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Witnessing to False Converts


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The absolute hardest category of people to witness to are those who know all the right lingo, and are convinced they're already saved because they've prayed a prayer, yet they are in all works reprobate, worldly, and completely lacking the fruit of the Spirit.
I just found out that one of my friends is in this category, and it hurts.
I see these people all the time door-to-door or in the fair ministry.

Any ideas will be helpful, although I'd appreciate if I could get more input than "ask if they're 100 sure they're going to heaven" or "the good person test," or something. These sorts of people have built up so much resistance...You can show them from the law that they're lost and condmned to hell, but since they've "been born again" or "accepted Jesus," it's ok.

What I'm probably looking for are some convicting Bible verses to use, or...I just don't know. I tried stuff like 2 Corinthians 13:5 with this girl, who just shrugged it off...the false-conversion experience really brings a hardness of heart--"gospel-hardened"--that makes it so hard to change a person's mind--yet we know with God, anything is possible...But this is Hebrews 6:4-6 type of stuff...Simply awful. It's scary what's happening in America with so many people having been falsely converted, and lacking repentance.

Help is greatly appreciated...It breaks my heart that this is what has become of modern American "Christianity"--of friends I knew from church--of coworkers, and so on.

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Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. He told the pharisees that only the sick needed healing.

I have seen God work through prayer and solid preaching on Salvation. I would take them through James.

Jam 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.

Then,
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I would next take them to:
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Finally to:
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

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I've had exactly the same problem Grace, so many people will agree with you, just because they're "religious" or whatever so they think the Bible is a good thing, and they think it's good for you to show them a few verses. And then they also think it's good to repent and ask Jesus to save them (many people have already prayed such a prayer). But the problem is, most people aren't stopping to realize what the words mean...they just hear "repent" "salvation" "Jesus" as common words or whatever and they don't think about the meaning.

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i have come to detest religion because everybody has one. religion has so blinded people that when you address anything besides religion it is so foreign to them that they will automatically start to shut down and block you out.
if you have talked to people at all you will know exactly what I am talking about. if you ask them," If you died today do you know for sure that you will go to heaven they will answer: I am a catholic, methodist or jw ect.
If you direct the conversation to the Word of God all they want to talk about is their church and what their church believes.

Keeping the focus of the conversation on Jesus Christ and His Word is tough.

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That's true grace. Far too many people are trusting in their particular religion or church for their eternal destination.

These people are most often biblically illiterate and blinded to biblical reasoning. They require much prayer.

Those who refuse to look at Scripture while believing they are okay with God because they are this or that denomination or belong to this or that church, are deceived and often happy in their deception. This makes witnessing to them very, very difficult.

Often, such people need a great deal of intercessory prayer for God to remove what is blinding them to His Word before they can really be properly witnessed to.

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Praise God that is no longer you!

This is why we must witness to EVERYONE, not just those who are more receptive. The one out of a thousand that is saved from being lost as you once were is just as precious as the one out of a hundred saved from their lost condition.

Glory to God!

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Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.


I was going to post these exact verses. The Lord used Matthew 7 to show me I was lost when I truly thought I was saved.
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I have witnessed to many false converts. I will agree it can be very difficult,and/or the atmosphere can seem very hostile.
In some cases I will be what will appear to be harsh as in Jesus' dealing with the pharisees.

The last false convert I witnessed to was an orthodox religion priests son? Something like that. He would boast to me about some of his sins and see them as humourous. He claimed he didn't believe the Bible to be God's Word. He said no to being born again.

I always bring up continous repentance. I give the example of a man who has committed adultery on his wife and he goes to apologize to her and I say if that man was truly sorry would he go commit adultery on her again? No!
I bring up the fact that a person who has repented has the desire to have nothing to do with sin and it grieved if they were to fall and stumble in it.
I will ask if they are obeying thy Lord. For Jesus said "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" I bring up the verses in first John that say if you love Him you will keep His commands, if any man doesn't keep His commands, he is a liar and the truth is not in him.
I will ask them if they are born again. If they say no or what's that or etc. I will say that unless you are born again you can by no means see the kingdom of God.
I will also bring up that verse:
Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

I may refer to how the "lukewarm" will be spewed out. How if they are ashamed of the Lord, He will be ashamed of them. I may bring up and ask about any evident fruit in their life.

I probably bring up a bunch of other stuff, but I cannot remember at the moment. It usually ends with them being either quite angry, or with them losing their false assurance and with me pressing them to examine themselves to see if they are in the faith.

That's about all I can think of for now. Glory to God!

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It is hard talking to people who think they are saved (e.g. Mormons), but sorry I don't have any advice in that regard.

If your talking about Christians that are dealing with serious sins, I think you should be a bit discerning in this area. Just because they are struggling with sin, doesn't mean they are unsaved (struggling referring to pornography etc).

My friends father struggled with a drug problem for a while after he was saved, yet the change in other aspects of his life blow me away (Mostly because there were some parallels to his experience with mine)

For those whom show no interest in God, no change at all etc I agree, there should be some questioning. I have had many experiences regarding Catholics, they agree with everything you say, even when you say it isn't by works you go to heaven. However when you ask them, well why do you think you are going to heaven, they always start off with "Well, I am a good person.."

-Alen

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Just remember that when you are witnessing, even if you think you have not accompished something, you may have planted the seed in their mind. Let the Holy Spirit bring it to fruition, even if you are not able to.



Amen!!

i oftentimes feel that way but then i think what if the person that had witnessed to me had felt that way.
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