How long (on average) would it take to join your religion?
I think the problem is "joining a religion".
When one comes to God or Christ--they do not "join a religion". If they look at it that way then they have not come to God or Christ--they have come to denominationalism.
How long it takes for someone to see the Truth about God and His plan and decide to accept Jesus as their personal savior and run for the high calling is different for everyone. The first thing we have to understand is that no one can come to Jesus unless the Father first calls him. So if one is not called...
So if one is called and come to the Lord that can be any length of time once they actually hear the call. Just because they are not of your fellowship does not mean they have not come to the Lord and accepted the call.
As we grow in the Lord we may outgrow our current fellowship. Our eyes will be opened to things either being taught or happening in that group that are at odds with the Word of God and then it is time to move on.
If we stagnate in understanding, it is not God's doing, but our lack of appreciation and study of God's Word.
While I personally did kind of grow up in the associated fellowship that I am now in, I do not have the same understanding I had even a year ago on some things. The fundamentals should never change, but our understanding and appreciation of the Word, character, prophetic matters as well as different Biblical Concepts should grow and we should not be the same Christian we were last year.
If you are in a fellowship that demands you believe all things the same way as they do--it is not a healthy environment but a legalistic one that will grieve the spirit within you. You need to get out of it. It is OK and healthy to have some different perspectives and thoughts (on non-fundamental doctrines). Any place that discourages it is not of God and should be left immediately.
When one comes to God or Christ--they do not "join a religion". If they look at it that way then they have not come to God or Christ--they have come to denominationalism.
How long it takes for someone to see the Truth about God and His plan and decide to accept Jesus as their personal savior and run for the high calling is different for everyone. The first thing we have to understand is that no one can come to Jesus unless the Father first calls him. So if one is not called...
So if one is called and come to the Lord that can be any length of time once they actually hear the call. Just because they are not of your fellowship does not mean they have not come to the Lord and accepted the call.
As we grow in the Lord we may outgrow our current fellowship. Our eyes will be opened to things either being taught or happening in that group that are at odds with the Word of God and then it is time to move on.
If we stagnate in understanding, it is not God's doing, but our lack of appreciation and study of God's Word.
While I personally did kind of grow up in the associated fellowship that I am now in, I do not have the same understanding I had even a year ago on some things. The fundamentals should never change, but our understanding and appreciation of the Word, character, prophetic matters as well as different Biblical Concepts should grow and we should not be the same Christian we were last year.
If you are in a fellowship that demands you believe all things the same way as they do--it is not a healthy environment but a legalistic one that will grieve the spirit within you. You need to get out of it. It is OK and healthy to have some different perspectives and thoughts (on non-fundamental doctrines). Any place that discourages it is not of God and should be left immediately.
