Sabotaging the Generations 2

So I never got around to writing this second piece the day after the first, but the loss of the next generation is a big concern of mine. If we continue down the path of decline of the Christian faith in the American evangelical church among our children and youth, Christianity will not have much of a future in the next 40 years! Just a small disclaimer: even in perfect parenting there is no guarantee of faith, children are responsible for their lives/eternities. However, we may also bear the guilt if we do not afford them with good spiritual guidance through consistent practice of the faith. Nor does marrying believers guarantee good parenting and commitment to pass on the faith. For hypocrisy is probably more deadly than express unbelief to our children.

The second way that we are seeing the next generations of Christians sabotaged is the intermarriage of faith and non-faith (or nominal faith). God warns of this in Deut 7:3-4 "Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly." And we see this played out all through the Old Testament, just like God said.

Yet we ignore this truth and the warning given in 1 Corinthians that tells us not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. We have all seen it: a young man "falls in love" (that's a whole separate blog) with a girl that is not following Christ (she maybe have a profession, but is not living it, or maybe she is lost altogether), and it may happen slowly (over years), or quickly (over months), but sooner or later it is easier not to fight the battle with her, and he stops following Christ.

Even if he persists in his walk with Christ, they get married, and the kids can tell that mom really doesn't think that it is important, and regardless of what they are told (for she may be outwardly compliant), they see the truth, and it sinks in. And when they are of age, well they choose their own way...

And the same is true for young women who marry unspiritual men. Now, who wants their kids to reject Christ and go to hell? Nobody! But by mingling faith/non-faith, we are sabotaging them. How do we avoid this? Teach this in our churches, enforce in in our homes. Teach them that if they don't date people with weak or no faith, they won't marry them, and their kids (our grandchildren) will not die lost. Make them see that eternity is in the balance!

And of course the ramifications are much larger than your kids/grandchildren. What about their grandchildren and their grandchildren? Once the baton of faith has been dropped, the lostness in the family will grow exponentially with each generation. And so your decision to marry a lost man/woman could (I say could because God can do anything), cost you hundreds of souls...

So STOP IT! Put away the foreign boyfriends/girlfriends among you that cause you to worship foreign gods, and forsake the One True God! Do it for your children, grandchildren, and their grandchildren.

Thanks for reading,

Sabotaging the Generations 1

Didn't realize it had been so long since I blogged last. But I doubt you suffered any loss not hearing from me. Anyway...

Recently several times Erika and I have seen situations in lives that we fear are sabotaging the next generation of believers in "good" Christian's lives. Don't hear me saying that there is no hope for those who are reared in these situations, I am committed to the absolute sovereignty of God (including election), but God gives ample instruction and normal means of the preparation of hearts and awakening of spiritual desires. So I guess I share these two situations because of my burden for Christ's flock and their offspring and the Kingdom. Hear them, and share them in the form of a warning.

1) Inconsistent gathering. I know, I know, harping on being with the church again. What can I say, it's the preacher's job. But really, children (or grandchildren) of professing Christians easily interpret the message that gathering with God's people is of minimal importance and done only when convenient if there is no consistency in Dad/Mom's or grandparent's lives. They realize that the church is not that important, thus Christ is not important, therefore a waste of time. They see very little impact upon their family's lives from Christ, and will eventually abandon the faith. Even if they don't abandon the faith officially, they abandon it in their hearts, and express a greater hypocrisy than the preceding generation.

Certainly consistent church gathering will not ensure future faith of our children, and there are many other ways that consistent church gatherers can destroy infant faith, but it seems a simple obedience to follow (Heb 10:25) to aid our children's picture of real faith. Once the chain of faith is broken, think of how many children and grandchildren of otherwise well meaning Christians will end up among the goats that were appointed to eternal fire. Time and space would not permit me to elaborate on the other benefits of regular participation with the Body of Christ, but isn't the eternity of our children and the generations to follow worth our determined commitment?

"Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments" -Deut 7:9

Never got to number two, guess I will do that one tomorrow...

Thanks for reading!

Have you been given much?

Jesus said,

"Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

Have you been given much? Are you being faithful to carry out the Master's will, or casually thinking that He will not come soon?

"I believe in God..."

Common occurrence among those who share their faith (once the conversation rolls around to God, church, etc.):

Believer: "Which church to you attend (group of believers that they gather with)?

Friend: relates a bad experience with some "church" or "church member," then goes on to explain that they "believe in God," and how they don't gather or need to gather with a local church (implicitly or explicitly to go to heaven).

Is this theologically true? Yes, one does not have to gather with the church to go to heaven or be right with God (ex. thief on the cross). So those are the two options: gather with a local church or be nailed to the cross until you are dead, and go to heaven directly (do not pass GO, do not collect $200, or attend church).

Just kidding, but really the scripture says,

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death" -1 John 3:14

I know, I know, you could love other believers without attending a church gathering. But like a pastor said this weekend, "you can give without loving, but you can't love without giving." And it seems like to me that if one was submitted to the Lordship of Christ in his life, and really loved the brethren, shouldn't they want to be gathering with a group of believers? If Christ thought the church was important enough to lay His life down for her, couldn't we lay down some time and people investment for her? If you love her/them, shouldn't you want to be around them, encouraging them, giving your life away to them, and laying down your life for them? You wouldn't love your family, country, or even chocolate like that. So would it be a stretch to say that you really don't love the brethren if you are not gathering regularly?

Now, don't hear me say something that I am not saying: I am not saying that everyone who is not gathering with the church is not a Christian. I really am simply saying that I worry about those kinds of people. People who claim to believe in Christ, yet casually blow off gathering with His bride (and many other explicit commands). I worry that they are not worried. I worry that their children will not follow a Christ whose value doesn't compel their parents to gather with the bride. I worry that they lull themselves into false security because our culture thinks its OK not to gather with the church. Some need to mend their walk with the Lord, and find a fellowship. Some need to examine whether or not they have passed from death to life at all...