Jordan and I have recently been talking about believers that are undiscipled. We personally feel like we see it a lot. We come from backgrounds where we have been thoroughly discipled for years, and when we meet people who have been going to church for as long as we have (or even many years more), yet lack a lot of knowledege...it's interesting and quite shocking, nevertheless.
As Christians, we refer to our spirituality as a relationship, not a religion. But for "baby christians" around us, how can they exceed in their relationship with God without truly knowing all of who He is? It makes it impossible. Christians don't know God as much as they should...I see it all the time. Whenever we have relationships in our lives that have no depth and we don't fully know the other person, the relationship can tend to be more superficial and that person will more then likely NOT impact our lives. Relationships are highly effective in one's life when people KNOW each other and love what they know about that particular person. It becomes something worth pursuing and investing time into.
All around me, people are "saved". But even then, they don't fully know the person (Jesus) that saved them. They appreciate the symbolism of the cross (who wouldn't) but the feelings don't go past the surface, better yet...they don't go past sunday morning church and mid-week services. Seems like too often the Pastor is the one who saves them. We lack understanding. I believe the churches job is not JUST to save people, but to consistently develop and nurture them as well. Maybe people don't put forth effort to be nurtured, right? Could be. But maybe it's because they don't understand what they're missing. Our goal as the body of Christ, is to reach as many people as we can for the kingdom of God...but if the people we lead to Christ, don't develop their own intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and don't have the correct knowledge and/or relational experience with God, to turn around, take what they know, and lead others to Christ as well...then we missed it.
The Bible says that HE is the author and perfector of our faith, so if people don't know God like they should, their faith is limited. There's a point where people can no longer be "baby christians", but fully devoted disciples of Christ that change this world. In order to do this...people need to know Jesus. I personally don't think that churches in America should be mainly full of baby christians, like they seem to be.
Is Christ just a moral man who walked the earth thousands of years ago or do people fully comprehend His divinity and that His flesh was used as a ransom to save their life?
Do Christians understand that it isn't just Gods plan to simply save them from eternity in hell but that He wants to give them an abundant life RIGHT NOW showered with blessings here on earth?
Do people proclaim Gods sovereignty on Sunday mornings but resist it during the week? Better yet, are they always doubting it in their personal life?
Are people "saved", but still turning to alcohol, drugs, sex and relationships because they dont ACTUALLY understand that HE IS ENOUGH?
Do Christians merely intellectually understand the forgiveness of Christ, and can speak of it, but have never felt His forgiveness draw THEM near?
Sometimes I wonder if people are actually being led into eternity, or if they're just being filled with the mere knowledge of Jesus dying for them. Which is all well and good, but don't many religions think the exact same thing?
I just get concerned with all the Christians who are hurting, yet don't know how to turn to Christ. They don't realize that the God of the universe has called each of them personally by name. They don't understand that there is a God who seeks them until their heart is fully known. They don't understand what it feels like to have peace that surpasses all understanding. They don't even believe that God can speak to them. Why don't people realize that their walk with God is a romance? It's about a God who just wants to be with them and LOVE on them. Of course there's obedience to God when in relationship with Him too, but who would obey someone that they don't really know...
Furthermore, why don't some believers understand that we have an enemy? And more then that, why are they scared to talk about him? If they understood what the Bible says about the devil being under our feet...then they'd have nothing to fear. What about fasting? The bible talks about it...so why aren't Christians learning about it and doing it? The Bible says some things cannot be done without fasting. Why don't people understand the importance of prayer? Our life needs to be based off of prayer...every decision is manifested through it. But why aren't people praying about their decisions? They don't even understand the importance of daily prayer. Why don't people take seriously reading their Bible? It's the sword of the spirit, people...it's all.....we.....have!!!!!
What i'm trying to say is, what would peoples lives be like if they knew EVERYTHING about God and His Promises and were taught all they need to know? How much different would things be? How much happier would people be? How much more fulfilled would they be? how much more peaceful, satisfied, passionate, obedient, wise, godly?
People are still searching...
My heart is to not just see people get saved. Saying the sinners prayer isn't even a FRACTION of what needs to happen in their lives, and people shouldn't have that impression either. We work out our salvation EVERY DAY for the rest of our lives. With that being said, closeness to God...is vital and we should be drawing closer each day.
Discipling peoples spiritual walk leads them to visualize specifically what God desires for them to become. When getting "saved", they only feebly understand the transforming grace of God. Undiscipled Christians are frequently overwhelmed by their sins and inadequacies and they need to know the radical nature of salvation and how to live distinctively as pure people in the kingdom of God.
I want people to have what I have. I want Jesus to be their Father, their best friend, their anchor, their strength, their mentor, their e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. My personal opinion is that churches and other believers need to step it up.
