Question:
Dear Greg,
At
times I help take care of an 89-year-old elderly woman, Mary, who is
Episcopalian. Last night I asked
her some questions about her faith. She told me that she believes in God and Jesus Christ.
Mary does believe in the resurrection.
I asked her if she is born again. She
said that her church does not use that term.
They just believe in baptism.
Greg,
because people like her believe in the name of Jesus Christ, will they go to
heaven too? I specifically asked
Mary if she believes Jesus is God. She
said no; Jesus is God’s son. Is
it enough to believe in Jesus’ name and become baptized for one to be saved?
I love Mary dearly. I enjoy
talking about Christ with her when given the opportunity.
To
sum things up, Mary believes in God the Father and Jesus His son.
She believes in confessing sin. She
does not believe in the term, “born again.”
She said that term is from a present-day fad of Christians.
Thank
you for your help. I really
appreciate the answers you give.
Angela
Answer: Dear Angela,
It
seems to me that you describe an 89-year-old Christian who is a precious lady
and dear friend to you. It would
seem to me from your brief description that this woman’s faith is from God and
that she is one of his children.
Knowing
God, for each of us, is an experience that is defined by our education, what we
have been taught about God by parents, pastors, teachers, etc.—and by our own
personal experiences at large. While
your own relationship with God is important and true, the lady whom you help
take care of will probably never have the same experience, on this side of
eternity.
For
some Christians the term “born again” can be distasteful, for it speaks to
them about one particular part of the body of Christ, a part that they do not
culturally identify with. For some the word “baptism” can signify washing,
cleansing, death of the old self, and a resurrection to new life—all of which
are encompassed within the term “born again.”
In
Christ,
Greg
Albrecht