livingintruth, thank you for your question. Christians are called to be "salt and light" to our neighbors. That means pointing out faulty thinking or sin issues. However, we are also called to be kind and loving. But as Peter says in 1 Corinthians, we are not to judge the unsaved, for they are already judged. But we are certainly called to judge the saved among us--as a means of loving them. We are not to be harsh and angry, but lovingly correcting wrong thinking or behavior. This includes chastisement, up to and including banishment from fellowship if the person does not correct the error.
As for the lost, we are to love them and present the Gospel. Beyond that, chastising for sin is useless and produces negative results. Arrogance is stupid--we need to remember that we were once unsaved also, and we did nothing to deserve that salvation, so how can we be arrogant?
So I agree. We are not to be mean, contentious, or hateful towards those who are lost. We should not bait them. We are called to love them. That does not mean that we have to agree with them--the act of disagreement is judgement. But we should refrain from inflamtory statements and questions.
If you believe in the Truth, then you have to believe in "un-truth", so I don't agree that we can not judge others. What we can do is to not be "judgemental" but be loving in our disagreement.
God Bless you, and Thank you for your question.
2007-07-02 12:37:52
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answer #1
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answered by Todd J 3
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I agree that deliberately provoking is not witnessing, however those who want us to stop speaking about God are "provoked" by everything we say. Disagreeing can be done without childish name calling and personal insults. There's nothing wrong with pointing this out to anyone whether they are Christians or nonbelievers. My personal experience has been that many people choose to be offended for no reason. I have seen them hurl the most ridiculous accusations at those who are trying to witness the gospel of Jesus Christ. It would be nice if Christians were allowed the same right to disagree when people say blasphemous things about God. It is my sincere hope that Christians will not back down from the truth because others disagree. It is possible to witness in love without compromising the truth. Many will still call this offensive, but it is possible.
2007-07-02 19:58:39
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answer #2
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answered by Diana 2
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I will answer questions as I can, and I pray that God gets the glory. When given the chance, I will share the truth about Jesus being Lord.
I my years as a Christian, I have never known the word to condemn, only convict. God is the judge!
2007-07-02 21:44:37
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answer #3
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answered by RB 7
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I agree, those who purposely ask provocative questions with the hope of upsetting others will answer for their actions. I think that those behaving this way are in fact doing a disservice to God; they are becoming stumbling blocks. They will most definitely answer for every person who was turned away in their minds due to actions taken by those claiming to be believers. But then, I would question whether those who behave this way are truly experiencing the Holy Spirit in their hearts. Afterall, many will say Lord, Lord and He will say I never knew you.
2007-07-02 19:40:45
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answer #4
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answered by future dr.t (IM) 5
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We need to share Jesus with this increasingly wicked world.
This does offer a chance to share salvation with many people.
People need to hear about Jesus even today.
2007-07-03 00:34:54
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answer #5
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answered by robert p 7
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it does nothing for God's glory or kingdom
I completely pass by those that are argumentative, mocking, and just plain ridiculous or foul.........
sometimes I get to actually help (or try to) a brethern
2007-07-02 21:11:36
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answer #6
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answered by †LifeOnLoan† 6
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Well, it is hard to overcome human nature sometimes. But we should at least keep it civil.
2007-07-02 19:27:03
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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There is no god, hence anything you do is as much service as anything else.
You're obviously not that familiar with the true effects of religious belief.
2007-07-02 19:27:02
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answer #8
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answered by Brent Y 6
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