Many people have been guilt-ridden because they failed to persuade another person to come to Christ before that one died. Preachers have shouted about blood being on the hands of Christians who didn’t win all the lost around them, with many sleepless nights and nervous breakdowns resulting from such spiritual abuse. Before you heap condemnation upon yourself several things ought to be considered:
1. How did the sinner treat every mention of the name of Jesus when he was alive? For that matter, how did he view your claims that Bible was the only true Word of God? If he kept on throwing your holy things back in your face, your loving witness to him was like casting pearls before the swine (Matt.7:6).
2. Maybe, just maybe, if you HAD browbeaten that one long enough, he would have mouthed a “prayer” just to get you off his back. But praying under HUMAN pressure is the spiritual equivalent of a shotgun wedding, with very insincere results. Remember this: Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord (Heb.12:14). Can you HONESTLY say you could have persuaded that one to turn away from his cherished sins (which might include perversion, hard drinking, lust, profanity, etc.)? If you can truly say you wouldn’t have had the power to persuade him/her to give up those things forever, you can’t be held accountable for the path that one took. There must be a willingness to FORSAKE all sin before a person can be truly converted.
3. After you planted the Gospel seed through your witness, did that one do his worst to rip it back out so it wouldn’t take root? Did he brush off your walk with the Lord as something weird and not take you seriously when you spoke of it? How could you be held accountable if he did?
4. Perhaps this person hurt you so much that you yourself went into emotional meltdown. In your numbness you were unable to feel any compassion for him/her. If that happened to you, you yourself were (temporarily) taken captive by a devil who took full advantage of the situation. Just because sinners are in greater peril, doesn’t mean Christians aren’t also being attacked by satan. Many, if not most of God’s people, have periods in their lives when they barely feel saved anymore (satan puts that doubt there). You might be in a place of little or no true fellowship. There is NO ONE on earth you can share all your heart with! Unless the believer has learned to rely on the Lord alone in his personal wilderness, satan can overwhelm that Christian with disillusionment, trials, etc. (I Pet.5:8) I don’t believe a Christian can be possessed, but he/she can be so bound by satan’s demons that they are temporarily UNABLE to reach out to the lost. Even years down the road, after you have recovered spiritually and regained sensitivity of Christ and His love for others, satan will keep you awake nights and accuse you of failure to prevent someone from going to hell. There’s no worse soul torment! While someone else was in eternal danger, you were too traumatized by the enemy to respond. You yourself ought to have been ministered to, as a casualty of this war against satan. But you felt all alone in your struggle against the devil. Any soldier who’s been blasted in the chest on the battlefield can’t be expected to carry on with the fight.
5. There are cases where the Holy Spirit stops contending with lost sinners because they have crossed a line known only to Him. They love their sins too much to give them up. God will not always strive with man (Gen.6:3). Modern man is used to convenience, and things always being there waiting for him when he has the time to get back to them. People want to wait till they’re too old and worn out to have fun anymore, then they’ll think about their souls. But God is not at man’s disposal, to be sent away and then recalled like a servile butler when the person decides he’s had enough of sin and wants to make sure he makes it to heaven.
We live in a push-button age of instant oatmeal, microwave dinners, quick downloads, etc. This attitude of demanding instant soul winning results is reflected in much of the condemnation coming from pulpits. “How many souls have YOU led to the Lord this past year? If you can’t count even two, you’re in danger of being cut off as an unfruitful branch!” I’ve heard preaching like this before, especially at a “radical” church I went to many years ago. All the condemnation preached at that church drove me out, though I’d had good friends there. I recently read a post or two where people are worried sick that God no longer loves them because they “aren’t doing enough for Jesus.” One guy wrote that he felt suicidal.
Preachers hardly ever mention that Noah lived and preached for hundreds of years and only took seven other souls with him onto the Ark. But the Bible still honors Noah as a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet.2:5). God called Jonah to preach to the Ninevites, mortal enemies of Israel. Jonah hated them. God had to send a hungry whale to drag Jonah by the scruff of the neck to get the job done. But God still gave Jonah a rich harvest of souls. Good salesmanship and a sweet disposition don’t guarantee genuine conversions to Christ. To keep new souls coming into the church, preachers threaten their congregations with the parable of the unfruitful branch in John Chapter 15.
What, exactly IS the fruit Jesus is referring to, where the unfruitful branch which doesn’t abide in Him is cut off and cast into the fire? Is Jesus threatening to throw you into hell if you don’t gather in X number of souls in a year?
Matt.7:15: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Verse 16: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Verse 17: Even so, EVERY good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Verse 18: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Verse 19: Every tree that bringeth forth not good fruit is hewn (chopped) down, and cast into the fire.
Verse 20: Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
In Luke 3:8 John the Baptist tells the people what fruits are demanded by God: Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, etc.
Verse 9: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn (chopped) down, and cast into the fire.
Verse 10: And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do, then?
Verse 11: He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat (food), let him do likewise.
Verse 12: Then came also the publicans (tax collectors) to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
Verse 13: And he said unto them, Exact (collect) no more than that which is appointed you.
Verse 14: And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.
Contentment is the opposite of covetousness (greed), a bad fruit of the flesh (I Cor.5:10). How many prosperity preachers encourage Christians to “aim higher”, not for spiritual treasures above, but for earthly things that perish? Christians are taught to never think they have enough and always strive for more.
And what about John the Baptist’s exhortation to collect no more than your due? How many preachers find every excuse in the book to take up extra collections?
More on the fruit God is looking for in a Christian:
James 3:17: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Verse 18: And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Gal.5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (faithfulness),
Verse 23: Meekness, temperance (self-control); against such there is no law.
(continued in Part 3)
Author Resource:-
Patricia Backora has written many articles on issues dealing with controversial areas and problems in the church. Patricia relies solely on the Word of God to be the final authority in matters of faith and practice.
http://kingdomage.tripod.comhttp://banpreachergreed.tripod.com
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.christian-article-bank.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites