Our Testimony Before Unbelievers
Over the years I have seen that it is the attitudes and actions of Christians that turn others off to the Lord and the church. Think about it. This is the one objection to the gospel that should not even exist. If Christians lived out their faith, people would be drawn to the Lord, instead of driven away. Nehemiah faced this with the Jewish believers in his day. He reminded the people to walk in the fear of God, because of what others would see and what they would say, if they didn't.(Nehemiah 5:9)
Any time we, as believers, act in an unloving, unkind, or otherwise ungodly way toward our brothers and sisters in the faith, we give those who don't believe a reason to think that God is not real and faith in Him doesn't make any difference in a person's life. If that is true, why bother with the Lord or church. Many people have come to this conclusion today, so that the fastest growing group in America is the "No Belief" category. They have come to this place partly because they have been turned off by believers.
Let's determine to follow the Lord with such fear and respect that we would never act in an ungodly way toward anyone, much less another believer. In fact, let's go out of our way to love each other in word and deed, so that people will know we are true disciples of Jesus.(John 13:34,35) Let's give people around us every reason to believe that Jesus is alive, and He changes lives radically for the better.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Nehemiah 8-10.
Any time we, as believers, act in an unloving, unkind, or otherwise ungodly way toward our brothers and sisters in the faith, we give those who don't believe a reason to think that God is not real and faith in Him doesn't make any difference in a person's life. If that is true, why bother with the Lord or church. Many people have come to this conclusion today, so that the fastest growing group in America is the "No Belief" category. They have come to this place partly because they have been turned off by believers.
Let's determine to follow the Lord with such fear and respect that we would never act in an ungodly way toward anyone, much less another believer. In fact, let's go out of our way to love each other in word and deed, so that people will know we are true disciples of Jesus.(John 13:34,35) Let's give people around us every reason to believe that Jesus is alive, and He changes lives radically for the better.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Nehemiah 8-10.