Repelling the Idea of God by Holding Fast to Jesus

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Rachel20

Senior Member
May 7, 2013
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I have a friend who recently turned from atheism to Christianity in the last few months. He and I are good friends, and it was during our friendship that he turned to Christ.

His enthusiasm as a new believer led him to write an article about why he believed in the concept of God again. He sent it to me to view it.
It was beautiful, full of Nietzsche and logic however I was disappointed to see that there was no mention of Jesus. Not only that but he left the gender of God as well as the choice of God to a person.

I voiced my concerns about this. He then proceeded to tell me how unpopular the idea of "My God is true and not yours" was and how I had actually repelled the idea of God to another friend.


This really saddened and upset me.

Being Indian, religion is a sensitive topic and I didn't even recall actively preaching Jesus to this other friend. However the fact that I had turned him away just by my very public acknowledgement of Jesus was hurtful.

My Christian friend and I are both in a setting where people ridicule the concept of God. When man can create the next best cutting edge technology why would he need God?
My friend brought up Elon Musk - inventor/entrepreneur and how the world was a better place because Elon decided to pursue his interest in books rather than God.

My dear friend has a great compassion for our circle of friends. However he doesn't see how any of them would come to Christ without being broken (which is exactly what the gospel is) and he aims to make people aware of their brokenness.

To me though, I am left confused. I am not comfortable with not putting Jesus first but what if my friend is able to open the minds of our friends?
Wouldn't that be better than me, a clear repellant?



So my question is, is it better to build upon the idea of God and then introduce Christ rather than giving it to them "straight as it is"?

Should the fact that Jesus, and Jesus alone is the way, the truth , the life be a repellant?
 
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Rachel20 said:
I have a friend who recently turned from atheism to Christianity in the last few months. He and I are good friends, and it was during our friendship that he turned to Christ.

His enthusiasm as a new believer led him to write an article about why he believed in the concept of God again. He sent it to me to view it.
It was beautiful, full of Nietzsche and logic however I was disappointed to see that there was no mention of Jesus. Not only that but he left the gender of God as well as the choice of God to a person.

I voiced my concerns about this. He then proceeded to tell me how unpopular the idea of "My God is true and not yours" was and how I had actually repelled the idea of God to another friend.


This really saddened and upset me.

Being Indian, religion is a sensitive topic and I didn't even recall actively preaching Jesus to this other friend. However the fact that I had turned him away just by my very public acknowledgement of Jesus was hurtful.

My Christian friend and I are both in a setting where people ridicule the concept of God. When man can create the next best cutting edge technology why would he need God?
My friend brought up Elon Musk - inventor/entrepreneur and how the world was a better place because Elon decided to pursue his interest in books rather than God.

My dear friend has a great compassion for our circle of friends. However he doesn't see how any of them would come to Christ without being broken (which is exactly what the gospel is) and he aims to make people aware of their brokenness.

To me though, I am left confused. I am not comfortable with not putting Jesus first but what if my friend is able to open the minds of our friends?
Wouldn't that be better than me, a clear repellant?



So my question is, is it better to build upon the idea of God and then introduce Christ rather than giving it to them "straight as it is"?

Should the fact that Jesus, and Jesus alone is the way, the truth , the life be a repellant?
Click to expand...

It's so cool that you want to reach your friends for Christ, Rachel. I think one thing you have to remember is that you cannot control whether or not a person rejects Christianity or is repelled by some aspect of it, and it's better to have them reject something they understand fully than to accept something they don't completely understand. You want to present the whole truth of Christianity to them, and Jesus is the most important part of the gospel. The Bible says that some will be repelled from him and some will be drawn to him. Your task is simply to communicate the whole truth to them and leave the rest up to God.

Rather than hiding Jesus from them, be up front and honest about him and invite your friends to dialogue about what turns them off about Christianity. That would be a better way to go :)
 
Real conviction is accomplished by the Holy Spirit to draw someone to Christ, not our methodology. We declare as the Word teaches, & the Holy Spirit does the rest, blessing our witness as well as preparing the hearts of the lost. God takes our witness & multiplies it like the loaves & fishes.:)
 
Thank you Stephen for the response.


However, Stephen, my reason for asking this was not to lay out a pretty methodology or alogrithm but to understand if in any way I was wrong and my Christian friend was right in the way he was proceeding with things.

Like Paul himself said,


1 Corinthians 9:19-22


19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),so as to win those under the law.21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.


Even when Paul was in Athens, he reasoned with the Greeks, starting from talking about the altar to the "unknown God" and how God was not made of silver or gold. He understood their culture and keeping that in mind tried to bring the good news to them.

Acts 17: (22-34)

Click on the link to read the verses, because I think if I post, it would be too long



 
ChandlerFan said:
It's so cool that you want to reach your friends for Christ, Rachel. I think one thing you have to remember is that you cannot control whether or not a person rejects Christianity or is repelled by some aspect of it, and it's better to have them reject something they understand fully than to accept something they don't completely understand. You want to present the whole truth of Christianity to them, and Jesus is the most important part of the gospel. The Bible says that some will be repelled from him and some will be drawn to him. Your task is simply to communicate the whole truth to them and leave the rest up to God.

Rather than hiding Jesus from them, be up front and honest about him and invite your friends to dialogue about what turns them off about Christianity. That would be a better way to go :)
Click to expand...


Thanks ChandlerFan.

That appears to be the way I see it as well :)
 
It seems odd to me that someone in the field of technology would be so opposed to the idea of only one solution to something. For example, he probably would agree that there is only one true set of laws regarding thermodynamics, and other psuedo-scientific theories of caloric & phlogiston are not true. If he believes in God, surely he doesn't believe in all of them?

Regardless of his beliefs, I commend you for sharing the gospel with your friends. Once again I agree with ChandlerFan. I'll have to be quicker to post, or else folks will think I just copy what he says :D
 
JimJimmers said:
It seems odd to me that someone in the field of technology would be so opposed to the idea of only one solution to something. For example, he probably would agree that there is only one true set of laws regarding thermodynamics, and other psuedo-scientific theories of caloric & phlogiston are not true. If he believes in God, surely he doesn't believe in all of them?

Regardless of his beliefs, I commend you for sharing the gospel with your friends. Once again I agree with ChandlerFan. I'll have to be quicker to post, or else folks will think I just copy what he says :D
Click to expand...

Yeah Jim, I have to agree.
I was surprised by my friend's reluctance to talk about Jesus.

I think my friend feels the need to present it in an intellectual, poetic fashion that would appeal to their need for their perceived sense of avant garde.

He doesn't think the way I am "cuts it" with my other friends. So I guess, I'll just watch by the sidelines and pray.
 
Rachel,

You did very good in confessing the truth (Jesus Christ). If the truth "repelled" someone, it is not your fault, but his, for he thought that you can negotiate the truth, but you can't! Truth is only One. In Christ we become free persons, outside of Christ we are mere individuals.
 
Rachel20 said:
Yeah Jim, I have to agree.
I was surprised by my friend's reluctance to talk about Jesus.

I think my friend feels the need to present it in an intellectual, poetic fashion that would appeal to their need for their perceived sense of avant garde.

He doesn't think the way I am "cuts it" with my other friends. So I guess, I'll just watch by the sidelines and pray.
Click to expand...

I would be careful to rely too heavily on your friend's perceptions as well. Obviously there are other ways to love your friends well too, and it's quite possible that showing them love will soften their hearts to hearing your words as well. In that sense, you never have to be on the sidelines.
 
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Well... I do think that in order for a person to come to the realization of Jesus' gospel, they have to believe or start wondering if there is even a God first... When they realize that God is real, then hear the story of Jesus, it signifies the beauty and love of God even more.
 
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How's this: We read the Bible & see what it says about preaching the Gospel & walk in the Spirit instead of doing what is right in our own eyes....... sounds like a plan, eh? :)
 
Stephen63 said:
How's this: We read the Bible & see what it says about preaching the Gospel & walk in the Spirit instead of doing what is right in our own eyes....... sounds like a plan, eh? :)
Click to expand...


If you had Scripture related to this, it would be very nice if you shared them.

Our drive to proclaim Jesus to our friends is part of who we are and out of love for them.

Even the disciples often consulted with the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem to discuss matters of mission etc.
Asking people their opinion on an issue like this is not trying to do something right in our own eyes.


The Bible also says to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

If anything, we just want to tell other's the good news of what Jesus has done for us and we know we want to do it, such that we win as many of our friends to God as possible.




 
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Simona25 said:
Rachel,

You did very good in confessing the truth (Jesus Christ). If the truth "repelled" someone, it is not your fault, but his, for he thought that you can negotiate the truth, but you can't! Truth is only One. In Christ we become free persons, outside of Christ we are mere individuals.
Click to expand...


Thanks Simona.

That meant a lot to me :) God bless you.
 
Rachel20 said:
If you had Scripture related to this, it would be very nice if you shared them.

Our drive to proclaim Jesus to our friends is part of who we are and out of love for them.

Even the disciples often consulted with the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem to discuss matters of mission etc.
Asking people their opinion on an issue like this is not trying to do something right in our own eyes.


The Bible also says to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

If anything, we just want to tell other's the good news of what Jesus has done for us and we know we want to do it, such that we win as many of our friends to God as possible.
Click to expand...

Luke 4:18-19 (KJV) [SUP]18 [/SUP]The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [SUP]19 [/SUP]To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

John 15:26 (KJV) [SUP]26 [/SUP]But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:13 (KJV) [SUP]13 [/SUP]Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Acts 2:17-18 (KJV) [SUP]17 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
[SUP]18 [/SUP]And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: (speak for God)
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (KJV) [SUP]4 [/SUP]And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: [SUP]5 [/SUP]That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.


The Holy Spirit does more than convict hearts of sin; He also confirms to those people that you are God's anointed servant telling them the truth. He may show us their needs so that when we pray for them, they will receive other things like healing, deliverance, etc.

The holy Spirit will show us what to say to each individual to lead them to Christ:
Luke 12:11-12 (KJV) [SUP]11 [/SUP]And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: [SUP]12 [/SUP]For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

The Holy Spirit will help you as well by displaying the proper attitude & feelings for others:
Galatians 5:22-26 (KJV) [SUP]22 [/SUP]But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [SUP]23 [/SUP]Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. [SUP]24 [/SUP]And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. [SUP]25 [/SUP]If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. [SUP]26 [/SUP]Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

The Holy Spirit can also expose the sins of the self-righteous, so they can see their need:
Ephesians 5:8-13 (NASB) [SUP]8 [/SUP]for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [SUP]9 [/SUP](for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), [SUP]10 [/SUP]trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. [SUP]11 [/SUP]Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; [SUP]12 [/SUP]for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. [SUP]13 [/SUP]But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

As you can see, It is solely the work of the Holy Ghost to make your witness the best it can be.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) [SUP]5 [/SUP]Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [SUP]6 [/SUP]In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
 
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Rachel20 said:
Thanks Simona.

That meant a lot to me :) God bless you.
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God bless you, too, Rachel!

I hope you get out of your head this idea that you turned someone away from God. The only way you could have scared someone was if you started to yell (during lunch time or meeting etc.) that everybody is going to hell unless they repent and accept Christ in their hearts. But I know for sure that when you say "my very public acknowledgement of Jesus" you mean something else :).

Ok, all jokes aside now. I do not agree with the idea that we can draw someone closer to God or that we can turn someone away from God. I think that these things do not depend on us, but on the Holy Spirit and on the heart of people. Faith comes from our being, faith is something very very intimate and it is not a good, sophisticated argumentation that will make someone believe in God; it can win new adepts, but real faith comes from inside.

Do not feel sad, the man who is repelled by God is probably not available for God. And He does not force anyone. Jesus Christ got out from Gadara when people told Him to do so. He did not insisted to stay. He left the indifferents in their indifference.

God knows your heart, your intentions and He knows the heart of the repelled person. May God touch his heart!

(Don't be sad, please...)
 
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Simona,

Thank you so much again. For your kindness and sympathy. I did feel really upset by that incident at first, but I take heart by your post.

Thank you for understanding.

It has touched me a lot!

God bless you for that.

Love you sis! *hugs*
 
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