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I met a friend online during a Bible study fellowship, and he asked me a wonderful question: “What is the percentage of Christians in your country?” I told him 80%. He said, “How many of those are practicing Christians?” I didn’t have the data, but all I know is that it’s very hard to tell, but it’s not a big number. This made me think, how about the 20%? The experiences we face, the bad things, unreliability, things that are not good… Are they done by the other 20%?
How do you get 80% and you still are struggling? 80% of Christians in a land is massive. If five Christians can really make an impact, then 80%, where are we?
The term ‘born again’ first appears in the New Testament during Jesus’ teaching. Nicodemus comes along and he’s teaching him about being born again. Nicodemus doesn’t understand, wonders whether one has to go back into the mother’s womb and come out again. Jesus helps him understand. Today we don’t ask Nicodemus’ questions because he helped us to understand.
The word ‘Christian’ came later to refer to the people who follow Jesus Christ and obey him. This implies that at the beginning, the term ‘born again’ and the word ‘Christian’, those two terms are the same. They mean the same person. But time changed, and then things were different.
Before we look at ourselves, let’s also look at what happened to the people of Israel. God tells them:
Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth”
Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (NIV)
The people of Israel sinned over and over, and eventually God’s punishment came upon them. At one point, they were taken into exile for 70 years in Babylon, simply because they did not obey God. And even when he sent them prophets, they could not listen to them.
The people of Israel forgot God’s promises, God’s word, God’s instructions, they forgot the law, they couldn’t obey, everything was taken for granted, and then everything changed.
Back to us today, saying ‘I’m a Christian’ doesn’t really mean much, because being a Christian doesn’t mean you really obey God. It simply means you belong to the Christian community.
And we’ve come to a time when describing oneself as ‘born again’ doesn’t make much sense. People have been using the term ‘born again’ to tell you, “I am a Christian, but one who is practicing what the Bible says.” This trend is shifting now. People say, “I’m born again,” and then they ask them, “Which church do you go to? Who is your pastor?”
So the church and the pastor are becoming defining factors as to whether the person who is saying he’s born again is truly on the right track, because everyone is probably on a scale set by men.
Here I have a challenge for you. Do you think that in the next 30 years, the ‘born again’ are going to find another term to describe themselves, to show that for them, they are the ‘born again’ on the right track? What term do you think the ‘born again’ are going to adopt in future to tell you that they are not the ordinary ‘born again’?
The good news here is that God is still the same, as the scriptures tell us, and he never changes. He’s still the righteous God. Only we, the people, keep changing. We even find words to describe ourselves. But God really wants us to obey him. Despite all the changing terminologies, perceptions, descriptions, the word of God remains the same. Of course, as the scriptures say, that the word of God shall not pass away. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the word of God shall not pass away.
That is our hope. We need to live genuine, true to the word of God. Say things that are true to yourself. Walk the talk. Even if everybody else around you may change, do not change.
That’s why it’s important as you pray, to read the word of God as well, in order to grow in knowledge and understanding. It’s important to read with the mind, with intellect. It is very essential. Ask questions. Be part of a Bible study group. Do not think you know it all alone; that could lead you into some kind of heretical path, and you don’t want to be there. You need to be part of a group, share your reasoning, let them share theirs.
Accept the Holy Spirit. Many people have decided to set themselves against the Holy Spirit. They really have nothing to do with him, but they are Christians, and they will fail. Get to understand, please, that the Holy Spirit has been given to God’s children who obey, to help them in understanding the word of God. Please, do not set yourself against him. It will not help you. We need God’s Holy Spirit.
As we close this discussion, there are four essential things to remember. Pray without ceasing. Study God’s word continually. Join a Bible study group. Tell people what God has done for you. Be free. Some places or churches may not like that part, but how are you going to grow? Do not go for war with your churches. I will never tell you to do that. But that doesn’t mean you should keep quiet. Does your church tell you not to testify even in your house, to your neighbors?
Thank you so much, and God bless you.