A church with a biblical understanding of conversion…
- We will be careful about accepting new members. This ensures that those who have truly experienced regeneration join the body of Christ.
- Ask all who wish to become members of the church to explain how they understand the Gospel. This confirms faith and understanding of the central message of salvation.
- We will examine whether there are any areas of hidden and unrepentant sin. True conversion is accompanied by a desire for holiness and repentance.
- Baptisms and the Lord’s Supper will be administered carefully and thoughtfully. Members will not pressure their pastors to rush to baptize people without careful consideration. The Lord’s Supper will be properly restricted (i.e., the pastor who administers it will explain who it is for and who it is not for).
- Forms of evangelism that may encourage false claims, whether through emotional manipulation or through the presentation of a simplified Gospel, will be viewed with caution. The goal is not mass conversion, but genuine repentance.
- Refuses to take sin lightly. Members will seek accountability, support, and rebuke from one another. In addition, they…
- Formal church discipline will be practiced. Discipline is a means of protecting the testimony of the Church and promoting repentance among members.
- Formal ways will be sought to maintain a clear boundary between the Church and the world, such as by reserving public services for members only. This emphasizes the uniqueness and sanctity of membership.
A church with an unbiblical understanding of conversion can…
- To be filled with people who sincerely expressed their beliefs about Jesus but never experienced the radical changes that the Bible describes as conversion.
- Calling themselves Christians when they are not. Non-Christians may look at such «Christians» and say, «You are a Christian? But you live the same way I do! Why should I believe what you do if our lives are the same?» This undermines the witness of the Church.
