Mike,

It’s a testament to God’s grace because for the last two months I have been asking God to strip me of pagan doctrines and burn out of me anything that does not align with His truth, and as of late, he has torn down many doctrines I held and showed me the truth. God truly is sovereign!
So I guess my last question is: how are am I to interact with our brothers and sisters in Babylon? I used to hold prayer group with other Christians, and we’d discuss our walk. We were even looking for ways to share the gospel, but now that I see what the gospel is, I see that I am called to bring it to the called (not chosen) just as Jesus was sent into the world (church world of His day). Any input or advice would be great.
Thanks, and take care!
C____

Hi C____,

It is refreshing to hear that you are “asking God to strip and burn out of you anything that does not align with His Truth…” That is a very worthy prayer, and it is an essential work for any who would be in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection”. But the doctrines and traditions of Babylon are deeply embedded in our lives and our society, and getting them out of our lives requires that we “as a living sacrifice… lose [ our lives”.

Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

While we must be willing to die with Christ physically, “He that loseth his life for my sake” is primarily a spiritual statement which requires that we “present [ our] bodies to God as a living sacrifice which means being crucified with Christ daily, which is nevertheless living through the power of Christ within us.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

You ask, “… how are am I to interact with our brothers and sisters in Babylon?” The answer is that you never pass up an opportunity to be a witness for Christ, but at the same time you are admonished by our Lord Himself to avoid casting your pearls before swine or giving that which is holy to the dogs.

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.

So we never allow a false doctrine to go unchallenged, yet once we have witnessed for our Lord and we can tell that our witness has been refused, we back off and do not deliberately cast our pearls before swine. Notice I said “back off”. I did not say ‘back down’. We never back down when it comes to standing on the Truth, but we do not deliberately bring persecution upon ourselves by pushing the Truth upon swine and dogs who “cannot hear”.

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Spiritual swine and spiritual dogs “cannot hear” Christ’s spiritual words.

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

So Christ is our example, and here we have Him standing on the Truth at peril of his physical life. But notice that He was not initiating the discussion. It was “those Jews which believed on Him” but still ‘could not hear His word’ who initiated this discussion, when they argued with Christ that they had never been in bondage to anyone.

Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

When Christ was not welcome, He would always leave:

Mat 8:34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

So what did Christ do?

Mat 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

Christ healed the demoniac and then He “departed out of their coasts”, when He was made aware that he was not welcome. He never ‘backed down’ when confronted with demons and their lies, but Christ is not looking to pick a fight.
This should be our spirit when dealing with Babylon the mother of harlots:

2Pe 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

Look at the preceding verses to see who and what we are up against:

2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

As hard as it may seem for our natural man to understand, God considers Satan and his minions in Babylon to be “government… principalities… [ and] ‘dignitaries’ against whom you and I are not to “bring… railing accusation”, but we, like Michael the archangel, are to simply say, “The Lord rebuke thee”, and go on about our business and let Babylon go on about her business.
It really helps to do this when we are granted to understand that it is at the expense of and upon the backs of the unbelievers that you and I are granted our saving faith:

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

It will be of great help to you to have a godly mindset toward Babylon and her children. Babylon is God’s rejected anointed who is typified in Old Testament scripture by King Saul, who like Joseph’s brothers, wanted to destroy David, the one person he recognized as his replacement. Nevertheless just look at how David reacted when he was told of the death of King Saul, who King David replaced as king over all Israel:

2Sa 1:23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

We are all sincere Babylonians, who believe the lies of Babylon, before our eyes are opened to see the deceit we are in at that time. At the beginning of our walk we really are “swifter than eagles… stronger than lions” before we “lose our first love” and fall into perdition.
It is my prayer that all these scriptural admonitions will serve to give you some practical directions on how to deal with our rejected anointed brothers and sisters in Babylon. Be firm on God’s Word, but do not cast your valuable pearls before swine who have no appreciation for “gold, silver, or precious stones” (1Co 3:13-16). We need to have the proper regard for the fact that they are sacrificed so we can become “those who first trusted in Christ”.

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Your brother who appreciates all our Lord has sacrificed for us.
Mike