Keeping the Porch Light on in a Dark World
What if our entire approach to youth in the church has been in error for over 200 years? That is, most churches, large and small, have neglected to form faith in the young, by assuming it could be done better by others.
Before all the “Fall Kickoffs” get kicked, perhaps it’s time to rethink our approach to bringing up young Christians.
(If you’re like me, you don’t want to be glued to a screen for an hour video–this one works really well if you just turn it on, and listen–hard)
Real Christianity is intellectually vigorous. But in the end, one is saved not by their intellectual gifts, but by the grace of God, and oftentimes in spite of them.
2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.
“Likewise I trust that we have seen again something of the nature of Christian truth. It is not ordinary knowledge. It is not something that the unaided human intellect can understand and receive. Without the enlightenment which the Holy Spirit alone can give, gospel truths remain as dark and as hidden to us as they did to ‘the princes of this world’ when the Lord of glory was actually amongst men. ‘But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit’. ‘We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God’ (1 Cor 2:12). This is not ordinary truth. Whatever the power of our intellect, whatever our brilliance, it will never be enough. We must all become ‘as little children’. We need the inspiration and the anointing and the unction of the Holy Ghost before we can receive and understand divine truth.”
Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn. The Unsearchable Riches of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians 3. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972.
I don’t need to comment on the absurdity of this situation, but does this indicate a pattern of micro-control in the name of “safety?” In almost all of these cases, children are humiliated, embarrassed, and shamed by those who should (after family) care for them the most. Then the perpetrators (and that’s what they are) hide behind the excuse that they are protecting the privacy of their victims.