Why are We So Emphatic?
Maybe the word should be passionate. When a born-again Christian explains their faith/belief to a family member or friend it is not because we want to push our "religion" on to them. Unfortunately, sometimes it comes off that way and sometimes we become so passionate about it we become insensitive. Please forgive us for that insensitivity. We have accepted a gift of freedom from our bondage to sin. We have come to realize that there was nothing we could possibly do ourselves to get that freedom. We have been shown that through Jesus Christ we gain that freedom and along with that freedom we have access to God and eternal life, forever. We also know what the alternative to that is, everlasting torment in hell. We love our friends and families and we do not want that to happen to them so we passionately witness to them. Here is where we are mistaken at times in our process, we make the assumption that just because we believe you should believe too. That is what we want but not necessarily what is.
Christ will and does change us through his spirit. It is the changes that should bring questions to those who are closest to us. When they see that a promiscuous sister has "cleaned her act up" when before, anything goes, questions arise. What got into you? Or you tell a friend that you are not going to party anymore, at least not in that way. They will ask why? Do you grab them by the lapels and scream in their face, "Jesus saved me and you need to be saved too!" Yeah, that will get them listening. Let's say a family member is just as passionate about a belief that is totally different than yours. Do you tell them they are wrong? Or do you let them ask you about what is so different about what you believe and then you gently explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them. Somewhere or somehow, we sometimes forget that our job is never to save anyone. We can't, no matter how much we want someone we love to be saved. The best we can do is gently and lovingly, and most of all, respectfully, present to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God saves! We do not! Even after we explain, in a loving and gentle and respectful (no "ors" here) manner, they may and often still refuse. Sometimes the refusal is in a manner that is not loving, not gentle and not respectful. This can be and often is painful. Remember where you were once as well.
I would say to those who are on the receiving end of a witness, not to see this as pushing our religion but pushing our love. While you may not believe what we do nor wish to ever believe, please still listen to what we do believe and understand that we love you and we indeed do believe that there are consequences for not believing and we don't want that to happen to you. We believe that even if you don't believe that those consequences will happen, they will indeed happen.
Watch how we behave. Remember that while we are saved we are not perfect nor any better than you. Never base God's behavior on ours. If you see good changes in us, changes that make us more genuine, more loving, more peaceful, attribute those changes to God within us. If you see us behaving in a manner, that is selfish, unpeaceful, unloving, remember that we still have our sin nature that is a part of us, that is still sinful, and we are listening to it instead of God in us.
Whether or not you reject what we are trying to show you, we still love you, but God loves you more.
Christ will and does change us through his spirit. It is the changes that should bring questions to those who are closest to us. When they see that a promiscuous sister has "cleaned her act up" when before, anything goes, questions arise. What got into you? Or you tell a friend that you are not going to party anymore, at least not in that way. They will ask why? Do you grab them by the lapels and scream in their face, "Jesus saved me and you need to be saved too!" Yeah, that will get them listening. Let's say a family member is just as passionate about a belief that is totally different than yours. Do you tell them they are wrong? Or do you let them ask you about what is so different about what you believe and then you gently explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them. Somewhere or somehow, we sometimes forget that our job is never to save anyone. We can't, no matter how much we want someone we love to be saved. The best we can do is gently and lovingly, and most of all, respectfully, present to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God saves! We do not! Even after we explain, in a loving and gentle and respectful (no "ors" here) manner, they may and often still refuse. Sometimes the refusal is in a manner that is not loving, not gentle and not respectful. This can be and often is painful. Remember where you were once as well.
I would say to those who are on the receiving end of a witness, not to see this as pushing our religion but pushing our love. While you may not believe what we do nor wish to ever believe, please still listen to what we do believe and understand that we love you and we indeed do believe that there are consequences for not believing and we don't want that to happen to you. We believe that even if you don't believe that those consequences will happen, they will indeed happen.
Watch how we behave. Remember that while we are saved we are not perfect nor any better than you. Never base God's behavior on ours. If you see good changes in us, changes that make us more genuine, more loving, more peaceful, attribute those changes to God within us. If you see us behaving in a manner, that is selfish, unpeaceful, unloving, remember that we still have our sin nature that is a part of us, that is still sinful, and we are listening to it instead of God in us.
Whether or not you reject what we are trying to show you, we still love you, but God loves you more.
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