I was just thinking about a comment from a new believer from a few years ago. He said, “I thought the Christian life was supposed to be easy. I struggle every day.” He had learned a great lesson. The believer’s life in Christ, this side of heaven, is filled with challenges on every hand. Old friends who are not believers forsake us. Temptations assail us. The very thing we want to do for Christ, we fail to do. However, life in Christ is always better than life without Him.
An Apostle’s Encouragement
In his letter to the Colossian believers, Paul revealed his heart of concern for them. He said he was struggling for them. “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea…” (Col. 2:1 NIV1984). The word struggle in Greek is “agon,” from which we get our word “agonize.” The apostle agonized for the believers who were being inundated with false teaching and attempts to draw them away from Christ.
The essence of that struggle was that he was in a spiritual battle on their behalf. You might say he wanted the Colossian church to know that he “was in their corner.” He then explained his reason for writing them. “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:2-3).
The Greek word for encouragement is “parakaleo,” which means to come alongside, to comfort, to encourage and to intercede.” That is exactly why Jesus provided for us the Paraclete — the Holy Spirit!
A New Believer’s Struggle
There is a reason why the ministry of discipleship is so extremely important. Like the man I referred to earlier, so many new believers are not prepared for the various challenges that will confront them as they develop spiritually in their walks with the Lord.
Becoming a Christian is fairly easy. It requires faith to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for sinners so that they might have forgiveness for sin. But faith is only the starting point. Another apostle, Peter, wrote about steps to be taken as an individual begins to live for Jesus. For that individual to properly grow, he needs encouragement from friends, family and church family. He needs discipleship that includes encouragement. New believers must not be left “at the altar” to fend for themselves. They need teachers who assist them in growing in grace. Peter wrote, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Peter 1:5-8).
A Church’s Responsibility
It is one thing to rejoice over the salvation of a new believer; it is quite another to see that the new convert is adequately loved, instructed and encouraged. I realize more and more how badly teens today need spiritual mentors to pray with them, teach them and, again, encourage them. New believers often find themselves on “shaky ground.” They don’t know how to cope with the attacks from Satan and his crowd. It’s the church’s responsibility to “stabilize” them. That is our part in the believer’s life in Christ.
