UNDERSTANDING NEW CHRISTIANS IN PRISON
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This will hurt his faith and his growth. Usually, persons in these clique become very defensive, narrow minded and bullheaded even when the Bible clearly says otherwise. They become so prideful of their belief that even when shown in the Scriptures that they are wrong, it won't matter. They just rationalize it one way or another, usually by demeaning the Christian trying to help them as spiritually immature when actually they are the ones acting spiritually immature.
The word of God clearly teaches us that we are to be in unity as a whole, both in body and heart. We are to keep our eyes on Jesus as our Lord and Savior and live as brothers. Even the apostles had their differences but they did not let it consume them. They prioritize the essential point of the gospel message in which all Christian denominations believe. Jesus is the Christ, the second person of the Trinity, the Alpha and the Omega, the Son of God who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins, was resurrected on the third day and ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father so that whoever shall believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.' Many times it takes someone from the outside to open a new Christian inmate's eyes and show him that being in a clique is damaging to his walk with the Lord.
A good question to ask ourselves is, 'How can we be certain that we believe the truth and our beliefs are not part of a clique's beliefs?' We can be certain by praying and getting confirmation from the Holy Spirit. He is our Guide and Teacher and lives in every Christian's heart. Only the Spirit of God can filter out false teachings and shed light on the Truth through sincere prayer and submission.
Many times in the past, I discussed differences in Christian beliefs for hours on end and felt sure I am right and the other person is wrong, but who am I? I was just learning the scriptures myself and still learn things everyday that I did not see before. As a Christian grows in his faith and knowledge, he doesn't have to prove it to anyone else. He will just know it. True peace comes through prayer only. A mature Christian knows to prioritize what is important and give all the credit to Jesus Christ for our eternal life. If I submit my faith to God and God only, he will direct my beliefs to the Truth and help others to see it also through my example.
God is greater than all and can handle all of these cliques and their differences. True peace of mind comes when one lets go and lets God work. It is good to teach others who are praying about the Truth and following the Holy Spirit in true submission. When others join us in doing this, then we all become teachable and it is good to help each other learn. The Holy Spirit is wonderful in the way He prompts us to pray for each other as well. The Holy Spirit moves our hearts to do this so that we will see the error of our ways and follow the Truth.
Those of you on the outside can talk to your loved one and friends about being in a clique and false teaching. You can teach the new Christian about how God's family needs to walk in unity and love, however, if your loved one won't accept what you have to say, then pray! In fact, be sure and pray even before you bring up the topic. The Holy Spirit will help your loved one to see the Truth and receive it. God is in control but we do have free will so prayer is very important to help your loved one stay close to the Holy Spirit and not get involved in manmade cliques.
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)