Today was a busy, productive day. I spent the morning doing some housework – swept and mopped the pantry, kitchen, dining room, living room, my bedroom and bathroom. I also spent a little time pulling some weeds. Since George and I had a Bible study to go to this afternoon, I cooked a pot of beans early in the day, so that they would be ready for supper. We had a typical Tanzanian supper: ugali, beans, mchicha, and some fruit. Very simple but satisfying. Yesterday we received a couple of boxes of special treats from family in the States; including some chocolate chips, so Linz made some chocolate cookies as a special treat for this evening.
George and I, along with Charles, George’s translator, went to our usual Tuesday afternoon Bible study. Several weeks ago one of the ladies of the congregation, Zawadi, invited us to study in her home, and she invited neighbors to join us. Three different ladies have attended on and off over the last few weeks, but one neighbor lady in particular, Edina, has been faithful to attend class every week.
Some of the things we have covered in previous classes are: the eternal nature and deity of Jesus who preexisted as the Word before he became flesh, the Old Law vs. the New Law, including some comparisons of the differences in worship under those two different laws, and then last week, the concept of the church was introduced, emphasizing the contrast between the church of the N.T. vs. denominations. As we were waiting for Edina to arrive today, we asked Zawadi if there was something in particular that sticks out in her mind that she has learned so far in our studies. She said that she did not know that there was a difference in churches. She did not understand that there was a difference between the N.T. church and the various denominations.
Zawadi used to be a follower of Islam, but was contacted and taught during a campaign last fall, at which time she was “taught” and then baptized. I have to be honest with you – I am disturbed. I know that there has been disagreement and debate among brethren concerning what a person must know in order to be genuinely converted and perhaps there is some room for judgment. However, I simply cannot accept the fact that a person can be added to the Lord’s church, while at the same time, they have no idea what the Lord’s church is. Unfortunately, this is not a rare incident.
We need to stop and think seriously about the ramifications of such brief teaching. Is this approach really doing people a favor, if they do not obey with sufficient knowledge, and in the end, they are still in their sins? Should we be surprised when people who have not been taught about the unique nature of the Lord’s church easily drift to a denomination, or never even begin to attend the Lord’s church, but just continue on with the denomination with whom they have been affiliated? (It’s happened). As teachers of the gospel, we must always be willing to evaluate!
As we teach people the gospel, may we understand the serious nature of the life changing decision we are asking them to consider. As much as we want people to become Christians, we cannot skim over crucial teachings, so that we can “get them in the water” asap. Simply getting people wet is not a magical formula for salvation. People must have some degree of understanding of who Christ is and his crucial role in making salvation possible. Believing that Jesus was simply another good prophet is not sufficient. People must understand the concept of repentance and demonstrate it in their lives. This means addressing some difficult issues, including marriage. Potential converts need to be aware that they are making a life-changing decision; they are making the Lord their Master and through obedience to the gospel, they are being added to the one body for which Christ died. As Jesus emphasized on numerous occasions, those who want to follow Him need to count the cost.
As far as Zawadi is concerned, we will continue studying, and hopefully through some careful instruction and questions, we will stimulate her to contemplate her own conversion, and we will urge her to do what is necessary to make sure she has obeyed according to knowledge. As we share the gospel with others, I hope we will teach lovingly, patiently and thoroughly, so that if a person does decide to become a Christian, it will truly be a conversion that changes their eternal destination.
Amen amen amen!!! It also goes for the youth "raised in the church"! Do they understand–really?? Or is it just something they "should" do? Do they really get it? Do they recognize the need to repent of sins? Do they even really understand what sin is?! It not only does no good, but it does real harm for someone to be dunked in water, call it a baptism and let them go on oy to come to understanding later but fail to act because they believe themselves already saved. It's no different from what the denominations do in teaching the false doctrine of praying Jesus into your heart… except we're doing it to our OWN kids. We simply must do our best to ensure our children actually understand.
Amen, Joy! I am sorry to hear of the lack of thorough teaching leading up to her "conversion" but so very thankful for the opportunity you all are having for continued study with her and her neighbor. As always, we are praying for your family as you strive to share the one true gospel with a lost and dying world. Love you dear friend!
~Debbie
I thank you for this article….I also feel that we tend to rush people into baptism, we are happy about their "decision to follow God" but then we never see them again. I also feel that this is an injustice that we are doing by not readily preparing these new converts for the reality of the commitment they are making.