How can I witness to my friends who say they’re Christians but their actions say otherwise?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 4 вер 2024
- How should we respond to people who say they believe but don’t act like Christians? In this “Questions and Answers” session from Ligonier’s 2017 National Conference, W. Robert Godfrey, Michael Horton, and Derek Thomas consider the problem of nominal Christianity.
Message us for clear, concise, and trustworthy answers to your biblical and theological questions at ask.ligonier.org/
For more information on this topic:
www.ligonier.o...
www.ligonier.o...
www.ligonier.o...
www.ligonier.o...
#AskLigonier
I got saved many years ago, but I wasn't "all in". I didn't take time to be alone with God, reading the Bible. As God called to me to stop being a lukewarm christian I have begun reading my bible & I am learning things I never knew about God's word. It is transforming my heart & all praise goes to God & the saving blood of Jesus!
Same thing here. It wasn’t until I was all in that my faith truly expressed itself
amen
Yes, Amen! Once I fully committed to Christmas started study His word began to transform my ❤️ Praise His Holy Name! Jesus is King!!
🤔💭 The past few years, I've come to realize my Mom, who claims to be a Christian & has been regularly involved in a local church for more than 40 years, doesn't pray or read the Bible hardly at all, if ever. I've tried to gently discuss things with her, but she's _intensely opposed_ to a conversation focused on her. So instead, I've just been sharing with her things I read & study, including articles & videos, but she has little to say about them, or she doesn't respond to them at all, likely because she didn't read or look at it. It's as if she has _no appetite for spiritual things_ whatsoever, which is tremendously painful for me to see. And she doesn't talk to anyone about things of substance, only superficial chitchat.... So, I've _increased my prayers_ that God would do whatever it takes to get her attention & _for her to taste & see that the LORD is good_ . 🙏🏼
I feel you
@@JerseyGurl4Life 🥺 It breaks my heart, not only to realize she doesn't have the relationship with the Lord I always thought she had (and feel I was led to believe she had), but also that she doesn't know the love & intimacy & strong foundation & source of hope & peace & confidence I've come to find throughout all my difficulties & hardships of 25 years of adulthood.... Her "religiosity" seems more like an _empty shell_ than anything close to being a genuine & heartfelt conversion.... And as she ages, the thought of her _not genuinely being converted_ only terrorizes my heart & soul even moreso!!
Have you dealt with similar situations with those close to you??.... I'd definitely be open to any wise counsel or encouragement you might be able to offer.
@@mcoz6934 hey there, I completely relate to what you are saying. I have someone close to me that is exactly like that. I have offered to do a Bible study with her every weekend and so far we have done one but the devotionals she wanted to do were not biblical in my eyes. She is more into prosperity Gospel I think so next time we have Bible study I want to discuss with her what she finds difficult about reading the Bible, what she wants to learn, how much does she already know and share what I want through this study is for her to know how to read the Bible and do it on her own. That this would be the catalyst that would spark the flame in her heart to desire God more. I am praying for her everyday and ultimately it is up to God to change her heart and it is her choice if she wants to make that decision. 🙏
Ask her directly “If you die today and GOD asks you why HE should let you into Heaven, what would you say?” This is a matter of life and death and obviously is an urgent matter… She can’t continue living with a FALSE assurance of her FALSE conversion! She needs to be shaken up to the reality that if she does NOT desire the things of GOD, it’s a very obvious sign she was NEVER saved nor converted at all… And she needs to be told this truth NOW rather than later… The most loving thing you can do is to tell her to examine herself whether she truly is of GOD or not, before it’s too late!🙏🏼✝️🙏🏼
I'm in agreement with you for your mother. May God bless all the mothers and daughters out there.
This self absorbed society would rather continue in sin than have to face that they might be wrong about something; but we are not of the world. A true Christian will rejoice when they are corrected because it means you are a son! "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." Hebrews 12:8
So often happens with friends, colleagues and especially with family. Almost always causes offence... remember we plant and only GOD can water and allow growth. 🙏❤ praise HIM.
Be honest. Be direct. Be loving. Don't seek your friend's praise over God's, and don't fear your friend's rejection over God's.
Whether someone goes to church or not does not determine if they have salvation. Obviously we all know if you were born again you will have the desire to be with the body of Christ. That being said there are so many fake Christians that attend church every week in America and are so far from God so for us to use whether someone goes to church or not is a bad view.
Absolutely
I agree. I can't even find a local church that is truly a Bible based one. I don't have a vehicle. There was one walking distance that I tried out a couple of times. The first time, the sermon was about pressing the pause button on your remote. There was a huge cardboard remote hanging from the ceiling, and little to no Scripture was being taught. A month later, I thought I would try to give them another shot. Exact same sermon was being preached. I'm not going to go just so that I can say that I go to church.
@@victorialw1 Your comment really touched me. My wife and I were languishing in churches (multiple churches over many years) that were not preaching from the bible, did not have church discipline or accountability, and were focused on worldly things. We pressed on and on, thinking many times that there were no good churches left, and after 20 years of searching we finally found a good church. And I'm not talking about a "good enough" church, but God REALLY delivered us into a GREAT family!
I'm sorry you had to face that garbage in that church - I've seen some despicable "sermons" over the years myself, and they are heartbreaking. Hang in there! You've inspired me to add praying for those without a church to my morning prayers. God bless you!
So, in the end, it may sound harsh, but I think that so called nominal ‘christians’ have not (yet) come to know or even experience what the power of the Grace of God in Christ (Gospel) really is and does in the christian (believer’s) life.
Exactly! You shall know them by their fruits.
H T Would King David be considered nominal believer when he was living a polygamous lifestyle, King David had a man killed, because he found the mans wife hot after he saw her naked taking a shower, he had him killed so he can add to his woman collection?
Let’s face it, having that many women as wives is not an act of a loving believer, it’s an act of a man sexual lust over women, a womanizer. Yet in scripture it is described That David was a man after God’s heart. At the same time judging outwardly majority of Christian would consider him a nominal Christian. I’m not condoning King David’s action, but how as Christian do we harmonize that with judging righteously?
Joseph Mauricio Flores - One of the most important effects of the grace of God in the life of His children is a Godly sorrow that leads to repentance. It is clear from Scripture, David’s Psalms f.e., that such was David’s & the result of the grace of God in his life. That is foreign in the life of the so called ‘nominal christian’.
Your sin emphasizing to ‘possibly’ justify the ‘nominal christian’, is leaving out this essence of every true christian. Read the Psalms of David, especially 51, that is not the heart of a ‘nominal christian’.
The ‘nominality’ that is in question is the sinning without true sorrow leading to true repentance.
@@DebtorToMercyAlone I completely agree.
Not only did David repent sorrowfully. But even then after David's first son died, he mourned, but still went on to put his trust in God.
David repented, took the consequences on the chin, and still sought God's love and mercy.
Read those Pslams. David made a mistake.
But i wanted to know what is nominal Christianity? Is that the opposition of denominational?
What not just say nondenominational?
Tori Ellise - Great question!
In short; those who use such terminology do so with the desire (and conviction) that they can identify people who call themselves christians, but who don’t show ‘enough’ or “enough true” evidence of really being a christian. You can call those people with a kind word the ‘fruit inspectors’ or “Lordship salvationists”. But in reality they are often judgmental, pharisaical legalists.
But I think ‘nominal christian’ is a contradiction in terms. It is a fruit of the strong judgmental cravings from certain people who (without Biblical mandate for it) think they can determine in fact who is christian and who is not. But its a ‘non term’. For fear of Antinominanism and other carnal ideas, people come up with the most absurd and unbiblical ideas, calling it biblical nonetheless.
But Paul, forseeing such ridiculous claims, responded to it practically with what I said above: “Such people have not (yet) know/experience the Gospel of Grace and the transforming power thereof in this life, for the believer! (Rom 6)
The other thing is; It may very well be that there is a difference in spiritual maturity, but that is no reason to boast for the spiritual (more) mature christians. It should humble the more mature christian(s), not to invent idea’s that place such children of God “in between” as carnal-christians or nominal- christians and/or even placing some outside of His covenant family while they in fact are as adopted as themselves, or never were at all. But the judgmentalism is wrong. Remember what Jesus said (warned) about; pulling out the WEED together with the WHEAT…
Exhortations given by Paul to churches and f.e. Christ to the churches in Revelation, do in no way mean that people who ‘were’ christians, are not anymore. Or people being christians (believers) but nonetheless will still be eternally lost because of their so-called nominality. Such ideas are foreign to Scripture and open doors for other horrible doctrines.
It creates works salvation, without assurance and much unceratinty in a system of bondage where ultimately no one will (can) ever be sure that he is and will in the end be eternally saved.
Ask People who hold to such terms as “nominal / carnal christian”, what they mean by it? When does one fall into such category, what does it mean in terms of consequences, what are the minimums to join the club of ‘normal christians’ again? And then see how much unconditinoal love & grace it left using all their terminologies. And we can go on and on with the absurd ideas.
This guy says, Are you a member and in good standing in a church. Wouldn't be the question I would ask. It would be, Do you have Christ involved with you in day-to-day affairs and is he a part of everything you do and especially in matters of the heart. Upsets me when I see someone say something like this as most churches are detestable and person you're talking to who maybe a sincere seeker may dislike church for same reasons I do and many sincere Christians do therefore this kind of question may needlessly cause unnecessary & destructive guilt because he may have seen how false churches are and so full of hypocrites and part of a false, counterfeit antichrist gospel.
Yes. This question doesn't really help.
God bless you! :)
I agree because the minute I ask my family, they say " Yes. I go to so and so church and I'm a tither " They are lost but they don't want to hear that.
This was obviously not what he was meaning...
In Other words "i don't know"
I know people who say they're Christians. They do love God, but some of their actions and the way they speak don't say look at me I'm a Christian.
The problem with those who say they're Christians but continue to live in sin is that they don't truly love God. The book of 1st John makes this clear. This doesn't mean the Christian is perfect. However, if a professing Christian's style of life is sin, then that individual is not a Christian. The Christian is regenerated and given new desires to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
I would imagine that helping to point someone to their heart and doing a "heart-check" in their Christian progress would be needed - all while opening God's Word, which is sure to illuminate bad fruit. At least I aim to do that with anyone that claims their faith and Christianity.
Matthew 18:15-18 answer this question pretty clearly. There are versions that say “sins against you”, but according to the NASB 1995 version, “sins against you” are found in later manuscripts. Meaning that the autographs, that is the original writings, and earlier manuscripts just say “if your brother sins”, not “if your brother sins against you”. Meaning that if you see your brother sinning, you can address them directly and go through this process whether it be he is sinning or sinning against you.
““If your brother sins , go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 18:15-18 NASB1995
Faith is an action based thing
🤔💭 _WE OURSELVES_ should seek to be _SO TRANSFORMED_ into the likeness of Christ that _HIS IRRESISTIBLE NATURE_ draws them to Him, through us....
🤔💭
_Is that not_ , at least in part, _why Christians are called to suffer_ just as our Savior did??
_Is that not_ what Paul meant when he said he was "filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body"?? (COL 1:24)
_Is that not why_ "we are always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies"?? (2 COR 4:10)
_Is that not why_ "it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake"?? (PHIL 1:29)
_Is that not why_ we are to "present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice"?? (ROM 12:1)
I think that because of the wicked time's we are in and having the churches turning their backs on God and really becoming the enemy of God, a true Christians conduct might win some.
Question- 2 men become Christians
The first walks away but later returns to the faith but dies the same day and has no time for fruits or works to grow
The second spends his whole life in sin but also dies on the day he converts
Which one is the nominal Christian?
You can’t serve 2 masters, that why the bible says if you accept Jesus Christ as your saviour and master, everything is new, your way of living thinking dressing talking... must glorify Jesus Christ, not the world
Amen
"There ought to be something about being a Christian that should be attractive & infectious."
Like a bunch of stuffy old bookworms in suits sitting around detached from real society quoting dead people and spending all day in earthly mansions? 🤔🤔🤔
@@iacoponefurio1915 Most people in the church are imposters. I don't let the ungodly people in the church keep me from having a relationship with Christ. I'm sorry for your anger & hurt. God bless you.
Also-God orchestrates faith differently to individuals that belong to him. We can’t all be feet in Christ’s body. 🤦♀️ My husband is more child-like in his faith- me, I’m very intellectual and inquisitive in nature and coming from atheism my approach to faith as a Christian seems more complex right now than his simplicity.
Being sanctified as born-again Holy Spirit filled being-it takes time. So how would that work when we don’t know at what point in their journey to be Christ-like? and we all struggle with sin because we’re in the world still… preaching the gospel isn’t the only will of God. God says we are to live in such a way that people ask us about the hope we have, not Bible thump everyone.
Use Scripture!
Have you repented, been baptised, been filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you walking daily with Christ?
If not, you're not a Christian.
Show them the Scriptures.
Now, here's the difficult part.....point them in the direction of a Church that preaches the truth.
im not seeing a lot of fire and joy in these answers.
Thanks for posting, I dig it :)
No good answer in this video. It's tough.
Sooooo...your only born again if you attend church...they didn't even say " a Bible believing church" ...hmmm...have these reformers forgotten the 5 Solas? There is no such thing as "nominal" Christians, your either born again or your not, you either love the brethren or you don't. Your a sheep or a goat, wheat or tare. Jesus commands His people in Rev 18:4 to "come out" ! Pharisees in the later days sitting on podiums. These are the same people who teach tithing along with works, shameful!
I think we may not be aware of the exact context of the question, since the asking of the question was cut out. I also think we need to consider the reputations and teachings of these men: obviously they know the gospel, understand salvation, election, regeneration, sanctification, etc. I think we must not be upset and give the benefit of the doubt because this clip is obviously pulled out of its larger context.
Grace and Peace, brother.
It doesn't matter whether the clip is taken out of " context " or not. They used the term nominal...do you agree there is no such classification or go along with the these learned Pharisees? BTW, what gave you the slightest idea that my response was in anger? This is churchianity at its best my friend, and lots of it going around these days in more subtle ways than this. We have been warned about these times, let's not just blow these teachings off as minor disagreements or misunderstandings. The context is clear enough to me, and the answer is unbiblical to the discerning christian.
Respectfully i ask David how would you reply to the question if u were sitting up their?
@@jakem4107 I think my comment was very clear as to how I would have answered that question. So let me ask you, is the blood of Christ strong enough to wash every sin of a believer white as snow or not? This is your answer. Thanks for your comment.
@@callawaycass5148
This is posted by the same group. How could such a 'reputed' group pull out what they've themselves said out of context & post?
Here's an idea, mind your own business.
God hasn't called His people to mind our own business. He has caused us to be concerned with others spiritual life around us. So we aren't able to take your idea 💡.
@@tommoore4642 Yeah, that’s the problem with you folks.
@@tubeklw4533 the problem with you folks is your not concerned about your soul and you should be. What would it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul
@@tommoore4642oh, more nonsense from the buy-bull. How not helpful.
How about cooking a meal and taking it into the slums? Buying a bunch of dollar store clothes and handing it out for free?