One of the greatest problems that the Christian faces today in converting denominational people is their lack of knowledge about what their particular denomination teaches and believes. There are many good people who hold membership in denominational churches who do not know (i.e., or they act as if they don’t) the doctrinal positions held by the leaders of that group. I say they do not know because I have personally made statements about the doctrinal positions of certain denominations only to be chastised by the person or persons with whom the discussion is being conducted. If you confront many people with the true conclusions of the doctrine of inherited sin (i.e., original sin – infants are born sinners) you will be told, “I do not believe that.” If a person does not believe the foundation principle of the church that they attend and give their money and time to support what on earth holds them in that denomination?
I had one person confront me after one of my sermons from the pulpit to explain that he did not believe that infants were born sinners and that the denomination where his membership resided did not teach it. Perhaps he did not believe the doctrine but the church to which he paid allegiance did – they could not continue to be in the conference if they did not accept the foundation principles of the denominational leadership. Even when this person discussed this matter of inherited sin with his pastor? the pastor? told him that this was not true that God some-how made allowances for infants even though they were born sinners. If infants are born sinners as this pastor suggested the only arrangement I know of for the remission of sins is belief, repentance, confession, and baptism “for the remission” of that sin. This pastor lied to the person so that he would not cause trouble or perhaps begin to really study the Bible for himself and find out that the teaching and doctrine of the denomination is not found in the Bible.
Whenever a true Christian attempts to teach one in a denomination, (i.e., Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Church of God, Jewish, Presbyterian, etc.) he will find this lack of knowledge about the denomination’s teaching. This poses a great barrier to teaching the person – the first thing then to establish with the person you desire to become a true Christian is what they DO BELIEVE” One must know what the person believes before he can teach him the truth and then proceed from that foundation.
IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IT, WHY DO YOU SUPPORT THAT WHICH YOU SAY YOU DO NOT BELIEVE?
If a person does not believe the doctrine of the church where they have membership why would they keep on supporting it? This is a problem that I have never been able to answer successfully myself – if one knows the church is teaching for doctrine something that the Bible does not support and they continue to support it they are “bidding God speed to sin” (2 John 9-11). If the previous statement by John is correct and it is, then the person who understands that the church he is attending is teaching error must immediately seek to correct the error and if he cannot, he must leave that church and find one that is teaching “TRUTH.” He must seek a church teaching “TRUTH” — Because:
John 8:32-36 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
John 12:48, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”(KJV)
SOME PEOPLE ARE DISHONEST: SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WANT THE TRUTH: SOME PEOPLE ARE SOCIALLY INVOLVED: SOME PEOPLE HAVE NO CONVICTION: SOME WILL NOT CHANGE: SOME HAVE BEEN BLINDED BY FALSE TEACHING: SOME WILL NOT COME TO THE TRUTH: SOME ARE SATISFIED EVEN THOUGH WRONG:
There are many reasons for the religious connection that people have, many of them have nothing to do with a love for God and a desire to go the heaven. Whenever we attempt to convert those from Denominationalism, we need to understand these facts.
SOME ARE HONESTLY MISTAKEN: SOME ARE DUPED BY OTHERS (i.e., blind leaders of the blind): SOME REALLY DO NOT KNOW THEY ARE WRONG:
Indeed, there are some that can be reached with the “TRUTH.” Those that can be reached with God’s Truth may be few but there are some of them that perhaps we know personally. Even if we know one or two people who might be converted to the “True Way” if we do not approach them with the “TRUTH” they may never become Christians;
Matt 5:13-16, Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (KJV)
SOME WILL COME TO CHRIST: SOME WILL NOT:
Matthew 3:3-9 For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Now John himself had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan; and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up.