Expert: Paul Andrew Anderson - 5/18/2011

Question
Is it possible to convert to an ansbaptist faith like amish or mennonite? If yes how is it done?

Answer
Yes and no, that is to say, not the way one might think. Indeed, the way the question is posited says much about how acculturation shapes mentality. The idea of becoming (or being) a convert was best defined by Jesus, who explained (and enlightened) it this way:

Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside, and great crowds were gathered to Him, so that He went into a boat and sat. All the crowd stood on the shore and He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: Behold, the sower went out to sow, and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth, and they sprang up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth. And the sun rising, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns and the thorns sprung up and choked them. And some fell on the good ground and yielded fruit, indeed one a hundredfold, and one sixty, and one thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. The disciples said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables? He answered and said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance, but whoever does not have, from him shall be taken away even that which he has. Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not; nor do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which said, "By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive; for this people's heart has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." However, blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear what you hear, and have not heard them. Matthew 13:1-17

What was taken from them was understanding or wisdom. Post-resurrection, the Holy Spirit enters (indwells) and yokes with our soul; an Indwelling, which otherwise cannot occur because God is Holy, and we are not. It was/is the shed blood of Jesus Christ that makes us Holy, for we cannot be Holy while locked in these mortal shells. That propitiation was necessary, as the human experiment taught us (Pre-Jesus). When our commitment is real, pure and genuine, God knows this, for He knows our heart. At that point, the Indwelling occurs, and when that takes place, we are enlightened; we go from darkness to light, and the evidence of that is revealed in lifestyle; it is fruit on the tree for all to see. Faith is the substance of things not seen; it is therefore, not possible to "convert to an Anabaptist faith". There is no such thing. It was published historians, who created the entitlements of Amish or Mennonite, as a way to ID or segregate one group from another.

At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greater in the Kingdom of Heaven? And Jesus called a little child to Him and set him in their midst, and said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever shall humble himself like this little child, this one is the greater in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:1-4

The children that Jesus and the disciples were surrounded by were used as an example of the total trust children have in their earthly father. We, in like manner, must have (and display in our lives) total trust in God the Father. These children were not malevolent, or paranoid, they were open, honest and candid. Therefore, we cannot BE converts, per say, but rather; we become one with God, as individuals, and that reality, will manifest in lifestyle.

Jesus condemned the Pharisees for proselytizing, exactly because they were trying to get other individuals to become religious like they were, to think as they did and to recruit others. Jesus destroyed religion on the cross; however, a century later, Godless men reconstituted religion, extracted from the word "Christian", even though the Indwelling completes the link between God and every person, individually, independently and directly. No other human has any connection with, or can convince another person, to be "converted".

Therefore, you cannot be converted to a particular theological position, for this is verily, what Anabaptism is. It is not a religion, club or denomination; it is instead, what remains when we are freed from the religionists. When we use the word "convert" to mean, "join", it takes on another meaning altogether. You can join a religion, but it is no different than joining a bowling league. It has no value or meaning beyond its effect. Bowling is fun, however, it has zero to do with you, as an individual, surrendering unconditionally unto the supreme Lordship of Jesus Christ, dying to this life, and to the flesh and to the ego, and volitionally allowing the Indwelling to expose LIFE to you. In so doing, you are transformed so radically, that you are a brand new creature. You are born again; the person, who once inhabited your mortal shell, dies, and a new person emerges. This is not minor, and it is not major; it is radical, profound and epochal. There is nothing outwardly to convert to, or to change or to shift; instead, you become one with God.

Conversely, people who simply transfer membership from one religion to another, or one denomination to another, or one church to another, are merely shifting positions, an act which has absolutely nothing at all, to do with the Lord Jesus Christ (though the word "Christian" may be assigned to it and them). The fruit-evidence of that radical internal transformation will be easy to see outwardly, however, only to those who have the light of the Indwelling Holy Spirit. This is because we remain trapped in this mortal shell, and it often dictates our directives, as we all must eat, sleep and navigate earth under the same natural laws. However, the Indwelling empowers us; it greatly increases our knowledge, our wisdom and our purpose for living. Indeed, it radically changes how we live. You give up your free will daily unto God, and when God moves you, you do not and will not, ask any other mortal how, when, where or why. God will reveal all things to you, plainly, and you will not ask the question, "How is it done".

Anyone can participate in a religion, but transformation moves us away from such things. We do not become mere converts or followers, for anyone can follow anything. Instead, we become one with the Creator (John 17), and this earthly life becomes meaningless to us, when compared to life-eternal. This reality will be witnessed in lifestyle, and at that point, you will not care what other people think, for you will have the mind of Christ, and you will know what to do.

Jesus said to them, The kings of the nations exercise lordship over them, and they who exercise authority on them are called benefactors. But you shall not be so: but the greater among you, let him be as the lesser, and he who governs, as one who serves. For which is the greater, he who reclines or he who serves? Is it not he who reclines? However, I am among you as He who serves. You are those who have continued with Me in My trials, and I appoint a Kingdom to you, as My Father has appointed to Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not, and when you are converted, strengthen your brothers. Peter he said to Him, Lord, I am ready to go with You, both into prison and into death. Jesus said, I say to you Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before you shall deny knowing Me three times. Luke 22:25-34

Jesus said to them, Yet a little while the Light is with you. Walk while you have the Light, lest darkness come upon you. For he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light so that you may become sons of Light. Jesus spoke these things, and departed and was hidden from them. Though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they did not believe on Him, so that the words of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." Isaiah said these things when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. Still, however, even out of the rulers, many did believe on Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. But Jesus cried out and said, He who believes on Me does not believe on Me but on Him who sent Me, and he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a Light into the world, so that whoever believes on Me should not remain in darkness. John 12:35-46

http://PaulAndrewAnderson.webs.com/Indwelling.html