God has NO Grandchildren

                 A thought to Ponder by D.A Carson
                   
  "The first generation has the gospel
                     The second generation assumes the gospel
                                  The third generation LOSES the gospel"

I am a great grand mother and I had to stop and think, am I continuing to pass the gospel on to the generations, in my family and to other young people ?

Today, like never before, this is a serious question.  I was raised by a 'watered down gospel'.  There was no repentance, blood of Jesus, death or resurrection.  To be a Christian meant that you joined a church and tried to be like Jesus.  I was the 112th member of my parent's church and that was a 'big deal'. I heard  many sermons about how good Jesus was. He loved everyone and when we died we ALL went to heaven. When I was 31, I heard the gospel for the first time and I was shocked.  I never knew that I was a sinner and that Jesus had died for my sins and was raised for my justification. When that revelation hit me, I knew that there was NO way I was going to Heaven and that I had been deceived ( not intentionally) growing up.  I never heard the REAL gospel and it was obvious that that I needed to start over and by the grace of God through faith, I was born again and justified before God in the blood of Jesus, 'just-as-if-' I had  never sinned.  It was a glorious, liberating revelation to my soul.

Both my husband and I were  first generation Christians in our families Fortunately, when we shared our new found faith with our parents, they also received the gospel and became believers. It was encouraging to have their support as we struggled to grow in Christ and start over to believe the Lord.

By the time the girls were teenagers, all three had accepted the gospel for themselves.  But still there was something missing that we were NOT passing on to their generation. They knew that Jesus died,was buried and  raised to newness of life, but I have to admit we fell short on helping them to know how to walk in the Spirit to overcome their sin nature.  We didn't know how to either! It was a struggle to hold on to our faith.

Our faith was turning into legalism, a striving to perform to be righteous and condemned if we didn't pray or read our bibles every day.  What was missing?  We had to know. We knew all the formulas, doctrines and knowledge about Jesus Christ.  We wanted to learn more, but it was very difficult. Where was the LIFE and the JOY of the LORD?  Where was a relationship with the living God? What were we really passing on to our girls, grandchildren and great grand children?  Was it the TRUE GOSPEL? Was it the WHOLE gospel?

(Hebrew 12:2) was our word of hope:' Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith'.  We knew than that that the good work He had started, He ALONE  would finish. He began to show us that our struggling was trying to prefect our flesh, (old Adam). We were falling into legalism.  It was a  death trap!  We strove so hard to prefect the flesh by keeping the law and thought we were good Christians.  We always felt that we were failures. We never prayed right, read our bible enough or prayed properly. Condemnation was a constant companion in so many areas of our lives and marriage. If this was Christianity, who needed it!

To make a long story short, all I have to say is THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES and to our walk with God.  Without accepting the Holy Spirit as our teacher, interrupter and resurrection life in us, we are dry, dull, and struggling. The Devil knows where the power lies and he will do everything to deceive us from acknowledging our NEED for the the Holy Spirit. 

The early church knew this and acknowledged  the PERSON of the HOLY SPIRIT. He was the promise sent to replace Jesus on earth and to lead the church into ALL  truth. (John 14 and 16)  After we read Peter's sermon at Pentecost,(Acts 2:14) we couldn't help but wonder, if we had REALLY  heard the whole gospel and really repented?  

The early Christian responded to the gospel quite differently than we did. "Now when the they heard this they were CUT  to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ' Brothers, what shall we do?'  And Peter said to them, REPENT,and BE BAPTIZED everyone of you IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST for the FORGIVENESS of sins, and you will receive THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  For the promise, ( Holy Spirit) is for YOU and your CHILDREN  and for all who are far off:( the future generations) whom the Lord our God calls to Himself. "  Acts 2:38-39

When we were born again the Holy Spirit wasn't taught to us as someone whom we needed to know. In fact He wasn't mentioned. But it became obvious to us, that if we were going to pass our faith to our children and future generations, it had to be through the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  We are so grateful today, for the Holy Spirit as He  continues to interpret Scripture, convicting us of our righteousness in Christ Jesus, and that there is NO CONDEMNATION in Christ Jesus and that our sin in Adam has COMPLETELY  and totally been forgiven.We are new creations in Christ and all things have become new. NOW THIS GOSPEL OF GRACE WE CAN PASS ON TO THE NEXT GENERATIONS and encourage them that Jesus is alive and His love for them will never change. As it was for the early church nothing has changed , REPENT, BE  BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST AND RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. We need the Holy Spirit who opens up the WHOLE gospel to us, as He releases God's love, forgiveness and grace to the next generation.

An Unusual Invitation

This is a TRUE STORY about a young man named Joey, who was a drug addict and lived the lifestyle that included petty thieving, selling drugs, and living in a drug-induced high. His world was a network of young men and women whose intent from dawn until late into the night was the pursuit of getting high.  He continued  to go back to church week after week eagerly listening to the preaching of the Gospel.

In the church that he attended there was a baptismal service almost every Sunday. After hearing the Gospel and being awakened by the Spirit to faith in Christ, Joey asked for baptism.  He sent out invitations to his family and the network of persons who made up his world that read simply, "You are invited to Joey's funeral and resurrection on Sunday night."  They came, curious and confused.  Joey stood by the baptismal water and addressed his stunned family and friends with the words, "Goodbye, I am leaving the world that all of us know for real life in Jesus. You will see me around, and we will talk, and I hope I will continue to be your friend. But the Joey you have known has died and in a few minutes will be buried.  The man you will be talking to is somebody who has risen from the dead and for the first time in his life is really alive!   And seeing as he is dead, Joey will not be selling drugs, anymore and will not be joining you to shoot up or be at the parties".

Joey walked the streets of Brooklyn, seeing the old haunts and friends, but although he was still IN THE WORLD, HE WAS NOT OF IT.  He was a  man who had been JOINED to Christ.  He had returned home from his own funeral to see the world and all of life through resurrected eyes.

Joey's story brought me back to my own baptism. I remembered my own  funeral and resurrection.  For each of us who have been baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, what joy it is to know as we come out of the waters that the Father announces to us as surely as He did to Jesus, "This is My beloved son/ daughter in whom I am well pleased." The Spirit that came upon Him, comes UPON US,  and as we enter the family of God, the Spirit comes and enfolds us in the arms of God's love.

We become partakers of God's life, His everlasting life.  The divine life is added by grace to our humanity. We are reborn, and our lives begin again on a totally different plane.  We move out of the domain of the lie and the darkness to be at home in the new creation founded on the new covenant in Jesus.

In Colossians  1:12-15 we are encouraged by, "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and  conveyed us into the Kingdom of the son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.  His is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation.



The story was taken from "The Power of the Blood Covenant" by Malcolm Smith.  Page 151