you think that by handing out soup people are being saved? Just like those humanistic organizations sending money and supplies to Asia after the tsunami- money to feed DEAD people (because they ARE dead- they're spiritually dead and going to hell) No one is giving them a sandwich and saying "You need to stop worshipping Buddha and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your saviour." Now that would be the way to do it. But no, we are feeding people only to extend their physical life until the time they die and Christ says, "because you have rejected me, I now reject you."
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Christians: Do you believe in evangelism?
- Thread starter Scuba Pete
- Start date
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
I am in favor of evangelizing in the way that FEELS right for YOU! 
Every waking minute and each human interaction is consecrated to reaching the world.
Every waking minute and each human interaction is consecrated to reaching the world.
No*s
Captain Obvious
Tzeitel said:
I don't see how that refutes Christ's statements about people seeing the works of Christians and glorifying God on account of it. He blatantly stated they glorify God because of the works of Christ's followers. For what it's worth, you misunderstand the meaning of salt in the ancient world. It was rare, and hard to get. Its saltiness seasoned things, and it was used to preserve things. Salt was about as valuable a commodity as it got when it came to foodstuffs.
I believe that God has given us spiritual gifts to do his work, but I don't really believe that there is any part in scripture that says to do something only if it "feels" right. Isn't there that nagging in your soul when you see someone and it tells you "tell them about Jesus, tell them about Jesus" and you push it away? And then you feel bad about it.
Melody
Well-Known Member
I would rather stand in front of the throne and explain why I chose to let Christ's light shine through my actions instead of trying to explain why I drove thousands away from Christianity through hardline evangelization.Tzeitel said:
I can't speak for you since I don't know you personally, but I know many hell and brimstone evangelizers and they can suck the joy out of life and faith faster than a mosquito sucks blood from a hemophiliac. Non-christian and christian alike (except for those who share this view) are repelled. How does that promote God's love and bring His people to Him?
No*s
Captain Obvious
Tzeitel said:
Yes, I think it has a good deal to do with it, and with the salvation of the Christian. I would go so far as to say that it is required.
And when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then will He sit upon His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.'
"Then He will also say to those on the left, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'
"Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we did not minister to You?' "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, neither did you do it to Me.' "And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Mt 25.31-46
I really don't believe that's how Christ will have it- I believe that he will do the asking about "I told you to tell these people about me and you didn't and they didn't have an opportunity to know how to be saved and now they're going to go to hell."
It is not the person who drives away the unsaved, but the gospel- it is a two edged sword and the flesh hates anything that is good and holy. The devil will try his best to keep these people from coming to the Lord. It is not you who drive them away but their own desire to continue in sin that keeps them from accepting Jesus Christ.
Do you really think that those people who would outrightly reject the gospel when presented to them would think that being a Christian is so fun ( not drinking, not partying, not Remember, to THEM sin IS fun.
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
Shame on the Christians that they know, if they don't see just how much more fun Christianity actually is!
As for our final judgement... our hearts are the only thing that will be judged. They are either in love with God or not.
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
No, it is their lack of love that often does this. And Satan has blinded them with pride into believing that their attitude does not alienate. It is sad when Satan's most effective tools are those who claim Jesus as Lord but don't have the love to really back it up.
of course they don't think Christianity is fun- look at everything they have to give up that the flesh LOVES. The lost man is not a child of God- it is a child of the devil. The lost man does not see Christianity as fun- only as servitude and giving up the lusts of the flesh- they don't see it like Christians do, as us serving God because we love him. The lost only love themselves.
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
Yeah, I am not sure how else you could "interpret" I Peter 3:1???
Did you need more?
Did you need more?
hmm, the bible tells us to "not spare the rod" so, I'd guess that you don't believe in the Bible's way of punishment.. but that's a side issue.
I'd say that the most loving and compassionate thing a person could do is tell someone they need to be saved. I'm sure those people who are dead and going to hell would agree.
if you're talking about the selling in exodus- those were laws instituted because of the hardness of the hearts of the israelites- just like God allowed certain divorce laws- it does not mean that he condones it. However disciplining a child God's way insures that he grows up understanding authority.
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. Notice the word hates.
I do not see a lot of love and compassion when Christians think that lost people will come to them instead of them going to them. That's just cowardi
You are disagreeing about telling someone about salvation. You think that lost people actually desire what you have without the convicting power of God's word. They really DON'T want to change the way they are. They think they're just fine and dandy.
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. Notice the word hates.
I do not see a lot of love and compassion when Christians think that lost people will come to them instead of them going to them. That's just cowardi
You are disagreeing about telling someone about salvation. You think that lost people actually desire what you have without the convicting power of God's word. They really DON'T want to change the way they are. They think they're just fine and dandy.
Melody
Well-Known Member
First, Proverbs has some really neat sayings, but last I heard they were not rules that God told us we had to live by. Violence begets violence. My husband's family never raised a hand to their children and we have never raised a hand to ours. I would guess that my sons will never raise a hand to their children. That does not mean we didn't discipline...just that we used nonviolent methods.keevelish said:
No I am not disagreeing about telling someone about salvation. I'm disagreeing with your method which appears to be that if you don't beat them into believing, then they won't believe.
Unless you have more to add, this will be my last post on the subject since we're just going in circles.
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
Hmnnn...
Check out
Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
This is obviously ONE WAY to evangelize. Don't underestimate the attraction of living a FULL CHRISTIAN LIFE. That's how I was converted!
Not that this takes away from a more active evangelism, but your walk better match yout talk. Too many "evangelists" substitute intensity for love, brow beating for genuine concern and let their pride be their motivation rather than a true love for Jesus. In a perversion of grace, they are trying to "preach their way into heaven" and have turned evangelism into little more than a work of man.
Check out
Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
This is obviously ONE WAY to evangelize. Don't underestimate the attraction of living a FULL CHRISTIAN LIFE. That's how I was converted!
Not that this takes away from a more active evangelism, but your walk better match yout talk. Too many "evangelists" substitute intensity for love, brow beating for genuine concern and let their pride be their motivation rather than a true love for Jesus. In a perversion of grace, they are trying to "preach their way into heaven" and have turned evangelism into little more than a work of man.
last I knew, a person only gets saved through conviction of the word of God.. not by beating- this is a totally different concept than disciplining your children. Getting saved has nothing to do with discipline. Asking someone if they are saved is in no way "beating" it into them. It's a simple question, like how are you today? If they say I'm not too well, you say, maybe you need more rest, or take an asprin. etc. or how can I help? If they say they're not saved, you say, well would you like me to show you in the Bible how you can be? If they don't want you to, you say, ok have a nice day. Simple conversation, not that scary.
I don't have any pride in being saved because I know I am a sinner and I don't deserve it. I want others to receive this gift too, so I offer the means to receive it to them. I don't "brow beat" there is none of that railing that you think people do when we knock doors. And I'm not a hypocrite- I know I sin, and that I slip up- but I recognize that. I don't say that I'm better than someone and preach like that. There's no reason for that. That doesn't mean that I am not to have compassion for souls and have a desire to see people saved. I can't sit back like that and watch people go about their lives without knowing how to be saved. I see that as a total lack of love and compassion. Its almost like ignoring them.