Is Faith Black and White?

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. -Romans 14:10

There is a severe problem in the church today and it concerns all Christians. There is an idea that we must meet the Gospel where it is. In youth ministries today the kids are shown a model of who they should be. They are given a model of how their lives should look. The Gospel to these kids is painted in black and white. 

The Gospel is not given with such dichotomy with the Pauline message. The Gospel, rather, meets you where you are. There is no set way to receive the Gospel, that would make it received on the basis of works. No, the Gospel comes to you, where you are, so there is no boasting. This is Paul's theology!

People come into churches today and try to change the way they are living their lives. The church gives them a model, a pattern of what they should look like. When the person makes a mistake (which is bound to happen) they walk away from church and from Christ. This is so important with youth today. We are trying to pull them to a certain way of life. When they fail to meet the standards then the only option is something else other that the church. 

This is tragic!

Paul's Gospel meets people where they are. In 1 Corinthians, Philemon, Timothy, Titus, Ephesians, and Colossians we see Paul painting the Gospel to the unique challenges faced in their lives. Can the same be done in the lives of young people and those that need a fresh way of seeing their faith today?

Does this mean that we overlook sin? May is never be! But is means that people will not all look the way we think they should. We need flexible ministries and ministers that will allow people to own their faith in a way that moves them to action. There is too much dichotomy of the way you must look if you are in church or out of church. Most people in churches are doing things we only think people outside of churches are doing anyway. 

What does that make the church? Failing people hide behind successful ministries and judge others. Stop trying to do ministry this way! It is causing a chasm that cannot be crossed. Kids are losing their faith because they think it cannot look any different than the way we say it will. We must do the hard work of meeting people where they are, even if it makes our worship services sloppy and hard to explain.

In short, too often do we ask people to put on church. We must allow the Gospel to compel them to put on Christ.

Too lofty a goal?

Paul did not think so!