Bible Studies

The Generational Slide

by Doug Laird 
09/27/24
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Having experienced my Psalms. 90:10 three score and ten years, I can concur with those who point out that each generation, as a whole, that comes along, drifts further and further away from having the same level of commitment and interest in God and in the things of God, as did the previous generation.

This is the same path that many of the great nations and societies throughout human history have taken. They say that if we don’t learn the lessons of history, we are bound to repeat them.

The level of commitment and interest that our grandparents generation had was greater than that of our parents. The level of commitment and interest that our parent’s generation had was greater than the level of commitment and interest than what our generation had. The level of commitment and interest that our children’s generation had, is less than our own. The level of commitment and interest in our grandchildren’s generation is less than our children’s generation.

Each descending generation compromises a little more, replacing sound doctrine with human viewpoint, until the we reach the point that good is called evil, and evil is called good (1).

Most would agree that this is where we, in America, are today.

Local assemblies are closing down all around us. Others are merging in an attempt to stay afloat. Apostasy is widespread. If it were not for the ominous, end time prophecies of 1Tim. 4: 1/2Tim. 4: 3, 4, one would wonder what is going on throughout the Christian Community at large.

Let me say up front, that although this downward trend is generally true, it does not have to be, and is not that way, with all the members and descendants of each generation. There will always be individuals and groups in each generation that will be born-again. Among those who are born-again, there will be those who embrace and advance in Biblical discipleship. This is what the promise of endurance of Matt. 16: 18 is all about. “…and the gates of Hades will NOT overcome it (Matt. 16: 18 NASB2020).”

God desires that all men be saved (2), and provided the means (3) for this to take place.

But never-the-less, Matt. 7: 14 teaches (and secular statistics confirm) that only the minority of each generation will find and take the road that leads to life.

Furthermore, there are many who are included in these secular statistics that identify people as Christians, but unless they have been born again (4), they will be among the many who will hear these words, “… I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers (Matt. 7: 23 NASB2020.”

Jesus spoke of divisions within families (5), where some will be saved and others not. This is interesting to note, since in most cases, family members are raised in the same environment, and usually engage in same “religious” activity.

There are no family-coverage plans for salvation. Each individual soul, upon being presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message, must choose for himself or herself to believe or not.

If born again, the individually saved soul, can then choose to pursue post salvation, Biblical discipleship.

The first choice, concerning the unadulterated Gospel Message, determines WHERE the soul will spend all of eternity.

The second choice, concerning Biblical Discipleship, determines HOW the saved soul will experience eternity (with or without reward and privileges that are reserved for advancing disciples).

There has been great revivals during which times the downward trend has been slowed down, and even reversed, but fallen Man seems to inevitably return to the path of moral decline, opening the flood gates of divine discipline on the individual (6) and national (7) levels.

During the Church Age, Christians will always be in the minority among each generation on the global scale. Advancing disciples will always be in the minority among those who are born-again.

Born-again believers will be persecuted (8) by misguided, nominal “Christians” inside, and by unbelievers outside, of the Christian Community at large.

Once the unadulterated Gospel Message, or a principle of edifying doctrine has been compromised or set aside, the resulting vacuum will be filled with human viewpoint.

Human viewpoint is on which atheism and false religions are based. This includes the false (apostate) religious teachings and practices that have infiltrated and plagued the Christian Community from the very beginning (9).

Maintaining and promoting the unadulterated Gospel Message for salvation, and maintaining and promoting accurate doctrine for the development of post (after) salvation discipleship, has been at the heart of the spiritual combat during the Church Age.

During each generation, each one of us has spiritual choices to make. Our individual choices determines where and how we will experience eternity upon departing this world.

If you were blessed to have lived during a time when God and the things of God were the norm of your daily experience, thank God for that, as making the right choices had the encouragement of godly family members, friends, and society.

If you were born into a society that was or is on a downward slide, your spiritual choices are the same.

The difference is that in many cases, making the right choices will put you on a collision course with the people around you who have chosen to follow human viewpoint, and ride the slide of moral degeneration.

The good news is that the greater the darkness is that surrounds you, the brighter your light can shine for the glory of God.

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(1) Isa. 5:20 (2) 1Tim. 2: 4 (3) 1John 2: 2 (4) John 3: 7) (5) Luke 12:52 (6) Heb. 12: 6 (7) Lev. 26 (8) 2Tim. 3: 12 (9) Gal. 3