How Dare You....

Read again. I will not mention my local church in India. If i go. Why would I?

 

My answer to this question risks derailing this entire thread! No, I do believe Christianity is the only "true" religion, if in its pure form. I certainly don't think that other belief systems are equally valid. But I also don't believe only Christians are saved. Those poor little kids being kept in cages and sold to the highest bidder might be children of God as well. And they might and likely will die without ever hearing the name of Christ. My job is to love 'em all and let God sort 'em out. I would not dream of disrupting what little is left of their lives by pressuring them to "accept Christ" under threat of hellfire and damnation. Would you? I in no wise ever feel called upon to do that. I cannot answer as to whether they will go to heaven, but they are in hell here on this earth. That is what I can help with.

 

ok, thank you for clarifying! But, I mean the Bible does say that "there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved" speaking of Jesus Christ. To me that would imply that only belief in Christ can save us.......hence only Christians.......

Of course, not all who call themselves Christians really are......but like you said, that's another topic for another day!

as to your last question......yes I absolutely would share with those precious children the love of Christ and how He not only sent help for their situation in this physical world, but he also came Himself to save their eternal souls.

This is not meant to be callous at all, but what is worse........a life of hardship for a few years here on earth? or eternal hell-fire? My question here is not meant to imply that I think we should not help to alleviate the suffering in the world around us. No, I think we should help! But we must not ignore the soul-need in the process. Also, I do not believe that children are accountable to God until they can understand. However, that does not mean we don't teach them about God and Jesus.

I need to clarify though, talking to someone about Christ and the gospel cannot always be characterized as "pressure". Now, for some of us almost any conversation we have is a pressure. But talking to someone is not pressuring them to make a decision when there has been no conviction from the Holy Spirit. That can quickly be ascertained as the conversation progresses.


oh, btw Amity....your comment about derailing the thread made me laugh.....we're already so off the OP's tracks we're with that locomotive off in the fields picking buttercups and chasing butterflies! lol

 

No. There is NTHER NAME by which we may be saved. There is no one else who can save. Not me, and not you. But does one have to know Christ's name to be saved? I don't see scriptural support for that.

As far as sharing the love of Christ without thumping people over the head with a Bible, I have to leave that in God's hands. I already wrote something about that. God may use me in ways I cannot imagine. I used to get to travel a good bit, and looking back I believe quite a few people did know Christ without hearing His name, not out of human mouths at least.

Luke 10:25-37 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Matthew 25:31-46 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.​

 

I know! Im sorry :godisgood: :wavey:

 

I guess we really did get off of the OP didn't we?

I get into a good discussion and don't pay enough attention. sorry too.

 

I don't think we are off the topic at all! Our good Samaritan work ought to take money away from "tithing," rather than the other way around.

 

In our church, we tithe (10%) of our tithes to our denominational missionaries.
We also take up quarterly offerings that goes to specific missions.
Like medical missions, and building seminaries, VBS type, or the like.
We also take up monthly offerings to go to independent missionaries we support.

Our region (WVBC) also offers around 20 short term mission trips around the world to help our missionaries do specific projects.
One group just got back from India.

 

If you want to read of a mission trip our church supported, go here.

Our church supported "Pete" He is a local pastor that is a good friend of mine. Take the time to read what he wrote on this blog.
Especially about the children that live in the dump (about 2/3 down, you will see pictures of dirty kids)
Our youth group had a vote.. And the youth decided to give 1/2 of their finances to Pete to go on this trip. They could have used these funds for fun, or fellowship, but they decided to give it to missions...
I wish more Christians were like this.
The world would be a better place.
Can you look at these faces that Pete ministered to and not want to tell them about Jesus?


If you wouldn't want to tell them about Jesus' love for them, you don't have the love of Jesus in your heart.

 

The question is not what I want, it is what Christ wants, right? Read the story of the good Samaritan again. The only thing *told* there is where the Samaritan tells the owner of the inn to take care of the poor half-dead until he comes for him again and will repay. I see also that we are to pour oil (grace) and wine (Holy Spirit) into their wounds, also.

 

Christ wants us to tell others about Him...
This is not an option, but a command...

Mark 16:15
(15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Not just to the elect.

 

Do I have to personally go into the world and preach the gospel to every single creature, all 5 billion of them, or do I have to do what he gave me to do? I am a female, mind you ... so not a preacher at all. Besides other passages say that that was already accomplished.

And giving money to a mission board is hardly the same thing.

BTW, I would say that "every creature" (a creature is a being created by God) could definitely mean not just the "elect" but the born again, the "new creatures." I am not sure that there is anyplace in the Bible where all humans are referred to as "creatures." The only other reference i can think of is to the born again. Obviously it does not include animals, and you are not suggesting that, so I won't go there.

 

very interesting analogical application of the oil and wine in this parable! Id never heard it put that way before, BUT your analogy would support OUR position. The position that says that we must not forget their spiritual situation as we are ministering to their physical needs. How would we "pour the Holy Spirit" into their wounds, other than telling them about Christ? The Holy Spirit comes with salvation.


Earlier, in another post, you said that the Word had already been taken to all nations so we are done? I agree that all peoples did at one time have a gospel witness. After all, we all started from Adam and Eve and they told their children, and so on. Even much later than that there are God's witnesses mentioned as existing among Gentile (unbelieving) people. However, some have cared for their witness better than others. There are still people who do not know, and there will be until Christ comes again.


Also, in an even earlier post, you asked if they have to know Jesus' name in order to be saved? I posted it before, but read Romans 10:14 and 15.....read the whole passage if you'd prefer, the context does not change it's application (as someone else was trying to say).

"How can they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" If they have not heard specifically of Jesus than they cannot believe in Him.

 

That would be a very hard thing to do, wouldn't it, obeying the Great Commission in Mark? You would have to spend your whole life witnessing for Christ, giving to missions, taking trips to mission fields to contribute as a lay person. And even then you could not fulfill the Great Commission because there are those billions of souls and more being born all the time.

That is the problem with your position: it involves no sacrifice, it invites no persecution, it does not hurt your wallet at all. You will never lose sleep over lost souls, you will never be cursed at for the name of Jesus Christ, you will never have a door slammed in your face for trying to witness for Him, you will never have people look at you suspiciously for giving them a Gospel tract.

Your position is a wimpy and weak one, a far cry from that protrayed in the book of Acts, and thus the only Baptist group that holds to it is you Primitive Baptists. Oh, I forgot, the Two-Seed-In-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists also held it, but they are almost totally gone now--as the Primitive Baptists will be someday.

 

No, but I might expect to be shot!

And really, John, this position has been widely held. If you don't think so, you just have not read what I am saying. Missions as you are speaking of are a new invention.

And bapmom, I never said I would not tell them about Christ. I am in no way going to hand out tracts, though.

 

Nope, my position is absolutely not a new one. It is you who does not know history. All 12 of the apostles were killed as cross-cultural foreign missionaries except James (killed in Jerusalem) and John (who was also a foreign missionary, dying a natural death, but had the privilege of being boiled in oil for the cause of Jesus Christ). Take a look at Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

I have no time to educate you about the many missionary minded groups down through the centuries which existed before the "modern missionary movement" such as the Nestorians, Moravians, etc. I have to go to church to be a missionary-pastor.

 

Did they hand out tracts?

You obviously have not read the thread, John.