Christian Foundations
DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE
by Dr. Charles Stanley
December 11, 2007 – Instructing the New Believer – Acts 8:26-31
Picture yourself as a new believer. You decide to take the first step in your walk of faith and purchase a Bible. After traveling to your nearest bookstore, you locate the manager and he points you to the Bible rack.
As you examine each one, you begin to feel overwhelmed by all the options. The countless translations are intimidating: NASB, NIV, NKJV, NEB, NLT . . . You think, I’ve hardly read the Bible, so how can I possibly know which translation is the best?
Reluctantly settling on a choice, you begin to browse through the new purchase. Then, coming upon Leviticus and Revelation, you wonder, What does all this mean?
The above scenario might seem a bit exaggerated, but is it? Some aspects of Christianity may be quite perplexing and daunting for someone new to the faith. A person without much previous exposure to church will know little, if anything, about the Bible, the Christian life, and interpretation of Scripture.
That’s where the mature believer should step in to ease some of the confusion. Sure, we look to pastors and church leaders to provide instruction. But it’s every Christian’s responsibility to encourage and guide new brothers and sisters as they start out on their journey of faith.
Without help and support, new believers can easily become confused and give up. If that happens, they’ll miss out on the blessings of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
Think about the people you see each week. Are any of them new Christians you can uplift and instruct?
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