Grace Evangelical Society

P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202
  • About
    • Home
    • Beliefs
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Grace in Focus Blog
    • Grace in Focus International Blogs
    • Grace in Focus Radio
    • Grace in Focus Magazine
    • Free eBooks
    • Journal of the GES
    • Book Reviews
    • Partners in Grace Newsletter
    • Audio Messages
    • Videos
    • Email Subscription
    • Bookstore
    • Online Tracts
  • Store
    • Main Page
    • On Sale
    • Return Policy
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account
  • Events
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Free Grace Church and Bible Study Tracker
    • Free Grace Jobs
    • Ministry Links
  • Donate
    • One Time Donation
    • Monthly Donation
    • Your Account
  • Search
Home
→
Grace in Focus Articles
→
Chaos at Camp

Chaos at Camp

November 1, 1995 by GES Webmaster in Grace in Focus Articles

by Steve Elkins

It was a week-long high school evangelistic camp—four hundred kids from all parts of the country. At the nightly counselors’ meeting one of the youth ministers questioned the speaker. “I don’t understand. Two nights ago my kids were sure they were Christians, now they’re not sure. I went over what you said with them, and they’re still confused.”

What had the speaker done to cause such confusion? Two nights earlier during the cross talk he had done an excellent job describing Christ’s substitutionary death, His once-for-all finished work at Calvary. He even emphatically pronounced, “Christ paid it all. It doesn’t cost you anything.” Wow. It was great! The kind of message that brings instant assurance to a believing heart. No wonder the counselor’s kids were sure that night. It was a clear, objective message. It was a done deal and they accepted it.

The problem, as is more often the case, lay in the speaker’s next message: the appropriation talk. The following night the speaker wasted no time departing from the “it-doesn’t-cost-you-anything” motif. Now he preached an “it’s-going-to-cost-you-everything” message! I couldn’t believe my ears. It was like a bad dream. Without batting an eye he proceeded with the most convoluted and confusing explanation of how one supposedly becomes a Christian I have ever heard. He had left the message of the cross and departed for the “far country” (even weaving in the prodigal’s adventures, and any number of other passages) to demonstrate how much salvation costs us. He made certain no one would accuse him of Easy-Believism. He wouldn’t even say the B word (believe).

After the beautiful presentation given the previous night about our Lord’s provision on the cross, it would have been fitting to use the word faith, belief, or trust at some point to explain how one receives so precious a gift. These words would have fit the no-cost message of the cross perfectly: “It is of faith that it might be according to grace” (Rom 4:16a). The verses preceding make it clear that faith is neither costly nor a work (4:1ff), but a perfectly unmerited means of accepting a gracious promise.

It should have been obvious to the youth minister in that meeting why his kids suffered such confusion. It’s called contradiction. The double message (It doesn’t cost you anything, but it does cost you everything) can’t give assurance, but it can sure take it away! A contradiction cannot be believed: you can believe one part, or the other, but not both at the same time.

God’s Gospel of Grace gives peace, uncluttered by confusion and contradiction. When we play the melody of God’s grace to young people-or to anyone-let’s be certain they hear the right tune. It must be the clear Grace message, not a mess!


Steve Elkins is the East Dallas Area Director for Young Life. He has been involved in youth work for 20 years. Steve and his wife Marci have three children, Allie, Austin, and Abbey.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Cart

Recently Added

February 3, 2023

Romans–Part 05–The Solution

Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Today, Kathryn Wright and Ken Yates conclude this short series as they get to the good part of the...
February 3, 2023

Here’s Why Your February Partner’s Letter Will Be Late

We send a letter each month to those who financially support the ministry of GES. We call the newsletter Partners in Grace. We try to...
February 2, 2023

Romans–Part 04–The Problem

Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Today, Ken Yates and Kathryn Wright continue this short series about Romans. Jumping to Chapter 3, they begin with...

Grace in Focus Radio

All Episodes

Listen to Stitcher

Listen on Spotify

Grace In Focus Magazine

Grace In Focus is sent to subscribers in the United States free of charge.

Subscribe for Free

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.

Donate

Bookstore Specials

  • Inerrancy for Dummies $7.95 $5.00
  • Here Walks My Enemy: The Story of Luis (Paperback) $6.95 $3.00
  • Here Walks My Enemy: The Story of Luis (Hardcover) $13.95 $5.00
  • Grudem Against Grace: A Defense of Free Grace Theology $15.00 $10.00
  • Grace in Eclipse: A Study in Eternal Rewards (Second Edition) $15.00 $8.00
Grace Evangelical Society

(940) 270-8827 / ges@faithalone.org

4851 S I-35E Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210
P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube