Oftentimes when witnessing we are told (or asked) about a certain religious body so we test them to God's Word. In doing that, we reach out in love to those who are putting their content on the internet (by their website/Facebook page etc) and try to share the truth of God's Word with them. Most often they don't even answer but when they do, it does't usually go well as they end up defending their system (man made religion) and not God's Word. One of often used comments are "You don't even know me".
We ask where in God's Word that it tells us we need to know someone before we try to help them in the truth? What we know is what THEY put on the internet for the whole entire world to read and learn from. We aren't testing hearts here, we test theology and spiritually based teachings.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good.
Just recently we were told this by a man that runs a ministry on the internet. When asked if he wanted to go to God's Word to see his error, he said 'I don't care' and 'you don't even know me and I don't know you.' But get this, on his ministry site he is asking people to send him money. We did not find one place that said 'let me get to know you before you send me money'. Nope, he's willing to take money from strangers that read his website and saw his cause but he's not willing to take God's truth from someone who read his website and saw his cause, which is unbiblical and needs spiritual help/truth.
Jesus told us in Matthew 7:15-20 that we will KNOW them, how?
We ask where in God's Word that it tells us we need to know someone before we try to help them in the truth? What we know is what THEY put on the internet for the whole entire world to read and learn from. We aren't testing hearts here, we test theology and spiritually based teachings.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good.
Just recently we were told this by a man that runs a ministry on the internet. When asked if he wanted to go to God's Word to see his error, he said 'I don't care' and 'you don't even know me and I don't know you.' But get this, on his ministry site he is asking people to send him money. We did not find one place that said 'let me get to know you before you send me money'. Nope, he's willing to take money from strangers that read his website and saw his cause but he's not willing to take God's truth from someone who read his website and saw his cause, which is unbiblical and needs spiritual help/truth.
Jesus told us in Matthew 7:15-20 that we will KNOW them, how?
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
By their fruits. No the Lord of the Universe did not tell us to get to know someone and then guess what their intentions are; He said 'you shall know them by their fruits'. This is a warning to His sheep to be aware of false teachers and He gave us the measurement by which to be watchful of. So what we do here at dontperish.com is fully trust the words Jesus gave us and we know whether someone is a false teacher by their fruits. How do we determine that? We read their content that they post on the world wide web for all the nations to see, we contact them and if they refuse to respond then we use Jesus Words in John 3:19-21.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
If someone does come to the light but continues to stand on their unbiblical doctrine, defends their sinful ways and does not want to leave them to walk in truth, then again from the words of our Savior; 'you know them by their fruits'.
No, we don't judge people to heaven or hell, we don't judge people's hearts (and by the way God will judge "deeds" not hearts), we simply do what our Savior told us to do in Mark 16:15 'go and preach the gospel to every creature'. We are willing to make disciples if anyone is interested (Matthew 28), we test/prove all spiritual teachings that come into our life and then we use what our Savior told us to use as a measure (fruit) to see what people are about. If a person will not repent of their unbiblical/sinful ways, God's word tells His true people to avoid them. How do we know to avoid them? By the measure He gave us, their fruit. We also judge by their doctrines they teach and practice. Romans 16:17 tells us to separate from those who have bad doctrine.
Friendship evangelism uses the tool 'getting to know people'. They get people to like them (which is fleshly) before they share their gospel (which is unbiblical and will not lead to eternal life) and then lead them into the sinful man made religion that will offer them worldliness and carnality that will lead them to a fake Jesus and keep them on the wide road to destruction.
God's word is clear and simple in this issue: Preach the gospel, make disciples and beware of false teachers that you will be able to identify by their fruits. This test also includes people who are not teachers. If we have the opportunity to talk to a church goer and share with them the many unbiblical practices of their man made organizations and the carnality that they are living in their life, and they walk away and stay in that sin, we can certainly know that their fruit is not of God. We certainly hope they repent and come to the knowledge of truth.
Does this post sound unloving and uncaring? No, quite the opposite, we love our neighbor enough to warn them, call them out of the darkness and into the light! We labor here at dontperish.com because we DO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR so we share the truth of God's Word with them. What people do with it is their choice but we, when we see bad fruit, are to lovingly rebuke, correct and avoid those who claim Christ but will not be obedient to His Word. see Titus 3:9-10
We hope this clears up this misconception that the worldly man made religious system is teaching all over today. Getting to know people before you tell them eternal truth is a invention of man; NOT God. We tell the truth in love for God's glory and for love of our neighbor.
See the gospel and a 10 point test here:
God be praised!