The Times has an article today about evangelicals worrying that teenagers are turning away from evanglicalism:
Over and over in interviews, evangelical teenagers said they felt like a tiny, beleaguered minority in their schools and neighborhoods. They said they often felt alone in their struggles to live by their “Biblical values” by avoiding casual sex, risqué music and videos, Internet pornography, alcohol and drugs.
If we are simply teaching our teenagers that the faith is a list of “don’ts,” as reflected in the quote above, then it is not surprising that we are losing them. The fact is this: the gospel has no power if it is merely a self-help tool to keep us from doing naughty things. While I don’t mean to trivialize the quest for obedience reflected in those “don’ts,” it simply isn’t something worthy living for.
Jesus gave us something worth living (and dying) for. The call of the cross is the call to radical love and radical communion with God and our fellow humanity. It is the call to be a transformer of the spiritual, political, and economic realms of the world. It is the call into relationship with one who truly accepts us as we are and by doing so helps us accept others as they are.
We do our kids no favor if we teach them a half-hearted “gospel” which merely helps them live a little better in our fallen world. Instead, we must insist on living out with them the true gospel which challenges the isolation of our society with a call to radical community. One which does not accept the concept that one third of humanity must live in extreme poverty. One that cries with the mothers around the world who have lost their children to a world gone mad with violence.
In short, we need to teach them to deny themselves, pick up their crosses, and follow Jesus. For it is the only way to life. And I suspect, it is the only thing that will convince them that Jesus is worth living for.
And the only way we can teach them is by doing it ourselves. Something which the American church has largely failed to do in our current era of abundance.
October 7th, 2006 at 4:05 am
Jesus said, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth UNTO LIFE, and FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT”.
The way to eternal life is a strait and narrow way. Jesus call to followers of Him is not going to ATTRACT many. This narrow way demands dying to self-daily. A person (kids or adults) have to repent of ALL sins, believe the gospel invite Jesus in and let the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit transform them into new creators (Truly Born-Again) and begin being a doer of the words of Jesus Christ not just a hearer of the word.
The many that choose the wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction (eternal hellfire) do so willfully giving way to the evil propensity of his own heart.
Bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ,
William Taylor Sr.
www.actioncross.net
December 8th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Hi,
I just wanted to write and share the gospel, the good news that God is not counting the sins of the workd against them and peoples sins cannot send them to Hell.
John the Baptist said “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins aof the world.”
2 Corinthians 5:19 says that God was in Christ making peace with the world to himself, not counting their sins against them.
The Gospel is that God is not counting sin against people. He counted sin against Jesus Christ. God is not angry and wrathful toward men but He has extended peace and grace.
John 16 says that the Holy spirit is convicting the world of sin. 1 sin. The Holy Spirit is convicting the world of the only thing that will send someone to Hell and thats the rejection of Jesus Christ. Not putting faith in Him.
You see, the is How man used to be seperated from God.
Man – sin — God
God could not be with us becasue sin was in the way and we could not be with Him. In the OT there was a covering for sin with the sacrifices of the Law. Sin was covered but it was still their.
THen Jesus Came and He was the lamb of God took away the sins of the world. And now we no longer have the covering of sins but the forgiveness (remision, removal ) of sins. Sins are no longer covered, they are taken away
We are left with this picture here:
Man – — God
There are no sins seperating God from man. Jesus took them all away. He payed the price and was judged for all the worlds sins, He did not leave any out.
There is still one thing seperating God from man though, and only one thing.
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me.” If you want to get to the father you have to go through Jesus. YOu have to be IN Him.
Finially we are left with this picture. The only thing that is seperating Man from God is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin is not seperating us. Thats why in John 16 the Holy spirit is not convicting the world of acts of sin buit of 1 sin, unbelief in Jesus Christ.
Again. This is how God sees the world today.
Man –Jesus –God
So How do we get in Christ. Paul in Acts 13:38-39 said that by faith in Jesus Christ we are justified from all things that we could not be justified from by the law of moses.
Faith in Gods grace is the only factor in salvation.
May God bless you.
John