In for the long haul

Hi. I was just having a thought or two about a person I used to come in contact with on the net, actually a few people. This person first of all , was contemptuous, rude, cruel and angry towards Christians in almost every way. He was very intelligent but lacked a good heart, and had no remorse when it came to Christians that were hurting or needed a helping hand. He would only antagonize them and belittle them. I later found that he said he was once a Christian. Personally I didn't believe a word of it. How a person like that could ever have had Jesus in their heart is beyond me.

What I am wonderng is that if this is true, then what could have possibly drove this man away from Jesus and into the arms of hatred towards those that would see him saved, despite his behavior towards them? He acted as if he were smarter than all other people on this earth, but his soul was as flat as a cardboard cutout. Does intelligence make people evil? The devil has many ways of deception, but is knowledge one of the sharpest tools in his murderous arsenal? I hope that any new Christians reading this will see what they can become if they are too weak to accept the healing love of God and Jesus Christ. I don't like to sound preachy, but I have vowed not to hold back my Christian beliefs any longer, no matter who they may offend. God bless you all.

Your friend in God

I do commend your determination to live an uncompromising faith. As to your question as to whether intelligence makes a person evil, the answer is no. Evil, or wickedness, (sin) is a heart issue. There really is no way for us to know whether this man ever truly knew Jesus...my guess would be that perhaps he knew ABOUT Jesus, but did not KNOW Him. Knowing about Christ is a mind thing...KNOWING Him is a heart thing.

I would like to correct one statement you made:

"I hope that any new Christians reading this will see what they can become if they are too weak to accept the healing love of God and Jesus Christ."

Our weakness will not cause us to become like the person you described above. Jesus is well aware of our weakness, and in fact tells us that in our weakness He is strong. Everyone, and especially new Christians, can have a very difficult time truly accepting God's love for them. This is especially true of people who have had traumatic or abusive childhoods, etc. It took me quite a while to be able to really accept that I am so dearly loved by God. First He had to heal a lot of wounds. I was weak. God was strong.

My guess would be that the man you talked about is living under great deception, and in great darkness (not a big leap to figure that out!). His best hope is that someone would be willing to begin praying for him.

Hello Redeemed. Thanks so much for replying. I enjoyed your post. I'm also glad you gave me some small bit of insight about what I said about weakness. I'm a bit new at this myself. But I am learning day by day, and I have good friends to help me. I'm sorry to hear that you have gone thru soch hardships in your life in order to find God but no one says it will be easy huh? Well a lot of us are finding that out daily and some people that you never think will become Christian just may when they accept what we already know.

As for this man, maybe I should say a prayer for him, that he finds Christ once again.

Amen Friend and Redeemed1!

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I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Faith in Christ is not belief without proof, it is trust without reservation.
I have found no greater joy, than to live totally surrendered to Jesus Christ.

I am going through a similar dilemma. I have just recently come back to God, and now my best friend (since high school) seems to be avoiding me like I'm an IRS auditor with the Bubonic Plague and a bad cough. He used to go to church, but is now against religion for reasons he sees as valid. I am still trying to get all of my own life straight, but I really want him to see what I have seen recently. I have been so blessed since coming back, and he is enduring a lot of the same hardships I did a few years back. But he won't let me help him because he's afraid I am going to get "Bible Thumper" on him. It's hard not to be angry with him for shunning me. So, I am trying to figure a way to get close to him again and just let him see what God is doing in my and my family's lives. I am sadly impressed with how hard his heart has become, even though I know that deep inside he knows the right way.

Friend - I agree with you, a lot of people that you might think would never come to Christ, end up doing so. That's because the heart is such a mysterious thing that we really know so little about. But it is in the heart that God deals with each one of us. I have learned to never count anyone out, because God's Word says that He is mighty to save! I'm glad God has placed among good friends to encourage you in your walk with Christ.

Dewjunkie - Losing friends is a common phenomenon that just seems to come with salvation! I too had people run for the hills when they found out I had gotten saved. They were terrified I would try to get them saved too! I learned that with some people, the best witness is to simply allow them to see a changed life. Some of them prefer to watch from a distance. Rather than figure out a way to get close to your friend again, simply ask God to bring him back into your life when the timing is right. You could also pray that God would begin putting other Christians into this man's life.
God's Word tells us that those in darkness do not like the light. And especially if this man really does know the truth, but is at the moment refusing to act on it, your light will make him extremely uncomfortable. So, it really isn't you he is shunning, its the light of truth he is trying to stay away from. Just keep praying for him. God has a way with hard hearts, a fact that I'm sure both you and I can say a hearty "amen" to! And by the way -- I'm so glad you came back to God!

Thanks, redeemed, I know I need to be patient, and I am trying. It's hard right now because so many things are going right for me, I just wish the same for him. The fact that it's so easily within his reach is harder to stand by and watch. I would never shove it in his face, as I remember how annoyed I was by others trying to force it back upon me. I just wish he would give me a chance to show him how much my life has improved since I decided to come back. I know God will work when it is time, I just miss my best (earthly) friend.

Dewjunkie,

That is hard. But it is something you will experience a lot as a Christian. "Why can't they just see how good being a Christian is?" That is something I say to myself everyday. I guess it is part of what Paul meant when he said he wanted to "Share in His (Jesus') sufferings." Your handle is "The prodigal son." It is a picture of us going away from God and then coming back to God finding his arms open wide. Just think of the father who sat there waiting day in and day out waiting for His child to return. Hoping, praying, preparing,... for His son's return. That is what God did until we returned. He is so emotionally concerned about us that it broke His heart that we chose sin and He waited and called and prepared for our return. Now you are experiencing some of that when you se your friends. You know being a Christian is better than not being one but they will nto see and you can't make them. The only advice I can really say is that when you have these types of feelings 1st stop and praise God for waiting for you and His preperation for your return. Then I would ask God to use you as a vessel to show Jesus to your friend. It is hard to see friends hurting themselves.

BH6

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Through the power of the Holy Spirit I am resolved to fully know Christ and to serve Him as Lord and Master of my life until I am with my Father in heaven which will be my gain.

To live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 2:10


That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11

Just be careful.

I was in the same situation as you. Newly dedicated to my life with God, I had just come back to Him, and while trying to convert a friend of mine, I inadvertently slipped again. And, let me tell you, this time coming back to Him took longer and is much harder to stay with Him than before if you know what I mean.

Keep your eyes on God, pray for your friend.

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"Rejoice evermore. Pray without
ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)


Peace,
soulsisterclaire

I have known people who said they were once Christians, and when I asked what they meant by that, they said that they went to church every sunday and wednesday, were very active in the church and did a lot of religious things. Never do they say that they that they humble themsleves before God, admitted that they were sinners and asked God for His forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

And, being smarter than other people is often a defense mechanism that lost people use to cover up the fact that they have an emptiness in their souls. But a big brain won't fill that hole, and at some level, they know it.

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Carry only love. Hate is a burden that is tremendously heavy.

If you want to live like Jesus, love your enemies and give up your life for them.