Tyler S.

I actually agree and thank you for sharing! I have to remember sometimes that Jesus didn’t come to save the already righteous...he blatantly came to deliver SINNERS to repentance and salvation. So they’re the ones that need it most (and since we’re all sinners I guess we all need it). It’s truly good news. Thank you for the responses! Bless ?

So then please! Shed some light if ya have any to shed ?? I’m really needing some “good news” right now and I was really thinking that that was it. I mean if you look at something like Titus 3:5-8 what am I missing?

And that good news for all people is that Christ died for us as a free gift of mercy from God so that we might be able to get to heaven and be saved (so long as we repent and strive to live a good life)?

So then what, to you, and I’m genuinely asking for my own sake, would be the good news intended for US. The people of all nations. We’re in the ministry of Paul right? So where can I go in the Bible to find the good news for me?

I understand completely what you say and have definitly heard that before. I think you’re right however don’t you think that we can extrapolate the lessons, doctrine, and life skills from THOSE people’s stories and interactions with God to apply to our lives? Or is that reading too far into it. I apologize, again, I’m still new and am still working a lot of things out because I only recently have been trying to get closer to God and be saved (after feeling called to for quite some time). Thanks again!

Thank you so much! I love the message! I just wish there was some way I could...save them myself because ya know as I said they’re kind and decent folks. They just don’t all believe...I guess I should just leave it to God. Try and live as an example and show them God’s love and “point them to you (God)” when questioned. Thank you again for the advice and musical selections ?. This is a great community! Blessings!

I totally understand what you both say. It really simply comes down to me loving these people...they’re kind to me and honestly we have no issues. I just want them to be saved! Maybe it’s a confusion as to what the phrase “preach the word in and out of season” means. Cuz if I just walked in to school on some random day and started hallway preaching or something...I feel like that would definitely push people away and my goal is to WIN souls...not push them away. I feel like that’d be God’s will too considering he doesn’t want anybody to perish according to the Bible. So, as I said and as suggested, I’m going to go to God in prayer and hope that he touches their lives. I know the Bible says none of us are good and our deeds are as filthy rags...but my human more open-minded side can recognize these people as genuinely having decent kind hearts. I’m just confused. I don’t want to push away those I love...

I suppose so. And thank you for bearing with me. I must sound frantic and that’s only because I sort of am...I love these people and they’ve done a lot for me over the years. They’re decent people (by human standards I suppose and not God’s). I want them to be saved. I think I should just take the problem to God in prayer and HOPE against all hope that he touches their lives and they see the truth ?... thanks again. It’s always refreshing to have people actually engage in helping me with such issues ?. Bless!

That’s exactly how I already try to be! I have my beliefs about the way they live but I don’t want to judge or be a hypocrite. I want to love them and be kind and be an example of Gods love to them...in action. But then I see all these people saying the Bible WANTS us to expose sin and judge “righteously” (which considering God calls us all unrighteous I don’t think is actually possible). Please I WANT to believe and live the way that (awesome) song you’ve shared there describes! But on the internet and social media I often encounter really aggressive Christians who accuse me of being lukewarm or double minded for not exposing my friends for, for example, being gay. And that I’ll be condemned for that. That, in some way, I’m denying Christ by NOT attempting to convert, expose, or “righteously” judge my peers. Please I need some guidance ?. That’s a great song btw thank you for sharing!

Nothing! I try and WANT to! Like I said, I feel like it’s what God would want...but I browse Christian sites and social media groups and I stumble across a lot of people who believe that TRULY loving a sinner involves getting at them and telling them that they’ll burn in Hell for eternity...that if you REALLY loved them you’d try and convert them or change their ways. But as I said I feel like that’d just push them MORE away from God. And I don’t wanna judge or call people out cause I’d definitly be a hypocrite for that. So I’m confused and hurt...the thought of these decent people, my friends, whom I love and see every day burning for all time makes me want to...frankly? Vomit. It makes me sick to my stomach! I WANT them to be saved! But I also don’t want to call out. I feel stuck...

I’ve been wrestling with this one issue for a long time now since I started to try and get right with God and believe. I seem to receive answers that are completely split down the middle (which leads me to think this is a pretty controversial topic). How am I to treat a person who I know engages in a life of sin?! I am a Christian high school student who, for example, has friends who happen to be gay, vulgar mouthed, prideful, of another religion etc... they aren’t awful people and in everyday interaction we have zero issue (many are even really loving and kind to me)! I try my best to treat em with love and respect because...I dunno...I feel like that’s what God would want me to do? To show them his love through example? And I feel as though attempting to talk them out of sin (especially considering some aren’t Christian or religious at all) would actually push them FARTHER from God and salvation because, in their minds, I’d be reinforcing the judgemental Christian stereotype, not to mention the fact that I’d just feel plain wrong trying to talk to them about THEIR sinful tendencies when I still grapple with my own. I see so many Christians out there screaming at people that they’ll die and burn and that they’re even hated hated by God! They seem to have scriptural basis for this too! But then I also hear Christians who say “God respects free-will as should we...all we can do is pray for them and try to be an example of God’s love in their lives.” So which is correct or is it somewhere in the middle? I’m worried because I’m a fairly liberal-minded person who just wants to treat other people fairly and sow happiness amongst my peers...but I feel like, in some weird way, I’m a bad Christian for that. I don’t want to be lukewarm or double minded...but I also want to be able to live my life and treat my friends with kindness and love. This is really eating at me so any advice or experiences surrounding this deceptively common issue would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and Bless!

Wow! Thank you all so much for the kind and informative words! I may not have all the answers right now but I’ve learned to accept that that’s ok and that GOD does and is doing his best to work my life for the better! I think this is all stemming from a lack of trust and I’m happy to say that, slowly but surely, that’s beginning to mend. I’ve made a list of my favorite or noteworthy verses as I read more of the Bible and that helps a lot. This is a great community! I wish you all the best!

Thank you all again for such kind and supportive (and informative) words! This is a great community! I am happy to say that, while not having all my answers as of right now, I am feeling a lot better and I’ve gotten better as I’ve learned to understand that it’s OK to not immediately have all the answers and to trust that GOD does. Thank you all again!

Ok. This too makes sense, “we have an advocate in Christ” right? So we all fall short of the glory that God has called us to despite how we may try...so we must trust and have faith that Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we may be forgiven?

Ah, thank you for helping clear that up! It was troubling me ?. I suppose it wouldn’t make sense for God to gift us forgiveness and salvation through the blood of Christ (should we choose to accept it) and then go BACK on that and judge us for what we do in works. Thank you! I definitly misinterpreted Rev: 20. It can be hard to understand revelations.

So in Revelations 20:13 it says “and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had DONE.” And in the second chapter of James we are told that “faith without works is dead (useless).” It seems to me though, that many other verses of the Bible directly contradict this. Like what about Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 3:28 where we’re told that slavation and justification does NOT come through us or even what we DO...but is a free gift from Christ and God (separate from the law). I know that God wants us to do our best to live a good life, though he knows in advance we’ll fall short, so how can we be judged for what we’ve DONE if we ALL fall short? Surely...all aren’t damned right? I must be misinterpreting something here and any answers and advice are welcome. Thank you!

Thank you all for your kind words! I did more reading and studying and, in true “me” fashion I seem to only uproot MORE questions the more answers I get. I suppose I kinda understand that I’m not meant to be sad and anxious all the time in all that I do but it’s hard not to be! I instantly hear and pick out the sin in every conversation and every activity and every thing I do and every person I interact with. I don’t point it out or attack people because I feel as though that would be hypocritical of me and pointing out the saw dust in my brothers eye so to say. So, instead, I’ve taken to simply not speaking. Not interacting with people as much. It’s made me lonely and worrisome and this CAN NOT be right. My life is slowly becoming more and more secluded, miserable, and lonely because every time I look at another person I see the worst...and every time I look at myself I see EVEN MORE bad. I’m sorry I know I sound a bit pathetic and I don’t mean to come off that way...I have prayed about this but I still feel like I’m missing something. Any help, again, is greatly appreciated! Bless.

Since I sarted trying to connect with Christ more, I’ve found myself caught up in incredibly weighty fear, anxiety, and overthinking. I now find myself questioning every action I take and every word I speak and no matter how hard I try I feel like everything I do is somehow sinful (big or small). Like I can’t play videogames or enjoy leisure time with friends and family anymore because I fear that it’s sinful or that I’m not supposed to. If God wants us to be able to live happily and abundantly and without anxiety...then what am I doing wrong? Is it a lack of faith? Is it double mindedness? Or is this simply how things are meant to be for a struggling believer...any help I can get here would be appreciated. I feel like I can’t figure this out alone and it’s taking a tole on my mental and emotional wellbeing.