Each time I sin, I ask God to save me... Really?

Assurance of salvation is one of the most common struggles I see in the American Church today. While the aim of this post is not to address this struggle fully, I do want to address it truly by clarifying a foundational truth about salvation: Jesus is ENOUGH. When we confuse this truth, we find ourselves in an enslaving cycle of works based righteousness. When we embrace this truth, we enjoy the liberating effects the Gospel is supposed to have both in and through our lives.

The Bible teaches that those who are in Christ are free from condemnation (Romans 8:1). That is to say that those who have been rescued by the saving grace of Jesus are secured eternally by the very same. Paul went so far as to say that our spirits are seated with Christ in heaven upon being raised to life in him (Ephesians 2:6). Those verses simply could not and would not hold water if the penalty of sin still lingered over the lives of those who have trusted in Christ "by grace" and "through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). 

Furthermore, to think that God would reserve the right to administer eternal punishment over believer's lives is to also say that the death of Jesus was powerless to appease His wrath. Romans 3:24-26 clearly shows us that the blood of Jesus was poured out as a "propitiation" for our sins. The basic meaning of propitiation is to "appease" or "satisfy." When Jesus went to the cross, He satisfied the wrath of God once and for all. The Christian who continually approaches God for salvation after each and every time they sin is like a power company who approaches my wife to pay for a bill that I took care of years ago. Legitimate power companies don't work that way and neither does the one true God. Those who do this have either not been saved or have drastically misunderstood the Gospel. Sometimes both. 

What is more, this approach to salvation argues against the power of the cross as well as the testimony of scripture. Such reasoning confuses gift righteousness with works righteousness. The Bible teaches the former not the latter.  Hear me on this: God frees, forgives, and restores us to himself NOT based off of what we do for him but based on what He did for us (II Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). Although grace is not opposed to effort it is opposed to earning. The reason the Gospel is so beautiful is because we could never earn the benefits God freely offers to us therein. The Gospel declares that the only resume God will accept is that of Jesus. Were that not the case, we would still need to observe the sacrificial laws the of the Old Testament. When Jesus declared "It is finished," it was finished! Thanks to the finished work of Jesus, when God looks upon those who are in Christ, He no longer sees the dysfunction of our sin but rather the perfection of His Son. Thus explaining why Jesus is enough.

An extremely helpful book on this topic is "Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart" by J.D. Greear. You can pick up a copy pretty much anywhere books are sold or online here: http://tinyurl.com/l37mj9v

Supporting and Motivating College Students in the Church

The Millennial generation (ages 18-29) is hurting spiritually. The Barna Group conducted a 2011 study on how Millennials with a Christian background would describe their spiritual journeys. Here’s what they learned: 59% have dropped out of church after going regularly; 50% are significantly frustrated about their faith; 57% are less active in church today than they were at 15; and 38% have experienced periods of time where they significantly doubted their faith (For more info on why, check out the book "You Lost Me" by David Kinnaman).

With this in mind, how can the Church effectively support, motivate, and disciple what seems to be a spiritually indifferent generation? Here are three suggestions:

Build relationships: one of the primary ways the Church can uphold this generation of college students is by spending time with them and investing in their lives. Here are a few practical examples of how this can be done: have them over for dinner; offer to do their laundry (detergent and fabric softener aren’t included in tuition); bless them with a gift card (Wal-Mart/gas cards are in high demand). At the end of the day, they simply want to know that we care. Much of why the disciples were so bought in to Jesus was simply because he cared about them. College students are no different. They are far more likely to buy in to Jesus when they see the Church making efforts to pour into them.

Model authenticity: the expressed desire for authenticity is pretty well unanimous among college students. Many are likely to view authenticity as today’s highest virtue. Without visibility, words like life-change, grace, and discipleship become nothing more than a theoretical “pie in the sky” sales pitch. In order to be effective in reaching them, we must be transparent with our own struggles and graceful in how we respond to theirs. Your typical college student will feel ostracized by the Christian who acts as if they have it all together. Quite frankly, they are appalled by pretense. If we want to reach them, we must be real with them.

Prioritize service: college students want to make a difference.  Simply hearing about life change isn’t really enough; they want to be involved in it. This is why they find missional initiatives such as “Love Loud” to be so appealing. College students are much more likely to go all in with the Church that is intentional about displaying the love of Jesus in their community through service and outreach.

The commitment that is required to reach this generation is nothing new. Discipleship always has and always will demand sacrifice. Here’s one of the many reasons that I believe the sacrifice is worth it: when I reflect on the eternal impact that many college students are having on their campus communities in WNC alone, I become more and more convinced that the Church of Jesus Christ is and will continue to be in good hands for many years to come. This may even be the generation that finishes the mission of God’s great Kingdom by spreading the Gospel “to the end of the earth.” Consider this as an invitation to join me in praying for such a good and glorious end.