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We are called by scripture to avoid being friends with people who are unrepentant sinners.
This is why we strictly guard our communities and churches from the influence of the secular world.
However, merely appearing to be friends with somebody for a limited period of time to share the gospel with them is not prohibited by scripture, and is actually to be encouraged!
A True Christian's responsibility is to go out into the world and win souls by any means necessary, and sometimes that means having to go to places like gay bars, casinos, malls and abortion clinics where unsaved trash congregate.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 explains that we can make ourselves available to others in the guise of being sympathetic to them and their feelings if your true purpose is to bring them to CHRIST!
19For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
I want to be absolutely clear that the above text is not intended to be a free pass for you to develop a true friendship with the unsaved! This is prohibited by Ephesians 5:11.
Nor are we to take it to mean that we should change our true beliefs or practices.
All Paul is saying here is that he makes it appear as though he were a Jew in order to please the Jews and get them to listen to the real Gospel.
Paul pretends to be weak and poor to appeal to the weak and poor, in order to get them to hear the Truth.
When people think somebody is really interested in them, they open up to communicate, and that is our chance to bring forth the Good News of JESUS CHRIST, as long as it is really just a one-sided conversation where we are not being influenced by any of their unsaved ideas.
It allows you to say, "Now that I've learned about your interests and thoughts, don't you owe it to me to learn about mine, and adopt them as your own?"
Once they figure out that they can't turn away from your beliefs without being damned to HELL, how could they refuse?
They owe it to you anyway, for your friendliness and patience in listening to whatever babble they were going on and on about!
This is why Landover sponsors so many missions to gay bars, casinos, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and other hotbeds of sin; so that we may win the trust of sinners and then lower the GODly boom on them!
May GOD walk with you in all your witnessing journeys, and may He help you put on a convincing facade of friendship to the unsaved!
This is why we strictly guard our communities and churches from the influence of the secular world.
However, merely appearing to be friends with somebody for a limited period of time to share the gospel with them is not prohibited by scripture, and is actually to be encouraged!
A True Christian's responsibility is to go out into the world and win souls by any means necessary, and sometimes that means having to go to places like gay bars, casinos, malls and abortion clinics where unsaved trash congregate.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 explains that we can make ourselves available to others in the guise of being sympathetic to them and their feelings if your true purpose is to bring them to CHRIST!
19For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
I want to be absolutely clear that the above text is not intended to be a free pass for you to develop a true friendship with the unsaved! This is prohibited by Ephesians 5:11.
Nor are we to take it to mean that we should change our true beliefs or practices.
All Paul is saying here is that he makes it appear as though he were a Jew in order to please the Jews and get them to listen to the real Gospel.
Paul pretends to be weak and poor to appeal to the weak and poor, in order to get them to hear the Truth.
When people think somebody is really interested in them, they open up to communicate, and that is our chance to bring forth the Good News of JESUS CHRIST, as long as it is really just a one-sided conversation where we are not being influenced by any of their unsaved ideas.
It allows you to say, "Now that I've learned about your interests and thoughts, don't you owe it to me to learn about mine, and adopt them as your own?"
Once they figure out that they can't turn away from your beliefs without being damned to HELL, how could they refuse?
They owe it to you anyway, for your friendliness and patience in listening to whatever babble they were going on and on about!
This is why Landover sponsors so many missions to gay bars, casinos, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and other hotbeds of sin; so that we may win the trust of sinners and then lower the GODly boom on them!
May GOD walk with you in all your witnessing journeys, and may He help you put on a convincing facade of friendship to the unsaved!
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