WHAT ARE THE FIRST STEPS OF A NEW CHRISTIAN
John 8:31
Morning Meditation 2/28/17
Verse 31 says, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.”
What are the first steps of a new Christian? We should all be soul winners. There is nothing that should thrill us more than to win a person to faith in Christ. It is something that does not take a mature Christian to do. Many who have been saved have also had the experience of winning friends and family to Christ within hours of their own conversion. However, I am sure that all agree that a young convert does not reach maturity within hours of his conversion. The young convert cannot disciple the ones he wins to Christ. The steps to maturity must be the result of teaching. I want this article to help those who want to aid young converts in their spiritual growth.
Our text says, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him . . ..” Jesus continues to speak to those who claimed to believe. First this suggests that the end of salvation is not just getting one’s name in the Lamb’s book of life. There is progress to be made in the life just obtained. The word “Then” connects us with the statement of verse 30 which says, “As he spake these words, many believed on him..” Jesus immediately begins to instruct those who had said in substance, “Lord, we do believe you are the one sent by God (vs 29).” The word “saith” is an imperfect active indicative verb. The imperfect tense represents continuous action in the past without any though of it ending. It can be expressed: Then Jesus “continued to say to those Jews which believed on him.” He didn’t just make a statement and let it go. He continued to teach them. This is what should happen to a new convert. We who have a part in his conversion should continue to talk to him. So many times the young convert is left with the very limited understanding of how he was saved. He knows what he did but as yet he cannot express it Scripturally to another. This leads us to the first step that we need to help the new convert to take,
HELP HIM DEFINE HIS EXPERIENCE OF SALVATION SCRIPTURALLY
I have had those I have won to Christ get up in Church and give a glowing testimony of their conversion and in the process thank me for saving them! Now I do not need to criticize this young Christian for the way he puts it. However, I need to help him define his experience of salvation Scripturally. In fact, many older converts in giving public testimony mislead their hearers unintentionally by the interpretation of their experience of Salvation. Someone stands and says, “The time I was saved I was at the altar before I even knew it. And when I ask the Lord to come into my heart, I had this warm, tingling sensation all over my body. And I have been shouting the praises of Jesus ever since!” Ok, I am sitting there listening. I have had all kinds of struggles. I had to force myself down the isle. When I prayed and asked Jesus to come into my heart, there was no burning sensation, there was no tingling feeling. I did ask the Lord to save me. I knew I was a sinner and Jesus died for me. And now I’m not sure I was saved because none of these things happened to me. Do you see what has happened? This Christian testimony given in a public service has not helped everyone. Some it has hindered. The assurance of salvation does not consist of any one of the things that this testimony has given. I’m not saying that the person who gave the testimony was lying. I am simply saying there is a difference between the interpretation of our experience of salvation and the Scriptural conditions to salvation. The man who forced himself down the isle and didn’t have the warm tingling sensations that ran through his whole body is just as saved as the other. Both met the Scriptural conditions to salvation, i.e.., repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the first steps in discipling the young convert is to help him understand the Scriptural way of salvation and make a definitive testimony concerning it. He needs to be taught the difference between how we interpret our experience and the facts of Scripture. Then the young convert can stand and say, “You know when I was saved I didn’t hear a thing the preacher said. I couldn’t wait until the invitation came. I literally ran down the isle, fell in the altar, and begged God’s forgiveness and I have been rejoicing over being saved ever since. Now I know that every person has his own emotional make up. Not everyone runs down the isle like I did. I know we are all saved by simple faith in Christ. But I am just telling you how it happened when I was saved.” All of us would enjoy hearing that testimony. No one would be misled because this Christian has been taught the difference between his interpretation of what happened when he was saved and the emotional side of his experience. He says in his testimony, “Not everyone runs down the isle like I did . . .” So others are encouraged to hear this testimony without feeling that they are not saved because their EXPERIENCE was not the same as the one who just gave his testimony. One of the first steps that we need to help the young convert with is how give a testimony that is in harmony with the Scripture. Then the second step is,
WE NEED TO HELP HIM UNDERSTAND THE NEED OF BAPTISM
Baptism is not a part of the definition of the gospel of the grace of God. In other words, it is not necessary to the new birth. But it is a necessary act of obedience AFTER one is saved. Paul said, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect” (1 Cor. 1:17). Paul didn’t preach a half gospel. He preached the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes (See Rom. 1:16). Baptism is how we publicly profess our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection and identify with the beliefs of the administrator (the Church). If one has been baptized by a church that does not preach the saving gospel, he needs to get out of it and go to a church that preaches the true gospel and submit there to baptism.You do identify yourself with the beliefs of the Church that baptizes you. Many Christians have made a false profession of faith. They have been saved by faith in Christ alone and were baptized by a church that does not believe that salvation is by faith alone. Many believe that baptism itself is necessary to salvation. This perverts the gospel.
I have been reading the biography of Adoniram Judson. He was in Burma six years before he had his first convert. After one was converted there was the struggle concerning baptism. The biographer tells the story of two Burmese converts who presented themselves for baptism. I will quote from the book: “Maung Thahlah and Maung Byaay, who had presented the missionaries with applications for baptism followed their applications with a request to be baptized ‘not absolutely in private, but about sunset, away form public observation.’ They had been searching the Scriptures, they said in their new petition, and could not find ‘that John and other baptizers administered baptism on any particular time, or day or hour. We, therefore, venture to beg of the two teachers, that they will grant, that on the 6th day of the wane of the Tanzoungmong moon, at 6 o’clock at night, we may this once receive baptism at their hands.’” The missionaries after receiving the assurance that these two converts were not wanting to behave as Buddhists in public and Christians only in private agreed. But this illustrates how that baptism informs the public that the ones being baptized are embracing the beliefs of those baptizing.
The young convert needs to be encouraged to take the step of baptism as a public profession of his faith. He needs to be prepared for any criticism that submitting to this ordinance brings. Jesus expects a public profession of faith. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Jesus said in our text, “ . . . If ye continue in my word, then are ye disciples indeed.” The word “continue” translates “meno” and means, “to remain, to abide.” Jesus is saying that to accept Him and become His disciple is not a single experience that one can walk away from. It involves allowing His Word to have a permanent abiding place in the life. If the Word has a continuous abiding place in the life, baptism will not be an option. Baptism is “continuing” in His Word. The young convert needs to be encouraged to take this step. Then the third step is,
WE NEED TO HELP HIM UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH
The church is important to the young convert. It is not what saves or keeps him. It is the place for fellowship and growth to maturity. Ephesians 3:21 tells him where he is to give glory to God from his life. Ephesians 4:11-16 describes the purpose of the church in the development of the new believer in the maturing process. It is totally inconsistent with a claim of faith in Christ as Saviour and then immediately refuse His Lordship by rejecting the Church as necessary to obedience in this age of grace.
Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 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. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16). The new convert needs to understand what the candle is, what the candlestick is, and what the bushel is. First, he is the “candle” and Jesus lighted him when He saved him. Second, the church is the “candlestick” according to Revelation 1:20 where we are told, “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” If believers are “candles,” and the churches are “candlesticks,” and if the believer puts the candle on the candlestick, he will be in the church. There is no such thing as a freelance Christian. Every Christian is to be in a Scriptural New Testament Church. What did Jesus mean to teach when He spoke about putting the candle under a bushel? If your candle is not in the place where it belongs, i.e., on the candlestick, it is under a bushel. This is the teaching of Christ.
The young convert needs to have help so that he will be able in Scriptural language to communicate what happened to him at his conversion. He needs to be helped to explain that baptism is a pictorial ordinance, that it does not save, but it is the initial act of obedience after conversion where he publically declares his faith in Christ and identifies with the Church that administers baptism. Then he needs help to explain what the church is for, and the importance of attendance, using Scriptures like Ephesians 4:11-16.. There are many other great doctrines that he will learn in the process of his Spiritual growth. But these are three that are so important that if he cannot explain them Scripturally he may be lost to usefulness in God’s kingdom work on the sea of heresy that is everywhere to be found. Being able to define his salvation Scripturally will help him to maintain assurance, the Scriptural reason for baptism will remind him of his commitment, and knowing the Scriptural reason for the church will be a permanent reminder where he is to offer his service to the Lord.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
