eyes that will not see
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I too, have been asked to keep 'that God stuff' to a minimum; and I replied much as you did. They know where I stand. It's really my 10 grandchildren that I have concern over. The adults have all been exposed to God and have made their sad choices,(for now) but the little ones have had almost no exposure in this godless world. If I were to tell them my beliefs without their parents consent I'd likely never see them again. I suppose I should just listen for the Lords quiet voice to let me know when and what to say in a way that will not slam the door to their possible salvation, and continue to pray until I hear his voice. I thank God for this forum where I can reach out and be reminded of and comforted by God's love. The churches in my area (very rural) are distant and very judgmental, so I rarely attend. I don't know any christians anymore, so I rely mainly on the Bible and quiet whispers in my heart. ... and now this forum. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Ask them if their mother loves them. If they say 'Yes', then ask them to prove it scientifically. 
Seriously, pray for them, that their eyes would be opened. Just keep being yourself and treating them as you would treat Jesus. You can't control their response, but the Lord will guide and reward you.
Seriously, pray for them, that their eyes would be opened. Just keep being yourself and treating them as you would treat Jesus. You can't control their response, but the Lord will guide and reward you.
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yep ... same with my situation. And sometimes that's something my brother in law brings up ... "I'm a good person" ... "I help others" ...
How do we explain that it's not a works issue, it's a faith issue? ... faith in the One Who has freed us from bondage to sin when they don't think they sin because "I'm a good person".
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How do we explain that it's not a works issue, it's a faith issue? ... faith in the One Who has freed us from bondage to sin when they don't think they sin because "I'm a good person".
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That was also an argument/question made/asked in the movie "Contact" (<= link )
Did you ever see it? For a long time, it was one of my faves, and I have watched it many
times: a 1997 American science fiction drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on
the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan. Jodie Foster plays an atheist SETI scientist who finds evidence
of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact. Matthew McConaughey plays her
love interest, a voluntarily defrocked "man of the cloth" who challenges her ideas about
God. He poses the question to her in relation to her father
) Did you ever see it? For a long time, it was one of my faves, and I have watched it many
times: a 1997 American science fiction drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on
the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan. Jodie Foster plays an atheist SETI scientist who finds evidence
of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact. Matthew McConaughey plays her
love interest, a voluntarily defrocked "man of the cloth" who challenges her ideas about
God. He poses the question to her in relation to her father
“Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
Luke 16:27-
all we can do is share what scripture says when you realize Christ fills the prophets and law it becomes a powerful witness for his truth but sadly some will not hear it
Luke 16:27-
all we can do is share what scripture says when you realize Christ fills the prophets and law it becomes a powerful witness for his truth but sadly some will not hear it
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It seems wise to remember the Purpose of Christ, which is to give Spiritual Eyesight so that people may THEN become convinced of Spiritual matters. Without this Enabling process, no words would even convince the Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the law.
John 9:39-41 NLT - "Then Jesus told him, "I entered this world to render judgment--to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind." Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, "Are you saying we're blind?" "If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see."
Instead of trying to convince a person of the Gospel, it is best to simply tell them about it.
Romans 10:14 NLT - "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?"
The best thing that you can do is to read the Bible in a timeline, chronological order so that you can actually understand the Story of God, which happens to be the Gospel. Be careful to read and understand the entire Body of this remarkable book, doing your best to understand how and why every sentence is important.
To give you a headstart, I would read the Bible in the fashion mentioned above, and ask yourself if and how each story, and even passage, relates to the below Scripture:
Colossians 2:9-15 NLT - "For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision--the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."
Once a person ACTUALLY understands the Gospel, it becomes easy to talk to others who do not believe. But when a person does not understand the Gospel, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible. And, perhaps this is why virtually no one has ever walked up to me to explain the Gospel . . . and perhaps this is why when a person enters into virtually any church, "you" will NEVER hear two people actually discuss the Gospel. They're too busy talking about what they'll be doing Thursday night, for example.
Read the Bible in a timeline, chronological order and let it change your life.
John 9:39-41 NLT - "Then Jesus told him, "I entered this world to render judgment--to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind." Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, "Are you saying we're blind?" "If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see."
Instead of trying to convince a person of the Gospel, it is best to simply tell them about it.
Romans 10:14 NLT - "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?"
The best thing that you can do is to read the Bible in a timeline, chronological order so that you can actually understand the Story of God, which happens to be the Gospel. Be careful to read and understand the entire Body of this remarkable book, doing your best to understand how and why every sentence is important.
To give you a headstart, I would read the Bible in the fashion mentioned above, and ask yourself if and how each story, and even passage, relates to the below Scripture:
Colossians 2:9-15 NLT - "For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision--the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."
Once a person ACTUALLY understands the Gospel, it becomes easy to talk to others who do not believe. But when a person does not understand the Gospel, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible. And, perhaps this is why virtually no one has ever walked up to me to explain the Gospel . . . and perhaps this is why when a person enters into virtually any church, "you" will NEVER hear two people actually discuss the Gospel. They're too busy talking about what they'll be doing Thursday night, for example.
Read the Bible in a timeline, chronological order and let it change your life.
I appreciate the effort you put into this great reply; but merely sharing the gospel isn't the issue. It is the question of how to reach those who have absolutely zero sense of anything or Being greater than mankind... I've not found the answer in 40 years of study and was hoping someone here would have experience with the dilemma.