My brother is being less and less active

I don't think there is much you else you can do other than encourage him. Remind him that good works can be used to validate that faith is genuine. All the best

zoidar said:

Hi,

My brother who got saved the same year as I, married a non Christian woman. As years have gone by he has gone from being very active as a Christian to being passive. The problem is that he isn't seeing this as a problem, says he has matured in faith. I know that's the wrong conclusion. I think by his life he may have quenched the Holy Spirit. He is a Lutheran who believes in faith only, which I think may be part of the problem. He thinks as long as he believes in Christ only for salvation everything is fine, that there is no need to be a good servant for salvation. So now I'm looking for advice how to get my brother back to a living faith. He is not listening to me when I bring up living your whole life for Christ. He is still attending Church now and then which of course is hopeful.

Christ love,
P

P.s. Please don't say anything in the lines of: "He has to be born again" because I know he was. His testimony was really powerful after he got saved.

Click to expand...

What is your definition of 'active" ?

zoidar said:

Hi,

My brother who got saved the same year as I, married a non Christian woman. As years have gone by he has gone from being very active as a Christian to being passive. The problem is that he isn't seeing this as a problem, says he has matured in faith. I know that's the wrong conclusion. I think by his life he may have quenched the Holy Spirit. He is a Lutheran who believes in faith only, which I think may be part of the problem. He thinks as long as he believes in Christ only for salvation everything is fine, that there is no need to be a good servant for salvation. So now I'm looking for advice how to get my brother back to a living faith. He is not listening to me when I bring up living your whole life for Christ. He is still attending Church now and then which of course is hopeful.

Christ love,
P

P.s. Please don't say anything in the lines of: "He has to be born again" because I know he was. His testimony was really powerful after he got saved.

Click to expand...

How does he live his life? Is he bending more towards sin or bending more towards Christ?

Judgement of the heart/mind is up to the Lord and only the Lord knows the heart/mind. We (christians) are to remind one another (in a loving way) about stumblings ... beyond that it's up to the Lord and it's none of our business.

Romans 9:18

So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

zoidar said:

The first years as a believer he was participating in evangelisation. He was talking about Christ all the time. He never missed the Sunday sermon. Now he chooses other things before church, "I can't go because this or that". He hangs out mostly with unbelievers, and doesn't take oportunity to prayer when we are together. It's like the fire in the heart for Christ is gone. I don't know exactly how to put it. Now it's like Christ is second and the world is first. I don't believe he is living in sin, just not living a Christ centered life.

Click to expand...

Does going to church save a person?

well ... though you might have thoughtful conversation about stumblings with him ... that's fine and appropriate ... but salvation IS up to the Lord ... and only the Lord knows the heart/mind.

Romans 9:15
English Standard Version
For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

We have only to look at the life of Solomon to see how aligning oneself in marriage with an unbeliever slowly takes us away from God, as worldly things take hold of our hearts and minds. Solomon was not only gifted by God of great wisdom and wealth, but he was also the son of the great king David. One would think that if anyone would hold fast to God, it would have been Solomon. His example shows us that we are all vulnerable when unequally yoked.

You are asking how you can get your brother back to the Lord. The short answer is you can't. It is not your job. If he was saved, then the Holy Spirit is already convicting him. He's just ignoring the conviction. Your job is not to preach at him, nor tell him how wrong he is. Your job is to love him as Jesus loves, to be a good example, to pray for him and to tell him about how God is moving in your life. Your brother has free will to choose or not choose the narrow path. It is entirely up to him.

Hello Zoidar,

I have experienced something similar with family members, if other family members are too pushy, or over-bearing, trying to get the person to church meetings etc, it repels them. Best to be gentle. To pray for your brother, make spiritual conversation in a non-threatening way. Neutral spiritual conversation, like a bible passage, with no motives or agenda. Give room for the Holy Spirit to move on his heart. If he asks a question then take the opportunity to share the truth. We don't really know what's going on with someone else. God Bless

I agree with lismore that approach is important. Sometimes you have to take a counter intuitive approach to reach a person, do something that feels opposite of what you would naturally believe is effective.

The way you describe your brother is how I imagine the majority of church goers in the America are. They stop in on Sunday for a pep talk and the rest of the week they live a lifestyle that is loosely based on Christian cultural norms, but doesn't really qualify as discipleship in any meaningful way. Think secular humanism with Christian undertones. To the extent that I'm right about that, if you figure out a way to help your brother reconnect with the Holy Spirit your solving a problem every church in the nation would like to fix.

The problem is if he waits until a tough season he might blame the Lord instead of leaning on him. We reap what we sow, no matter what.

Sorry if this wasn't helpful. I have the same problem with my father and no idea how to deal with it. Good luck brother!

zoidar said:

Hi,

My brother who got saved the same year as I, married a non Christian woman. As years have gone by he has gone from being very active as a Christian to being passive. The problem is that he isn't seeing this as a problem, says he has matured in faith. I know that's the wrong conclusion. I think by his life he may have quenched the Holy Spirit. He is a Lutheran who believes in faith only, which I think may be part of the problem. He thinks as long as he believes in Christ only for salvation everything is fine, that there is no need to be a good servant for salvation. So now I'm looking for advice how to get my brother back to a living faith. He is not listening to me when I bring up living your whole life for Christ. He is still attending Church now and then which of course is hopeful.

Christ love,
P

P.s. Please don't say anything in the lines of: "He has to be born again" because I know he was. His testimony was really powerful after he got saved.

Click to expand...

How is your saved, married, brother who goes to church now and then not being a good servant? Living your whole life FOR Christ isn't Biblical. That's a special calling. Living your whole life IN Christ or Christ within you, that's Biblical. Sounds like your brother would make a good friend for me. We wouldn't have to talk about Jesus all the time, but when someone crossed our path looking for the meaning of life ... Jesus!