Responsibility to the unsaved

I see a lot of people on this board make statements that imply man has absolutely no responsiblity in terms of reaching people for Christ. I see statements like "what the unsaved think doesn't matter," and "I'm not responsible" coupled with "God saves people."

Now - I agree, God saves people. I think God uses other people to take his message to other people. He certainly used Dr. Prince to reach me. He seems to have used Paul to reach thousands.

But some of you seem to be saying that Christians have no responsibilty toward the unsaved at all. So.. I want to know.....

Why have churches?
Why witness?
Why have missionaries?

If we have no responsibility toward the unsaved - why do we talk about salvation to anyone?

Why did Christ give us the great commission?

Why did Paul and Peter and James warn us to always be aware that our behavior could have a detremental affect on non-Christians?

Why did Paul go to the Gentiles and risk his life if all he had to do was sit at home, pray and wait for the Holy Spirit to do the job? What was his reason for going to all those places he went if he didn't need to?

 

You are right about this: Our responsibility is not to the unsaved. It is to God and what he has commanded us to do.


However, God commanded us to go to the world and teach them all things whatsover he commanded, and he commanded us to love them - more than anyone or anything thing other than God.

You seem to know the difference in ignoring them and in witnessing to them. Some on this board just want to ignore them.

 

Golden Dragon - Your words caught my attention.

I wanted you to know, that I agree with you. I realize that I've stated it poorly because I'm somewhat alarmed by this trend I see that seems to say witnessing isn't our responsiblity or problem. I DO believe that God saves, but I firmly believe we are required to obey God's commands to witness.

I'll go further and state that I believe the luke-warm churches referred to Revelation may be specific historical churches, but that those of us today had better pay attention to the message sent to them lest WE anger God as they did.

Anyway, thank you for how you phrased what you said. It gave me an opportunity to clarify that I agree with you.

 

Joseph,

Praise God re the person you just shared about. I will have to go through various threads to find the statements that I was speaking to. I'm absolutely exhausted right now, but I will try to find them for you.

The impression I've had from the posts I refer to are that some who have been taught predestination turn that into, "it isn't our problem since its up to God anyway." Which isn't what most people I used to hear preach predestination taught, and it stunned me.

Anyway, I'll try to find you the exact wordings from the threads later.

 

Joseph,

Here is one example of a statement that I was talking about. Wife of One had written that we need to live our lives as an example, and she is right. However - the response she received from someone else concerns me. It seems to imply that as long as we're good people, the unsaved will beat a path to our door to ask us why we're good. That certainly isn't my experience.

"Amen! And since humans beings tend to be a curious lot, many of them will inquire about the reason why we are such loving and considerate people, thus opening the door for us to share our love for Christ with them."

I'll look for some of the other things that worried me. They are not in any "one thread" they just pop up in other threads. The one I just posted is actually mild compared to the ones that have alarmed me.