Does the world ever make you sick? It does for me. Children are in rebellion against their parents and ultimately against God. It's sad. They try to drown their suffering with worldly music, videos, partying, and more. It's not enough. Suffering without Christ can not be drowned. Worse, for this suffering, there is no reward. Without Christ, our lives are without meaning. When we reject God's gift of eternal life we are rejecting him and his son. Teens today continue their sin because they do not see the end result or ultimately do not care. they are not taught the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the fear that if do not live for Christ, our sin will lead us to eternity in hell. Forever. Without end. I see so many Christian parents' children acting nothing like a Christ follower. They are a part of the world. They do not live for Christ.
If you are not living for Christ then you are not a Christian. Christian means follower of Christ. If you aren't following then you aren't a follower. It's that simple.
Are kids told this? Everyone says "going to church doesn't save you" and yet I see so many kids relying on that.
I was talking to a friend recently and she spoke of a girl at her church that wasn't acting very Christ-like. I asked her if this girl was a Christian. My friend replied, "She goes to church and she's been baptized."
I asked more specifically. "Christian means follower of Christ. Does she follow Christ?"
"No," my friend replied.
Teens, without Christ we are headed to hell. It doesn't help that you've been baptized, you go to church, or your parents are Christians. If you live for the world and for the devil your eternity will not be spent with God. Stop trying to live with one foot with Jesus and one foot with the world. You can't dress, act, and look like the world without being of it. Luke 11:23 says, "Whoever is not with me is against me." If you aren't with God then you are against God.
Repent! Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
Hey Beth! I know you do not agree with my views of the Bible and I'm not here to start a debate (although my email is always open for discussion) but I just like to point out about your story of the girl you and your friend were talking about, I do not know the situation, but here is just something to consider: The problems in Corinth church: Divisions, incestious members, marriage problems, Christians suing each other, mishandling of the Lord’s supper.
ReplyDeleteDespite the problems, they were still called the church of God at Corinth. Paul still saw them as brothers and sisters in Christ, just with work that needed to be done.
2 Thessalonians does say those who do not obey will face flaming fire/vengeance, but ultimately, that is God's call to make not our own, we can only trust in His Word. I will be praying for the girl in your story to either become a Christian or hopefully get up again because we all can stumble sometimes. :)
This is a really good reminder Beth! We all need to be watchful for things that creep into our lives, especially as teens, being exposed to alot!
ReplyDeleteGrace Marie has a pretty good point here... (both about not starting a debate and about the mercy of God and the durability of Christ's covenant). However, in the same letter, Paul says (in the context of the testing of Christians) "If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor 3:15). Similarly, Jesus says in Matthew 7 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire".
ReplyDeleteThirdly, and more to the point of Beth's discourse, there are also those in whom the word of the Gospel has no deep root. It is a plant perched precariously on the edge of withering. You could say its on the "Withering Heights"... anyway, I think there's a narrow line between calling out the painted-on religion of many teenagers and bearing with even the most egregious of stumbles.
Forgiveness and mercy have their place next to zeal and holiness. Also, many teenagers are truly ignorant of the things of God and have never clearly understood the Gospel. Thus, we must certainly shine ever brighter in both the sincerity and compassion of our witness and the kindness and faithfulness of our actions. After all,
"Hige sceal þē heardra, heorte þē cēnre,
mōd sceal þē māre, þē ūre mægen lytlað" (from the Battle of Maldon)
Even as the "strength" of humanity lessens as we continue our march away from God, the heart and thought and courage of the church must been the keener, the stronger, and the greater.
Overall, I agree with both you spunky young ladies and I hope the strength of God shines forth all the keener and purer and stronger in each of you and in all of us: though we are weak vessels, the Spirit of God Himself lives within us.
Peace and Grace,
;)