It’s not my job to save people!” Some personal advice on how to reach others

 

“It’s not my job to save people!”

Some personal advice on how to reach others

by Gary Bates

123rf.com

Published: 19 October 2021 (GMT+10)

Originally published in a CMI newsletter, March 2021

Several months ago, I wrote an article suggesting that the issue-laden year of 2020 could also provide us with good opportunities to present the Gospel, and also presenting how CMI was responding to the challenge. C.N. responded by baring his heart via email:

Admittedly, I am bad at evangelism. A lot of time I just get tired of the fighting against ignorance and hatred of God. Many times, people refuse to listen to logic and reason; just look at the state of the world today with gender, politics etc. So, a lot of times I take the position of why bother. I know it’s wrong, but I hate throwing pearls before swine or disturbing my peace because someone’s ignorance and foolishness is sorely vexing my spirit. These days, I only speak when I genuinely feel the Spirit commanding me to tell the truth and call out the lies being propagated (which admittedly still happens often). Then again, perhaps I am guilty of slight misanthropy. Humanity and even my own flesh sicken me with its sin nature and its reveling in its ungodliness. The love and support for wickedness in the world incenses me to my very core. So, a lot of times I figure, what’s the point in saying anything? I am young and to be honest, I wait earnestly for Christ’s return, as this world is suffocatingly evil and rotten to the core. I yearn for the future God promises of everlasting peace through the Son. If one is hurting and asks for the solution, then I will share gladly.

We can’t and don’t save anyone. Only Christ can do that.

I would like to flesh out some of the points I made in my response to him.

Creation is a foundation for our existence

At CMI we provide information to help people deal with the skeptical arguments and objections to biblical creation, which is ultimately an attack on whether God exists or not. As you could imagine, as a leading ministry providing information to undermine the dominant worldview of evolution, we get our fair share of hostile opposition, and especially our speakers when on the road. So, it is not like we don’t understand. But notice that when C.N. shares this information, he allowed himself to get frustrated and even dejected. This is a normal human response because we feel that our efforts are being rejected. But is it us personally that is being rejected?

I often have to remind myself of three things:

• It is not me that people are rejecting. Humans’ inbuilt sin nature is simply trying to reinforce their desire that there is no God. A default position from birth!
• It is not my job to save people. We can’t and don’t save anyone. Only Christ can do that.
• We are commanded to be a faithful witness. “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

Instead of negatively reacting to opposition, we should see their questions as an opportunity to provide logical information they’ve never heard before.

The words “gentleness and respect” are often omitted when citing this passage. The first thing we should remember is that we are to win people over—people that God loves and who Jesus died for. So, it is not about winning the debate or argument. And remember, that when someone trots out the tired, old anti-creationist arguments, they are only doing so because that’s all they’ve heard via their education and the mainstream media. In one sense, it’s not their fault.

So, instead of negatively reacting to opposition, we should see their questions as an opportunity to provide logical information they’ve never heard before. If this information can undermine their own confident belief system, perhaps it will make them more open to receiving the alternative.

Some of you will have heard me mention this before, and I often do so when out on ministry to encourage the take up and sharing of creation resources. But I do so again because when one grasps that it’s not our job to save people, it is incredibly liberating. Once I realized this in my own walk, the transformation from being timid to being confident was immediate. Some tips.

1. If people ask questions or challenge me, then I respond and or counter-challenge with answers.
2. I don’t allow them to move onto the next question unless they acknowledge the answer—that is, until I can get a response. For example, if you’ve answered an objection, you should remind them that what they believed was therefore wrong.
3. Don’t allow questioners to dominate ‘the floor time’. Ask questions back about their views on evolution, for example. You would be surprised how little most know, because as mentioned earlier, they are only trotting out the old ‘garden-variety’ arguments.

“A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful” (Proverbs 14:25).

But what if they don’t listen?

Again, remember it is not you they are rejecting. I also keep in mind that the majority of people I witness to are unlikely to be saved. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14). I keep my expectations limited, after all, this is what Scripture says. Is this a defeatist attitude? Not at all. In all the years of ministry and the literally tens of thousands I’ve spoken to, I’ve often asked, “How many of you got saved the first time someone witnessed to you?” I can honestly say that the number would be fewer than ten people! What this tells us is that our witnessing is like a link in the chain, and this is why God wants us to be a faithful witness despite the seeming objections, because the Holy Spirit could be at work in someone’s life.

But of course, one can only provide answers if one is equipped. Maybe you are simply not confident when talking to others. In which case, be prepared by having some resources on hand like back issues of Creation magazine or our Creation Answers Book. And finally, let’s remember that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Be encouraged and remember that the harvest is actually plentiful (Matthew (9:37–38).

COVID's liberal religious revival – how their God-less theocracy's destroying politics, culture

COVID's liberal religious revival – how their God-less theocracy's destroying politics, culture

What is unique about COVID that brought this new left religiosity to the fore?

 By Fmr. Gov. Bobby Jindal , Brad Todd | 

When the first documented COVID case appeared in the United States 16 months ago, few would have predicted the religious revival it ignited. Unlike the four previous Great Awakenings that expanded Christianity’s American footprint, this revival exposed what now is the country’s most politically powerful religion: Secular Science-ism. 

Pollsters have for two decades noted the rise of the "religious nones," people who claim no particular religious affiliation or beliefs. This group makes up less than one-third of the population but skews toward the higher educated, upper income and politically liberal classes. Pew Forum’s research indicates "solidly secular" Americans are 50% more likely to have a college degree and incomes over $150,000 – and 71% of that group identifies with the Democratic Party. 

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed these "nones" really are not without a religious belief structure, however. Their behavior is driven by the kinds of impulses, demands and leaps of faith they sometimes deride in more traditional religions.  

Rejection of the afterlife and focus on this earthly life pulls secular liberals toward caution – perhaps to an extent that risk tolerance drives, rather than follows, political ideology. This zealous pursuit of a no-risk lifestyle leads to ridiculous and self-contradicting requirements like Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s edict that summer campers wear masks while canoeing, or the continued closure of schools after teachers have been vaccinated. 

The Science-ism practiced today has its own clergy – epidemiologists, with the Centers for Disease Control constituting a holiest of holies, and Dr. Anthony Fauci as a pope. Left-wing belief in an inevitable positive progression of humanity licenses the worship of our betters, even elevating scientists over science, putting clergy over scripture. 

Adherents hung on every word Fauci uttered about COVID, and defended him viscerally, even when his advice conflicted with prior pronouncements or cited evidence. They put up yard signs expressing their witness to neighbors, reading: "In this house, we believe in science," as if it were a creed and not an academic discipline. 

A hallmark of any religion is the insistence that devotees make economic sacrifices, and in Science-ism this took the form of economic shutdowns implemented by blue-state governors. Liberals grabbed the moral high ground only affluent perches such as theirs can afford, and with missionary zeal embraced widespread economic harm for the nation and for less comfortable neighbors. 

In Islam, Judaism and other established religions, the most orthodox adherents demonstrate devotion by wearing symbolic religious clothing in routine daily life; Christians do it with cross-themed jewelry. Same for Science-ism, whose zealots not only wear masks in crowds, but also while they exercise outdoors, walk their dogs or drive their cars alone, even after vaccination. For them, mask wearing is not merely an attempt to limit exhaled aerosols, it signals a sincere, if irrational, belief structure. 

This spring, as COVID case data – real science – indicated the thresholds that triggered mask mandates were no longer being met, Secular Science-ism demanded that data be ignored and sacrifice maintained. President Joe Biden called the March relaxation of COVID rules in Mississippi and Texas "Neanderthal thinking." 

Now as even blue-state governors reluctantly rescind mask mandates, liberals who run some local governments and institutions have stubbornly clung to the piety high that only compelling your neighbors can bring. 

The real test of any faith is whether an adherent sticks with it once it is confronted with claimed truth it cannot prove – and many secular liberals are powering through those tests, clinging to the myths of outdoor transmission and purification rituals of wiping down surfaces to rid them of imaginary virus particles.  

The fundamentalist nature of this secular theology is demanding in a manner more severe than even that of the separatist Amish. The rabid practitioners of Science-ism do not just insist they should be left alone to practice their extreme beliefs; they insist on a theocracy in which all of government’s decisions turn on them as well. 

What is unique about COVID that brought this new left religiosity to the fore? Perhaps it was this pandemic’s perfectly layered components – its disproportionate racial impact, its beginnings with right-wing anger toward China, its clean trades between health regulations and economic capitalism, and its policy debate weighing personal responsibility versus forced collective action. 

The emergence of this militantly secular religion will not go away as COVID death counts steadily decline. While a coronavirus revealed the political power of Science-ism, the fulfillment its sanctimony gives its adherents will not subside. The personal voids created by the rejection of traditional religion will always demand to be otherwise filled.  

Liberals have embraced climate change as their feared apocalyptical Judgement Day. They eagerly impose penance on Westerners for the sins of consumption and growth, in the form of more expensive and less reliable energy; smaller homes, vehicles and families; higher taxes, and restricted diets. They are happy to require sacrifice from others, namely fossil fuel workers and their communities.  

Lacking room for grace or redemption, they see humanity needing to save itself, through an economy of scarcity tied to the imposition of strict regulations and higher costs. 

The most liberal dogma increasingly focuses on structural racism as America’s inherited Original Sin, and insists no baptism can wash away its stain. To compensate, educated White liberals have adopted their own self-flagellation, whereby they publicly and constantly confess their irredeemable privilege. They will continue to invent new rituals and sacraments, like the wearing of masks and other virtue signaling, to demonstrate their piety and to give their lives meaning.  

Given their education, income and influence inside the Democratic Party, these religious zealots will stay politically powerful. Unless the rest of us can persuade them to rejoin more time-tested faiths, we’re going to live with this pursuit of a God-less theocracy for decades to come. 

Brad Todd is a Virginia-based Republican strategist and ad-maker and the co-author of "The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics" (2018). 

What's America's Real Problem Concerning Race?

 What's America's Real Problem Concerning Race?

Voddie Baucham Jr. | Pastor | Tuesday, April 27, 2021

• #social justice
 
• #opinion
 
• #Christian worldview
 
• #biblical worldview

This is an exclusive excerpt from Voddie Baucham’s Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe. This national bestseller was released on April 6, 2021 and is available where books are sold.

OUR PROBLEM IS NOT GROWING ETHNIC TENSIONS

O. J. Simpson. Rodney King. Michael Brown. Tamir Rice. Trayvon Martin. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. Just say these names and you can divide a room. On one side will be people who see the incidents those names represent as evidence of America’s “systemic racism.” The others will argue that they were isolated incidents, at least some of which represented justifiable actions taken by the police. Chances are the discussion will not end in agreement, or even one side moving slightly toward the other. Instead, they will simply continue slipping past each other along the fault line. Growing ethnic tension is a problem—but it is not the main problem.

While troubling, it is no match for the truth of the Gospel and the unity it creates among those who embrace it. In fact, such tensions represent an opportunity for Christ’s followers to demonstrate the truth of Paul’s words:

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. (Ephesians 2:13-16) 

Ethnic tensions are only a problem for Christians who forget this truth or subordinate it to a competing ideology (whether that be on the left or the right). When that happens, a fault line appears: those on one side “press the text” of the Bible, while those on the other see that approach as short-sighted and insensitive. The problem is not ethnic tension, but the fundamental assumptions that drive our assessment of and subsequent approaches to it.

OUR PROBLEM IS NOT POLITICAL DIVISIONS

Friends in the U.S. have half-jokingly asked if I moved my family to Zambia in 2015 to escape “Trump’s America.” I may not have been present for the 2016 election, but I was definitely connected and aware.

I started writing and speaking on political issues in 2008, during Barack Obama’s first run for the White House. At that time, I warned repeatedly of his culturally Marxist worldview. I also warned that an Obama presidency would not heal, but rather deepen ethnic tensions in America. I also warned much the same regarding both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016.

But neither was “the problem.” On the one side of the election debate were Christians who saw immorality as reason enough to swallow hard and vote for Trump in the hopes of stemming the tide of illegal immigration and abortion. On the other side were those who saw inequalities in health care, income, and immigration as reason enough to swallow hard and vote for Clinton in the hopes of stemming a different tide.

OUR PROBLEM IS SOCIAL JUSTICE VERSUS BIBLICAL JUSTICE

Those belonging to the social-justice crowd present themselves as the only ones pursuing justice, to the exclusion of all who disagree with their assessments—who, by that definition, are pursuing injustice.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the current struggle is that it mischaracterizes Christians that way too. On one side are “compassionate” Christians who are “concerned about justice.” On the other are “insensitive” Christians who are “not concerned about justice.” This is wrong.

I have pursued justice my entire Christian life. Yet I am about as “anti-social justice” as they come—not because I have abandoned my obligation to “strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14), but because I believe the current concept of social justice is incompatible with biblical Christianity.

This is the main fault line at the root of the current debate—the epicenter of the Big One that, when it finally shifts with all its force, threatens to split evangelicalism right down the middle. Our problem is a lack of clarity and charity in our debate over the place, priority, practice, and definition of justice.

The current cultural moment is precarious. The United States is on the verge of a race war, if not a complete cultural meltdown. And the rest of the Western world seems to be following suit. Tensions are rising in every place the African slave trade has left its indelible mark.

However, as much as I love and want the best for America, I am far more concerned about the precarious moment facing evangelicals. I am not a pessimist. I believe the Lord’s Church will survive until He comes, and this moment is no exception. God’s people have faced other—and I would argue more significant—obstacles in the past. I don’t think anyone would say that what we are dealing with here rises to the level of the Spanish Inquisition or the Protestant Reformation in terms of threatening our unity. There is nothing like the drowning of the Anabaptist martyr Felix Manz on our current radar screen. Nevertheless, there is trouble afoot.

NAVIGATING THROUGH THE ISSUE

The goal of this book is not to avoid the looming trouble. In fact, I believe that to be neither possible nor desirable. The trouble has arrived. It will not go away any time soon, and the division it is causing is necessary. I chose the fault line metaphor because I believe it not only describes the catastrophe, but also the aftermath.

There are two competing worldviews in this current cultural moment. One is the Critical Social Justice view—which assumes that the world is divided between the oppressors and the oppressed (white, heterosexual males are generally viewed as “the oppressor”).[1] The other is what I will refer to in these pages as the biblical justice view in order to avoid what I accuse the social-justice crowd of doing, which is immediately casting its opponents as being opposed to justice. (In evangelical circles, that paints us as opposed to God Himself, since every effort has been made to demonstrate that “social justice is a Gospel issue.”) There are plenty of sincere, though perhaps naive Christians who, if they knew the ideology behind it, would run away from the term “social justice” like rats from a burning ship. (As legendary economist Friedrich Hayek once said, “I have come to feel strongly that the greatest service I can still render to my fellow men would be that I could make the speakers and writers among them thoroughly ashamed ever again to employ the term ‘social justice’.”)

The current moment is akin to two people standing on either side of a major fault line just before it shifts. When the shift comes, the ground will open up, a divide that was once invisible will become visible, and the two will find themselves on opposite sides of it. That is what is happening in our day. In some cases, the divide is happening already.

Churches are splitting over this issue. Major ministries are losing donors, staff, and leadership. Denominations are in turmoil. Seminary faculties are divided with some professors being fired or “asked to leave.” Families are at odds. Marriages are on the rocks. And I don’t believe the fracture in this fault line is yet even a fraction of what it will be.

No, I [did not write] this book to stop the divide. I [wrote it] to clearly identify the two sides of the fault line and to urge the reader to choose wisely.

[1] James Lindsay identifies Critical Social Justice as “the intentional combination of Critical Theory, Postmodern Theory, and Social Justice.” Triggernometry, “Why Social Justice Is Dangerous - James Lindsay,” YouTube, August 12, 2020 (19:30).

Photo courtesy: ©Voddie Baucham/Ema Capoccia 

Confront Political Polarization - act justly, love mercy, walk humbly

 

Christians Must Confront Political Polarization with the Truth of Micah 6:8, David French Says

Michael Foust | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Christians living in a polarized political world are called by God to stand for truth while displaying kindness and humility, says conservative author David French.

French, the senior editor of The Dispatch and a conservative commentator, told a group of media members at the Evangelical Press Association convention last week that believers should follow the words of Micah 6:8 when speaking out.    

"What does the Lord require of you?" French said, paraphrasing the verse. "... It is to act justly. It is to love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord your God."

By walking with humility and mercy, French said, Christians will differentiate themselves from the polarized political realm but also from so-called cancel culture.    

"There's a significant minority of Americans now who ascribe dehumanizing characteristics to their political opponents," French said. "... [It's] not everybody of course, but [it's] many, many millions of Americans."

Meanwhile, cancel culture, he said, leads to many people being fearful of standing up for truth.

"So what ends up happening is a lot of the better voices – people who have interesting and thoughtful things to say – sometimes silence themselves," French said. "... A lot of good people feel afraid to speak."

The irony, French said, is that people are fearful of speaking out even though today's generation, through social media and the Internet, "has a greater ability to reach more people than any other generation of human beings" in "the history of humanity."

French urged Christians to follow the three principles of Micah 6:8: act justly, love mercy and walk humbly.

Acting justly, he said, means "opposing" what is wrong and "upholding what is good." 

To love mercy – or as some translations render it, to "love kindness" – means that Christians will "see the humanity in your opponents." "What that means is you're not engaging in the public square to own the libs or to trigger the conservatives. That's not why you're engaging," French said. "You're engaging to seek justice. With one hand you're reaching for justice, and [with] the other hand you're reaching for kindness. You're doing these things at the same time."

"Acting justly" and "loving mercy," he said, "require courage."

"If you're somebody who doesn't want to engage in the fight, [then] the 'act justly' part of it really is convicting. But if you're somebody who is driven to the fight and you often don't see the humanity in your opponents, [then] the 'loving kindness' or 'loving mercy' is deeply convicting," he said. 

Walking with humility, he said, "can defuse a lot of situations." He called it an attribute that's "in short supply online."

In conclusion, French said engaging the culture in a polarized world is not easy.

"Somebody might try to cancel you. Somebody might try to humiliate you," he said. 

But, he said, it's what Christians always "have been called to do … even through cancel culture."

Photo courtesy: ©David French Facebook/McLellan Style

I’m tired of being sad. I’m tired of being tired.

 

ARE YOU TIRED OF FEELING SAD? 

[12 TIPS TO OVERCOME SADNESS]

APRIL 23, 2019BY LEILA GRANDEMANGE

I’m tired of being sad. I’m tired of being tired. What will I do?

When life losses its luster and disappointment weighs the heart, we typically struggle with feelings of sadness. Feeling sad isn’t bad or wrong. It’s a God-given emotion.  But when sadness lingers, it can be hard to endure.

So what do we do? 

Before I share 12 awesome tips that have helped me overcome sadness, I’d like to share a Bible verse that I believe lays the foundation for everything else we do, in our quest to find relief from sadness. Psalm 43:5 from the Message translation puts it this way:

“Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God— soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.”

Fixing our eyes on God is like setting our face towards the sun. Walt Whitman writes, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” Everything begins with God. He is our hope, and solid rock. I know it’s not always easy to take our eyes off of our circumstances and fix them on God, but I’m praying God will help you. Here are some things I’ve done that might encourage you:

1. Believe that God is good, that He love’s you, and has a plan for your life.

2. Focus on things above. Nourish your soul with hopeful happy things. Stay positive. Tell yourself, “This too shall pass.”

3. Talk to God often, and listen. Prayer reminds us we are not alone. Prayer also help us get God’s perspective, let go of our burdens, and surrender to His will.

4. Read God’s Word daily. He speaks to us through His Word. Also try listening from the Bible App.

5. Renew your mind with God’s Word. Declare His promises daily (out loud if you can). Here’s one to start : “You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” 2 Samuel 22:29

6. Believe that God is working all things together for good.

7. Give thanks. Make a list daily of 3-5 things you’re thankful for. Post it where you walk by often and read it throughout the day, giving thanks to God for each one.

8. Play soothing worship music at home or in your car. Sing along.

9. Don’t isolate yourself. Talk with a friend or family member, or your pastor. Seek professional counseling if needed.

10. Hug (interact with) your dog, cat, or other beloved pet often.

11. Spend time in nature. Take walks, enjoy the outdoors.

12. My personal favorite: eat chocolate!

Praying your heaviness will lift, and soon you’ll be praising God with a smile  

What helps you to deal with sadness? Please share in the comments 

One last thought …

It helps to remember that sadness is not a sign of weakness. It’s just part of life. Once you’ve experienced a season of sadness, you’ll appreciate the glad times even more. I found this quote very encouraging:

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. The speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” – Washington Irving

What's the Christian way to deal with toxic people in your life?

'Looking out for number one' is so often a terrible mantra but sometimes it's wise to step back and let God deal with the people you can't.

What's the Christian way to deal with toxic people in your life?

By JB Cachila, Christian Post Contributor| Monday, May 08, 2017

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Many Christians have this wrong idea that a Christ-follower has to be so accepting of other people that we would never stay away from them even if their presence in our lives is toxic and harmful; that we should always be there for them and help them see the light.

After all, we believe that God can change them, right? And maybe He'll use us for that purpose, right? Hmm, let's talk about that.

A wrong mindset

I'm pretty sure there are many who consider the idea of staying away from certain people as rejecting them. To be honest, it's not. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all His followers to be wise, and that includes dealing with certain people in our lives (see Matthew 10:16).

And for this article, I will talk about dealing with toxic people in your life.

What are toxic people?

Toxic people are the kind who are loaded down with various lusts and issues that they are either not dealing with or are using to in some way manipulate or control their relationship with you. They might appear good, kind, even "angelic," but you'll know by their fruits that they really aren't. Paul warns us about such people:

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power..." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

These people possess in them the kind of character that Christians must not have. Befriending and spending time with such people becomes dangerous because "Bad company corrupts good morals" (see 1 Corinthians 15:33).

So, yes, we are called to be loving to all and do our best to be a witness, but Paul warns us there are actually some people we should distance ourselves from for our own sakes.

Do you know some people like this and are you thinking of ways to deal with them as a Christian? Here are some steps to consider:

1) Warn them of the consequences of sin

James encourages us, "Brothers, if any one of you strays from the truth and someone corrects him, let him know that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20) It still is a good thing to try to help turn toxic people away from the wrong they think is right.

Friends, try to prayerfully convince the toxic person of the dangers of sin (see Romans 6:23). These people are very much in need of grace just like us, and since we as Christians carry the hope of the world in us (see Colossians 1:27), we have the power to reach out to them.

Every person deserves a chance, so yes, do your best to reach out to them, especially if they belong to your family. However, if you've attempted many times to reach out to them and it's having no impact, it might be wise to consider distancing yourself while continuing to pray for them.

2) Turn away from them and their works

Next, be careful not to associate with their works. Paul warns us towards the end of 2 Timothy 3:5,

"...And from such people turn away!

It's not a sin to turn away from certain people, especially after you've done what you can to bring them to the light (see Matthew 10:14, 18:15-17). The Lord Jesus Himself, while reaching out to sinners like us, carefully stayed away from those who had a "form of godliness" but lived in ungodliness. Let's learn from that.

3) Don't hate them, but pray for them

Staying away from such people doesn't mean hating them or trying to hurt them. While we stay away to avoid being influenced, we keep praying for and hoping for their salvation in Christ. It's not a sin to keep yourself safe – it's actually a wise thing to do because the Bible also warns that we too can stumble while trying to save the immoral brother. If you don't have the spiritual strength necessary to deal with the toxic person, it can be in your own best interests to look after your own spiritual health first. As you step back and pray for that person, it gives God the opportunity to work in their lives and it may well be that a door opens for you to try again with them in the future when you or they are in a better position for you to do so.