Bible Study The Growth Bible Series: -The lost to understand-

[Atonement]

I will be offering Bible questions and what I feel are Biblical answers to these questions. Let us study these that we allow ourselves to grow in the Lord. All responses are welcome

Question:

Should we as Christians expect the lost to understand why we are different?

My answer:

We should not expect unsaved people to understand us. God has said 1 Cor 2:14 "The natural man does not recive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned"

The "natural" person is a lost person, who is spiritually blinded and cannot understand the spiritual motives, values, or insights of the Christian life. No, the unsaved cannot understand the Christian and will not understand him or her apart from the aid of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Rick W]

All you have to do is tell someone you're a Christian and they will treat you so much differently than before. They'll invariably attempt to do as they think a Christian ought while in your presence, you know, watching their language and such.

Actually I harbor mixed feelings about this. On one hand it's sad because they don't know where you're coming from though they think they do. For example, I had a Christian buddy a long time ago before I was saved. When I took the Lord's name in vain, which I did as a matter of course, I'd look at him and apologize. He'd say, "It's not me you need to apologize to."

On the other hand it can be amusing watching them doing/saying things that just isn't "them" at all. You can spot their being phony right away. And of course I expect I looked the same way to my Christian buddy but he never made fun of me for it... just ignored it. Every so often though I did wonder what the hint of a grin meant. Now I know.

After I was saved I met an exceptional fellow in that after being informed I was Christian he didn't do anything different or make him look uncomfortable. It was rather refreshing to tell the truth. We got along well knowing exactly where the other stood. Haven't seen him since I moved back to Pennsylvania from Utah. (No, he's not Mormon either) I will make it a point to see him when I go back to SLC for a few days visit with some others though. I consider him a good friend of mine.

 

[Atonement]

Potluck I agree with that. When I tell people I'm Christian I either have heard people talk about me, such as (watch your dirty jokes around him) and stuff like that. But also I feel the other side of this coin as well. When ever the company has a gathering I'm never invited lol. I hear about it from everyone on Monday how they were so hung over the next day yada yada. Before I became a Christian, I had no respect. I guess it was the life style I was living as a Satanist, remember I went to Church for the first time with a beer in my hand. This is how bad I was. I never watched my mouth or cared who I hurt, stepped on or ran over, as long as "I" was happy. Boy has the Lord worked on me.. I look at that person who I once was and I still feel some guilt for the stuff I said and did. It never really goes away, it haunts you for life.

 

[Rick W]

I had no respect.

Same here. I could care less how you lived or what you did so long as it didn't impact me. I was an individualist through and through. It never occured to me about being a part of the whole, a part of the social structure. I hurt a lot of people back then.

I look at that person who I once was and I still feel some guilt for the stuff I said and did. It never really goes away, it haunts you for life.

That it does. We may be forgiven but that doesn't mean our memories are wiped out.

Some may say it's a guilt thing to accept Christ. Thing is, I found it to be the opposite. I didn't feel regret before being saved. After Christ entered my life then I knew the things I'd done were wrong, couldn't rationalize them away anymore.

 

[Atonement]

Some may say it's a guilt thing to accept Christ. Thing is, I found it to be the opposite. I didn't feel regret before being saved. After Christ entered my life then I knew the things I'd done were wrong, couldn't rationalize them away anymore.

Oh no no, I had no guilt or regret when I came to know the Lord, it was not until after having a relationship with Him that I looked at my old self and thought to myself how horrible of a person I was. But until I met the Lord I had an excuse for everything, always had someone to blame, always had a finger to point. I never took true responsibility for any of my actions, thus it goes without saying I had no cares in the world.

 

[Rick W]

That's the part that gets me though.
I was doing ok in my eyes. I wasn't doing great but I wasn't doing so bad either. That is until Christ came along and turned my world upside-down.
Well, actually right-side up because back then I didn't know any difference.
:-D

 

[Atonement]

So as people who have lived in that life, we as Christians should not expect the unsaved people to understand us. The cool thing is, we understand them but they don't understand us. It's like having an inner wisdom that we only know, understand and can relate too.

 

[Rick W]

Now you know that won't be understood. In fact, it may be taken as an offense or arrogant judgment as I took it once upon a time. "Who the heck do you think you are?!?!", said I. I honestly felt it was arrogant/judgmental for someone to think I was going to Hell and they weren't. Really ticked me off. Arragant/judgmental? Why should I even care? I didn't believe in Hell nor did I believe God existed anyways. So why did I take offense? I dunno. That wasn't very logical either.
Oh well. So it goes.
Ain't no better than anyone else either but that's misunderstood too. Just doesn't make sense, it's not logical.

 

[Guest]

I do not expect people to act differently just because I am there. I do not except nonChristians all of a sudden to act like Christians because I am there.

I too have had co-workers apologize for swearing, or whatever, when I am around. I just politely say that they do not need to apologize to me.

Why would I except a nonChristian to act like a Christian?

The danger is when they(the nonChristian) do not recognize us (the Christian) as being different. Then there is a problem with us!

We are to be Transformed, not Conformed.

 

[Rick W]

Long ago on a comedy album done by Bill Cosby (I started out as a child) he pointed out how people will do this.

/Oh, you have a rhinoceros. :o

pause

/We used to have a rhinoceros...

lol

 

[Atonement]

I do not expect people to act differently just because I am there. I do not except nonChristians all of a sudden to act like Christians because I am there.

I too have had co-workers apologize for swearing, or whatever, when I am around. I just politely say that they do not need to apologize to me.

Why would I except a nonChristian to act like a Christian?

The danger is when they(the nonChristian) do not recognize us (the Christian) as being different. Then there is a problem with us!

We are to be Transformed, not Conformed.

aLoneVoice, I somewhat diesagree with this, let me explain. First I want to also express I agree with you as well. So I must explain my position. As a Christian, I want to be respected as a man of God. I have no problem expressing to anyone not to tell me dirty jokes, cuss or anything around me. I want to be set apart from the crowd and in doing that; I must express my feelings openly when someone irrtates me. I as a man of God must strive each day to reach that narrow gate. I must take up my cross daily, and this is no easy task for the believer. If I let my guard down even for a day, I just gave the devil room to invade my faith, my boundries and my position as a Christian man. I'm not saying that you or anyone should live this way, but I live my life this way. So I have mixed feelings on your post. But it's only a personal pet-peve I have, about who I am in the Lord..

God Bless
Keith

 

[Guest]

aLoneVoice, I somewhat diesagree with this, let me explain. First I want to also express I agree with you as well. So I must explain my position. As a Christian, I want to be respected as a man of God. I have no problem expressing to anyone not to tell me dirty jokes, cuss or anything around me. I want to be set apart from the crowd and in doing that; I must express my feelings openly when someone irrtates me. I as a man of God must strive each day to reach that narrow gate. I must take up my cross daily, and this is no easy task for the believer. If I let my guard down even for a day, I just gave the devil room to invade my faith, my boundries and my position as a Christian man. I'm not saying that you or anyone should live this way, but I live my life this way. So I have mixed feelings on your post. But it's only a personal pet-peve I have, about who I am in the Lord..

God Bless
Keith

To a certain aspect I agree with you... I have very tough times at work - hearing the cussing etc. And regrettably - those words can invade my vocabulary - thankfully, it shocks people when they hear it, because they know that I normally do not say it - it also shocks me as well.

And yes, as a Christian we are to be set apart from the world - I just do not except people to change their behaviors when I am there - within reason. Of course there are things that I would not put up with - and in that case I would either leave, or chances are, if I am at work, it would violate a company standard and I would take action that way as well.

 

[jgredline]

You should try running a business and be a Christian at the same time...