As the Christian faith has waned in this nation and is no longer shared as the foundation for life it would be easy to think that we now live in a secular society which rejects spirituality. Instead we find that a hunger for spiritual matters is growing and being filled with other forms of worship and devotion.
In the words of GK Chesterton, ‘When a man stops believing in God he doesn’t then believe in nothing, he believes anything.’
And so we have seen the vacuum of faith filled in various ways. We must be awake to the perils that are facing this generation as they grow. There is a simple solution to this challenge, but first let’s outline the spiritual state of our children.
Climate Change
The climate change movement is an intensely spiritual movement that has swept many children into its wings. As with many agents of deception, it contains enough truth to seem righteous to the human spirit, but involves an absolute rejection of the Creator. So the earth is referred to as Mother Nature – the one who provides for us all and must be taken care of. This simple switch takes the attention off Father God, the one who created the earth.
I have been interested to watch the language that has been used as children are encouraged to ‘Save the planet.’ Before I address this, I first want to affirm the truth that is hidden in the climate movement, truths that some in the church had forgotten before the climate change devotees brought it the fore:
Yes, we are called to steward our resources on earth well. Indeed we were commanded to have dominion over the earth and to take care of it.
Yes, we as humans have done much harm to that which we were called to steward. This is part of the fallen state of humanity.
Yes, we have a duty make restitution for damage we have done and to seek to leave peaceful lives without causing harm to creation.
But no, we are not able to save the planet.
The role of saviour has already been filled by Jesus himself. All creation is groaning and longing for the time when the God’s glory is restored which will happen, in part by the revealing of the sons of God (according to Romans 8:18-25).
For us to step into Christ’s shoes would mean we have a Saviour-Complex – trying to do what Jesus has already done without doing what we are called to do. We cannot save the planet before we first repent before our creator for the damage we have caused, beginning with our own sin.
Language matters. I do not speak with children about saving the planet. Instead we are called to protect the planet - to do our bit to steward what God has entrusted to us responsibly.
As an interesting side thought, if creation will not be restored until God’s glory is fully revealed, perhaps many of the challenges spoken of in Revelation (in the 7 seals, trumpets & bowls) are actually caused not just indirectly by man’s continued rejection of God and his ways, but directly by the actions of many inflicting damage to creation that results in the very things that were prophesied 2000 years ago.
Morality
Another area we see this new morality play out is in the morality of society. Here I am not primarily thinking of the increase in immorality, but rather the redefining of morality to the degree that a Christian holding to the truth of the Bible can be called immoral when judged by modern morality.
So, if we do not accept universalism, but hold to the fact that not all belief systems are equal (or even produce equally valid fruit) we are judged by the world as irredeemable, irresponsible and ultimately evil. Such is the state of our nations that the Bible, which has been the foundation of the West, has been called hate speech.
Perhaps this is how the prophecies of Matthew 24 will be fulfilled in part – that we will be hated by all nations. As we stand for truth and refuse to compromise we become the light that shines and irritates the darkness thus becoming the object of hatred. This does not make us victims – rather it is evidence that we are blessed by God and our reward in heaven will be great.
This new spirituality condemns righteousness and embraces immorality, seemingly with no boundaries. This is no surprise. Wickedness is found in unrepentant hearts so if morality is found within, the new morality will be wickedness. Or as Isaiah 5:20 puts it – they call evil good and good evil.
The trans community among children holds this same degree of confusion, self-righteousness and rejection of the Creator.
The absence of God does not lead to an absence of religion, but rather now creates a new religion of a new morality that denounces those who disagree. This new tolerance demands agree with me or else I will not tolerate your opinion. Accepting alternative views is no longer sufficient under this new morality, you must endorse it or you are on the wrong side of history. And so, the very freedom that God has given us as human beings, which allows people to choose their own path is the freedom is used to reject not just God but His whole created order and woe to any who cross this new faux religious morality. Yet God declares Woe to them who reject his ways.
Other faiths
The increase in paganism among teenagers is alarming as they seek spiritual solace, power and security. These are all things that are only truly found in Christ. Paganism leads to increased bondage to fear and desire to control. Christ leads to freedom. Only Christ can forgive sins – Jesus’ own testimony is that he is the way, the truth and the life. And just in case that was not clear enough for people in the pluralistic society to grasp, he goes on to explain that NO ONE comes to the father except through Him. There is no other way to our creator except through the path of repentance and forgiveness that is found in Christ.
More recently, I have been greatly grieved as I have heard some stories of white British children converting to Islam in schools are starting to trickle out. Something in me cries out – this is our fault. It is the absence of the Gospel as the antidote to sin that has caused this.
Our response
John Knox, the Scottish reformer, famously prayed, ‘Give me Scotland, or I die.’ Our response for this generation must be the same. ‘Lord give us this generation, or I die.’ Until are so stirred by the spiritual depravity of this generation nothing will change.
This in turn will lead us to repentance. Where our generation has failed to reach the next generation effectively with the Gospel.
Finally, we must preach the truth. In the words of John Hus, Czech preacher and early reformer, ‘Truth prevails.’ This generation are seeking the truth. They are longing for the truth and we must not be silent. It will involve great battles, it will mean we are sometimes misunderstood, it will mean that we will not have the approval of the world. But we must preach the truth to this generation.
We want to see every child, every year have the opportunity to hear the Gospel at least once in this nation. At the very least we owe them that and it is the least we can do for the least for these in the light of the great salvation that God has allowed us to embrace.
All is not lost, now is the time for a great move of God in our nation and among this generation. Let’s not hold back or miss this moment. The world is dying to know the truth.