Win Souls, Not Arguments!

[Angelina]

2.4M views · 60K reactions | Win Souls, Not Arguments | David Diga Hernandez

Win Souls, Not Arguments

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[rvmb]

2.4M views · 60K reactions | Win Souls, Not Arguments | David Diga Hernandez

Win Souls, Not Arguments

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and how is a 'soul' today saved ?
ONLY by the authority that Christ gave to Paul to teach the Gospel that saves today :)
Eph 1:13, 1 Cor 15:1-4.
Who says ? Acts 9:15 Christ says.
Did the 12 know ? Yes > Acts 15:6-25, Gal 2:7-9

 

[Nancy]

2.4M views · 60K reactions | Win Souls, Not Arguments | David Diga Hernandez

Win Souls, Not Arguments

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Great share Angelina. It is evident, for sure, that we (The Church) have lost our way and, many pastors as well have the same bug. How can someone get on well with brothers and sisters with opposing doctrinal beliefs? Should we go along to get along? I have not belonged to a church since August of this year. Now I'm in a place that does not have a church that I would go to. I've been invited to a Methodist church that is more world than church; but I have only said maybe one day I will visit but, I don't even want to do that, lol. It is so hard to find fellowship with believers who believe the important, core beliefs of Christianity. All denominations have their own kind of unity but, if you do not agree, how to not be this:

Romans 16:17
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."

It is a fine line, and I HAVE been "marked" by a few churches because I admitted to the pastors that I did not feel comfortable with their acceptance of blatant sin. They turned pretty ugly with me immediately. Also, being a single female does not sit well with any of them, regardless of the church's soundness in doctrinal teachings.

Thanks for the video, and Merry Christmas sister!!

xox

 

[shepherdsword]

I agree that there are many pointless arguments that are akin to how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. However, there are damnable heresies amok in the Christian world. These can delude and deceive prospective believers and cause great harm. Jude tells us to do this:

Jude 3-4 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Why are we told to contend:

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we win a soul by winning the argument. However, the real test when we contend is the fruit we display. Is it from the Spirit? Is our wisdom the kind that descends from above or is earthly, sensual and devilsh?

Jas 3:13-17
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Sometimes our zeal for the truth gets the better of our self control and gets out of hand. We need to be careful of that.

 

[bdavidc]

The reason I bring this up in conversations like this is not to create dissention but to ensure that in the pursuit of peace we don’t water down what Scripture upholds as a matter of salvation. I love unity and peace as much as anyone, but I’ve never seen Scripture call us to peace at any cost. The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” ~Romans 1:16 and if it’s changed or watered down it does not save ~Galatians 1:8. I will fight for the clarity of Scripture because eternity is on the line.

Believers can and do disagree on many things that are not worth fighting over and Scripture is clear that we are not to engage in foolish disputing ~2 Timothy 2:23. But the moment repentance, or faith, or holiness, or even the nature of salvation itself is made secondary or inconsequential, the Bible does not give us silence. Jude commands us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” and he does so for the sake of our common salvation ~Jude 1:3.

Correction in those moments is not pride, it’s not hypocrisy, it’s not even rudeness. Jesus told his disciples to “judge righteous judgment” ~John 7: 24, and Peter was publicly rebuked by Paul for compromising the gospel, not for the purpose of shaming him but to protect the truth of Christ ~Galatians 2:11–14. Love does not mean silence and the peace we pursue is never purchased by denying truth.

Biblical unity is defined by “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” ~Ephesians 4:3–5. Where truth is held up, unity exists. It is not found in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to doctrine. Guarding the gospel is not an alternative to the call to win souls. Scripture warns that false teaching harms the body ~2 Timothy 2:17, and Jesus rebuked churches for tolerating error, not for confronting it ~Revelation 2:14–15.

The gospel that says you can be at peace without repentance or have assurance without the transformation of life is not the message Christ died to send. Jesus said quite plainly, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” ~Luke 13:3. Love without truth is not biblical love and unity without truth is not biblical unity.

 

[bdavidc]

Romans 16:17
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."

It is a fine line, and I HAVE been "marked" by a few churches because I admitted to the pastors that I did not feel comfortable with their acceptance of blatant sin. They turned pretty ugly with me immediately. Also, being a single female does not sit well with any of them, regardless of the church's soundness in doctrinal teachings.

Thank you for your candor here. I can see why this pains you. Scripture never asks us to “go along to get along” when doctrine or holiness are being trampled under foot. Paul told the church to mark and shun those who are given to teaching contrary to the doctrine that we have been taught ~Romans 16:17. That command remains.

At the same time, the Bible is also clear about the cost of faithfulness. Jesus Himself said that by following Him we will be rejected, even by religious people ~John 15:18–20. To be marginalized for refusing to affirm sin is not a sign of pride. It is often the cost of obedience. And singleness is never a disqualification in Scripture. Paul calls it honorable and even beneficial for devotion to the Lord ~1 Corinthians 7:7–8.

Yes, it is a fine line. Discernment is required and it’s not always easy. But you are not alone and you are not odd for desiring fellowship rooted in truth. The Lord knows how to sustain His people, even in seasons when faithful fellowship is hard to come by ~Psalm 37:23–24.

Thank you for your heart to honor Christ.

 

[Angelina]

At the end of the day, theology is not going to get you to heaven. Believing in Jesus and following him is. I use to have his argument with another brother many years ago. I have not grown up with much theological understanding except the salvation message. Yes there are points that need to be clarified but there comes to a point where you need to leave an argument and to agree to disagree because it's not worth our peace. it is the Holy Spirit that teaches us the truth in the end.

Christianity is simple. Believe and receive.

The O/T Leaders and Apostles were not perfect but they did give us little pearls of wisdom to live by, based on their own personal experiences with God and our Lord Jesus
.
The Father's of our Faith laid the very foundation stones in which most of us are now walking. Glory!

 

[Gottservant]

Indeed, have answers, not just questions!

 

[bdavidc]

At the end of the day, theology is not going to get you to heaven. Believing in Jesus and following him is. I use to have his argument with another brother many years ago. I have not grown up with much theological understanding except the salvation message. Yes there are points that need to be clarified but there comes to a point where you need to leave an argument and to agree to disagree because it's not worth our peace. it is the Holy Spirit that teaches us the truth in the end.

When you say theology doesn’t get you to heaven, I know what you’re reaching for but theology is just what you believe about God. Everybody has theology. The question is if it aligns with what God has actually said. You cannot believe the right Jesus and hold the wrong truth about Him. Jesus said “this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” ~John 17:3. Meaning truth matters, not just sincerity.

The gospel is not a feeling, a vibe, or an open invitation to “believe something good about Jesus.” Paul said the gospel is the power of God unto salvation ~Romans 1: 16, and then he warned if that gospel is altered, even in the slightest, it no longer saves ~Galatians 1:8. That means the message itself matters. You cannot cut repentance out of it, soften obedience, or redefine faith and then still call it the gospel.

Now peace is important but Scripture never tells us to purchase peace at the price of truth. Unity is not everyone agreeing to stop asking questions. Unity is built on shared truth. Paul defines it simply as one Lord, one faith, one baptism ~Ephesians 4:3–5. When truth is compromised, Scripture does not say “agree to disagree.” It says contend for the faith ~Jude 1:3. That is not troublemaking. That is stewardship.

Yes the Holy Spirit teaches us, but He never teaches apart from the Word He inspired. Jesus said the Spirit would guide us into truth, and then He prayed that we would be sanctified by the Word of God because the Word of God is truth ~John 16:13; ~John 17:17. The Spirit does not replace Scripture. He drives it home.

Christianity is simple but it is not casual. Jesus said, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel” ~Mark 1:15. He did not say believe without repentance. He did not say receive without submission. He said repent. And He also said, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” ~Luke 6: 46 Faith that never bows is not saving faith.

So yes pursue peace, but never at the expense of truth. Peace is the fruit of truth, not the substitute for it. And love does not mean silence when eternity is on the line.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

2.4M views · 60K reactions | Win Souls, Not Arguments | David Diga Hernandez

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Do both! Jesus saves teh soul. We win the argument by getting them to see the love of Jesus and their need to place their full faith in HIm!

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

@Angelina
I am argumentative and confrontational at times; but gentle and reasonable most of the time - I think. It simply starts with a disagreement. Then pride on either side kicks in, emotions, etc. "One of us is wrong ... or both of us?" Each side holds their ground, won't give in - it is a battle of words. Men understand this more. It is in our nature. Battles, conquests, to challenge one another, debate, we are competitive. Women are more gentle, sweet, sympathetic, etc. Men are just built different then women.

Why is it difficult for us to avoid arguments and easier for preachers? They usually are gifted.
>> Eph. 4:11 explains that: "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,"


I am not an evangelist - don't have the gift and don't think many in this forum do either. I'm not a teacher either. I'm just a common Christian layman. I think we all get frustrated with the fact that we aren't winning souls here; but I don't really think we expect to - especially in the "Christians only forums". Visit the non-Christian forum, then maybe some can be reached there ... if you have a gift. It's okay though _ to plant seeds _ hoping they will sprout at a later time. That's all I think I'm able to do. Anyways, back to arguing. It is not really wrong to argue sometimes. It is necessary at times!

Don't think the Apostles did not argue. Paul rebuked Peter and the Judaisers. On his missions, he did not just visit one town for one day and give one sermon. He spent weeks there at a time, going back and forth, reasoning with people. He was met with adversity, and not just passive disagreement shere they sat around and exchanged philisophical views over tea. He was met with anger, hate, darkness. Satan was challenging him all the way, putting obstacles in his path. These forum arguments that we have, rude and disrespectful as they are, would have been light winded easy confrontations for Paul. We aren't throwing rocks at eachother and physically getting persecuted as he did.
Moderators close the thread on a forum when arguments get heated. They treated Paul with a bit more hostility! They beat him up, threw him in prison and threatened his life.
But he won souls through all of it.
He rebuked, criticisized, called them out of their sinful lives to repent and they resisted - BIG TIME! His Epistles were theological works, God's word. Being filled with the Holy Spirit and guided by Him did not mean his mission was smooth. He suffered through many rough and dangerous confrontations.
But among his brothers,
He frequently engaged in intense theological and personal arguments, defending his authority, mission and doctrines. It was necessary and ended well.

• Public Confrontation of Peter (Galatians 2:11-14): Paul rebuked Peter in Antioch for withdrawing from eating with Gentile Christians due to pressure from "the circumcision group" (Judaizers), calling it hypocrisy that opposed the truth of the gospel.
• Defense of His Apostleship (Galatians 1-2): Paul argued that his authority and gospel message were received directly from Jesus Christ, not through human appointment or the Jerusalem apostles, though they later recognized his mission to the Gentiles.
• Disagreement with Barnabas (Acts 15:37-40): Paul had a "sharp disagreement" with Barnabas regarding whether to take John Mark on their second missionary journey, leading them to part ways.
• Theological Battles (Epistles): Throughout his letters, Paul argued against the necessity of adhering to Jewish rituals (such as circumcision) for salvation, defending "justification by faith".

I think Paul had many failures over the decades but certainly won hundreds of thousands of souls.You must realize that more remained lost that were won. After weeks in one town he may have only reached a few but many times would throw up his hands, quit, brush off his sandles and move on. Sure, the Gospel, a message about love, faith and hope given in a gentle manner is received well. Friction is inevitable. The tension between good and evil continues. Peace will soon come

 

[stevesonthebay]

I think this is the key. After many debates over the years you can never convince any through evidence or logic and reasoning. Salvation is something personal, a relational experience and not scientific fact.

But there is a realness with experiences. This is how the ancients passed on knowledge and wisedom. Through stories and testimony.

Testimony is the most power reality of all. It penetrates to the spirit.

This is what the disciples and early Christians did. They simply gave their real life testimony and experience of Christ.

It is either taken as truth or is rejected. But it cannot be defeated by the world. To give testimoney on how Christ is the way, the truth and the life. The light when all is dark. When all hope is lost in this world.

 

[Jericho]

At the end of the day, theology is not going to get you to heaven.

I will preface by saying that I don't necessarily enjoy debates (though I sometimes get involved anyway). They require a lot of time and energy, disturb my peace, and don't usually accomplish much. Very seldom does one side convince the other side. If anything, they usually just dig their heels in deeper. Having said that, everyone has a theology, don't they? Theology is basically our understanding of God. There are a lot of theologies out there, and not all of them are good. The question then is, could having the wrong theology NOT get you into heaven? If so, then perhaps debates can serve a purpose. I also think there is a distinction between arguing and debating, and we should definitely avoid the former.

 

[Jack]

2 Timothy 4:2
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

 

[Lambano]

Win Souls, Not Arguments!​

Haven't won one yet.