How To Announce Myself As A Christian?

Hello! Just as a fair warning this will be sort of a confession for me. Long story short, I'm almost 21 and in college, I come from an interfaith Christian family (my mother is from an interfaith Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist family and my father is from a Methodist family). I say I want to "announce" myself as a Christian because 1) I have not always accepted the Christian faith and 2) I don't want people to think that I can't hold my word (I'll explain).

1) I have not always accepted the Christian faith (my testimony):
My journey to Christianity has been a decade's long journey. I was always taught just to believe in God. However, I found myself questioning this: I began as a deist, then a holder of the Catholic faith, then onto Agnosticism and Atheism and then onward to Judaism. As I was preparing for my conversion to Judaism (I did not convert), I realized that my motives were not "pure," as in, it wasn't because of my beliefs that I was going to convert, it was because I wanted to feel accepted by somebody, any body really, and then I found that I could find that at home, with my family. It was only then when I was able to truly see and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior and as the beautiful and divine Leader who brought me "home," who never gave up on me, who -- even as I left Him in the dark -- never left me. I am forever grateful for Him, for His Love and everlasting Kindness. However, I still have a major problem.

2) I don't want people to think that I can't hold my word (my confession):
As a child (teenage years and back), I was and always have been in, my opinion, a good person. I never rebelled (I have never wanted to) and when my eldest sister became sick, I helped take care of her. However, having said that, I had one major downfall -- I was a liar. I didn't lie to cover up bad deeds or anything; I would lie because in truth, I was lonely. I didn't have many friends so when my parents would ask me something (regarding friends) I would make up friends (to me they were lies; to my parents, they were real people; my parents didn't know that these "friends" didn't exist). I would also do this with classmates at school, too. So a few years ago when I was going to begin my conversion to Judaism and people would ask me why, to use as a weightier reason, I said it's because my father is Jewish (he isn't, that's a horrible lie -- I should not take other's faiths lightly and I am sorry for this). I only said this so that I would have a better reason at the time to convert other than "it was what I was compelled to do." I felt that I need to justify myself with this lie and it only my fault for the reason why I am to suffer now.

Now, I feel as if I am truly called home with studying as a Christian, I've felt like this for a while. I know that I must confess to the people that I lied to, but I am afraid. They are my only friends after all. Any advice on the best way to confess? It is something that I must do.

Thank you.
 
I don't think anything bad of you from reading this. If someone is a true friend then I don't think they will think bad of you either.

If a lie is currently powering a belief in a relationship, you need to fix that and fess up. If these are past things then just be forgiven. We can't fix our own sin and make everything right.

If someone I knew gave their life to Jesus then came back to me after doing so to fess up to all the lies they told me it would irritate me to be honest. I am not their Lord and I already know they are forgiven and should not be walking around with that on their conscience.
I certainly would not think anything bad about them.

Fix only the lies you have to keep lying about to hold up. Forget the rest.

Blessings.
 
Basically tell them flat out,"I have something to tell you all. I'm a Christian." I know it's hard, but if you say it fast, they won't have time to say anything.
 
God KNOWS all our sins (Oh LORD have mercy on me!)

People are people-people know people lie (but as a Christian you do not have a 'get of sin free' card').

We confess to our Heavenly Father-God -AND- if need be, we seek restitution with the wronged party. Does that mean you have to go around and find every single person you lied to your whole life? GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!

Handle the circumstances as they come; if someone brings up "I thought your father was Jewish?"; just say; "I am sorry I lied to you about that, can you forgive me?" Then you have done your part in confession-then the burden lies on them to forgive you!

For you see-we are commanded not only to 'confess' but also we are commanded to 'forgive'! Once your burden is fulfilled-the sin is no longer on your head.

If you are so compelled by the Holy Spirit to seek out a wronged party-I would suggest you follow up on that....immediately...

(But don't go blabbering all those nasty thoughts to others about them that you have but never took any verbal or physical action on. Keep those between you and God-unless compelled-say like with your spouse for example.)
 
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