Last week I had discussions with some Christian high school seniors that are heading to college in the fall and wanted to ask me some questions, all of which centered around this theme: Each of them professed to being sexually active, so they wanted to know if God sends Christians to Hell because they are having sex? This is the zeitgeist of youth today. The culture is telling them what they are doing is perfectly normal and completely OK. I wish it weren’t so, but I am grateful that they were comfortable enough to ask me, rather than ask Google. We must meet youth where they are, not where we would like them to be. How would you answer this question?
With any conversation, it is imperative that you have a dialogue, not a monologue! What you can’t do is concede any ideas that are in direct contradiction with Scripture. But you must do this in such a way that you do not give them the opportunity to write-you-off as intolerant. Ask them what they think about this topic and listen very carefully to what they say. However, while you are listening, you are not merely letting them school you on how they can justify their sinful behavior.
Ultimately you want to ask, “why do you think the Bible says what it does on this subject?” Getting into the mind of God is a healthy exercise for them and can stretch you while giving you the opportunity to engage the topic with them as a distant 3rd party trying to understand why God would make such “rules.” (The questions below each Scripture are designed to promote discussion and engage in dialogue about why God says what He does about the problem of sin.)
Rom 6:12-13, 16 “12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin…16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”
How do we become slaves to sin? How do we place ourselves in a subservient position to our passions? How do we live righteously?
1 Cor 6:18-20 “18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Why are we told to run from sexual sin? Why does Paul make this seem so urgent? What does it mean that Jesus bought our forgiveness at a high price?
Gal 5:17, 24 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other…24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.”
Is there really a war going on inside of us? How can we be overcomers?
Jas 1:13-15 “13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”
Where do temptations begin? Where do they lead? What does spiritual death mean?
Gen. 4:7b 7bSin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
Should we freely choose to master sin?
Eph 4:21-24, 30 21Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy…30And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Who throws off our sinful nature, us or God? Is this is about our ability to choose to obey God or disobey Him? What does it mean to bring sorrow upon the Holy Spirit?
John 10:28-29 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.
God safely protects us in His hand, so we can’t lose our salvation, but do we retain the ability willfully choose to walk out of His hand (do we still have free-will)? Would walking out of His hand bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit?
1 Cor 5:5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.
Are we safe outside of God’s hand? Does God bless us when we engage in sinful behavior?
Heb 6:4-6 For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.
Is this passage speaking about a Christian or a non-Christian? (Only someone who nails their sins the first time could possibly nail them a second time…) Is it possible for a Christian to intentionally walk away from God by willfully and consistently defying His commands (as they walk further and further away from him and towards sin)? What is the meaning of apostacy? How does anyone become apostate?
Acts 3:19 “19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”
What does it mean to repent? How does anyone turn from sin? Why does God want us to change direction and turn to Him?