Yesterday’s post spurred some interesting conversation about just what it is we teach people as they are coming to God. Let me state plainly that I believe that people need to hear the good news about Jesus. I prefer to begin a study by going through one of the gospels, just to make sure that the person knows the good news. If the person is not a Christian, there will come a “what shall I do” moment, and then I might use a presentation like that of Acts 2.
People need to be converted to a relationship with God. They need “doctrine,” but doctrine won’t save them. They need to become part of the church, but teaching about the church won’t save them. Salvation is about being in a right relationship with God. People need Jesus Christ.
In Argentina, we once examined the different tracts that we had brought with us from the States. Out of about 15-20 tracts that we had, only one was about Jesus. We realized that those pamphlets didn’t represent what it was we wanted to teach people.
People need the good news about Jesus Christ. That’s what we need to teach them.
Good thoughts. I’ve been thinking that may be one reason we have so many leave the church after a short while: disillusionment with what they were taught would save them. As my dad said once, “People are always going to act like ‘people.’ And wherever you go, the church is ‘people.'” And trying to be saved by “doctrine” is no different than trying to be saved by “law.”
Barry, not sure what your Dad meant, but your phrase:
“People are always going to act like ‘people.’
…doesn’t really jive with Paul and John and James and Peter’s EXPECTATIONS of how saints SHOULD be. Paul rebuked the Corinthians for acting like “mere men”– for acting like people. That was a fair rebuke because in this New Covenant, Jesus LIVES INSIDE US and that will have TANGIBLE results. “Whoever claims to be in Christ MUST WALK as Jesus walked,” as John says it.
When I was part of a C of C congregation years ago, I found it hard to reach out to the lost because, once they were baptized and “IN”, everyone else in the congregation BEHAVED just as lost as my newly saved friend… maybe not smoking and cussing, but living for themselves, living for the world and its priorities. What are we being saved FROM if not FROM a slavery to love of the world? Not just forgiven, but CHANGED. That is my heart’s cry for the C of C, that CHANGE and FRUIT will be the standard.
I remember cleaning out the tracts at Long Beach many years ago. I don’t think they’ve ever used the tract board since then. It was embarrassing to know we were even making them available. They were all about who we are and how and why we do things (even though the “why” on not using musical instruments was absurd “reasoning”) and basically nothing about the grace of God through Christ.
Well Said…well said.
Good post. Too many times we get caught us in preaching the church when we should be preaching Jesus. The church can’t save people. Only Jesus can. :)