Growing Up Christian #4: The Cost of Compromise

Chapter 4 of Growing Up Christian begins with a story about a guy named Curt who went from being a dynamic leader in his youth group to being a drug addict in just a few years. He didn’t just change over night. He changed one choice at a time.

We have all known people who once seemed to be on fire for God and then grew cold under the influence of the world. In fact, most “church kids” drop out of church during their college years.

The third danger for church kids to avoid is loving the world (1 John 2:15-17).

John Piper: “The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night…For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable.”

Screwtape: “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

How do we daily resist the subtle influence of the world:
1. Recognizing our situation. We are susceptible to the world’s influence.
2. Watching. Don’t put your guard down.
3. Analyzing. Graustein has a great chart that shows the difference between what the world says and what God says.
4. Repenting. Turn from our sin and embrace Christ.