No one is saying 'don't tell them about the Gospel', Frodo. That's a false argument and unworthy of you.xfrodobagginsx said:Oldbear83 said:
BTD: "The statement is saying that a true believer is defined as one who endures to the end. Those who don't endure were never true believers."
Which is why I said long ago, If saved always saved.
But it's also vital to understand that a drive-by post selling Salvation as a one and done gesture is a bad way to help new believers become the kind who persevere.
At the very least, new believers will have a ton of questions, wrestle with doubts and be at risk of listening to false prophets (Joel Osteen, anyone?) And some fall into the trap of believing that now they are saved, they don't need to do anything but enjoy being 'in' with God. That is why we see so many professed believers acting in arrogance and pride.
Thanks for your input but telling them about Christ is better than not telling them. If their faith is truly in Christ for Salvation, they will be saved and God will lead them where they need to Go. I can't reach through the computer and Disciple them. I am thankful for this platform to share the Gospel.
The problem is that too many would-be evangelists will preach a simple message, toss off a phrase that is incomplete at best and possibly misleading, then ignore the need to walk the walk.
Don't forget that in Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan, the focus is not the priest who doubtless tossed off a prayer as he passed, but the ordinary man who actually went and helped the person who got mugged.
Jesus also taught of the sower who just tossed seed all over the place, so that some of it was left on hard ground and eaten by birds, some sprouted but were choked by weeds, some couldn't get roots going because the dirt was too thin. It was clear reminder that to grow anything, you first have to prepare the ground where you will sow the seeds.
One big reason so many modern churches fail, is that they are all talk and no action. Few churches do anything for the homeless, few work to help people seeking jobs, few provide counseling and resources for people struggling with addictions and abuse. For every church which actually does things to help people, there are a dozen which throw out good words but nothing else.
You have correctly observed that the goal is to bring as many souls home to the Lord as possible. To do that, you have to do more than promise a one-and-done prayer will solve all their needs and eliminate the things which led them to sin in the first place.
That which does not kill me, will try again and get nastier
