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My Generation is fed up… My generation is fed up with baby boomer morality. At least, I hope it is. There are some encouraging signs of late. I was flipping channels on the radio the other day when I heard a song that said "My daddy gave me a name and then he walked away…" It went on to chronicle the loneliness and poverty that this young man had been thrust into by his father’s immorality and irresponsibility. Another anecdote to this effect came off the AP news wire. A twenty year old girl built a 7 foot tall scarlet "A" in her front yard the story says "It's shaped like the letter "A," as in "adultery." She said she got the idea from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter after her father began dating and moved in with another woman before her parents' divorce was final. ‘We were raised with high morals,’ she said. ‘I told my dad that we'll take it down if he stops living with her.’" (Associated Press 05:19 PM ET 03/11/99) According to two different polls, support for abortion has dropped in recent years. Another poll showed decreasing support for premarital sex and divorce. (The Joy of Sexual Values, by: John Leo, U. S. News & World Report, 3/1/99) This moral outrage is not as universal as one would hope. However, there are some indications that at least portions of generation X, and perhaps the rest of society, are beginning to recognize the utter foolishness of "if it feels good, do it." A few in our society are starting to talk about responsibility. I am not predicting a great moral and spiritual reawakening in America, but I do believe there may be a sizable number of individuals who want something more noble than "if it feels good, do it."This presents a wonderful opportunity for Christians. Throughout the years the Lord’s people both individually and collectively have been decrying the moral decay that has swept our nation like a plague. We have condemned divorce. We have expressed outrage at the slaughter of unborn children. We have decried the rampant sexual immorality and perversity around us. It would now seem that we stand on the brink of a great opportunity to call men to the gospel. At least some in our society are recognizing the folly of sin. We have the opportunity to call them to truth, light and purity. Unfortunately, I’m not sure we are going to rise to the occasion. All to many Christians are increasingly caught up in the worldliness we ought to be condemning. The time we might take to teach is squandered on every imaginable form of entertainment. Many saints hardly have time to assemble much less carry the gospel to others. Much of this same entertainment pollutes our minds and destroys our spiritual discernment by parading the very sin we are supposed to hate before our eyes day after day. Instead of fleeing immorality we revel in it. (1 Corinthians 6:18) Churches increasingly tolerate immodesty and immorality. Pulpits that were once used to condemn divorce are now used to justify it. Brethren these things ought not to be so! Paul’s call for purity has never been more timely: "consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience." (Colossians 3:5-6) Paul is reminding all Christians that we are radically different from the world. This difference is the only foundation from which we may call others to the gospel. What would the young man or woman frustrated with folly of sin see in you? Would they see purity and light or just more of the same filth they have been mired in themselves? Paul instructed Timothy to be an example to others in "speech, conduct, love, faith and purity." (1 Timothy 4:12) He went on to tell Timothy to "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you." (1 Timothy 4:16) We would do well to heed this same advice. – Sid Latham |