What if, while I encourage Christians, I end up encouraging members of a false religion?
Question:
I have recently finished another article about letting our acts and voices continue to confess Christ throughout our lives. I was wondering though, what if I end up encouraging someone from a false religion to do more for their denomination? My aim is to encourage Christians, but it's always possible that this might happen. I don't think there would be anything wrong with going ahead and putting my article out for others to read, but I was just wondering about this.
What do you think?
Answer:
"Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us." But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side"" (Mark 9:38-40).
Is it a bad thing when people talk more about religion and stir up interest in finding the truth? False teaching is wrong, and we ought to teach against false doctrine, but we should also appreciate it when people are just plain interested in talking about the Bible.
"Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice" (Philippians 1:15-18).
Even when atheists, animal rights activists, and supporters of homosexuality stand up to oppose the gospel, a side effect is that people you might normally never reach hear of the gospel. Most won't be swayed by the truth, but a handful will sit back and think about what truth really is -- and that is not a bad thing either.
