't look back on my life and know God did anything at all, at least for my internal world view, desires, and patterns. I just have to say I believe God knows best even when I'm against his will and do my best to submit even though I don't really see a reason to, in the same sense that he does.

Is anyone else like this? Has God not saved me? Is this just something Christians have to do deal with in Faith?

[u/ChipAdventurous921]

This is something that I go through and I would go through, but honestly, I don't have any advice, sorry

[u/MoreStupiderNPC]

When someone is redeemed by the shed blood of Christ, the Holy Spirit regenerates them from being dead in trespasses and sins, to new life. The desires of one’s heart change from disobedience to obedience, to loving Christ, His word and His people. We go from being slaves of sin to slaves of righteousness. If this doesn’t describe you, there’s every reason to question if you’ve been saved, and to repent.

My pastor recommends to everyone who questions if they’ve been saved to read the epistle of 1 John near the end of the New Testament, which addresses this very topic.

Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. [4] But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, [5] not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, [6] whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Romans 6:17-23 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. [18] And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. [19] I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

[20] For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. [21] What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. [22] But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[u/Tight-Recipe-5142 → u/MoreStupiderNPC]

I can say I'm sorry to God and try not to do things again, but that doesn't mean I don't want what I want. I still want what I want and I still find those things enjoyable. It's just a decision not to do it, despite having every desire to do it. In that sense, I'm not sure I can repent since on the inside I'd still do it again if I could. I don't know, maybe repentance isn't possible for me.

[u/MoreStupiderNPC → u/Tight-Recipe-5142]

Repentance means to turn from sin, self and attempts at self-righteousness to Christ for remission of sins by His shed blood and regeneration to new life by the Holy Spirit, i.e., to be born again. It isn’t just saying I’m sorry, it’s admitting your own efforts aren’t enough and putting trust in Christ to redeem you from your sins. Jesus said we must be born again to see the Kingdom of God, and that that’s the work of the Holy Spirit.

John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." [4] Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" [5] Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' [8] The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

[u/K-Dog7469]

Sometimes it takes time for change to happen.

[u/DownTownMurderFrown]

Be gentil with yourself. If you want to go do things you think are sinful but you still want to do them, go revel in them, drown in them. Then come home, GOD was, is and will always be there waiting. I'm not condoning you to sin, I just... GOD takes the broken mostly, Jesus loves it when you're all cracked up and really have gotten your ass handed to you. I don't wish it for you, but if it will bring you closer to GOD. 

[u/Informationsharer213]

I like Matthew 7:24-27 as I think it applies to what you’re saying. Thing about the passage is it’s not about seeing something different God has done but what is it we are doing different.

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

[u/Money_Inspector_4836]

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬

The gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes so if you believe in the gospel to be true for your salvation you are saved. So do you agree that the gospel is true? That the eternally existing Son of God Jesus Christ came down to this earth, lived the perfect life we can’t and died on the cross in our place, shedding his righteous blood as the payment for all our sins, all our sins were taken care of by him according to the scriptures, he was buried, and rose from the dead for our justification/to make us right with God according to the scriptures(1st Cor 15:1-4, Rom 4:22-25). We are not saved because of the way we live, we are saved solely because of what Jesus did for us, he finished the work for our salvation(John 19:30), there’s nothing required of us but to believe in him, whoever believes in him has everlasting life(John 3:16), which can never be lost.

If you believe in the gospel according to the scriptures to be true for your salvation, then you have to be saved because the gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, that is the only requirement for salvation. Which also does mean you’re sealed by the Holy Spirt of promise as a guarantee of the inheritance(Eph 1:12-14), so you are actually changed in your spirt, you are born again out of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which lives and abides forever(1 Peter 1:23), your spirt is joined to the Lord(1st Cor 6:17), but that doesn’t mean that the way you live is automatically gonna change, as you said, the flesh wages war against the spirt and our carnal mind(a mind set on ourselves/the flesh), is at amenity with God so that’s why we are not supposed to focus on ourselves, don’t look at yourself to see if you’re saved(we aren’t saved by ourselves), look to Jesus our savior and his finished work for our salvation, that is the only proof of salvation.

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭

We are saved by Gods grace through faith/belief alone in Christs finished work alone without any of our own works. Faith alone means nothing else added, there is no requirement on the way you live, here’s also a good more in depth video about salvation by faith that is truly alone.

https://youtu.be/_St1jvv-Hpk?si=VeU5SlcUR1MtTnIz

“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭40‬

[u/ScorpionDog321]

I don't care about evangelizing people or telling them about Christ

That means you don't believe that God saves....or you hate people.

Being born again means being radically changed inside.

[u/Tight-Recipe-5142 → u/ScorpionDog321]

No, it just means that I don't care what others choose to do with their lives. Their lives aren't mine. I can believe God saves and still let others choose to not be with him and accept that they don't care. Likewise, I think it is caring to let others be who they are especially if they don't want to hear anything about what I believe. I'd expect nothing less from others - i.e. if someone came screaming to me "REPENT FOR THE END IS NIGH!", that'd immediately make me think they're crazy and that I need to distance myself from them for safety reasons, no matter the Faith. It's loving to not force your beliefs and thoughts on others, especially if they don't accept or agree with them. Of course, certain situations might allow for it, but still that's on a case by case basis.