Share Your Input

     I'll apologize right now: this isn't really a legitimate post.  I'm sorry I haven't been posting as often as I'd like!  Unfortunately, I won't be able to get to writing a post until after this weekend.  But until then, I'd like to direct you to a new page of the blog: Share Your Input.

     This page allows you to share your thoughts about Not Just a Teen, about life as a Christian; about anything, really!  Well... within reason, I suppose.

     If you have any comments to share, questions that you'd like to pose to other Christian teens, or any other feedback, this is your chance to share!  You can recommend future posts or simply share your thoughts.  You can suggest changes or improvements, share what you've been learning in your walk with Christ lately, share new ideas, or anything else you have on your mind!

     I invite you to check out the new page and share your input.  I'd love to hear from you!

     Nathan.

     P.S.  The Rebelution, my favorite site (by far) for Christian teens, has recently re-vamped their website.  There are many more possibilities and opportunities for you to share and receive ideas for doing hard things, plus countless other articles and videos for your encouragement.  Check them out!

Freed from the Law, Bound to Grace

     It's what most of us resented when we were kids.  It's what we can't live without now.  It's what many think that Christianity is based upon, but others think Christianity freed us from.  What is it?  Rules.

     In the Bible, these "rules" were written in the form of the Law.  The Law, in our modern Christian culture, seems like an outdated and even slightly cynical concept.  I mean, Christ came to save us from legalism, right?  True.  But if we don't view the Law in the right perspective, we'll miss God's timeless plan.  The Law did (and still does) have a purpose.  God didn't create something just because He wanted to free us from it.  He wanted to free us from sin, and the Law was simply a part of His plan to do so.

     Our perspective of the Law starts all the way at the beginning.  Just after God creates humanity, He tells them, "You shall not".  He establishes obedience by... guess what?  A rule.  Had He not given them this commandment, how would they know what was wrong and what was right?  This was the role of the Law.  Romans 5:13 says "for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law."  Before the law, nothing was officially established as right or wrong.  The King James Version explains it like this: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3:24, emphasis added).  The Law was our teacher.  It taught us right from wrong.  Because before God could free us from sin, we had to know what it was we were being freed from!  If we hadn't had the law, Christ's death would have been in vain, because we wouldn't have known the reason.  

     Now that we see the relevance of the Law, what is its relevance today?  Since we're freed from the Law, we don't need to follow it, right?  So we don't have to worry about getting tattoos (Leviticus 19:28) or sacrificing lambs (Leviticus 4, 23, Numbers 7, etc)?  Not exactly.  You see, God's law wasn't just a list of do's and don't's.  It was His will.  The Law showed the deepest desires of the Lord: to be glorified, to be worshiped  and for us to sacrifice to Him.  God's desires have never changed.  We aren't required to keep the law because Christ has set us free.  We live in grace.  But still, the concepts of the law show what God desires.  You can do what you like, but God has already given us His will.  As 1 Corinthians 10:23 says, "'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up."  

     Because of God's grace, we can always be forgiven.  But that does not mean we should live in sin.  "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2).  Live in the grace of Christ, but keep His Word ever close to your heart.  

     Next time you talk to God, thank Him for the Law.  Thank Him for showing us what sin is.  But thank Him all the more for His saving grace.  Thank Him that we are no longer held to the Law; that He accepts us just as we are.  And thank Him for His awe-inspiring plan of salvation.

More than a Set of Pews

     What is your concept of the church?  What value does it have to you?  Many of these kinds of questions have been left unanswered by today's youth; and if they have been answered, too often the answers are shaped by a worldly view.  The topic of whether or not the church is necessary in Christian life is becoming increasingly controversial in our culture.  Teens, even at young ages, are leaving the church in hoards.  Some argue that the church is only meant to convert non-believers and isn't required for those who are Christians, or that it's too judgmental, legalistic, or simply that they "aren't supposed to be there."  While the reasons for youth leaving the church vary quite a bit, I believe it is our mindset that first needs to change.

     If you think the church is simply an organization or a spiritual recharge station, you're wrong.  The church is not an organization, it was instituted by God.  If He commanded and established the church, how could we possibly brush it off as a mere formality?  Ephesians 5:25-30 tells us of God's incredible passion for the church.  He gave Himself for her, He cleansed her, and most of all He cherishes her.  Knowing this, how could we possibly think the church is just another organization?

     More than this, the church is much more than a spiritual recharge station.  Now you might say, "But that's basically what the church is, isn't it?  We come to get filled up, right?"  Well, yes and no.  The church is certainly a place where we can (or at least should) be able to get encouragement and get pumped up to pursue righteousness in our lives.  But if we come just for this, we're missing the entire point.  A "spiritual recharge station" implies that it's all about what we're getting.

     The early church is the greatest example of what our modern churches should look like.  In the entire book of Acts, every Christian was so fired up for Christ that they met in people's homes, gave everything they could to the ministry, and spread the news like a raging wildfire.  Unfortunately, it seems that we have lost this passion.

     It's not our job to sit in the pews and just hear the Word, it's our job to go out and do it.  Christ intends for the church to lead the ministry, but how can it if no one steps up?  Even as young people (especially as young people), we need to step into the ministries of the church.  Our generation needs to see youth who are passionate about the role of the church, and who are right there fulfilling their calling, not just sitting in the pews.

     What do you think is wrong with the church today?  What can you do in your own church that will inspire other youth to step up?  I'd love to hear your comments!

While We Were Yet Sinners

     He was tortured.  He was beaten, whipped, bruised, spat upon, and countless other things.  Who knows what those who abused Him were thinking as they killed him?  Yet the Lord Jesus asked His Father to forgive them "for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).  Not only did He ask that they be forgiven, but He was paying for that forgiveness at that very moment.  As He hung on the cross bleeding, nails pounded into His wrist and thorns thrust in His head, He was accepting the punishment for their sins.  For the first time, the Father turned His face away from the Son (Matthew 27:46).  And He did it all for them.  He did it all for us.

     In Romans 5:8, it says "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Think of the time you hurt Christ the most.  Even in the very moment of our worst sin, Christ was looking upon us.  But He didn't hate us.  He loved us.  When we slapped Him in the face with our sin, Jesus said of us, I'm going to die for them.  Yes, they've run from Me.  Yes, they've tortured Me with their sin.  Yes, they've beaten Me over and over and over again.  But I want them.  I love them.  They're My beloved children.  I will die for them.

     Even in writing this post, there are so many more aspects of Christ's life, death, and resurrection that I want to tell you.  It's the most important part of the Bible!  All of God's Word is centered around it.  It was prophesied from Genesis to Isaiah and even the Psalms.  The very story of God's love is climaxed with this moment.  Perhaps I'll share some of these things in future posts.

     Until then, if you happen to read this before Easter is over, remember this moment for the rest of your day.  Treasure Jesus's amazing love for you.  If you read this after Easter, realize that only the world celebrates Christ's resurrection on this day alone.  As Christians, we celebrate His love for us every day!  Let your life be centered around Jesus's love and sacrifice, because He not only died - but He lives.  And He's watching your life unfold.  Let it be for Him.

The Church of Tomorrow

     "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12, ESV

     The scripture above is a very popular verse that was part of a letter from Paul to the young Christian Timothy.  I especially love both letters of Timothy because they are a message from Paul, a champion in the faith and early church, to a young, growing Christian like you and me.  But instead of a dumbed-down, simplistic message, Paul told it to Timothy straight.  He didn't have to drop to Timothy's level; he spoke to him like the Christian brother that he was.  

     I've seen many churches emphasize this verse, telling youth that they are special - that they are the "church of tomorrow."  While this is true, I believe we put way too much emphasis on the first part of the verse and ignore the second part.  Honestly, if the youth of today are truly the "church of tomorrow".... we're doomed. Our culture has already lifted youth onto a pedestal that pushes parent, church, and even government authorities down to a point that youth now dominate society.  We focus so much on not letting anyone look down on our age that we forget that we are an example to every other Christian - whether young or old.  

     However, there's a reason why Paul put our example as believers directly after telling Timothy to let no one despise his youth.  It's because it's not just the responsibility of an adult to not look down on youth.  It's our responsibility too.  It's our responsibility to step up to the call to be more than youth and to be the example.  We need to be the example by edifying one another (Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:29), behaving like a true Christian (Ephesians 5:8), walking in love (Ephesians 5:2) and in faith (see Hebrews 11), and in our purity (Matthew 5:8, 2 Timothy 2:22).  This is how we are to be an example.

     Yes, we are the church of tomorrow.  But more importantly, we are the church of today.  What are you doing now that makes you a good example to others?  Are you encouraging other teens to grow in faith, or are you just part of the crowd?  We have a whole generation to reach.  Let's be the example - in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

     

Walk Worthy of Your Calling

     In the last post, I wrote about finding God's will for our lives.  This week the Lord has been showing me more about this topic, so I want to add a new focus to it in this post.  The verse that has probably been most meaningful to me in my studies this week has been Ephesians 4:1:

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,"

     My last post focused on the calling that the Lord has laid upon our hearts, and I was blessed to hear of all that the Lord has been calling some of you to do.  Ephesians 4:1 mentions our callings, but it takes it a step further by telling us to walk worthy of them.

     So what does it mean to walk worthy of our calling?  It certainly doesn't mean we deserve it.  Nothing we do can ever make us deserving of what Christ gives us.  He has blessed us more than words can explain (Ephesians 3:20) - much less what we could ever deserve!  We can never be worthy, but we strive every day to become worthy.  In all of His life on earth, Jesus never commanded us to do something that we could simply do on our own.  We need Him for everything.

     How do we walk worthy of our calling, then?  Paul answers this in the following verses of Ephesians 4:

"with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

     Too many times we think that being "worthy" involves more doing.  Sure, the Lord wants us to do things for Him, but this does not come first.  "For by grace you have been saved, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)   What comes first is not works but instead humility, kindness, patience, unity, and peace - certainly not things we can do by ourselves.

     Submitting our "works" to God and allowing Him to change our hearts is hard, but it is the only way we can walk worthy of our calling.  When we arrive in heaven, we will be judged for what we have done and will be rewarded accordingly.  While our works (or lack of) will not void our salvation, what a sad day it will be if our list of works for Christ fit on a napkin.  Let's build a library of accomplishments - a library built on a foundation of humility.

Understanding God's Incredible Will

     Has the Lord ever put something on your heart?  A ministry?  A task?  Or simply a random act of kindness?  Many times we ask God things like "Show me Your will for me" or "Reveal to me my calling."  It's amazing when He shows us these things.  It's our assignment from Christ.  

     Sometimes, though, we misunderstand our calling.  We want God to give us something new, something exciting - something we'll love to do.  Many times, however, we don't get this.  As a man from my church shared in our men's Bible study today, sometimes God wants us to do what we're already doing - He just wants us to do it more.  We can bounce back and forth with our own "callings" from Christ, but sometimes He just wants us to obey Him and to do what he's already asked us to do.  

     I've jumped from one thing to another, trying to somehow please God through my works, but if it's not what He's asked from me, there's not really much of a point.  It's just works.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast," Ephesians 2:8-9 explains.  It's not about what we can do for God, it's what He can do through us.  We just have to be humble and have faith in Him.

     The first part of God's will for our lives is that we obey His word: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome," (1 John 5:3).  If we're not operating in line with His own words, how can we expect to please him?  Once we know we are obeying His commands, we can begin to ask for Him to reveal to us His will for our work in His kingdom.  If, for some reason, you do not see God revealing it to you, check to see if He has already called you to something, but you've not seen it.  

     Sometimes the Lord has already revealed His will to us.  He has given us our assignment, and it is up to us to do it.  He may be whispering to you, "You're already doing your calling. Just do it more.  Let Me take control and guide you where I wish."  His will is always incredibly amazing.  Has God given you a calling?  Leave a comment!  I would love to hear how God is working in your life.