It has been said over the years that the church, Christianity, ” is only one generation away from extinction”. While this is a truth. The weight of the statement seems to lose some impact when one considers, and I think we all do with at least mental assent, that that is true about everything and anything. Hence climate alarmist and everyone in every cause makes everything an “existential” threat.
So I share that to say that I am not an alarmist. I know a God who is in control. He has had a plan before the foundation of the world, and He is moving through His times and purposes. Because He is eternal (outside of time, holding eternity past in one hand and eternity future in the other) And because He is Omniscient (knows all things and all beings) He cannot be surprised. He knows ,and calls, the end of a thing from before its beginning. That gives me peace and confidence in the face of challenge after challenge in life, and in the face of “existential” threats and chaos that seem to loom before me.
That said, I believe it foolish for the church/believers to take a que sera sera (whatever will be will be) approach to life, and particularly others, around us. And, especially the generations behind us.
We all know, I trust, enough about the nature of God to comprehend His love, grace, mercy, sovereignty, eternal, omniscient, and omnipotent attributes among others. Including the reality of His just judgment, purity and holiness. But often, I find believers not giving His eternal purpose in and through us much thought. Once they comprehend, and are grounded in, His love and grace and understand they are saved (out of judgment and wrath) because of it, they rarely give Him or His purpose in them a second thought. Unless, of course, a loved one or themselves is ill or in need of something. Oh, they may religiously “go” to church or tithe. But daily function in His purpose, or seeking it in their daily situations is not normative for them.
Many tend to rest, as they should, in His grace and mercy based much on the foundation of these very familiar verses in Ephesians 2.
[Ephesians 2:4-9 NASB95] 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
This passage, and particularly verses 8-9, give us rest in His mercy in Jesus, and make it clear that we can never work to earn salvation or righteousness. Praise the Lord! His mercy endures forever!
The thing that has concerned me for a long time is that many believers never consider the context of the next verse in Paul’s letter to Ephesus.
[Ephesians 2:10 NASB95] 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Why did He save us? Because we are His workmanship. He created, infact, created us in Christ Jesus (had us redeemed from a fallen creation, reborn, born again) us for a purpose. What was the purpose He saved us unto?Good works! But, do note, not good works unto or earning salvation or righteousness. Or, good works we dream up, initiate, purpose in ourselves, to somehow curry favor and brownie points so we can boast in “what a good boy am I!” NO! But, Good works which He/God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
He did not save us in Christ for our pleasure alone. He did not save us in Christ to save us from hell, just judgement, and for a fire escape. Or, that we could just sit by placidly in His salvation and righteousness in Christ. Nor did He save us to work FOR Him. He saved us to work WITH Him in His purpose. (another familiar verse: [Romans 8:28 NASB95] 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose.)
We are saved NOT FROM SOMETHING, but UNTO SOMETHING. Namely, to co labor with Him/God in His purpose in Jesus Christ! Doing not our own thing, but the good works He has prepared specifically for us since before our salvation, perhaps before the foundation of the world.
If this is so, is there any pursuit you can chase after that is better or more fulfilling than knowing Him and co-laboring with Him in His purpose. Let us not sit in grace unto salvation alone! But, move in that grace and salvation unto knowing and serving Him in daily function in what He gives us to do and directs into. Develop a desire to first hear Him, seek Him, and then walk beside Him in doing what He is doing. The question is not “What would Jesus Do?” in a situation. It is “What is Jesus doing in this situation, and does He want me to co-labor with Him in that, in the now?” In Luke 10,Mary chose the good part, she sat at His feet listening to Him, getting to know Him, so that she could serve Him in the way He desired! Martha tried to serve Him out of her own initiative and purpose, serving what she perceived to be the need, and found only frustration and judging of others.
So what does this have to do with existential threats and sounding an alarm on being a generation away from extinction?
Perhaps it is because I came to Jesus in the great Jesus movement of young people in early 1971. Perhaps it is because, at 71 now, and with 5 grand-guys so far, I am concerned about their future, the future of the church, and our country. And the impact the current generation will have on the future. It may be the real existential threat. I do see us losing ground particularly among young people, and especially the generations behind my own son and daughters. The culture has changed a great deal.
And I know that Jesus issued a word/warning about being salt and light.
[Matthew 5:13-16 NASB95] 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty [again?] It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does [anyone] light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Salt was a preservative in those times, as well as a taste enhancer. It was needed to preserve and cure meat without refrigeration. But when it lost its effectiveness it was thrown out and trampled under foot. Hmmm… doesn’t take much to see the application to the modern church in the west, does it.
Then, when He speaks of light, we find a reference to those pesky GOOD WORKS again, the ones that Glorify God (not ourselves).
[Luke 14:34-35 NASB95] 34 “Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35 “It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
[Mark 9:50 NASB95] 50 “Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty [again?] Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
We are here, and in a time such as this for a purpose. His purpose. If we become useless as a preservative, or in holding up a standard for righteousness, or manifesting His love and co laboring in HIm in doing His works, the results of that are clearly outlined in words in red here.
This exhortation is not to work FOR Him or For something out of your own passion. But, to prayerfully consider what He is sitting before you each day and each situation. The Holy Spirit is there to guide, enable, and empower. And the exhortation is to seriously consider ways, particularly, to reach a younger generation that is increasingly un-churched, godless, and uninterested in being so.
If we cannot offer hope and truth. There will be none.
Mary recently passed along to me “A Statistical Glimpse Into the End Times” from Messianic Christian teacher Jonathan Cahn (author of The Harbinger and others). I’ll excerpt a bit of it here:
It’s one of most overlooked realms with regard to getting a glimpse of what is to come – statistics. But by looking into what is taking place among the young generation, we will have a glimpse of what the future will bring.
Where is the young generation at regarding God, faith, the Bible, and Jesus? For the first time in Western civilization since the beginning of the faith, the majority of young people in the West consider themselves something other than Christian, other than even nominally Christian.
What about society, marriage, sexuality, and family? For the first time ever, one quarter of the American population under 40 is not married. The majority of young women in America don’t want to become mothers. The percentage of American children born outside of marriage stands at around 40%, almost one out of two, and the percentage of people identifying with something other than heterosexuality is not 1%, 2% 5% but, among young people, a staggering 28%!
What about Israel? America has always stood as Israel’s strongest ally. But that, too, is changing. In the wake of the October 7th attack on Israel, one would have expected a surge of support for the Jewish state. But among the young, something else happened. Between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, young people favored Hamas! In fact, support for Hamas was so strong among the young that it approached majority status. In fact, about two thirds of young Americans now see Jews as oppressors!
Let’s put together the puzzle pieces. Apart from a revival and the hand of God to reverse these things, the America of the future will not be a “Christian nation,” it will not even be culturally Christian, it will not even be nominally Christian. It will be un-Christian, non-Christian, and perhaps even anti-Christian. As far as marriage and the family, there will be less of both. More and more children will grow up having no idea what marriage is. More and more adults will be alone. …. over one third of Americans, will see themselves as LGBT…
Finally, America, the last great ally of Israel, will no longer be so. Israel will find itself increasingly alone.
What does this all mean? It means the Bible is true. What it said would take place in the last days – is now taking place. All the more we need to pray for this generation, spread the Gospel to it, and stand strong. Let us make it our resolve to do all three this month, and may God greatly bless you as you do!
I can add little to that exhortation, or the spiritually bleak future it paints for my grandchildren. But to say that I am not filled with fear and anxiety. No, I am confident in my God, and even more confident in His purpose being made manifest through us as salt and light…. if we will but turn our attention to Him and that purpose, and let Him direct our individual and corporate steps, empowered by His Holy Spirit, and emboldened to stay salty even when culture would love to trample us underfoot.
May we consider our God’s love of a generation indoctrinated in forms of darkness and in truth that is relative and spoken of as “my truth” rather than “the truth”. They are not without hope, and not without access to the truth. But we hold that hope and access to the truth. But, if we cannot ,or will not, share and manifest truth and hope in word, and in the good works He has preordained for us, then there will be none.
Pray…because salt and light is needed, and Jesus has proclaimed that you are the salt and light of the world.
Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, pray, and do what He directs and gives you to do without fear. Serve the lord with boldness.
[Acts 4:13, 29, 31 KJV] 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. … 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, … 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
[Philippians 1:20 KJV] 20 According to my earnest expectation and [my] hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but [that] with all boldness, as always, [so] now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether [it be] by life, or by death.
[1John 4:17 KJV] 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.