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What are the dangers of correcting an unbeliever, and does it really bring them into the family of God by doing this? Did Jesus Ever Condemn A Unbeliever? Lastly, what does the Bible say about how we are to approach an unbeliever?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on
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Winter,
All unbelievers are condemned. In correcting such a one, pray for God to give you the answer. If an unbeliever is saying God does a particular thing that He actually doesn't do...I believe I would tell the unbeliever that he was speaking an untruth.
We are to share the gospel, but....if an unbeliever keeps saying that he/she doesn't agree, we are told to stop casting our pearls before swine. At some point, the time will come when we need to stop trying to convince them of God's Righteousness, and keep our Good News for someone who will listen. I believe the Holy Spirit let's us know when that time is. Until He does tell us to stop, we need to keep on speaking God's Word.
Blessings...
Rita
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Permalink Reply by winter mckinney on
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Rita,
Gentle in our approach is the way I have been convicted to be, and have read in the Word. I saw that you said "I believe I would tell the unbeliever that he was speaking an untruth." So..in saying that..has there been a time when God has put in your spirit to just be quite, and then later, you find out that someone else reached that person in a way you never could have? I've had that happen, and thought, is that just me? or is that satan, trying to keep me from witnessing? I've seen in a lot of your responses a kind and meek spirit. I am not perfect and only hope to learn from some of you as you may have experienced things that I never have. Thanks for the response.
Blessings To You As Well,
Winter
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Winter,
I try to take my leading from the Holy Spirit but sometimes I fail. Also, I have been led to stay quiet and let another speak, and it comes out as you say, they do a better job of it.
Sometimes, I am sure I don't speak when I should. We all make errors in sharing the Gospel. I have even had the Holy Spirit ask me why I didn't speak, for which I had no real answer.
Winter, you will grow in the Lord as we all are doing. This growth will continue as long as we're here and we will never have all the answers while we are here.
Blessings...
Rita
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Permalink Reply by feet breath on
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I hope it's ok for me to ask something. What if preaching the gospel to an unbeliever/s puts another person as spiritual harm/risk?
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Feet...
I can't imagine that particular situation. I can see where speaking the Gospel would put the speaker at risk, but not another person.
Rita
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Well, when let's say there's Lisa, Matt, Tina and Beth. Matt is in charge of their "church", Lisa is his wife and Tina believes some of their churches teachings. If Matt and Lisa hear Beth tell the gospel they'll say she's teaching "pagan" beliefs. They'll think Beth will infect Tina with her "pagan" beliefs so they try to get Tina away from Beth and she's only allowed around people in that church (and potential converts).
The gospel is what would trigger them to get Tina to join their "church". For fear she'll join Beth's "pagan" beliefs if she isn't "protected" soon. If she joins their "church" she'll be in trouble. The gospel would be a red flag-get Tina to thier church before it's too late...
Ugh...please pray. I'm sounding really bitter right now. I don't want to fight against God or the gospel...I'm painting myself into a courner...Jesus help me...
Yes, names have been changed.
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Feetbreeze,
This may come as a surprise, but I am not confused at what you said and understand it. I am so saddened that people have to do these things in the first place. Sometimes I myself, have been hurt and confused before, just from people fighting in the church. They say don't talk with this one, or don't tell her anything because she tells your secrets in the form of a prayer requests. I always pray over my children every night. I do want good people in their lives and only hope they can grow up with less confusion in their lives. Do you ever feel like you are just all alone sometimes. I have some really good friends and people that I know care about me, but when you get hurt by your church family, for some reason it just stings so much worse. My advice to you would be to just pray for people that hurt you and do your best to be as kind as you can no matter what. You sound like a person that really seeks for the truth in all things, and that is awesome. I think we are learning so much here and appreciate it immensely.
God Bless You,
~Winter
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Do I feel like I'm all alone? Lonliness is a good word for me. I don't want to insult Jesus, of corse I have Him and I'm not truely alone but I'm alone in what I believe when it comes to other people and their beliefs.
The church thing has to do with very importent doctrines. They're damnable doctrines...It's not just arguing over tithing or the rapture. It goes way deeper than that..
God bless you as well
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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Jesus had righteous indignation for error and sin.
John 2, NIV:
Jesus Clears the Temple Courts
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c]
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
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I kinda thought this was neat and wanted to share what some of our youth today say about this subject.
Why did Jesus Drive the Money-Changers out of the Temple?
"We should praise God, sing and pray, and don't color on the walls, and don't sell anything," says Rachel, 5.
Coloring on the walls always got me in trouble, too, Rachel.
"The temple is a holy place, not a place to charge money to people who come there," says Melissa, 12. "We should not go into a holy place and charge people money because a church or temple is not a tax department."
"Jesus drove the money-changers out because he said, 'My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves,'” says Kosse, 10. “God's action teaches me that if you are deceitful or use the church for the wrong reason, you will not be rewarded.”
During the various religious feasts in which thousands of Jews traveled to Jerusalem, authorities allowed money-changers and animal sellers inside the outer court of the temple. People bought animals to sacrifice, and they had to exchange foreign money for money acceptable to religious leaders.
These temple-sanctioned businesspeople were inside a place of worship. When people profane sacred things by trying to profit financially from them, they become dull and callous to the ways of God's spirit. The problem only compounds when they become ministry leaders.
"Jesus drove them out because he didn't want the house of his father to become a house of merchandise," says Morgan, 10. "In the Bible, it also said, 'Zeal for your house has eaten me up.'"
Yes, Jesus got angry, but it wasn't the kind of selfish anger we so often exhibit.
The money-changers were making it hard for common people to worship God. The outer court of the temple was full of bleating sheep and money- changers. Jerusalem visitors had to exchange their money for the currency accepted by the temple priests.
Everyone was focused on money— or the lack of it.
"When Jesus said he could build the temple in three days, he was trying to get the people to believe in him," says Shelby, 8.
Jesus spoke of his body as the temple, and the three days he mentioned referred to his resurrection on the third day. Jesus was the reality to which the temple pointed.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
The next time your pastor refers to the church building as the house of God, please remind him that God doesn't dwell in buildings, but in the hearts of his people. When we come to worship God, we must put aside all distractions and agendas. Jesus wants his people to experience the joy and peace of undistracted devotion to him.
The Hebrew prophets foresaw a time when God himself would live in his people (Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Joel 2:28). That time is now!
Think about this: In Jesus' time, people traveled for days to visit the temple where God's presence dwelt. If you're a Christian, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Memorize this truth: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (I Corinthians 6:19).
Ask this question: If you really believed your body is the temple where God's spirit dwells, how would the reality of God's sacred presence affect your thoughts, behavior, work and recreation?
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I have to say something sister-out of the mouth of babes!
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