Leading Youth to Jesus

Last week at YDT our youth heard the confirmands statements of faith. Tomorrow evening we'll get back on track with our 7th - 9th graders with learning faith basics. We're focusing this year on Christian teachings summarized in the Apostles' Creed. More about our teaching plan can be found here.

Since beginning in mid-September, we have discussed the value of life as created by God, our responsibility to care for creation and life itself, God's gift of work, and, finally how the devil tempts us away from God's loving ways.

Because we sin, we need a savior. That's the section we will start tomorrow night - moving from the first part of the creed about God the creator to the second part of the creed about Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from Eternity, and true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature...

Do we know we are lost and condemned? Without Jesus, that's what we are. In order to make sure we know our need for a savior, we'll take a look tomorrow night at the commandments, what Rolf Jacobson calls the "unchanging and enduring heart of God's Law."

I wrote about Law and Gospel a few days ago. The commandments tell us how to love God and others ("our neighbors"). The law of God as outlined in the commandments is intended to keep evil and chaos from totally taking over the world. That is the "civil use" of the law. The law's other undisputed purpose is to convict us of sin. The law says "DO THIS" but it is NEVER done.

If we look honestly at the commandments and at the New Testament interpretation of them (for example in Matthew 5-7 and parallel passages in Luke) we will realize how much we need a savior. And that's why God came in the person of Jesus Christ.

As usual, I'll need to find a creative way of presenting this. Please put it on your prayer list. We never want to give youth, or anyone else, the impression they can earn their way to God's good love and "heaven" by doing good.

We need a Savior. Fortunately, He comes to us!