初信者的陷阱
加拉太書三章1至9節
1無知的加拉太人哪，耶穌基督釘十字架，已經活畫在你們眼前，誰又迷惑了你們呢？
2我只要問你們這一件：你們受了聖靈，是因行律法呢？是因聽信福音呢？
3你們既靠聖靈入門，如今還靠肉身成全麼？你們是這樣的無知麼？
4你們受苦如此之多，都是徒然的麼？難道果真是徒然的麼？
5那賜給你們聖靈，又在你們中間行異能的，是因你們行律法呢？是因你們聽信福音呢？
6正如亞伯拉罕信神，這就算為他的義。
7所以，你們要知道：那以信為本的人，就是亞伯拉罕的子孫。
8並且聖經既然預先看明，神要叫外邦人因信稱義，就早已傳福音給亞伯拉罕，說：萬國都必因你得福。
9可見那以信為本的人和有信心的亞伯拉罕一同得福。
信息分享
這種情況豈不是在今天也常常出現嗎？通常來說，初信者比較渴慕學習真理，所以，當某人帶著權威教訓他們，尤其是引用聖經的權威來作教導時，他們便很容易會全盤接收。
我們應該學習昔日的保羅，要歇力防止初信者受人迷惑。保羅從來不會因為初信者誤入歧途，而指斥他們不再是基督徒；反之，他提醒他們要反省以下問題：
1．你們是怎樣得救的？
2．你們是怎樣領受聖靈的？
3．你認為自己如何才能在基督裡成長？
4．你們過往一直甘願為基督受苦，如今，你們是否仍然愛祂和忠於祂呢？
這些都是非常適切的問題。我們今天可以同樣用這些問題，來幫助那些被邪教、律法主義或其他極端教派迷惑的初信者，去釐清他們的信仰。他們的答案，將可以讓你明白他們的屬靈光景。
保羅的答案始終是訴諸聖經的真理。他用亞伯拉罕來提醒他們──他是在受割禮之前便信了神（跟外邦人一樣）；信神之後他受了割禮（跟信神的猶太人一樣）。「亞伯拉罕信神，這就算為他的義。」（6節）在他得稱為義之後很久，神才吩咐他行割禮並頒賜律法。所以，他完全是因信稱義。
當我們跟隨亞伯拉罕的腳蹤，因信而得著神的稱義，我們便是亞伯拉罕的真後裔了。而且，除了因信稱義之外，便再無別的得救途徑。
信心是得救的唯一條件；
基督是得救的唯一根基。
WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO NEW CHRISTIANS?
Galatians 3:1-9
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—
6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
Message
What has happened? says Paul, "Did someone cast a spell over you? Why have you forgotten what I told you? As new Christians, you should have gone on believing the simple and straightforward gospel."
It often happens, even today, doesn't it? New Christians are eager to learn all they can. When they hear someone speaking in an authoritative way, supposedly from the Bible, they tend to accept what is said.
Paul did what we need to do today to try to help believers who have been led astray. He never said they were no longer Christians. His questions were:
1. How were you saved?
2. How did you receive the Holy Spirit?
3. How do you think you were supposed to grow in Christ?
4. You were willing to be persecuted for Christ. What happened to your love and loyalty for Him?
Those are all good relevant questions. They could be used today to try helping new believers who are being tempted by either a false cult, or by legalists or other extremists. Their answers may help you know exactly where they are at spiritually.
Paul's final appeal is again to the truth of the Scriptures. He reminded them of Abraham - the man with the first "dual citizenship". He was a believing Gentile before he became a believing Jew. "He believed God, and it (that belief) was credited to him (by God) as righteousness."
That was long before either circumcision or the law was given. He was saved by faith and by faith alone.
We are the true children of Abraham when we follow in his footsteps of faith. There never has been any other way of salvation.
REMEMBER: FAITH - THE ONLY CONDITION FOR SALVATION.
CHRIST - THE ONLY GROUND OF SALVATION.