** This response is biblically sound, thorough, and personable. The question is answered directly, issues are clearly explained with appropriate biblical support, and the response has logical flow. Rather than play into the emotion of the question, the writer empathizes while also demonstrating how to have a measured and appropriate response when others irk us. The writer gives broader perspective to the situation, also including multiple points of helpful practical advice. The response speaks God’s truth in love in a way the questioner can understand and apply to her situation. **

Question: What do we say, as Christians to other people, that claim to be Christian but really are not? I know people that have never been to church, claim to be Atheist, or non-religious, and then go around, spreading the good news to get attention, yelling at people, asking if they are saved, condeming people that they believe are not, and so many other things. They drive me nuts and my family nuts. They are going overboard, and right off the deep end, since the coronavirus hit. They are even throwing politics into it, and mixing the 3 together confusing a lot of people. Showing love to these people is very difficult. We want to yell at them but we hold our tongues. Claiming they are Christian, they are saying, that any Christians, who do not believe the same way, they do, about the corona virus, the governement, and Christianity, are sheep to slaughter, blind, sleeping, and are not saved. They are being the final judges, of all people, not sharing their beliefs, and at the same time, are complaining, about others pushing their beliefs on them. They are confusing other Christians, and I’m sorry to say this, but angering, of those, of us that really are. We’ve been breaking out of Christian character.

Profile: Female, North America, Christian, 36–45

Answered by: Gina Cook, who has been a volunteer with us since August, 2009.

Answer: Hello, thank you for sharing with us your question!

I would have to start off by saying be in prayer for them and yourselves. It sounds pretty obvious but it’s something that we often neglect to do when we need to. It’s easy to do. When we are tempted to get emotional and react out of anger those are the best times to quiet down and pray for the Lord to calm our spirit, adjust our sites, and have the compassion for others He wants us to have. No doubt it’s a struggle these days to hold our tongue. In this age of media overload and ungodly opinions everywhere we look, it’s hard to respond to others as the Lord instructs us to be!

“The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:7–8

Next, I’d look very closely at why and how you are listening to them. Is it something than you can dial down? For example, I’ve had to mute a few friends on Facebook because of their political obsessions and anger-filled posts. They continued despite people like me trying to guide them in a more biblical, less angry, direction. They were causing me to stumble in sinful thoughts and to be angry over things God doesn’t want me stewing over. So in that case, I had to make the decision to block out their influence. It’s ok to shut off toxic, unbiblical garbage, even if it is coming from professing Christians. It’s usually a very healthy and wise thing to do. We don’t need to know what is being said all the time by everyone we know. We have to guard our hearts and minds. Soak in the written Word of God- fill your mind with His words, not theirs.

If these are people you can’t “mute” or if these are face to face encounters that would be hard to limit for whatever the reason, then you are going to have to make sure to be proactive in your dealings with them. What I mean is you are first going to have to prayerfully prepare in the Word. Then you can try and change the subject in a better direction. You can politely respond with Biblical truth but be ready to have to drop it and move on into a more neutral conversation if they refuse to accept the truth. When taking care of my elderly, unbelieving grandfather who is full of unbiblical opinions and is hard to listen to sometimes, I can’t just walk out and leave him to himself, but I can give him gracious truth in love. If he refuses it and mocks it, I change the subject and show the love of Christ in my attitude towards him even though we drastically disagree on many things. God doesn’t want us throwing pearls (the Word of God) to swine to continuously be trampled (Matthew 7:6). We can dust our feet off, so to speak, and move on – yet prayerfully keeping an eye open for any future opportunity to share the truth with them.

In a nutshell, when you can, limit your interactions and what you subject yourself to.

Another thing to consider regarding those who claim to be Christian, what are they saying exactly to make us and others mad? Is it actually unbiblical? Or is it just the way they are saying it? Is it true and it just happens to rub everyone wrong who disagrees? Christians have been told for ages that they anger certain people because of what they say, but all they’ve said is the truth of God. They’ve many times been told their “tone” is distasteful but it was received as distasteful simply because the hearers didn’t like the truth – it made them feel bad, therefore, in their eyes, it was wrong with what and in how it was said. Although true and said in love and with the right heart, it simply didn’t matter to them. The truth can really sting!

If someone is saying people aren’t saved because of their views on the coronavirus, affiliations with a political party, or something else not an issue in Scripture, then they are definitely in the wrong. They should be kindly told to remember what the Lord has said in His Word about who is saved and who isn’t.

If they are actually saying that people who believe in a false jesus, different gospel, or false Christianity are not saved, then they are correct. It can sound mean and judgmental but it’s true. Christ and His disciples didn’t hold back from telling people they needed to repent and believe in Him. What Christ said angered many!

“”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'” Matthew 7:21–23

So research a professing Christian’s warnings and rebukes and see if it lines up with Scripture, not with the beliefs handed down to your family, friends, or churches or with feelings, experiences, or comforts.
Regarding the atheists who claim to know spiritual truth, give them the Gospel, and pray they receive it then limit yourself to their antics if they continue.

It’s a very loving thing to tell someone that their beliefs are not in line with Christianity and the Word of God. It may not be viewed as kind to tell someone they are headed for hell if they don’t repent and trust in the true Jesus, but it is. If we are not believing in the Word of God and in the true Jesus, then we are in major trouble. We need to hear God’s Word loud and clear.

Of course, we all need to make sure we are saying it with compassion and love. Even if others don’t perceive it as such, God still sees the heart of it. If these people you are talking about are saying the truth but doing it in a very rude, belittling, and unloving way, approach them kindly and let them know they are in sin. Give them verses to back it up. Pray and let God work on their hearts.

Finally, no one can say “so and so WILL be in hell”. We can’t judge in a condemning/final way. That sort of judging, along with hypocritical and false judging, is the only kind of judging that the Lord speaks against (Matthew 7:1–5, Romans 2:1 and Luke 6:37). Other than that we can definitely look at another’s fruit/works/deeds and determine where they may be at with the Lord in the present time. God may eventually save them so we can’t say they for sure will end up in hell. No one knows that but the Lord.

I hope you have found this to be helpful. If not or if you have anything else you’d like to add or ask, please feel free to reply and let me know. Thanks again for sharing with us! My prayers are with you and your family.