Coming out the world and becoming a fruitful
Christian is a process in which there are many steps. Occasionally, a method
of evangelism is developed that centers on the steps of salvation and does
not give proper consideration to the changes that must take place in the
heart and mind of a person before he is ready to believe, repent and obey.
Nor do some methods of salvation consider the things that must happen in
order for a person to become a functioning part of the body of Christ so
that he may produce fruit. This section will discuss the pre-conversion
changes and the post-conversion changes of a new disciple of Christ.
Discipleship is
an unending process whereby a believer submits to the Lordship of Jesus
Christ and lives in such a way that this profession permeates every aspect
of his life. One begins the process of discipleship at the time he decides
to follow the Lord’s way. Salvation comes at the point of obedience to the
gospel by submitting to baptism in water for the remission of sins. But God
expects the disciple to be taught ‘to obey everything I have commanded you”
(Matt. 28:19). The work of the evangelist is not done at the waters of
baptism. The one completely safe and dependable manual on personal
evangelism is the New Testament; yet the more one studies the New Testament,
the less one can deduce from it a system of personal evangelistic methods.
Jesus employed a different approach with different persons. He assessed
their needs and spoke to them on the basis of their understanding. One might
take for example Jesus’ approach to Nicodemus as being very different from
his approach to the woman at the well. Paul made a much different appeal at
Mars Hill than he did at Agrippa’s court or at Ephesus. Circumstances
differ, and the evangelist must be prepared to approach his listeners in
such a way as to speak to their understanding of God. It is hoped that this
section will serve as a measuring stick for the evangelist to evaluate his
students and to know where to begin to speak to their spiritual needs. The
task of the evangelist is not merely to inform his students of the gospel
story; it is also to persuade them to accept and obey the gospel. “Knowing
therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men,” Paul says (2 Cor. 5:11).
The evangelist must not only know the story, he must also know how to make
the story pierce the hearts of those who are listening in the hope that they
will respond. Knowing why one must respond is surely as important as knowing
what one must do to be saved. With this in mind, let’s consider these steps
or tasks that are part of the conversion process. Each step has a crucial
place in the process. Soil must be prepared before one may plant the seed
and expect a fruitful harvest. The planted seed must be watered and
protected if it is to grow. The harvested fruit must be cared for and stored
before it is ready to eat.
PRE-CONVERSION TASKS
Conversion is the
change of the whole person: the intellect, the emotions and the will. These
three inter-related aspects of the heart are important in knowing how one
changes. It takes true change in all three areas for conversion to take
place. Conversion is a change in what one believes; it is repentance; and it
is a change in one’s love.
I. In Relation to God
1. The student
must realize the existence of God. (Intellect)
God made His “eternal
nature and divine power” known through the world that He has created
(Rom.1:l8-21). Yet there are many hearts that have been darkened by not
acknowledging or giving thanks to God. Evangelists need to know enough about
Christian evidences to demonstrate that God exists beyond a reasonable
doubt. The Christian evidences section of this book will be helpful.
Further, the student must realize that the one true and living God is the
God of the Bible. The apostle Paul at Mars Hill spoke to men who believed
there were gods and worshiped idols but did not know the true God. It is not
enough to believe there is a God if that God is some other than the God of
the Bible. Evangelists may need to address the fact tat God is a Person,
that He is Spirit, that He is Infinite in power, or that He is unique. The
evangelist must respond to the modern tendency in our world toward a
pluralistic theology (believing in any god, for one god is as good as
another). He must be able to give a reason why Jesus Christ is the only way
to heaven, and Mohammed or Confucius is not.
2. The student
must have a favorable attitude toward God. (Emotions or Heart)
The problem of human
suffering is a difficult hurdle for many people. One may believe that the
God of the Bible is the one, true God; yet one might be angry at God or hold
a low view of God because of the suffering one has experienced or observed.
It is necessary for the evangelist to be able to help the student overcome
this hurdle in order for the student to embrace God in submission and love.
Furthermore, the student must come to understand how much God has love and
blessed him throughout his life. We love, because He first loved us (1 John
4:19). There is no greater love than that of God nor more powerful
motivation than the message of the cross. The love of God must motive the
student to want to change. God’s kindness should lead one to repent (Rom.
2:4).
3. The Student
must Submit to the Authority of God and the Lordship of Christ. (Will)
The call of Jesus for obedience abounds in the New Testament. Among them are
Matt. 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven; but who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven.”
John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not
obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John
14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” Heb. 5:8,9 “although
He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered; and
having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of
eternal life.”
Jesus taught that a personal commitment must
be made to Him as Lord. On the last day all men will bow the knee and
confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father (Phil. 2:5-11). The
Lordship of Christ means that we belong to Him and that He has a right to
make decisions affecting our lives. We are to deny ourselves, to take up our
crosses daily, and to follow Him (Luke 9:23).
In Relation to Sin
and Self:
1. The student
must have an understanding of what sin is and the consequences of his own
personal sin. (Intellect)
The message of the
cross must not only show the love of God for mankind but also the Lord’s
utter abomination for sin. The wages of sin has always been death (Rom.
6:23), an eternal damnation. Sin is the enemy of every man. Each student
must understand that sin is the violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4), and
that God takes that violation seriously. It is a momentous occasion in the
life of any person when he comes to acknowledge that he has sinned against
God and that God will hold him responsible. People will not change until
they want to change, until that change is seen as beneficial in terms of
their basic needs and desires. They need to understand that their sins have
consequences in this life, and that no one escapes the consequences of his
sin (Gal. 6:7,8). The life of the transgressor is indeed hard (Prov. 13:15).
He must clearly see that by his own sin he has hurt God, hurt others and
hurt himself. He must become sorry for his sins, that the sorrow might lead
him to repentance (2 Con 7:8-10).
In a relativistic
society, many people have no concept of an objective standard of sin. They
too often consider themselves as ‘good people because they have not
committed some horrible crime (murder, rape, adultery, treason, etc.). They
tend to justify their small sins (white lies, petty thefts, etc.) as human
mistakes but not worthy of eternal damnation. It should not surprise the
evangelist to hear someone say, “I haven’t ever sinned,” since many people
have such a limited view of what sin is. Some have dismissed the concept of
sin altogether. There are those who cannot see any moral wrong in the Nazis’
killing of six million Jews. In some societies people do not see the wrong
of sin. They believe that if they have not hurt anyone with their behavior,
then they have not sinned. The concept of sin has been removed from some
vocabularies. We hear of “victimless crime” and one’s right to do whatever
one wishes as long as one doesn’t harm anyone else. This permissiveness is
in reality lawlessness. There can be no sin where there is no breaking of
the law (Rom. 4:15). If one does not like the law or agree that it should be
a law, then one must take away its force as a law. This, some imagine, will
justify one’s behavior. The deceitfulness of sin is in its effort to justify
itself. The evangelist must be aware of this scheme of the devil to deceive
men and so rob them of the truth. The gospel will make little sense if a
person has no understanding of morality. The evangelist cannot assume that
his student feels guilt for his sins.
2. The student
must have a change of heart toward sin and have hope in God to overcome the
sin problem. (Heart or Emotions)
Embracing Jesus Christ
means that I must deal with my desire or love for sin. One cannot love God
and Mammon. One cannot hold to sin and still love God. James asked, “do you
not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore
whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God”
(4:5). John said, “Do not love the world, nor the things of the world. If
any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John
2:15). The person who loves the Lord learns to love the things of God and to
despise sin. Sin is an enemy to all mankind. Rom. 12:9 admonishes us to
“Abhor what is evil; cleave to what is good.” Changing our attitudes toward
sin may lead to a change in friends. A person who repents to follow Christ
may find that impenitent and rebellious friends are no longer willing to
associate with him. Peter observed, “For the time already past is sufficient
for you to have carded out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a
course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and
abominable idolatries. And in all this, they are surprised that you do not
run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you” (1
Pet. 4:3,4). Changing my moral life by admitting and repenting of my sins is
not an easy thing to do. Many people would rather do anything than admit
their guilt. The dynamic of guilt is a serious one for a person considering
becoming a Christian. An individual’s realization that he is guilty of sin
and lost disturbs, alarms and frightens. He knows that he has sinned and
that he is weak to sin. He may wonder if he can overcome sin. There are some
sins a person can forsake in a day and others that take years. The student
has been told he must forsake his old way of life. He may have tried before
on his own and failed. He may not think he can overcome the temptations to
continue in sin. With some students the evangelist will have a hard time
convincing them that sin exists, and with others he will struggle to
convince them that God can help them overcome their sin traps. The
evangelist must help the student realize that he does not act alone in
repentance, but that God will be his helper. Passages such as I Cor. 6:9-11;
10:13 and 1 Tim. 1:12-16 are beneficial in giving hope. God is faithful and
will help us overcome whatever temptations we face. One can do all things
through Christ who strengthens him (Phil. 4:13).
3. The student
must determine to leave sin and to embrace righteous living. (Will)
The call to repentance
is twofold: (1) it is a determination to leave sin behind; and (2) it is a
determination to embrace righteous, Christian living. His heart and will
turns away from sin and toward Christ. He now loves the Lord and everything
associated with the Lord, and sinful things have become disgusting and
repugnant. He applies these feelings and determinations to the world and to
himself. He seeks to become a new man “who is being renewed to a true
knowledge according to the One who created him” (Col. 3:10).
Repentance
begins with a sorrow for sin against God (2 Cor. 7:10), for his sins against
others (Matt. 18:6-9), for his sin which hurts himself (Psalm 32:1-5; 5
1:3-7), and for the false teachings he believed or taught (2 Tim. 2:17; 2
John 9-11). Repentance is not only a turning away from sin; it is also a
turning toward God. The changed sinner wants a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). He
leaves the far country and comes home to the Father (Lk. 15:11-24). A change
of life and behavior complete repentance. Jesus told the woman caught in
adultery to “go and sin no more (John 8:11). Paul told Agrippa that he
taught the Gentiles that “they should repent and turn to God, performing
deeds appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:20). The penitent son of the
vineyard owner changed his mind and went to work in the vineyard (Mt. 2
1:28-30). Christians do not merely talk the talk, they walk the walk. James
urged Christians, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). No one is blessed who sees that
there is a need to change but fails to make that change (James 1:25; 4:17).
III. In Relation to Christian Living and
the Church
1. The student must
form and change his beliefs and attitudes concerning Christ and the church.
(Intellect)
Beliefs are the ideas
that an individual holds to be true. Every person has basic beliefs, which
influence the way in which he looks at life and how he behaves and relates
to others. Secular values are different from sacred ones. One who embraces
God will find that when God is added to the picture, every aspect of his
life will change (2 Cor. 5:16,17). All things have indeed become new. Some
examples of the attitudes within a secular belief system include these
ideas:
God, if He exists
at all, is just an impersonal, moral force.
There are no
absolute moral values.
Man basically has
the capacity within himself to improve morally and make the right choices.
Happiness consists
of unlimited material acquisition.
There really is no
objective basis for right and wrong.
The supernatural
is just a figment of someone’s imagination.
If a person lives
a “good life,” then eternal destiny is assured.
The Bible is
nothing other than a book written by man.
The church is
filled with weak people who need a crutch.
Modern, secular man is
self-centered. He considers fulfilling his own needs and desires as his
prime motive in life. He has little room for that which he considers as a
limit to his personal freedoms or desires. He may or may not recognize this
mindset. The devil has told these lies for so long that many people now
regard them as the truth. The message of the gospel may make little sense to
a student until such beliefs are challenged, changed and brought into accord
with reality. The task of the evangelist is to help his student to come to
a Christian mindset, to have the mind of Christ. He must awaken from the
darkness (Eph. 4:17-24). We must insist that the student “no longer live as
the Gentiles do.”
God is a personal,
holy, loving Father who created and sustains the world.
Sin is
transgression of Cod’s eternal law and brings about death.
Man, though a free
moral agent can do nothing without Christ.
True joy consists
in a faithful, loving relationship with Jesus Christ.
The supernatural
is real and actively working in the world today.
Each one will be
judged according to his deeds by the word of God. The blood of Jesus is
necessary for salvation.
The Bible is
inspired of God and is an authority for our lives.
The church is filled with struggling people
who love the Lord and want to do right. Beliefs influence attitudes, and
both matter because ideas have consequences. One becomes what he believes. A
change in beliefs will see a change in attitude, which will cause a change
in behavior. A student who sees the difference between his own actual life
and the ideal life described in Scripture will desire change.
2. The student
must have a positive attitude toward becoming a Christian and the church.
(Emotions or Heart)
The evangelist must be
a sensitive listener to his students. The devil, our enemy, has sowed an
incredible number of deceitful seeds about Christianity and the church. One
such lie is that a person can be a ‘good Christian and never be a member of
the church (most people in America now believe this). Another is that the
church is filled with hypocrites. It may be tat some students have been
mistreated by Christians or had a bad experience at church. One new convert
saw a fistfight between two officers of a church the first time she ever
attended. Some congregations are spiritually cold and others are apathetic.
Some congregations are cold toward outsiders and newcomers. Such attitudes
throw ice water on the person whose heart is beaming with the love of
Christ. A Christian who sets an ungodly example through the week can hardly
make a positive impact on the new convert who knows him for what he is.
The evangelist today must realize that he
must not only convert a sinner from the error of his ways but also prepare
him for life in the church. While the church is divine in origin, it is
filled with humans who do not live up to the ideal. Nearly all churches have
a variety of people who live at different spiritual levels. Encourage the
student to follow Jesus and to be patient with human weaknesses found in the
church. Everyone deserves time to grow. Love for others means having to put
up with their faults (1 Cor. 13:4-8; Eph. 4:1-6; 4:25-32; Phil. 2:1-8; Col.
3: 12-17; 1 Pet. 1:22,23; 4:8,9). The evangelist needs to be a friend to
those whom he seeks to bring to Jesus. He must comfort, support and love
them. Like a shepherd he needs to bind the wounds of, care for, protect, and
feed struggling new lambs.
3. The student
must recognize and submit to the inspiration and authority of the
Scriptures. (Will)
The evangelist must
show Gods Word to be true and entirely trustworthy (Psa. 19:7-11). He must
have absolute confidence that God’s Word is wiser than men and that He means
what He says. The gospel is a personal message and is indeed good news. It
is good news because of the terrible condition man is in because of his sin.
When men do not want to deal with their sins, they often challenge the
credibility of the Scriptures. It is here that the inspiration and authority
of the Word of God comes into focus. Some presume to sit in judgment of the
laws of God rather than to allow God to judge them through His word (John
12:48). Jesus wishes his disciples to obey “everything” he has commanded
(Matt. 28:19), which means that disciples cannot pick and choose which
commandments they will follow and ignore the rest. The student must
recognize his amenability to God’s Word. Unless he is willing to recognize
God’s authority and submit to Him, he can never be truly converted to the
will of God. Like Jesus one must be willing to say, “Thy will be done.”
Jesus ended the Sermon on the Mount with the parable of the wise man and the
foolish man. The distinction between foolishness and wisdom is not one of
hearing but in how one responds to what he hears (Matt. 7:24-27). This
passage is an excellent one to help the student realize that his response
matters.
At the
appropriate time the student needs to be called to commit himself to Jesus
Christ. When the student is ready, the evangelist should ask him to obey the
gospel. When the people at Pentecost realized their sin and need for
atonement, they asked, “what shall we do?” Peter replied, ‘Repent, and be
baptized every one of you!” (Acts 2:37,38). Peter with many other words
warned them and pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt
generation” (2:40). There is urgency to the gospel message; those who
accepted the message responded tat day in baptism (2:41). The Eunuch sought
an opportunity to be baptized when he passed some water (Acts 8:36-39). The
Philippian jailer and his household were baptized in the middle of night
after Paul preached to them (16:30-33). There is a time to confront a
student with his need to obey the Lord.
Becoming a
Christian is an all-out commitment, and an evangelist who fails to stress
this point has made a mistake. Christianity is for a lifetime; Christ
demands one’s all (Matt. 22:37; Luke 9:23; 14:25-34; Rom. 12:1,2; etc.). Any
evangelist who thinks his work is done at the waters of baptism needs to be
taught himself. New converts are babes in Christ who need further training
as long as they live.
POST-CONVERSION TASKS
1. Post-conversion
Evaluation
It is a common
experience for new converts to wonder just what has happened to them since
they became Christians. They may experience doubts and confusion. They may
be disillusioned, finding the church and their own Christian experience
different from what they expected. They want desperately to be loved and
accepted by their new brothers and sisters in Christ. This is why follow-up
with the new Christian is so important. Evangelists cannot assume that their
work is done at baptism. Repeating, reminding, and reassuring are essential
for the new convert to grow. A red flag needs to go up the first time a new
convert misses church or appears to be dropping out. An evangelist needs to
find out why and encourage the new convert to remain faithful. Babes in
Christ like babies at home need the attention of those who are mature.
Usually a kind word of encouragement, the answering of a question or an act
of love can help a new convert work through his doubts and confusion. Nearly
half of all new converts fall away within the first year of their Christian
life. Church leaders and workers need to be aware that this group needs
special attention for their first year.
The new convert may test those who have
taught him to see if the church really does care. If he has sensed that the
church has forgotten him, he may drop out of attendance and wait to see if
anyone has noticed. If no one cares enough to check on him, his suspicions
will be confirmed in his mind. Most people give the church a window of
opportunity to check on them. The longer the time goes by that the new
convert remains unattended, the more difficult it will be to restore him.
2. Facing Moral
Failure as a Christian
Every Christian will
sin at some time, but a crucial time for a new convert is the first time he
sins after he is baptized. At baptism he has had all his sins forgiven and
was freed from slavery to sin. Now he finds himself doing the same old sins
he did before he became a Christian. Consequently, he is asking himself if
his conversion was real. He may wonder why he isn’t immediately able to
handle every temptation. The evangelist has the challenge to teach the young
Christian about growing in Christ, dealing with his sins as a Christian, and
God’s second law of pardon. The new convert must come to understand that all
Christians sin and must struggle continually to keep their lives pure. He
needs reassurance that he really has been saved. The feeling of
embarrassment that comes from moral failure may cause the new convert to shy
away from his Christian brethren and the church, because he feels as if he
cannot measure up. This is the time that spiritual brethren need to humbly
go and restore such a person (Gal. 6:1).
3. Incorporation in
the Congregation
New converts want to
feel tat they belong in the church. They want to be accepted and feel that
they have a function in the church. Wise leaders find ways to fellowship and
to use new converts in the work of the church. It is important to assign
some task to a new convert; this task will help him feel that he is needed
and wanted.
4. Spiritual Growth
New converts need to
know how they can develop their spiritual lives. They need to be taught not
only the doctrines of the Bible but also how to study the Bible for
themselves (1 Pet. 2:1,2; 2 Tim. 2:15). They need to be taught how to pray,
to meditate, and to worship in private. They need to know the importance of
giving their time and money in the service of the Lord. They need to
understand their stewardship of what God has given to them. They need
training in teaching others, in ministering to the sick, in developing their
personal abilities for the Lord’s work. They need to know how to add to
their faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness,
brotherly kindness, and love (2 Pet. 1:5-1 1). As they develop, the fruit of
the Spirit (Gal. 5:22.23) should be evident in their lives. New Christians
must learn the importance of worshiping with the saints. They must be taught
to “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not
forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another (Heb. 10:24). They need to know that they have an
obligation to their fellow brothers and sisters in the congregation to help
each one remain strong. They also have an obligation to respect and follow
those men who have been charged with the leadership of the congregation
(Heb. 13:17). Every Christian has the responsibility to ‘speak’ to his
fellow Christians in songs and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in his heart to the Lord (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). This means of
worship not only praises God; it also edifies the brethren. Every Christian
has the obligation to commune with his brethren in remembering the death of
Christ in the Lord’s Supper, also called communion (1 Cor. 10:16,17). These
matters of worship and fellowship help keep a new convert strong.
5. Christian
Service
The Lord expects those
who follow him to be more than mere hearers; they are to be doers of the
word (James 1:22-25). Christians have been saved by the grace of God and
created in Christ Jesus for good deeds (Eph. 2:8-10; cf. Tit. 2:11-14).
Christians are to “always give themselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).
This service is to demonstrate the love of God for both those who are within
the church and those who are without as well (Gal. 6:10). Every Christian
has the responsibility of caring for his brother in Christ when there is a
need (James 2:14-26). One who withholds kindness from a needy brother does
not have the love of God (1 John 3:16). Older Christians have the
responsibility of leading the way and of training new Christians in the work
of love. Christians also have an obligation to those who are without. They
are to do good when they have the opportunity (Gal. 6:10). But Christians
also have an obligation to evangelize those who are lost. New converts may
be short on experience and knowledge, but they often have many friends who
are still in the world. New converts can be trained to teach others. The
church grows when individuals teach others who teach others who teach others
(2 Tim. 2:2). Those who evangelize have the responsibility to teach the new
Christian everything that Jesus commanded, including the commission to take
the gospel to the whole world (Matt. 28:18-20).
The work of
evangelism is not done until every new convert is able to stand on his own
and reproduce in the lives of others the things which he has been taught.
May the Lord help us to see clearly the great work that needs to be done
over the lifetime of a new convert and never cease our growth in His cause.
in regard to God,
Sin and Christianity.