Surprised by non-believing Christians..

[Devin P]

So I'm finding, the more I'm getting closer with God, the people that claim Christianity, but actually, don't truly believe. They just claim Christianity. For no reason. It's a belief system, not a relationship. This shocks me, especially because of the people in my life that I've found feel this way. Paul says, with such a one, no not even eat. They're too close to my family, for me to do this so soon, especially since I've just found out about it. Is it because it lessens your faith? What do you think about why God inspired Paul, to say this? Are they reachable?

 

[Winken]

Faith IS. It doesn't come in amounts. It is Faith to believe that Jesus died for me. It is Faith to believe that eternal security is mine.

I agree with you that there are lots of counterfeit Christians out there; there are many in "religion," (an organized system of beliefs requiring one to obediently follow rules and regulations in order to be saved and to remain that way); and many in certain cults.

I plead with authentic Christians around the world to enter into a season of prayer for us to reach out to those who are lost, and those who are straying.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Faith IS. It doesn't come in amounts. It is Faith to believe that Jesus died for me. It is Faith to believe that eternal security is mine.

We are all given thee measure of faith. It is up to us to build on it and strengthen it.
Faith is a life style or a tool we use.
Faith is Key in everything pertaining to God including Love.
Blessings
FCJ

 

[Another Lazarus]

the people that claim Christianity, but actually, don't truly believe.

Why surprised ? the world is made of these people.

 

[Hall]

So I'm finding, the more I'm getting closer with God, the people that claim Christianity, but actually, don't truly believe. They just claim Christianity. For no reason. It's a belief system, not a relationship. This shocks me, especially because of the people in my life that I've found feel this way. Paul says, with such a one, no not even eat. They're too close to my family, for me to do this so soon, especially since I've just found out about it. Is it because it lessens your faith? What do you think about why God inspired Paul, to say this? Are they reachable?

This verse?
1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

I just deleted what I assumed what that verse meant because I was wrong, so looked it up on Biblehub. Take a look it's not what many think it means:
1 Corinthians 5:11 Commentaries: But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one.

 

[Devin P]

This verse?
1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

I just deleted what I assumed what that verse meant because I was wrong, so looked it up on Biblehub. Take a look it's not what many think it means:
1 Corinthians 5:11 Commentaries: But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one.

Right, but what to do when it's a loved one. A LOVED one. I can't just ditch them. Maybe I'll have to. But I pray to the contrary.

 

[Hall]

Right, but what to do when it's a loved one. A LOVED one. I can't just ditch them. Maybe I'll have to. But I pray to the contrary.

As anotherlazarus mentioned, we are supposed to be the light in darkness. We would have to ditch just about the entire world to stay away from darkness.
You should not ditch because of that verse. And here is why, a little better expanation of 1 Corinthians 5:11 than Biblehub from thywordistruth.com:


In the culture of that day and in many cultures today, eating with someone was an expression of friendship and partnership. In some cultures, if a man ate at your table, you were bound to treat him as a friend and partner.

To not offer food to a guest could be interpreted as a declaration of war. The parable of the friend at midnight in Luke 11:5-8 shows a host who was willing to incur the wrath of his neighbor to obtain food for his guest. It was an incredible reversal of established norms for Jesus to eat with tax collectors and sinners.

That eating in our culture does not carry the same weight does not mean that we can eat and socialize with the one being disciplined. In fact, it means just the opposite. In our culture we may have to do even more than just not eating to show the world that we do not accept the person's sinful lifestyle.

But again, if we never ate with the person or kept company with the person before he or she sinned, then our not doing it now is hardly going to tell the world anything about how we feel and it is hardly going to have much of an affect on leading the sinner to repent. Telling a person who doesn't much feel like he is part of the group that he is not part of the group is hardly going to shock him into repenting! The real shock might come if we made him part of the group before he sinned in the first place. It is not very effective when we have to preface the notice of our "withdrawal" by first introducing ourselves! We should pray that our congregation will have such a loving spirit that exclusion from our body would be viewed as a punishment able to lead someone to repentance.

 

[Ikerepc]

See, you can not read one part and use just that part.
Please firstly read whole 1 Chorintias 5.

I don't really think that you all are saints who never done any sin or so. And defenitely he didn't wanted to say that we need to get away from peoples like that. Jesus eated with all kinds of peoples.

What is here word about? Paul wrote that cause he heard that some Christians do that. What he wanted to point? That Christian must be as best as he can and always try. Even if he fells. But if he repeats it whole the time, and say he is Christian, others will think that religion is wrong, and worse, other Christians may think that they can do the same. If someone can, why wouldn't I? That's why he wrote it. Not for us to create small groups and don't have any company with the others. That's what pharisees (right?) did and Jesus judged them for that. We should be different and help, point out peoples if they need that.
So do you understand what I'm trying to point out?

It is defenitely not true that you shouldn't eat with your mother and dad if they are like that lol, you got me?

But here is one thing you should do. Try to talk to them and point them to the right way. I mean peoples you are talking about.

Also you should see context of time about eat with someone. But someone posted that before me so I wasn't.
But you know from Bible that some were judging Jesus for eating with "bad peoples" wich ment that he is friend of them.

 

[Tolworth John]

So I'm finding, the more I'm getting closer with God, the people that claim Christianity, but actually, don't truly believe. They just claim Christianity. For no reason. It's a belief system, not a relationship. This shocks me, especially because of the people in my life that I've found feel this way. Paul says, with such a one, no not even eat. They're too close to my family, for me to do this so soon, especially since I've just found out about it. Is it because it lessens your faith? What do you think about why God inspired Paul, to say this? Are they reachable?

Basically live as much as you can for Jesus, seek to live as a Christian should and learn to explain why you do what you do.
Ask questions of them about evidence for the resurrection, why do they support..... and what are their biblical reasons for doing so?

May I suggest you look at coldcasechristianity and reasonablefaith for articles that support Christianity.

 

[ivanpetrov]

So I'm finding, the more I'm getting closer with God, the people that claim Christianity, but actually, don't truly believe. They just claim Christianity. For no reason. It's a belief system, not a relationship. This shocks me, especially because of the people in my life that I've found feel this way. Paul says, with such a one, no not even eat. They're too close to my family, for me to do this so soon, especially since I've just found out about it. Is it because it lessens your faith? What do you think about why God inspired Paul, to say this? Are they reachable?

Well true believers are only a few because it is says:

Romans 9:27: Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Also Jesus said:

John 15:18: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
John 15:19: If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
John 15:20: Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
John 15:21: But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
John 15:22: If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.

 

[RaymondG]

If Paul meant what you suggest, I would never be able to step foot in a physical church again......

 

[Kit Sigmon]

So I'm finding, the more I'm getting closer with God, the people that claim Christianity, but actually, don't truly believe. They just claim Christianity. For no reason. It's a belief system, not a relationship. This shocks me, especially because of the people in my life that I've found feel this way. Paul says, with such a one, no not even eat. They're too close to my family, for me to do this so soon, especially since I've just found out about it. Is it because it lessens your faith? What do you think about why God inspired Paul, to say this? Are they reachable?

That's right, an unrepentant believer shouldn't be allowed to take communion and is to be separated from brotherly fellowship(koinonia).

Church discipline --Matthew 18:15-17
2 Thessalonians 3:14
Chapter 1 of First Timothy
Romans 16:17

Are they reachable? Chapter 2 of Second Corinthians.

 

[5thKingdom]

So I'm finding, the more I'm getting closer with God, the people that claim Christianity, but actually, don't truly believe. They just claim Christianity. For no reason. It's a belief system, not a relationship. This shocks me, especially because of the people in my life that I've found feel this way. Paul says, with such a one, no not even eat. They're too close to my family, for me to do this so soon, especially since I've just found out about it. Is it because it lessens your faith? What do you think about why God inspired Paul, to say this? Are they reachable?

The Bible is clear that the "Kingdom of Heaven" (the Christian Kingdom) consists of BOTH
unsaved "tares" and saved "wheat". In fact, the Bible is clear there are MANY unsaved "tares"
and relatively FEW saved "wheat".

The "tares" often LOOK like the "wheat".... but they are not "wheat" and
the gospel of the "tares" often LOOKS like the True Gospel... but it is not.

It was always PART of the Christian Gospel that the Kingdom would be infiltrated by unsaved "tares"
and the "leaven" of their false doctrines would corrupt the churches and eventually the entire Kingdom.
In fact, the process had already started while the Apostles were preaching. Read Revelation chapters 2 & 3
to see the extent of the corruption of the tares before the end of the first century. The reason that today we
have hundreds of churches teaching false gospels is simply the FULFILLMENT of what the Bible promised would happen.

Bottom Line:
According to the Bible, most of the people claiming to be Christian are unsaved "tares" and not saved "wheat".
And this corruption only increases as we near the Lord's Return.

Remember, the Bible separates the world into three (3) groups:
(a) the saved "wheat" in the Kingdom and
(b) the unsaved "tares" in the Kingdom and
(c) the lost souls OUTSIDE the Kingdom, like Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus,
Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, Pagans, etc, etc, etc,


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[Ikerepc]

Remember, the Bible separates the world into three (3) groups:
(a) the saved "wheat" in the Kingdom and
(b) the unsaved "tares" in the Kingdom and
(c) the lost souls OUTSIDE the Kingdom, like Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus,
Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, Pagans, etc, etc, etc,


.

.

.

Hmm... I'm not sure if I understand you. Please describe and write where you find this out?...

Cause I'm really confused about that one and I can't agree about c

That's right, an unrepentant believer shouldn't be allowed to take communion and is to be separated from brotherly fellowship(koinonia).

Church discipline --Matthew 18:15-17
2 Thessalonians 3:14
Chapter 1 of First Timothy
Romans 16:17

Are they reachable? Chapter 2 of Second Corinthians.

What you are reffering to?
You think that any of us have right to judge someone and separte it? Really?

If I'm correct, didn't Jesus say to us to not Judge anyone?
And isn't this judging?

 

[JackRT]

We presently have in excess of 40,000 Christian churches and/or denominations. A great many of these claim to be "true believers" and are willing and even eager to condemn a great many others who also claim to be "true believers". It deeply saddens me to see so many of my fellow Christians condemning each other all on the basis of their various Bible interpretations. Denunciations, sometimes very pointed and even angry, seldom if ever will change anyone's mind or belief so I see little point to it. What does work? It is people living their faith with love and compassion. I read that there have been a large number of Muslim refugees converting to Christianity in Europe. Were they converted by angry people condemning them and claiming their faith was Satanic? No, they were converted by loving people living their faith. Let us go and do likewise.

 

[Sketcher]

Right, but what to do when it's a loved one. A LOVED one. I can't just ditch them. Maybe I'll have to. But I pray to the contrary.

A loved one is sleeping with his stepmother? Gross.

That's the context in which 1 Cor 5:11 was written - widen the lens to chapter 5. The church had failed to act upon repeated perversity that was beneath even the pagans at that time. Paul was telling the church to deal with it.

Now, there's a time for that approach, and a time for the Galatians 6:1 approach. I don't have enough information on the circumstances or the people you're talking about to make a judgment as to which way to go. Remember though, the protocol Jesus set in Matthew 18:15-17. At first, you're being gentle. But if the person refuses to listen even to the church when confronted, that's when you bring the hammer down.

 

[Traveling teacher]

You have to discern imature christians...
From christians in specific sins...
Ex. Sexual imorality....unrepentent.....

What about a son or daughter ....or a wife or husband???
It has to be dealt with if they live in your house and call themselves a christian.....
Dificult situation!!!!!!!
No easy answer.......
But the scripture is there also in matthew to take 1-2 and then tell the church and then at some point disfellowship...
It is easier if it is not a family member......

I hvae had some issues with my daughters both going to christian school and hanging around others who are sexually active.....
They have to cut themselves off and disfellowship these students........
One of my daughters listened to me and cut off the relationship....the other one didnt and eventually got caught up in the same immorality......

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

It is people living their faith with love and compassion.

But then some will say that it is more important to have faith. Just believe. I don't get it.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

They just claim Christianity. For no reason. It's a belief system, not a relationship. This shocks me

That was me. Probably 18 months ago or even sooner. It's about choosing the correct "R"s. Instead of rules and regs, focus on relationship.

 

[Devin P]

That was me. Probably 18 months ago or even sooner. It's about choosing the correct "R"s. Instead of rules and regs, focus on relationship.

No. I agree with what you're saying, but I didn't word it well enough. What I meant was, they see it as a belief system in the sense that it's pretend. Something fun to think of, but that it's an imaginary way to deal with things.