Youth Concerns
– G. A. Rainbow

Each subject has three sections.

Comments

The opening comments are only suggestive – not exhaustive. They provide background, and should only be considered as starting points for personal study or collective conversation.

• Some of the text in the comments also appears on other pages of 'My Brethren'.

Scriptures

The Scripture references are fairly extensive. They provide valuable insight and instruction. Look them up and go over them carefully – search out further passages on your own.

Reading

The titles recommended provide the spiritual insights of reliable authors – and should encourage serious questions and provoke stimulating and thoughtful conversation.

• Some articles are from larger volumes; most are still in print or available in the libraries of older brethren.
  • Links are provided for those articles which are now on 'My Brethren'.

• "And the things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, such as shall be competent to instruct others also", 2 Timothy 2: 2.

In a matter of time, however, many lose their first ardor and devotion.

• They become stunted in their spiritual growth and settle down into a religious routine.

• Some may even wander into the world and fall into sin or be deceived and ensnared in a cult.

What went wrong?

• Perhaps the message presented to them was defective. They may not have been taught
  • the enmity of the flesh and its inability to please God,

  • the present availability of the Spirit's power,

  • the importance of subjection to the Lordship of Christ,

  • the need of regular prayer and reading of both the Scriptures and reliable ministry, of individual and collective Christian companionship, of the confession of sin.

• Or perhaps those who ought to have shepherded and cared for them may have left them to fend for themselves – like the ostrich, careless as to her young, Job 39: 13-18.

It is not enough, however, for us to be able to see where and how others may have gone astray.

• We should avoid mere criticism and be alert to the dangers we ourselves face, seeking the Spirit's help to avoid them.

As we grow spiritually, and become strong in our links with Christ,

• we should be ready to help other young believers to stay close to the Lord or to seek to restore those who have gone astray.

Scriptures

Reading

• Devotedness and Daily – C. A. Coates

As to the meaning of baptism: some endow it with the magical property of producing new birth –

• others reduce it to a mere form of witness or, worse, a sectarian label.

• Almost all overlook its continuing moral bearing on the life of the believer.

The sin of lawless mankind has been compounded by the rejection of God's Son.

• The world is in state of rebellion against God.

• The arts, business, education, entertainment, science, politics, even – and especially – religion, are all dominated by the god of this world.

Christians must live in the world but are not to be of it –

• neither characterized by its governing principle –man's will – nor its all-absorbing practices – fleshly lusts.

The way out of the world practically is by the acceptance of the teaching of baptism – burial with Christ unto death.

• Our proper identification with Him is in the new resurrection sphere in which He lives to God.

Baptism, through our identification with the death of Christ, denotes a change of position relative to man in the flesh.

• His resurrection opens a new relation to God as known in Christ by the Spirit.

• Both these changes are to be reflected in our lives and in our relation to the world.

Scriptures

Reading

God may sovereignly use various methods to communicate His will.

• The believer however, as indwelt by the Spirit, is to be intelligent.

In the Scriptures, God's will is explicitly stated on many matters and this should be accepted.

• Prayer, Scriptural principles, spiritual sensitivity, the counsel of more experienced Christians – and even circumstances – may help us to discern God's will on other matters.

It we experience continued difficulty and uncertainty as to God's will, we should examine ourselves.

• We may be struggling for our own will, or harbouring sin which must first be judged and forsaken before we can expect God to make His mind known.

As we grow in the knowledge of God, and of divine principles as set out in the Scriptures, we will instinctively – by the Spirit – and increasingly be able to discern God's will in its application to the details of our lives.

Scriptures

Reading

However, when it comes to our collective relationships to Christ and to each other there is great deal of ignorance.

• Generally people 'go to church' to be acted upon, not to participate as part of the body of Christ.

• They usually equate fellowship with merely having a good time together, perhaps in a church-organized age-segregated group.

• The mention of the family of God generates a nice warm feeling, but goes no farther.

• Once outside the church doors they go their own ways and live their own lives. There is no positive bond between them.

The Scriptural concept of the assembly – a better translation than 'church' – is that of a company of persons called out of the world to be for God and each other.

• They are bound together by their common allegiance to the Lordship of Christ.

• They share life in Christ by the Spirit.

• They have been baptized by one Spirit into one body.

• They use their spiritual gifts to edify and comfort one another, both collectively and individually.

• They bear each other's burdens,
  • meet each other's needs,

  • delight to show hospitality to all,

  • share joys and sorrows together as they expectantly wait for the return of the Lord Jesus.

• Their greatest joy is to remember Him in the Lord's Supper and to be together under His Headship in the service (worship) of God.

Scriptures

Reading

Many Christians read the Bible only in the light of what they see around,

• rather than submitting the present outward state of the church to the piercing light of the Scriptures.

Enlightened individuals who can see the great discrepancy between the present confusion and the inspired record of the early assembly may feel unable to deal with it.

• Unwilling to walk alone in protest – if necessary – they give in and go along with the crowd.

What then are we to do? Have we been left on our own to get through the best way we can?

• No! As we avail ourselves of the Holy Spirit's teaching we will find guidance and direction in the Scriptures for any and every contingency we have to face.

The Scriptures clearly predict the public failure of the professing assembly.

• They also give divine instruction for both an individual and a collective path of separation from persons and principles which dishonour the name of the Lord and/or restrict the free activity of the Spirit in the body of Christ.

Scriptures

Reading

The world's rapidly deteriorating "community standards" may also heavily influence us.

• The popular attitude towards morals is expressed in a multiplicity of stale slogans:
  • Everyone's doing it!

  • Times have changed!

  • What's the harm?

  • If it feels good, do it!

  • It's a free country, isn't it?

Many young believers have had the privilege of growing up and being instructed in a Christian household.

• Others have been brought up in a secular environment – as I was.

• Both may have preconceived opinions about many matters.

Are they to follow the example and instruction of Christian parents – who themselves may at times be influenced by the world's standards – without question?

• Are they to cut themselves off from unbelieving parents and relatives, or friends at school or business?

The only safe and sure way to determine what our personal standards, and our social relationships with both believers and non-believers, should be is to

• search the Scriptures prayerfully to learn God's own timeless standards for personal holiness and purity.

Following through the previous subjects will help you to come to a Scriptural conclusion as to your social relationships.

Scriptures

Reading