No non- Christian friends?

[Guest yod]

Basically, you are saying what I have already said, only in different words. Of course Jesus loved them.

Nikki

there is a subtle difference though. I'm not trying to be argumentative but we have a mentality in the greco-church that somehow our only responsibility to people is to "preach" at them. If that alone was enough there would be no unsaved people left on earth. Yeshua did NOT hang out with sinners just looking for an opportunity to preach at them. He genuinely loved these people

And this kind of unfearing love is why the early kahal (faith community) was SO powerful in spreading the good news! They lived and moved entirely in community with each other and committed their entire lives to each other.... as opposed to putting all the focus on "preaching". When someone would see this kind of love between the saints, it would cause them to see the truth.

I've always believed that love is the evidence of truth. Love (as Yeshua defines it) must be the priority in dealing with every person, saved or not, even above preaching the gospel. Otherwise our good works are only filthy rags designed to make us feel better about ourselves.

However, I don't think that gives a believer a free pass to hang around with non-believers and the unsaved just for the sake of hanging around with them,

nikki, I really like you so don't take it personally when point out that the "free pass to hang out with non-believers for the sake of hanging around them" phrase sounds like you view life in the Spirit as an obligation to be isolated from the people whom He gave His blood to save.

Paul says it this way:

1 Corinthians 5:9

I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people

[Guest man]

Alright so the bible says not to be yoked with unbelievers. That darkness cannot fellowship with light. That we cannot be a friend to the world and to him. So then, does this mean that we are not to hang out with any non-Christians? Or how does that work exactly?

I will say that it does seem that this naturally just happens because I guess non-Christians would find me weird/insane for having Christian beliefs and boundaries. So it does seem that they naturally will avoid me and not enjoy my company. However, what if I did find a non-Christian frind that was OK with my boundaries and wanted to hang out or whatever, am I to stay away from them?

Matthew 5

43

[nikki1]

Blessings, yod

Yeshua gave his life for all people and we have an obligation to let His light shine through us. How can that happen if we are hiding from them? Do you realize how rejecting someone because they don't "think" like us is only going to enforce stereotypes of judgemental religion?

I think you are twisting what I have said. Did I say to hide from unbelievers and the unsaved? Or, did I say ....

However, I don't think that gives a believer a free pass to hang around with non-believers and the unsaved just for the sake of hanging around with them

I also said,

You will always hear others say that Jesus hung around with sinners to justify keeping one's foot in the world.

Jesus could sit with sinners and unbelievers and not be affected by the sinful atmosphere because he was sinless and perfect; however you and I have this sinful flesh that is easily influenced to sin. Jesus said that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

If you want to hang out with non-believers and the unsaved, what makes you any different than them? Do you not know that Ye are the light of the world? On the other hand, if your are doing the work of the Lord, your light will shine without hanging out with the unsaved and non-believers. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16.

There is a difference between witnessing and being a light to unbelievers and "hanging out" with them. The Bible also warns us in Jeremiah 10:2 not to learn the ways of unbelievers. The more we hang out with someone who is walking in the flesh, the more like them we will become, and we will no longer be light to them because the darkness will begin to overshadow the light.

I can obey the words of Jesus without hanging out with non-believers. I can give them the gospel, love them and do good deeds for them, without hanging out with them. Befriending unbelievers with the objective to give them the gospel with my deeds and with my words as the Lord provides is a great mission field, however we should be very careful not to spend to much time with them that we begin to learn their ways and become like them.

Yes, we are to take the gospel to the lost, but be very aware of the traps that the devil has set for us and be very careful not to allow the ways of the unbelieving world to ware off on us.

Nikki

Edited August 25, 2009 by nikki1

[Guest yod]

I can obey the words of Jesus without hanging out with non-believers. I can give them the gospel, love them and do good deeds for them, without hanging out with them. Befriending unbelievers with the objective to give them the gospel with my deeds and with my words as the Lord provides is a great mission field, however we should be very careful not to spend to much time with them that we begin to learn their ways and become like them.

Nikki

It's obvious that you don't love the lost as Yeshua did.

No, you can't love someone that you aren't even willing to be around.

[nikki1]

Blessings, yod

It's obvious that you don't love the lost as Yeshua did.

So you've walked a mile in Yeshua's and my shoes, yod?

No, you can't love someone that you aren't even willing to be around.

With untruthful accusations and judgment calls like this, it's obvious to me that you don't read what I have written or take my comments out of context in order to twist and distort what I have stated, which doesn't display any true love at all toward a believer, so I have to wonder how you could even show the unsaved any Christian love.

Paul says it this way:

1 Corinthians 5:9

I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people

Edited August 25, 2009 by nikki1

[tjhawks1]

I can obey the words of Jesus without hanging out with non-believers. I can give them the gospel, love them and do good deeds for them, without hanging out with them. Befriending unbelievers with the objective to give them the gospel with my deeds and with my words as the Lord provides is a great mission field, however we should be very careful not to spend to much time with them that we begin to learn their ways and become like them.

Nikki

It's obvious that you don't love the lost as Yeshua did.

No, you can't love someone that you aren't even willing to be around.

yod are you claiming that you love like Yeshua did? That's a bold claim. Not very humble and a very self rightoues attitude. What you said in that post was not very christian like and you need to man up and apoligize. You don't even address what Nikki is saying.

[Guest yod]

I can only respond to what is written. I have no reason to apologize yet. I stand 100% behind what I've said

To say we should never "hang around" with non-believers is stretching the Word of God. NOWHERE does it say that. That idea comes from a legalist attitude promoted by a greco-western church. It's simply not in the bible.

We are not to "be" like the unbelievers, we are not to behave like the unbelievers, we are not to enjoy the sin of unbelievers, we are not support what unbelievers do.....but hanging around them is EXACTLY what Yeshua did....and He did it because He loves them.

[Guest yod]

yod are you claiming that you love like Yeshua did?

I don't claim to do this flawlessly but aren't we all supposed to?

what book are ya'll reading?