Basics For Believers: Talks For New Christians

By Timothy Rose

Basics for Believers was used across the world to equip new Christians. After 30 years, it is now revised and updated. The subtitle explains the goal for this revision: Talks For New Christians. While staying true to the original content, the material has been refreshed for today's readers. Basics For Believers answers 7 of the most common questions asked by those new to Christianity. The aim is to provide practical answers from Scripture. Key doctrines are introduced to help young believers grow in their faith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Jan 1, 2024

Book preview

Preface

The content for this book was originally created for homeless individuals. They sought shelter at one of America’s inner city Rescue Missions. Finding hope, their lives were turned around. As a divinity student, I was asked to equip them with basic tools for their new life. Finding out their questions, I set about to answer them one-by-one. Each were given a one page lesson requiring them to fill in the blanks as I taught.

After divinity schooling, I was involved with establishing a new church. New Christians were a key part of that start-up. The material was adapted for teaching adults in a Sunday School setting. New believers were given practical answers to real questions.

Later, my ministry was concentrated overseas. Those new to the Christian faith asked for guidance. The Sunday School lessons were revised to create a Bible study series. The recipients of the teaching encouraged those studies to be printed. Its transcript became the basis for this book. They published it under the name, Caring for Converts (1994). When the material was approved for printing in the USA the publisher renamed the book, Basics For Believers (1995).

Basics for Believers was used across the world to equip new Christians. In America, it was a favorite of some involved in prison ministry. To me, that was a blessing for the material returned full circle. It was being used for those found in unfortunate circumstances. It was able to encourage them in their new found faith. It is hoped this updated and revised version will be equally received.

Timothy Rose

January 2024

Introduction



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This series of studies should help strengthen a local church. It takes resolve to nurture new converts.  There is no doubt new Christians in a congregation are God’s blessing. How a church treats her young believers is important. It determines the pace of spiritual growth for the entire membership.

  One of the greatest blessings for a Christian to observe is seeing young believers added to the ranks of a local church.  As Christians act out their salvation, lost souls come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Lord delays His return, the new Christians have the opportunity to become the future pillars of their local work. New converts are the future of any local church. It is very important they take their first steps of growth under the watchful eye of a loving congregation.

  Surprisingly, new problems are created when new converts and young Christians join a local church. Older Christians often are agitated when new members do not share in the Scripture knowledge. Rather than take the time to graciously teach these precious souls the basic mechanics of Christianity, many so called mature Christians ignore these brand new believers and actually resent their presence (whether they admit it or not)!

The zeal of a young believer can be embarrassing to older ones. They find themselves unable to keep up with the enthusiasm of new Christians. They miss out on their opportunity to complement zeal with mature experience. They should be offering loving instruction to new Christians. They should be encouraging the desire to serve a new found Savior. Instead, older Christians have a tendency to rebuke the younger one’s growth. In the least, they become guilty of slowing down the progress of a new Christian’s growth.

Maybe you feel like I am exaggerating? Ask yourself, Why are so many new Christians moving into Christian cults? One of the reasons is because new Christians are not always fully received by the Church.

The new believer has a fresh spiritual awakening.  (S)he does not always understand it, but knows it is real.  The cults will search for your new converts because they know this new spirit will give their congregation life in the midst of their dead teaching.

When a new Christian is lost to a cult, your Church loses that freshness in its services. Although you may preach about the new life through Jesus Christ, there is nothing like having a living illustration of the preaching sitting in the pew. New-born believers ask many questions. They are sincere and innocent. How older Christians address those questions will determine that congregation’s stability.

  A brand new Christian is excited with his or her new spiritual understanding. With their new experience comes new questions. If these questions can be answered with Scriptures in way that makes sense, they will respond. Cults are very good at doing just that! Many young believers are swayed because Scripture was quoted.

A Christian must be grounded in the written word of God. That takes time. Until that happens, they have little to compare with to the cult's teachings. When a cult uses the Bible it is so confusing to a new convert. When the Church has the truth but does not take the time to explain the salvation experience, the cults will. The Church's laziness and lack of concern is why her new converts are lost to the cults.

  As a Pastor, I was always alert for the cult's approach to new converts. Without fail, the Devil makes sure he introduces at least one of his groups to new members in the congregation. As soon as we have a new believer, that believer was literally visited by some cult member at their doorstep.

The material of these lessons were finally put together as a book to give answers to new Christians. It was intended to strengthen the salvation of a brand new believer. It was done in a way that the new convert can relate to. It is a book of answers to their questions. It is also a book full of Scripture quotations.

In Scripture, new converts are likened to babies. We see this in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2:

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

  Sometimes we forget that it is all right to feed the milk of God's word to young Christians. Bible believers have a tendency to overfeed new babes in Christ. We want to give them too much too soon. We are so anxious to show them the depths of God's word that we feed them meat while their digestive system is still forming. We need to be careful as to what kind of doctrine we feed and make sure that they are ready to receive it.  Notice Hebrews 5:12-14:

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness:  for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

  Strong meat belongs to mature Christians. Milk belongs to young Christians. How can a brand new Christian use his spiritual senses by exercising discernment when he has only been saved a few months? He has not even come to full age, and yet, the new convert is often put into positions of leadership!

Every Christian needs time to prove God's word in his or her life. Without this time to gain discernment, maturity is stunted. When years pass and it seems one should be able to hold a position of leadership, because there was little time to digest the milk of the word before the meat, the now older Christian is unable to perform assigned tasks. This is when patience, love and understanding is needed on the part of pastors and mature Christians. They need to remember all the questions they had when their salvation was new and fresh!

Hopefully, these studies will refresh the memory of older saints. They need to be reminded that it is normal for new Christians have shallow minds in spiritual matters. Only time will give them the proper depth to Christianity. Only practice of spiritual precepts bring maturity of faith.

God compares the new convert to a baby: spiritual growth can be likened to physical growth. If it takes a few months for the average baby to eat solid food, then the church is wrong for feeding the meaty doctrines to baby Christians. If it takes nearly two years for a baby to walk on his own, then it will take time for a new convert to walk on his or her own in the things of the Lord.

The goal is to have a mature church able to handle both the good and evil that comes its way. As a rule, a Christian should be saved at least five years before being appointed to a position of leadership within a local church. There are exceptions, but too many think they are exceptional when they are still toddlers in the faith. Just like children who mature differently, so new converts grow differently. Some will grasp the things of God very quickly.  Others may never be able to fully comprehend their circumstances as they relate to God.

Talks for New Christians offers a gauge to measure a new Christian's growth. They will serve as young eyes for the older Christian to look through. They will give specific instructions needed for new converts to take their very first steps in the Christian walk. It is my prayer that it contains the right formula to nurture the babe in Christ under your care.

1.

What Happened When I Received My Salvation?



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It is a joyous decision to receive God’s salvation. Often it is manifested through emotions such as peace, contentment, satisfaction and happiness. But after the initial thrill of realizing God's grace can save your soul from sin's penalty of death and Hell, a Christian begins searching for details of his salvation experience.

Most new converts are not familiar with the Bible. They only are aware of the verses that led them to make their life changing decision. The only way a brand new Christian knows how to find things out is by asking questions.

When a new Christian begins to question his salvation experience, it is very often interpreted as doubting God's word. Some older Christians think of it as a backsliding. That is the process where a Christian slides back to the mental position he or she was in before accepting God's salvation. However, if you are ignorant of the Bible as a whole, and you have never been exposed to applying Biblical principles in your daily living, how else can you learn about it except by questioning those who claim to have possessed it for years?

The very first question a new Christian asks is, What happened when I received my salvation? It is much like a toddler asking, Where do babies come from? They are beginning to think for themselves and are asking, How does this salvation thing work?

It is an honest question that deserves an honest answer. It is a natural question to ask. A baby brought into this world does not question their deliverance into life right away. The baby enjoys the love, comfort and contentment it feels in the security of its home. But soon it wants to walk and talk.  Once a child talks, the child thinks. When the child begins to think for himself, he starts to ask questions to better understand his place in life.

New converts are no different. They want to understand what happened when they were saved. To ignore their questions is to encourage rebellion. To forcibly silence their questions is to stunt their maturity. Unless you are fearful that God's Book cannot answer their questions, you are simply being lazy in ignoring them. There is also the possibility that you do not know the answers for yourself!  You hide your embarrassment by scolding the new believer for their lack of faith.

This lesson addresses the new convert's first question, What happened when I received my salvation? We will answer the question in three parts. This all may seem overwhelming if you are a brand new Christian, but that is the beauty of God's plan of salvation: simple faith. God did not ask you to complete theological training in order to hear His words. God did not require you to understand the process He uses to make your salvation possible. He simply asked you to believe what He said.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)

1. THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION

You heard the gospel and received it's message on the day you were saved. What you received was the good news about Jesus Christ. This message of hope is three-fold in content and is summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4:

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved… how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

In whatever way the gospel was presented to you; whether by a sermon, a leaflet or the personal witness of another believer;