UNDERSTANDING NEW CHRISTIANS IN PRISON
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inmate who will take advantage of them or one who uses religion for selfish gain. Getting hurt like that sometimes leads to the new Christian rejecting everything and because he is still immature in his faith, he gives up easily by using this incidence as an excuse to not grow in Christ and stay in the old fleshly ways.
That's what I did growing up. I saw a few insincere Christians and used it as my excuse to reject it all and live a rebellious lifestyle. All it was was an excuse!! The real problem was my attitude and my focus!! I used other's short comings to feed my fleshly desires. We are all sinners saved by grace. Keep the new Christian in prison focused upward, vertical to God for his direction, Jesus Christ as his example and the Holy Spirit as his helper and guide.
The other type of religious person to be aware of in prison are those who are sincerely seeking God but get side tracked into cults and false religions. They believe that they are being true to the gospel teachings, but actually they are the most dangerous of all to trust or befriend. Although the differences critical to God and the Bible, they may appear very slight to the new believer who doesn't understand the Bible very well. Even though these religious people may truly believe their doctrine is correct and they sound like they know the scriptures, it doesn't make it truth.
They think they are doing God's will, but so did the apostle Paul before he became a true believer. Paul believed that killing Christians was the right thing to do. He was doing it out of honor and service to God. He was considered to be a very holy man, a very righteous man. He was one of the most educated men of his time. He fasted and prayed. He tithed and followed all the rules. He felt he was right, but he was wrong! One day God present the truth to him and showed him the right way. False religions have led many down the wrong path because they twist the truth in such subtle but important ways. . They clearly take the focus off of what Christ did for us and put it on works, and duties one must perform to get to heaven. For this reason, the Bible clearly warns against changing even one bit of the truth.
Be sure to teach your loved one and friend in prison about the Trinity and the Bible being the one and only Word of God. Teach your friend or loved one in prison these truths to prevent him from being coaxed into a religion of false doctrines. Talk with him frequently as he grows in Christ to be sure he is not being drawn into a cult by a false teacher. Ask questions about what he is reading and learning. Study about the Trinity and the Word of God with him. If he is being befriended by another who claims to be a 'Christian', but he has his doubts, tell him to ask him these questions:
Do you believe that the Bible is the one and only Word of God?
Do you believe in the Trinity, that is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are three persons in one God Almighty?
It is much easier to teach and guide him with the right doctrine from the beginning then to try to undo a false belief in the future. So I encourage you to stay close to him and keep mentoring him as he grows in Christ. Take the time to do it now because most inmates in prison will be out again in the world and he will need that foundation. It will take energy and effort on your part, but if you answer this call of God's to mentor your friend or loved one in prison now, it could save a life or redirect a life in ways you can't
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain. You can even have that assurance RIGHT NOW! Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with you...please don't make such a tragic mistake.
To get to know God, to be at peace with God, to have your sins forgiven, to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity, to make certain that you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click here to help you understand the importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one. Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever make in this life, because in Christ, it is impossible to put a value on the worth of your soul in light of eternity.
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Remember: All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-21 is our assurance)
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