Mike,

Is it okay to engage in debates with those in Babylon? I do say “debate” knowing very well it is a thin-line between debate and “argue”, and I do not approve “arguing” myself. So I try to discern the spirit of the responses and not to let my flesh get in the way and come in a spirit of anger. So for example, there is one debate in particular I got in with a few people.

“Why wouldn’t God create all humans to innately believe in him, or did He?”

Now, I didn’t specifically bother to answer the question. I know the answer, but by the time I saw it, there were already people spewing “God gave man free will” and the idea that man must freely choose to believe in him. But there were a few people I did comment on to challenge them. One person said, “free will was high in His priority list”. That was pretty laughable. I questioned was that in the same Bible that has Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, etc., etc.

This verse witnesses to how I feel about things like that:

Psa 69:9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

I feel so obligated to “preach” and correct, even though it seems overwhelming. Just so much lies. But the few to whom I did comment, they commented back, and it became a debate with them using a lot of opinions with nothing to confirm it and with me using Scripture references to confirm what I said. Am I wrong for doing this? I do feel convicted, I will confess that much. It feels wrong to tell people they are wrong, even though I’m attempting to present the truth to them. And I will not use the excuse used with Jesus “reprimanding” the pharisees, etc. I don’t mean to do that; I just do have a love for the truth, and these lies are “eating me up”.

So am I wrong in this? If I should stop, I will. I just need advice, and now I wonder if I should say anything or not.

ybic,

S____

Hi S____,

Thank you for this question about whether you should debate those in Babylon.

Christ is always our example, and while He never once backed down from those who attacked Him or who attempted to trip Him up in His words and His doctrine, neither did He ever once jump into an ongoing debate, must less go about looking for an ongoing debate into which He could insert Himself and His truths. Without exception Christ’s detractors always came to Him and not the other way around.

Christ himself makes this clear with this commandment:

Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

“Give not that which is holy unto dogs” is exactly what we do when we attempt to give God’s Truth to people who show no signs of having been drug to God against their own will.

But we cannot make a doctrine out of one verse of scripture, so I will also point out this verse of scripture which is in complete and total accord with Mat 7:6:

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [Greek: helkuo, drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Here is the definition of the Greek word ‘helkuo’:

G1670
ἑλκύω, ἕλκω
helkuō helkō
hel-koo’-o, hel’-ko
Probably akin to G138; to drag (literally or figuratively): – draw.

“Every man… that has heard” is only those who have been granted “ears to hear”, and “eyes to see” the mysteries of the kingdom of God as Christ informed His disciples when they asked him why He spoke in parables: Notice what the holy spirit inspired Christ to say in verse nine just before His disciples ask their question:

Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

When we attempt to share the mysteries of the kingdom of God with those who have not even been given eyes to see or ears to hear those mysteries, we are actually attempting to give them that which God has blinded them from seeing and that which He has not yet given them ears to hear. In other words we are attempting to give sight to those whom Christ came to blind:

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Those whom Christ has made aware of their spiritual blindness are those to whom He has come to give spiritual eyes that see. All such people will be those who cry out to Him, “Jesus… have mercy on me… that I might receive my sight”:

Mat 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Mat 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mat 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Mat 9:30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
Mat 9:31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

Mat 20:29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
Mat 20:30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Mat 20:31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Mat 20:32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
Mat 20:33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
Mat 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Spiritual Pharisees are generally great believers in the doctrine of free will. Here Christ has an opportunity to engage such spiritually blind people, and He passes up that opportunity because He did not come to open their eyes but to blind them. You and I are Christ, and as such we, too, have come “that they which see might be made blind”.

Having shown you these verses and the principle of recognizing that only the holy spirit can grant us eyes that see and ears that hear, and only the holy spirit is capable of dragging anyone to Christ, it is of utmost importance that we do not go overboard and withdraw ourselves from our calling to let our light shine in this dark world.

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

As a Babylonian minister pointed out when I was in the World Wide Church of God, it takes very little spiritual power to be a spiritual fog horn. You can play the radio on a car all night long, and in the morning the battery will still crank the car, because it takes very little power to make a noise. But if you leave the lights on for only a couple of hours, it can completely drain a new battery simply because it takes much more spiritual power to “let your light so shine before men” than it takes to be a clanging brass preaching to people who have been given neither eyes to see nor ears to hear.

If we simply follow in Christ’s footsteps and “do the things [He said] to do” we will be the light we are commanded to be, and we will attract plenty of attention from those before whom we are being made a spectacle.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

Just follow faithfully in Christ’s footsteps, and God will cause those in whose lives He has been working to seek you out as they sought out our Lord. So be a light, and be patient to do the things Christ has commanded us to do, and He will send you others to whom you can indeed be both a light and an instructor in righteousness:

I hope this serves to given you some faith and confidence in what the Lord would have you to do.

Your brother in Christ,

Mike