The Newly Converted Believer: (1) Who is he? (2) What are the challenges he might encounter as a believer? (3) What are the solutions to the challenges?
The new convert is a person who has just received the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour and consequently decided to commit his life time and future to serving and walking with Him.
There is much more to just declaring allegiance to Jesus Christ by a convert than meets the ordinary eye. Once a sinner declares for Jesus Christ, not only will there be joy among the angels in heaven, all hell will be let loose because Satan will not let go of any of his captives just like that; he and his host of demons will fight to make the new believer return to his kingdom of darkness.
That is where the challenges come in. Satan will try various means to bring back his captives. He can unleash all forms of persecutions, afflictions, rejections, criticisms, difficulties and other forms of inconveniences in the way of the new believer just to destroy his young faith.
Satan does this to throw the Lord Jesus Christ in a bad light. But it is good to let, not only the new convert, but all believers know that the Christian journey is not like eating bread and butter. We are going to look at these challenges in detail as we progress in this piece of work.
First of all, let us see what the Lord Himself has to say about this situation where the new convert begins to encounter criticisms, persecutions and trials because of his decision to follow the path of righteousness.
Look at the things the Lord mentioned as being responsible for the seeds not being able to survive. He mentioned “The Wayside”. He mentioned “Stony Places”. He mentioned “Thorns”. Those on the “wayside” were eaten up by the fowls, (birds). Those that fell on the “Stony places” were scorched by the hot sun. The third group fell among “thorns” and were chocked by the thorns.
This parable of the Sower has deep meaning which we must understand. The Lord went on to explain this parable for all to understand the activities and rage of Satan and his hosts against the new convert, and for us too to learn a good lesson from.
He said: “When anyone heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside.
He received the word of the Kingdom but does not have time to study the word of God. He does not fellowship with other believers. He does not attend Sunday School where the new converts are taught the word of the Kingdom and how to walk with the Lord. So instead of building up his faith through these teachings, he took everything for granted, hence it was easy for Satan to take him out of the way. His conversation was short lived; he backslid.
“But he that received the seed into Stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it. Yet, hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
This category of the new converts could not continue because of tribulation and persecution. This kind of believer did not know what it means to be born again. Facing tribulation and persecution are some of the experiences every believer has to expect and endure.
What is Tribulation and what is Persecution? TRIBULATION: Tribulation can come in various ways or forms. It could come in the form of losing your job and not being able to get another one in time, which could lead to lack and want.
Tribulation could be in the form of losing a dear one; spouse, child, sibling, accidents, terminal disease/sickness, police case, loss of accommodation or anything that could bring you bitter pain and grief.
As a believer you are expected to endure it while still trusting the Lord to intervene and bring you succour. But in most cases, rescue does not seem to come soon enough. And when this happens, the unschooled believer begins to doubt and lose faith. In most cases, some become discouraged and backslide.
Persecution: Like tribulation, persecution also comes in various ways. You could just be hated because of your decision to live right. Those who choose to live contrary to the right way could be in the majority, your boss or even employer could be one of them. Your decision to be different could cost you some of your rights and entitlements in that place of work.
You could be denied promotion in the place of work, salary increase, annual leave, lied against or falsely accused. All these and more are types of persecution a typical believer is bound to face in his walk with Christ.
You could be denied what is your legitimate right and, what others get with a snap of the finger will take you eternity to get just because of your belief in Christ Jesus.
These are some of the things that a typical believer is bound to face in his walk with Christ. So, it should not come as a surprise to a believer, new or old when persecutions come. Persecution and Tribulation come to try your faith in Christ and your ability or otherwise to endure as a believer.
Care of this world and deceitfulness of riches: Many believers have backslidden because of their pursuit of the things of this life. These include worldly possessions, money, revelings, and worldly pleasures. These things can be distractive and often lead to sin and backsliding in the life of a believer.
The explanation of the parable by the Lord described the fowl as “the wicked one”. The one into the Stony places is destroyed by tribulation and persecution. While the one among the thorns is destroyed by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.
From these explanations, the Lord did not leave anyone in the dark as to what the new convert believer would encounter as he turns to Jesus Christ. Since we know this at the onset, we must brace up and be strong and determined to ensure that we do not stumble and fall back to where we were delivered from.
The journey to heaven is not a smooth ride. It is rugged and hard and Jesus Himself says that we must strive (fight) to enter. In fact, he tells us that it will require being violent as is recorded in Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force”.
Being violent, will as a matter of fact, start from ourselves. We must be violent with our flesh or body by denying self all the things we have indulged it over time, before we became born again. This definitely will not be easy, but we must do it.
The drunkard, for example, must as a matter of necessity stop the drinking habit and withdraw from his drinking friends and bars and pubs. A fornicator must stop fornicating and separate from fornication partners and friends, and stop all pervasive sexual indulgences.
A smoker should stop the smoking habit. A polygamist settles the extra wives and their children and sends them and their children away and only remain with his first and legal wife and children. I am talking about those who have given their lives to Christ who were polygamist before then.
This is the standard of the word of God. Remember, when you do this, persecution, hatred, tribulation, attacks, and negative reactions will spring up from all quarters. But stand firm on the word and will of God and adopt an iron-clad violent faith to survive, succeed and grow and forge ahead in your journey to heaven and walk with the Lord.
Need For A Mentor: I will go back to the parade of the sower. As a new convert, at this level, we need a mentor; a guide who will teach and guide us using the word of God and the experience of both himself and that of others. This will go a long way to build our faith, encourage us and make us confident in God. In this way, our faith will begin to grow.
The new convert needs teaching in the word of God. He needs to study the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, His disciples and all the old and new testament heroes as well as God’s generals of our own dispensation. He should also be made to know that persecutions, and tribulations and other battles will become part and parcel of his new life. And he must therefore brace up for the straitness and ruggedness of the narrow path all true Christian soldiers must tread.
The Lord Jesus Himself declared that if any man will come after him, such should deny himself and take up his cross and follow after him. The cross he is talking about signifies suffering.
He carried his cross and it is clear that it was not an easy task. But he carried it anyway and later he was crucified on that same cross. So, the same way that he dared death on the cross and came out triumphant, he expects all his followers to be brave, strong and fearless to march on, no matter what.
Jesus made it clear to us that the journey of the believer is not for the lily livered. It is not for the double minded hypocrites. It is not for unserious people who call themselves “Jews” but are found to be liars.
This journey is for the people; soldiers who have crossed the sea and destroyed the ship that took them to that point and have no plan of going back. It is for the people whose song every day, as they march on, is “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back…no matter what”.
These are the kind of people qualified to enlist in the University of God’s Champions.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus identified three things that can make a new convert to quickly fizzle out and backslide. The three things are:
• Having no understanding (knowledge of the word of God)
• Having no root (Foundation/Base on which to stand strong).
• Persecution and Tribulation (Challenges and stiff oppositions).
Solution to the Believer’s Challenges:
•Do not entertain any form of fear as a believer. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind”.
• Be not ashamed of the gospel of the Kingdom and the testimony of our Lord Jesus…”but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” as Apostle Paul admonished Timothy and by extension, every believer today.
• Be ready to endure hardship and difficulties for Christ’s sake. “Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
• By all means, keep away from worldly cares; focus on your walk with Christ for it is written: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life: that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier”.
• Finally, give quality time to the study of the word of God. Attend Sunday School, get a strong believer as a mentor. The knowledge of the word of God builds your faith and makes you wiser. It is written: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.
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