Relationship with Others God IS real

 Relationship with people who are not Bible believing Christians

We have a duty to draw a persons attention to anything we believe is leading them into spiritual danger. This applies to all others, Christians or not but this must be done in love and not as a critical accusation.

Eze 3:17  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 

Eze 3:18  When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 

Eze 3:19  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 

Eze 3:20  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 

Eze 3:21  Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Eze 33:3  If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 

Eze 33:4  Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 

Eze 33:5  He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 

Eze 33:6  But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

Whilst we have a clear right, in fact a duty, to form an assessment of other people In order to be able to give appropriate warnings, we have no authority to issue judgements on other peoples actions. We may deplore those actions but judgement in the form of condemnation must be left to God, who alone knows a person's heart.

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 

The important thing to remember is that "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. .  It is not for us to even want vengeance. We are not entitled to it.. It belongs to God and He alone is able to decide if vengeance is appropriate, no matter how much we consider ourselves unjustly treated.. That is between us and God, just as is the position of the alleged perpertrator.

 Relationship With other Bible Believing Christians.

We are constantly told to love our brothers & sisters in Christ.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 15:17 This I command you, that you love one another.

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

Philippians 2:2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,

1 Thessalonians 5:13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.

Hebrews 13:1 Let love of the brethren continue.

1 Peter 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 2:17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

2 Peter 1:7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

1 John 3:11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

1 John 3:23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

2 John 1:5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.

We must be constantly aware that the Holy Spirit within a true Believer will recognise His presence in another true Believer and there will be a strong love bond between them and when they are of the opposite sex and also find there is a physical attraction they must be careful in their reactions.

With persons you believe are nominal Christians i.e. people claiming in some degree to be a Christian but not having experienced God's call, always remember that, although we are permitted by Scripture to form an opinion of another person, only God knows their heart. The Scriptures specifically warn us against "judging" another person but, unfortunately, in English the word "judge" has two possible meanings; one is "To form an opinion" of that person; the other is to condemn or approve an action of that person. It is the latter which is warned against by Scripture but see ****** about 20 lines below.

Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  i.e.  you can form an opinion of a person by their behavior. 

Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged i.e.  Do not condemn a person for their behavior.

But beware!!!

Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Jud 1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 

Jud 1:6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 

We can, through the Holy Spirit within us, form and act upon our assessments but must leave condemnation to the Lord.

1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 

1Co 5:12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 

1Co 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. 

****** This is clear authority for Christians to make and act upon assessments of other Christians, but remember we have no authority to force our opinions on another person, although we have a very clear responsibility to warn.

Eze 3:17  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 

Eze 3:18  When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 

Eze 3:19  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 

Eze 3:20  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 

Eze 3:21  Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Everyone has the ability to choose what they believe, no matter how wrong we may consider them. Even if we believe they are in grave spiritual danger, all we are permitted to do is to warn them - politely and in love and concern and refuse to assist or encourage them in their error, applying the actions  approved in Scripture. Gone are the days of freedom of  speech when we could draw particular attention to actions specifically stated in Scripture to be an abhorrence to God. The country's laws forbid us to use words which the hearer(s) might find offensive or distressing. Having drawn their attention to God's word, we just have to leave God to convict a person of sin. 

If the Lord does involve us in a person being born again, then, unless the Lord removes us from contact, we have a responsibility to shepherd them on their spiritual journey, as the Lord so enables. This is shown by Paul's letters to the various communities wherein he had previously preached the Gospel. But note that others, e.g. Timothy did assist him .

1Co 4:17  For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. 

We, as Bible Believing Christians, are "Not of the World"

Joh 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 

Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

We are IN the World and it is clearly God's intention that we DO have relationships with others.  We cannot force or intimidate any person with regard to their beliefs but must, if the opportunity arises, lovingly warn them of the consequences of such beliefs.

Isa 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: