Consequences of Having Non-Believers in the Body of Believers

Written by Warren |Posted on September 24, 2009 | Comments

We are in our second month since we started our daily morning devotions with the family and neighbors. Some however have not professed their faith in Christ. Neither do we see fruits or struggles from them to turn from their sins. This has affected our Bible studies greatly. First of all, not all are Christians. And the texts I’m choosing should be evangelistic in its approach. In other words, I feel I need to live inside a box when it comes to our devotions; I can’t speak on verses that are very much related to the Christian life because not all of the hearers are believers yet.

This has become a major struggle for our family who thirsts for God’s Word and wanted to move on to discussing about the Christian life. As much as we wanted to move on, we just can’t. Because in doing so might encourage the non-believers to believe that they are Christians when they are not.

This morning we realized the value of keeping the Church pure. As much as possible, the Church must be composed of true genuine believers in Christ. Otherwise, the non-believers would become a stumbling block to the growth of the believers. The approach to this problem should be that we need to put them into a separate program where we can evangelize to them. Our devotions, in most cases, go beyond the evangelism border and discuss things that matters to the Christian only. The danger to this is that we might be producing false converts in the end and suffer both our group and their eternal state. There must be division. Since the greek word Ekklessia (Church) means to set apart, it should be the perseverance of all the Church to keep themselves pure.

Comments

vsandiq

i think the challenge is not so much as to designing a particular approach to rearing different types of church goers. You are right in saying that the needs of the already-christians are different than the needs of the pre-believers. But I think there is something theologically and pastorally disappointing with the common (and basically very contemporary approach)understanding (or misunderstanding) that the church as a body of believers. Ekklesia is not two words ("ek" and "kaleo") merged as one to form what has been commonly phrased as "called out ones." It is a singular greek word that commonly refers to an "assembly." The significance is when the word is phrased together with another word or term, suggesting that this is no normal assembly but an assembly of God (1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:1 "ekklesia tou theou"). Splitting hairs you may say... or a case of "same difference." But, hardly - when one notes the special focus on sanctification that the first meaning has brought to our pulpit. Pastors and Bible school teachers alike are quick to point out that "called out ones" seems to be one and another term for "holiness." Hence sanctification, hence purity. Hence, I guess your first sentence and second sentence in the third paragraph above.

I am all for holiness and purity. I am all for sanctification. My concern is ministerial in nature. There is, in fact, another model of ministry aside from the current preoccupation with "churches." This is the "Kingdom of God" model. It is a model more encompassing, more liberating, more in keeping with the heart of Christ as compared with our current understanding of Church. In fact, the church as we know it today, should be reclaimed from those who preach under its banner with nothing but self serving messages of health, wealth, country club membership - either or or combo ala fast food.

The kingdom of God is like a leaven, slowly rising. It does not call attention to itself, but it works effectively just the same. In the kingdom of God, we see Christ always in the presence of the sinners and the tax collectors. He preaches to them. He gives them hope, as opposed to the pharisees and the sadducees who are "repulsed" by the sight of society's fringe.

In the theology of the Kingdom of God, The church is really the church of sinners, and not of the righteous. A wonderful theology that compels us to struggle with and suffer with our beloved flock. I have no problem with teaching proper theology and biblical truths, but I feel that the current church ministry has specialized so much on this that the value of life-sharing has been lost. Is there a need to sound the alarm for the return to relationship-building in our pastoral work? I don't know about most pastors today, but I would rather eat with and dine with my co-strugglers in Christ than pepper them with a lot of "biblical" information as the current church dispensation is in the habit of doing. One thing I am sure of is that he "healing balm of Gilead" is not dispensed via prescription.

God bless your ministry my dear brother.