Christian: Do you feel that being on here is sort of wasting time? Are we trying to convince unbelievers...?

Question

...to believe? Do you realize we can't persuade anybody with words to believe? We are to present the gospel of Christ and they either want to hear more or they outright reject.

We are supposed to be redeeming the time, not wasting it. When do you shake off your feet and stop throwing pearls to swine?

Sound advice only please.

Answer 1

Being on here we become more aware of the situation with unbelievers. Paul said behold I have become all things to all men so that by all means I might save some.

We also learn from other believers responses and sharpen our own faith "iron sharpens iron."

Answer 2

Possibly. The Bible says this:

Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.

But at the same time we are called to teach the gospel to the world. This is an excellent forum in which to do that. It's kind of like the parable about the sower sowing the seed. Some falls on the wayside & is eaten up by the birds, some falls on thorny ground & sprouts but is choked out by the thorns & some falls on good ground & produces a harvest. We are the sowers. God's word is the seed. We may never know what seed actually took a hold in someone's heart. It might even be years later when they think back to what they read here but I don't believe God's word will go out void.

Answer 3

You can have reasons: 1. There are people who have that personality where they like to always be right. You know that kind? Yeah. Well when someone tells them they are wrong, they feel the need to explain themselves. 2. Then there are the other type of christian that believes the bible with all their heart and in the bible it says that you are considered saved by coming to Christ. And to these Christians, that is the most important, fulfilling, enjoying part of life and they want to share it with others. People can't convince a non believer. They can only make Jesus known to others. Only God can change hearts. So I'm not here to "save" you. Because I can't do that.

Answer 4

K...sister.. In all things we need to have the Lord regulate us. He needs to be able to tell us ' ok sandy.. enough of this..go and read the word now.. or go do something else"
Personally I do not come on here solely to convince atheists or unbelievers to believe into Jesus...I spend more of my time WITH other believers and try to ask questions that will encourage us to dive into the Word. To address matters in the Word that relate to what we are going through. To clear up any kind of confusion related to the truth in the bible.
I really do not care to argue with an atheist or lower the name of the Lord to persuade those who have NO regard for Him. If the questions are ones from seeking believers or brotehrs and sisters who love the Lord and want to go on in Him .. then I give my answers to them
I learned this lesson the hard way. I answered questions to people who were closed minded to the Lord. I am never doing that again. If someone is genuinely seeking .. then i am all for it.
Through this forum I have also made some really wonderful contact with other brothers and sisters In Jesus.
But cast the pearsl of the Lord to swine.. God Forbid.. May we have discernment from the Holy Spirit what to touch and what NOT to touch in here.

IN Christ
sandy

Answer 5

I understand what you are saying; however, consider that God tells us that whenever we send the gospel out into the world, He has some good use in it; it will not return void:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. - Isaiah 55:11.

You do make a good point about Matthew 7:6; dogs and pigs are among the most deragatory words in the Jewish language. Although when we bring the gospel into the world, we cannot know for certain in advance what the reaction will be; as a Christian matures, they must adapt a keen sense of when it is time to move on to a more receptive environment.

Answer 6

I think it is a good place to answer and ask questions from a christian perspective. I don't think there is hardly any other place that you would find an atheist asking a christian a sincere question (or vice versa) about their beliefs. Not all are sincere, but what if there is one. Doesn't that make it all worth it! To me it is worth it, so I guess I will keep casting my pearls as I feel led. But, if you feel like you shouldn't then by all means don't. Shake off your feet... maybe there is a different form for you. We are not all called to the same thing....thank God! Cuz I personally like a little variety.

Answer 7

This is a difficult time to be a confessing Christian--and in our increasingly diverse and "tolerant" society, it's going to become much more difficult. Our nation's "soil" has been altered by generations of secular academics, artists, writers and entertainers who slowly changed the nature of the ground on which we stand. They have sown the cultural wind, and we are reaping the whirlwind.

What can we do to help reverse this dangerous polarization? What can we do to reach out not only to those who are like us, but also to those who are most unlike us? We can begin to think in a different way about sharing our faith. When we think of communicating with those around us, we can begin to use this thought process: "I may not be able to harvest yet with the Hindu, the feminist or the evolutionist. But what can I say to each of them? Where can I at least begin? How can I sow?"

We must encourage a new generation of Christian sowers that their work matters to God, that we are true partners in ministry, and that the fate of future harvests depends on their efforts. Instead of endlessly exhorting them to join us in our role of harvesting, we must equip them to fulfill their role, a role that God has given them, so that one day the sower and the harvester can be glad together.

Answer 8

I believe in God and Jesus, but I am not a christian.I am a spiritualist.I'm not sure if we should be trying to convert anyone, but rather sharing thoughts with other believers and non-believers possibly expanding our spiritual and human knowledge.Gaining a greater understanding..God knows we all need it.I agree with you we shouldn't cast pearl before swine and I don't say that in an inflammatory way.If someone is not receptive then it is pointless.We also must reciprocate and be willing to listen to other points of view.We can't feel that our religion and only ours is right.We can't believe that only our religion is going to heaven and every one else is going to burn in hell. its very antagonistic to other people. When I catch myself doing just that I try to rein it in.Everyone has the right to believe or not to believe.

Answer 9

Ok I'm liking your point on the surface here...don't preach, just tell...then move on...that's how it should be, BUT we have the people that think it's in their right to try and force it on us...but anyway...I hope this isn't playing victim here...and as for Scripture...all that is is words, I would like to see some solid evidence of it's reality before I believe....as for science, most of the time, it has proof. So I go with what can be proven.

Answer 10

Your job is to witness, not to debate with unbelievers. The information has been freely available for a long time, your job is to get people to want to access it.

The absolutely best way to witness is to demonstrate, through the way you live your life, your belief in God. The kind of life that makes people sigh and say, "I want what they have," is more effective than all the debating, convincing, or discussing you can dish out.