Daniel P. Barron

Regarding a recent article of mine, someone took exception to me having encouraged someone to sin.

Then do whatever you want to do, as you will go to hell anyway. "Be unjust."

Isn't there a blurb about "he who leads others to righteousness?" ⁱ Even if he's not a believer, you should encourage him to be just in other ways. "Let him be unjust" ⁱⁱ or "bring to righteousness." Those two points seem to contradict.

I don't see a contradiction. I can warn someone that they need to repent, and also tell them to go ahead and sin if they don't fear God.

What about good deeds? Like the opposite of "those who do these things will not see the kingdom of god." ⁱⁱⁱ Like not fornicating, not being drunk, angry etc.. Teaching positive things. Short of fear of god. If they don't accept that.

If you do all these things and you don't fear God, it's all for nothing and disgusting to God.

But it would still be righteous. It doesn't say "lead men to god." It says lead to righteousness.

The righteousness in this case would be disgusting to God. ^iv I would be encouraging people to do something that is disgusting to God. That is, if I said "although you don't have faith, still do good things." Without faith, those good things are an abomination to God; even their prayers. ^v God says "fill up the measure of your fathers'," ^vi meaning go ahead and sin all you can. Vessels of wrath are made for destruction. ^vii These vessels will be on display for all eternity, ^viii and they won't be remembered for having done good things -- that is, their good deeds will be held against them as evil. Scripture says that I put coals on the head of my enemy by doing good to him. ^ix

1. Citing (NASB) Daniel 12:
   

   3 Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

    ^

2. Referring to Revelation 22:
   

   11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

   Bold added. ^

3. Referring to Galatians 5:
   

   ... 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

   Bold added. ^

4. Isaiah 64:
   

   6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
   And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
   We all fade as a leaf,
   And our iniquities, like the wind,
   Have taken us away.

   Bold added. ^

5. Proverbs 28:
   

   9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
   Even his prayer is an abomination.

   Bold added. ^

6. Matthew 23:
   

   32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.

    ^

7. Romans 9:
   

   22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction...

   Bold added. ^

8. Isaiah 66:
   

   24 “And they shall go forth and look
   Upon the corpses of the men
   Who have transgressed against Me.
   For their worm does not die,
   And their fire is not quenched.
   They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

   Bold added. ^

9. Romans 12:
   

   20 Therefore

   “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
   If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
   For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

   Bold added. ^