KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:19 KJV” Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

Our goal for teaching the convert is to make him or her, a disciple. Let’s consider the working definition of a disciple. One becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ, when he becomes stabilised the faith, has an ongoing commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and has developed the basic disciplines of Christian living and service, so that the lifelong maturing process as a Christian is guaranteed, as much as is humanly possible. The convert must first be stabilised in his faith.

Assure the new Christian that the bible is the inspired word of God and it is profitable for doctrine, correction and instruction in righteous (2 Timothy 3:16&17). The bible was not written by Europeans to deceive Africans. It was written in the middle east with overwhelming archaeological evidences. The Bible is God’s authoritative guide for all matters of faith and conduct. Assure him or her that according to the word of God anyone who accepts Jesus as his Lord has eternal life. (1st John 5:11-13) Encourage him to trust what the word says, and not his feelings. He is a child of God because the Bible said, as many that receive or believe in Jesus were given the ability to become sons of God. John 1:12,13

During the growth of children two main things should occur that would make growth possible.

1.To prevent any kind of disease from attacking the child

2 Feeding the baby well.

These two factors are captured in the following verses.

1 Peter 2:1,2 KJV “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

One grows by Feeding on the word of God. The scripture says the one who must grow by the word should first do away with certain traits. These are as follows

1. Malice (fighting, quarrelling, anger, unforgiveness, etc)

2. Guile (lies, deception etc)

3.Envy (Jealousy, evil cravings, negative passions)

4. Hypocrisies(pretence)

5. Evil speaking

These traits can be described as character diseases that will prevent the word from bearing fruit in the growing child of God. Make the new believer aware of these things and ask the Spirit to help him put them out of his life.

The second action, is to start taking in the word. The bible says desire the sincere milk of the word so that He or she may grow by it. There are a number of ways that you can teach the new convert to receive the word of God. These are

1. Quiet time

2. Bible reading

3. Listening to the word

4. Memorising the scriptures

5. Meditating on the scriptures

6. Bible Studies.

Teach the new believer to employ all these means of taking in the word. If he is to give attention to the word as stated above, he would surely stabilise his faith in the Lord.

THOUGHT: A TIME WITH THE WORD OF GOD IS A TIME SPENT IN FELLOWSHIPPING WITH GOD.

FURTHER STUDIES

James 1:21 KJV “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Psalms 119:11 KJV “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”