Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. - 1 John 2:9-10
News of the conversion of an Internet personality to Christianity has been making the rounds this last week. As people ask, she is giving her testimony as to how she got to where she is. While I shouldn’t be surprised, I was definitely saddened by the number of people that seem to be doubting the sincerity of her first step into the Christian life.
It makes me think that we should be reflecting on how we welcome new Christians into the Church (as a whole, not just the church as a congregation or building). What does it say about Christians that when someone excitedly says that they want to follow Christ, the first reaction of some is ‘I don’t believe you; this is just a grift’? Are we to judge someone’s heart? Last I checked, that would be God’s domain - not ours. Being met with such skepticism would be more likely to make most people change their mind about becoming a Christian rather than trying harder to be accepted.
Just as we don’t expect children to be adults from birth, there is education involved in growing as a Christian and developing a deeper relationship with God. Paul talked about setting aside childish things to the new Christians of his time - we’re certainly not any different. We should be welcoming people in, helping them find groups where they can grow their faith and learn more about this path that they’ve set out on.
The sincerity of someone’s conversion into the Christian faith will be borne out in time. “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18) As a new Christian journeys further down their path, they will learn more about what God’s love looks like for both them and others. Their lives will bear the mark of God’s love and light.
So why should we turn someone away? Is there anyone too far gone that they cannot be redeemed? Didn’t the thief crucified with Christ find that it wasn’t too late for salvation even as he was dying? Doesn’t our reaction of disbelief to someone’s conversion say more about our faith than theirs?
There are some who are afraid of being made to look like a fool or being taken advantage of. But what are we afraid that they will see? That we are all sinful, no one is perfect, but we do our best to forgive and love each other anyway? That we’re all human? I don’t think anyone is saying to put them in positions of authority immediately. But our love for God should make us foolish in the world’s eyes. God asks us to love each other, help each other, and be open. The world is skeptical, self-serving, and closed off. We’re not a secret society only open to a select few - our great commission is to go and make disciples of the world. That’s kind of hard to do when you keep turning people away.
Matthew Henry’s comment on this passage seems to me to sum up how we should react: “he will be no scandal, no stumbling-block, to his brother; he will conscientiously beware that he neither induce his brother to sin nor turn him out of the way of religion…” We should be drawing new Christians further into God’s love, not pushing them away. We should be bringing them further into the light, not shoving them back into the darkness. Maybe by doing so, even the person who hadn’t fully given their heart to God would be so captivated by his love that they would find themselves truly committing themselves.
Thank you for writing this! God bless you.
Think about Saul of Tarsus. Ananias was afraid, but he believed God.