Are some people doomed?

[redwolf8784]

In my experience witnessing to my friends i have come to the conclusion that some people will never accept christ as their savior. Before I was born again I was a hard liner athiest. I couldn't stand anyone that talked about god or christ. Then a friend of mine turned me to christ. Since then i have been trying to witness to all of my athiest, agnostic, pegan, and jewish friends the joy of christ. So far i have not been succesful. They have an answer to everything i say to them and are almost militant in denial of Jesus. I have been trying to witness to them for the past six months or so with so little success i'm contemplating giving up. I know that i shouldn't and maybe this is just a trial that god is putting before me, but i am truly starting to wonder if it is even possible to witness to some people. Pray for me.

[Warthog]

Hey RedWolf, not saying that you should give up right now but...
Matthew 10:14
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

It is not necessarily your job to make sure that they come to Christ. Some people won't listen to you. You just have to tell them, you can't force them to listen or act upon it. Then you can wipe your feet of them because you did what was asked.

Also look at Luke 8:1-15. Here is the conclusion to that passage...
11"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

And 1 Cor. 3:7-8
7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

It may be your job only to plant a seed. It may be watered by someone else and harvested by yet another. Don't be discourgaged just keep at it. There may come a time that you have to wipe your feet of them, then again maybe not.

[Guest]

Warty is right. Only God can bring about the growth of the seed you planted. He covered the topic scripturally and I think it's evident that you will 'KNOW' in your heart if you still feel the burden or not. That is the Holy Spirit telling you that your 'job' isn't done in that area. Continue on if you feel led to do so. But there does come a time when your words will not do anything and just your lifestyle and your actions take over as the witness. Sometimes that has more of an impact. Be in prayer for them, let them see the changes in your life, and that WILL happen, because the 'Fruit' of the Spirit will be evident in your life. Even if a blind man can not see fruit, he sure can smell it. Sorry...bad analogy! God bless you, and I'm serious....Just commit this matter to God because HE is the one to do the work, and sometimes it's Nothing we can do other than let out lives be the testimony.

carl

[Kamakazigrl]

Youve planted the seed, thats really all you can do. Pray about it, if you feel that God says you've done what he wanted you to do and that its ok to stop then go ahead, but if he tells you to keep trying, be obedient.

Kama

[KaintBkwite]

Before I was born again I was a hard liner athiest. I couldn't stand anyone that talked about god or christ. Then a friend of mine turned me to christ.

I think you just answered your own question. I agree with Warthog as well. You can only do what YOU can do. God doesn't require us to do more than what he's asked. Here's a verse for you to think about:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." II Peter 3:9

Don't give up praying for them.

[Sabrina]

Hey, look at Paul. Before he was saved, he was ordering the mass murder of God's people. If he could be saved, anyone can. It might take a lifetime for your friends to come to Christ. They might never come to Christ. But you are right in continuing to witness to them. Just remember that it's your responsibility to witness, but only the HOly Spirit will truly convince them. So just keep being strong about it.

[Michael]

"Whenever GOD's Words go out, It will NOT return to Him void, BUT it WILL accomplish that it was sent out to do."

Isaiah 55:11



"GOD looks over His Words to perform It."

Jeremiah 1:12


"Heaven and Earth WILL pass away, BUT My Words NEVER will."

[IVI]

i have the same problem with some atheists, and i was praying for them a lot. then i saw that they weren't going to ever budge, so i gave up. i felt bad for doing that, because i don't want anyone to go to hell. they just can't give up being worldly, and they probably think being a christian means you won't be "cool". i'm here to tell you, i'm the coolest person i know!!!!

<-------yeah, thats me.


god bless
ivi

[pf4guitarist]

i have been trying as well to get my friends to christ. i have been working on one for a long time now. and finally he seems to be getting somewhere. dont ever give up, its not all up to you to get them saved, dont be mad at yourself if they never get it, just know it make take years. thats how its worked out for me. my friend needs prayers to get all the way there. the name is chris if you wanna pray for him anybody. i'll pray for you to. later. fly with christ!
-phatty's fighting four guitarist

[IVI]

AN UPDATE!!!!!!!!!

one of my friends is sloly but surely getting his life straight! lets all pray for him to stay on the right track!!!!!

[{nineveh}]

hey, all you can do is live the life for christ. if you try and shove god down their throats they will never listen to you. you've already found that you can't argue with them. as wierd as it is, atheists are actually usually pretty smart. but what you can do is live the way that god wants you to live. if they see you really make a change and stick it, theres no argument they can come up with for that. the worst thing you could do is give up. if they see you fall by the wayside, well you kinda proved they're point. trust me on this one, i have firsthand experience when it comes to ruining your witness.

keep praying, it works!
nineveh

[Demon hunter]

Hey thats great that ut out there witnessing to ur friends and stuff better thatn i do most of the time(unfortunatley pray for me if ya will) but anyway sometimes we dont get to see the fruits of our labor somewthing you say may pop into their head years from now and hve some kind of meaning to them then and that may lead them to christ. Just dont give up dont push it on em but dont give up no one is unsaveable

[Benji]

I agree with most of the other people here saying that it may not be your specific job to turn these people to Christ, but you certainly do have a part in it. And, i suppose some people are just "doomed" so to speak. Its evident every day in life because there are people who die without having known Christ, whether or not all of them have at least heard the good news, i dont know.

Also i'm reminded of a verse(s) in Revelation.

Rev 22:11 He acting unjustly, let him still act unjustly. And the filthy, let him be filthy still. And the righteous, let him be righteous still. And the holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:12 And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according as his work is.

[GODwoker328]

dude never give up.. You have told them about God and Jesus and sometimes it takes more then just telling them its showing them i dont know who u are but the way you live your life is one grat way of showing them how much Jesus loves you and them.. i know its hard to show them the way and tell them all about the one who LOVES all so much.. But you can also be pushing to hard you might want to back up a lettle not all the way just dont do it as much and SHOW them the way you live you life and how its so great with Gods great love.. i hope this helps...