Hurt our witness? I imagine sometimes our witness calls for meekness and quietness, and sometimes boldness and clarity.
But I don't believe in insulting people, as so many seem to be OK with.
Much love!
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But I don't believe in insulting people, as so many seem to be OK with.
Much love!
Seven of Nine
Well-Known Member
If I were a Democrat and you called me those disparaging names, then I would outright reject your witness and reject your Christian faith. If I were an unbeliever and I heard you calling Democrats those disparaging names, then I would question your witness and your Christian faith.
The truth is, our poor choice of words and our unchristian behavior have consequences. The words and behavior of Christians matter because it can reflect badly on other Christians. It not only damages the public perception of Christians, but it can also reflect badly on the name of Jesus. There are good reasons why Christians are told to tame their tongue and to not let any unwholesome talk come out of their mouths. Christians can either be a blessing and draw people closer to God or Christians can be a stumbling block and push people further away from God.
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” - Brennan Manning (Listen to What If I Stumble by DC Talk).
Well I can relate as a victim of churches who do not live the example Christ gave us.
Seven of Nine
Well-Known Member
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
While this sounds catchy, it's not Biblical.
John 3
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
This is once again an example of pointing to someone else and calling them responsible for the choices you make.
The unbeliever is an unbeliever not because they've seen a hypocrit, but because they want their sin to remain hidden.
There is no true atheist Biblically speaking. Those who refuse to acknowledge God forget about Him on purpose.
Romans 1
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Much love!
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Yet the truth must be shared, and most foolishly dispise correction. If I keep a friend with flattery, yet they remain condemned what lasting value was that friendship?
We should speak the truth in love without harsh words...and not all Democrats are far left...and not all Republicans are conservatives...
But I will say this in a humble spirit... the government has become a powerful force with which the Satan can operate through to promote HIS agenda.
It isn't about the political party...it's about q means with how the Antichrist rises to power.
Seven of Nine
Well-Known Member
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). It is written that we will reap what we sow and we will be recognized by the fruit we bear. It's also written that we are to tame our tongue and not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths. We're to treat others the way we want to be treated and to let our light so shine before men that they will see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal." IOW, our words and behavior matter.
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How can you say you love your brother or sister and say or do nothing to warn them against continuing down a wayward path?
Ziggy
Well-Known Member
I read the opening post,
And while we like to entertain the thought that we have control over anything,
Let me reassure you, we do not.
The reason I say this has nothing to do with if you vote this or that or neither.
It is the hands of the ones who count the ballots.
And though we like to believe that all men are honest and do not have an agenda,
I can once again assure you, this is not true.
So before one goes pointing this way or that way for success or blame,
please remember one thing.
It's not about you. It's not about me.
It's all about the ones counting the ballots.
HUGS
And while we like to entertain the thought that we have control over anything,
Let me reassure you, we do not.
The reason I say this has nothing to do with if you vote this or that or neither.
It is the hands of the ones who count the ballots.
And though we like to believe that all men are honest and do not have an agenda,
I can once again assure you, this is not true.
So before one goes pointing this way or that way for success or blame,
please remember one thing.
It's not about you. It's not about me.
It's all about the ones counting the ballots.
HUGS
You are correct in that we who are spiritual must correct or warn those captive to ignorance.
1 Kings 22 (KJV)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
⁸ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
This is one of those times when someone was told the truth and he hated him for it.
Ziggy
Well-Known Member
Right it's called Truth....and the Truth will set you free! Glory!
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”
— Galatians 4:16 (KJV)
“They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.”
— Amos 5:10 (KJV)
Waiting on him
Well-Known Member
Waiting on him
Well-Known Member
Matthew 22:18 KJV
[18] But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
[18] But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Waiting on him
Well-Known Member
Seven of Nine
Well-Known Member
It seems like you're going down a rabbit hole because Heart2Soul and I have already addressed this. Heart2Soul said, "We should speak the truth in love without harsh words." I've addressed this several times with scriptures pertaining to taming your tongue and treating others the way you want to be treated. But I'll address the issue one more time by saying it this way... you can't be an obnoxious jerk to someone if you're trying to get them to turn to God. You can speak the truth of God until you're blue in the face, but if you're being a jerk, then you're wasting your time. I don't know anyone who would stick around and listen to a Christian lecture them about morality when the Christian is calling them nasty names.
I'm certainly not going to listen to another Christian preach at me if they're being an obnoxious jerk and calling me disparaging names. You can't call a Democrat a malicious name like baby murderer or a child of Satan if you want to convince them their position on abortion is morally wrong.
Waiting on him
Well-Known Member
Seven of Nine
Well-Known Member
It isn't wise to take the scriptures out of context to fit a personal political narrative. The Bible is clear that Jesus was speaking to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. In fact, the chapter of Matthew 23 is about Jesus publicly rebuking the teachers of the law and the Pharisees.
Verse 33 in its proper context is quite different than quoting this one verse from the entire passage: "31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation." - Matthew 23:31-36, New King James Version
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