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------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Msg #: [210/226] Base: PAGAN-Spirituality Date : 13 Oct 93 20:50:44 Stat: Sent From : Jim Taylor To : All Title: On Christian Responsibility @INTL 93:9609/0 93:9004/0 Having made an initial stab at defining the difference between Christian Believers and Christian Faith-Holders, I would like to present my ideas concerning the responsibilities of a Christian in a forum such as this one. First of all, all Christians are responsible to represent Christ as best they are able to. The success with which any of us manage to do this will tend to vary. Sometimes we will do it well; other times we will fail. Secondly, all Christians should be able to be at least as civil, as open minded, as cordial, and as supportive of others, as anyone on this echo. Those who cannot achieve this, demonstrate the falsehood that Christianity is an inferior religion, for ignorant fanatics. This IS a falsehood, and Christians who give this impression, disgrace their Lord by doing so. Thirdly, Christians ought to have a sense of humor--after all, who in all the earth is more ridiculous than we are?--but should never be mockers. What is a mocker? S/he is a person who makes jokes at the expense of others, for no purpose except to poke fun at them. If one has another purpose, and IF that purpose is to teach the other person something that everyone needs to know, then possibly that is not mockery; however, it is borderline, and should be avoided when possible. Fourthly, Christians should at all times remember that people are led to Christ BY EXAMPLE, not by being harrangued by tract-wielding, Bible- thumping loud-mouths! On this echo, proselytizing is absolutely forbidden, though it is always legitimate to answer another person's questions. But in other places, even though proselytizing may not be forbidden in those other places, the Christian needs to realize that if s/he has to convince people with words, s/he is NOT convincing them by her/his own life, so something is drastically wrong. When this is the case, the Christian needs to stop preaching Christianity and start LIVING Christianity. Finally, the Christian's responsibility to non-Christians is NOT to "save" them. Only GOD can truly save people; no man or woman can save another person. True Faith-Holders will know that God is able to save whomever He chooses, if they are not determined to destroy themselves. So let God do it--it's His job, not yours! "So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." (Romans 9:16)