I have been many times rebuked for debating other people in the subject of faith and religion. Mostly in internet forums and bulletin boards. Usually these rebukes come from people that try to hold me accountable to a fictitious standard that that we are, at no time, in any circumstance, to expound our faith in any way that can be construed as stating Christianity is superior to any other religion.
Expounding Christianity as exclusive and the “only” way to God is bigoted, hateful and closed minded. Personally I prefer “narrow minded”, (Matt 7:13).
The Bible speaks for itself that Christianity is an “exclusive” religion. By that I mean it claims to be the only faith that is true and leads to the actual, living, true God.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Acts 4:12
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
None of this is new. This has been the faith since the apostles. This is the narrow mindedness that got Christians thrown to the lions 2,000 years ago. People that accuse me of hate for “putting down another person’s religion” just don’t get it.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
They have a pre-conceived notion of what they think the Christian faith is all about and it’s not about cow towing to false religions.
It is my experience that these people are more of a concern than debating other religions can ever be. In the western world now days the ultimate virtue is tolerance. To be tolerant of each other’s opinions, ethnicity, sexual deviation, or religion is the ultimate good that all people must live by. Or be compelled to live by.
In my experience people of other religions have no problems with debating their faith. Catholics can the most frustrating. Especially Catholics who know their Bible and Church history. Mormons tend to think they can debate and when they see how badly that debate goes they go directly to a position where they cry they’re being picked on.
“Why are you persecuting me? Why are you trying to cripple my faith?”
“Uh… Because you came to my door and rang my door bell with the intension to cripple my faith. How’s that working out for you?”
Atheists are not going to be “rationalized” into the Kingdom. (Sure, some have, C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, Lee Strobel etc.) But I believe the Spirit convinced them not their own education.
Muslims, Hindus, Druids, Buddhists, and Shinto’s must first be convinced that the Bible is the truth.
What is the point of using a Bible with somebody who doesn’t care what it says?
I have nothing to really say to the atheist, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist except, “Whatever religion or philosophy you got going on is a false one. You’ve been lied to and deceived my friend. You need to repent and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord or you will perish in hell.”
Don’t buy that? Okay... But it’s true and it’s dead serious. I pray you change your mind.
And that’s all I got for them.
2 Timothy 2:23-24
23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
Trust me. Trust me. Trust me. Unless the Holy Spirit is already working in their heart, (And He very well might be.), reasoning anybody into the Kingdom is not the way to go. The Holy Spirit uses the cross and the blood of Christ and conviction from His Word to cut to the heart. In other words the old way. The way that you would absolutely figure would be the most offensive way of saying it turns out to be its power, (Rom 1:16). I’ll have something to say about the true way to preach the Gospel in another posting.
This time I want to talk about when somebody comes around and says they’re a Christian.
Jesus as their Lord and the Word of God held dear and then starts twisting, perverting, distorting, falsifying, warping, fabricating, inventing, misrepresenting, altering, (did I say distorting?), deforming, then what?
Do you believe the Bible?
What do you think this passage means…
2 Timothy 4:1-3
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
We’re supposed to be loving. That doesn’t mean accommodating or “agree” and doesn’t even always mean “nice”.
You think Jesus was always “nice”?
A bunch of merchants buying and selling in the temple didn’t think He was so nice. (Matt 21:12)
When “Christians” say...
”Jesus was just a good teacher and whatta shame ‘The Man’ killed him and he was just sayin’ to love your neighbor.”
Or...
Jesus didn’t raise from the dead.
Or...
You have to “work” to get to heaven.
Or...
You can live in hedonist sin and still be saved because, “It’s all about grace and God’s gotta forgive me.”
Then no.
I’m not going sit here and abide that kind of blasphemy potentially killing somebody or robbing somebody of their reward.
”Each person develops their own interpretation of the different books and what they actually mean.”
Uh huh.
Like, for instance?
The scripture tells us to …
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
There is a right way and a wrong way to discern what scripture says.
It being “your interpretation” does not equal true.
And yes, there is “true” and there is “false”.
”Yeah but you shouldn’t cut down what somebody else believes.”
You should if it’s wrong!
Galatians 2:10-12
Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;
We are definitely, definitely out to convert each other and prove we’re right.
Of course we're out to change minds, (2 Tim 2:25-26).
Of course we're out to get people to reject their false beliefs for the truth.
If Paul were here he’d be scrapping with the rest.
If you doubt my word, read Galatians. (Paul being very “un-nice”.)
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
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