Dever’s commented this, “A Biblical Understanding of Conversion” “The Spirit's
conviction does not cause us to become spiritually paranoid and or to imagine that we have
committed more sins than we had previously realized (though in a sense we do begin to do
this). Rather, as God's Spirit begins to convict us, he brings a particular sin to our attention,
and that particular sin seems more serious than it did before.”[1] Part of the problem with
conversion is that so many people never experience it. When we ask God into our lives
there is not that conviction from the Holy Spirit that brings about change. Not saying that
happens all the time, but it does. I have been baptized three times; I never had that
conversion experience until the last time I was baptized. The first two times I was doing
what I always did and even got worse. I believe that there are people in the church that
have never had that conversion experience. They received the Holy Spirit and they have the
strength to change some of the habits they had through the sanctification process. However,
there is no change in habits in church, still only go once a week for two hours a day. That
excuse that they were not called to ministry justifies why they do not do more. Jesus did
not save us to go to church four days four hours a month. Certainly, the desire to do more
should be there. It is always the same people doing the same thing during church activities
and no desire to do more. Luke teaches on an empowerment to do the work of Christ, that
boldness to stand-up for Christ and proclaim the gospel without fear. Conversion and
sanctification are not the same. Although conversion is said to be that coming to Christ,
from non-Christian to Christian I believe that there is more to it. If all a person is doing is
changing a few bad habits and no desire to do more, they were sanctified and being
sanctified daily. Conversion is a total 180 from what you use to do and on fire to do more.
A person would be like Jeremiah said, (E.S.V.) “If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak
any more in his name, there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.”[2] My church preaches about living right
and doing the right thing, but most agree that there is a sanctifying experience that we go
through and that change takes place daily. There still needs to be that conversion experience
where you turn around and head the other direction and are on fire for God. I guess what I
am saying is, why are people in church content with sitting back and letting just the ones
called to full time ministry the only ones on fire for the Lord. If sanctification is about
becoming more like Jesus, then the church is in trouble because the only ones doing the
work of the ministry are the ones who do ministry for a living fulltime. Maybe my
conversion experience was different from others. I could tell the difference between my
desires for sin and for the Lord verses on fire for the Lord. It is never preached that people
need to do more than sit in pews a couple times a week. Evangelism, discipleship, church
expansion or planting other churches is not spoken about. Churches are supposed to be
planting other churches. Churches are and organism not an organization. We miss that
concept. a a a
Mark 6, Dever’s said this, “A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership” “According
to the New Testament, the church is primarily a body of people who profess and give
evidence that they have been saved by God's grace alone, for his glory alone, through faith
alone, in Christ alone.”[3] Church membership has always been an issue. People want to be
a member of a church so bad because they feel that, that is the only way they can get the
insights as to what the church is doing behind the scene. Thing is though, the church is the
people of God, the building is a place where we can meet to get out of the elements that
take place in nature. It is a good place to go where we can go for worship in terms of a
place to hook-up equipment for music and have it sound decent and hearable. Fellowship
takes place in church; it is where we can rub off on each other in a good way. Proverbs
27:17, (E.S.V.), “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”[4] I realize that some
churches do not allow memberships because that way the pastor can’t be voted out if
something goes wrong. Another is because the Bible states this in 1Cor. 12:27, (E.S.V.),
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”[5] Romans 12:5,
(E.S.V.), remarks, “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members
one of another. Each of us has a job to do as a member of the body of Christ. We were
given gifts to use that we could help each other and help build the Kingdom of Heaven.
Even though the Kingdom will grow and advance, God still desires to use us so that we can
take part and be a part of his goal. Ephesians 1:5, (E.S.V.), “He predestined us for adoption
to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”[6] As adopted
children of God, we should desire and be thankful that he allows us to partake of his will. If
we are connected to Jesus, he has a job for us to do. 1Cor. 6:20, (E.S.V.), “for you were
bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.”[7] Jesus shed his blood to purchase us,
we owe him. Being connected to him, we should do what he has called us to do by
connecting with others in a building sometimes to sharpen our skills from and through him
through fellowship.
Through discipleship we get growth. We teach other people the basics for discipleship and
then send them out. Jesus spent three years with the disciples teaching them everything that
they should know so that they in turn could go out and make disciples of all nations,
Matthew 28 gives the “Great Commission” he said “GO”, after Jesus left that is what they
did. You can tell who is fulfilling the Great Commission, if a seasoned church member is
lost as far as approaching somebody and leading them to Christ, that is a sure sign they are
not doing it on a regular basis. Dever’s remarked, “A Concern for Discipleship and
Growth” “Paul was a good disciple of Jesus, who himself had taught that the growth of the
kingdom of God comes from God and does not ultimately depend on us.”[8] Dever is right,
God does not depend on us, but he chooses to use us. We should want to go and do for
Jesus, after all he paid the ultimate price for us and we were the sinners not him. Isaiah
said, (E.S.V.), “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who
will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”[9] God wants to send us; he is asking
if we are willing to go. He doesn’t need us, but he wants to use us. All he needs is a willing
vessel. We do a lot of teaching, but we need to teach more on the criticalness of
discipleship in order for other areas to grow and multiply.
The only steps that need to be taken is to teach on these areas more so that people do not
think that discipleship is an option because it isn’t it is a command from Jesus when he said
“GO”. He did not say if you feel like it, if you want to, or I did not call you, do not worry
about it. He has called everybody. Church expansion is not an option, church is to be
planting churches. God created everything to live forever. Jesus when he started to build his
church was not meant to die either. If a church is dyeing or plateauing, there is something
in that church that is not right and they need to reevaluate their mission statement, values
statement, and its core values to see where they got sidetracked at. If churches do not have
the Holy Spirit or he can’t be felt, then there needs to be a check as to if sin is being
allowed in the church. 1 Cor. 5:5, (E.S.V.), “I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
(5:5) To put the professed believer out of their fellowship, to excommunicate him, would
be to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh. Satan is the ruler of this
world, and turning a believer over to Satan, therefore, thrusts the believer back into the
world on his own, apart from the care and support of Christian fellowship. That person has
forfeited his right to participation in the church of Jesus Christ, which he intends to keep
pure at all costs. The word deliver (paradidomi) is a strong term indicating the judicial act
of sentencing, of handing over for punishment. The sentence passed on a sinning believer is
to be given to Satan. Paul excommunicated Hymenaeus and Alexander because of their
continued and un-repented blasphemy. They were pastors with a false gospel; he “delivered
them over to Satan that they may be taught not to blaspheme”[10] (1 Tim. 1:20 Links
to an external site.). (MacArthur Commentary)
Bibliography
Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. 3rd ed. Minneapolis: Crossway/Good
News, 2013.
MacArthur, John. “What Does It Mean to Be Handed Over to Satan?” Grace to you. July
09, 2021. https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/QA0140/what-does-it-mean-to-
be-handed-over-to-satan
[1] Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 3rd ed. (Minneapolis: Crossway/Good
News, 2013), 108.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[3] Ibid., 157.
[4] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[5] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[6] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[7] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[8] Ibid., 213.
[9] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[10] John MacArthur, “What Does It Mean to Be Handed Over to Satan?,” Grace to you,
July 09, 2021, https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/QA0140/what-does-it-
mean-to-be-handed-over-to-satan
