What Do Students Really Believe?

Let me comment on this question before we begin Galatians 4. Most twentysomethings put christianity on the shelf following their spiritually active teen years. George Barna found that "only 20% of churched teens stay spiritually engaged in their twenties." Why is that? Do you think it has anything to do with their worldview, their spiritual framework which determines their values, morals, and then beliefs? What do you think?

What do students really believe? Well, moralistically students believe God wants them to be "good". Therapeutically God wants them to be happy. And their deistic view is that God is there when I need Him, but doesn't really require anything. What is wrong with these views? What are your views? Lets talk quickly about each one.

Morals. Is being "good" enough to save us? No. Is being "good" enough to keep us saved? No. (see Ephesians 2:8-10 and Galatians 3:2-3) Why would we think that being "good" is enough for God if these two statements are false? Knowing the God of the bible, the creator of the universe, reminds us "how unsearchable His judgments and His ways past finding out!"(Romans 11:33). We do know one thing though, history bares our inability to fulfill the requirements of God. God requires us the be pure, spotless, sinless, holy, and perfect. We know that this is not humanly possible, even with the best intentions. I think this is where the struggle comes, the doubts about how a loving God could punish good people, people that at least appear good on the outside. All I can say in the limited space here is that when I read the bible over and over I realize that God is totally fair and just, and that He has provided a way for us to be perfect(not just "good") in His sight - Jesus Christ. We can trust His ways and lean not on our own understanding but in all ways acknowledge Him. (Proverbs 3:5)

Grace, MB