Don't know what happened in this young mans life

I know a young man that at one time gave his life to Jesus. He seemed so in love with the Lord and had such a deep desire for the things of His Kingdom, but now its seems to no longer be there. There is an aloof attitude and a hardness of heart.He is not hostile just seems so disinterested. This young man would spend hours talking over the things of the Lord but now won't even spend five minutes. I don't know what happened, and I am not even sure how to talk to him about this. Please can anyone offer any thoughts. This young man is seventeen years old and just over the last five months such a drastic change has happened.

God Bless
mj

The world, the devil, the flesh, all the choices available, deception. This is extremely common. Jesus said the road is narrow and few find it (or stay on it). Not said in a hopeless sense. Actually, by faith, I always remain exceptionally hopeful for every person. We just need to realize that we can see other's lukewarmness and compromise and hard-heartedness more easily than our own. Also, if we are still doing well on The Way, we need to encourage and exhort others. It can be a hard path, not so much in terms of difficult to stay on (in Western countries) but easy to get off. Far too easy. You can go on to other words of Jesus, such as "the love of many shall grow cold." May you be lifted up in your Spirit to find the right way to encourage this brother to look again to Christ.

I have known so many who have done the same. So many ignore the warnings in Hebrews. We must labor to enter into the rest, lest our hearts become hardened as in the provocation. Every Israelite was willing to place the blood on the doorpost, lintel and basin, for their sons lives were on the line... I am sure they were all talking about how exciting it was to be on the march as a nation the whole time they were heading to the Red Sea. But so few were willing to positively pursue the purpose of God in Canaan by faith. So God let them die in the wilderness. The same thing is a warning to us who believe. I will try to remember to pray for this young man.

Most of the people I have seen that seemed to "fall away," were often the most vocal about their own spirituality. This is a dire truth and problem. Yet Jesus, Paul, Jude, The Author of Hebrews, John, and Peter all warned of this possibility of being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

I do not say this to sound un-compassionate, it is just that the reality is right there in scripture.

"In quietness and confidence shall be my strength."

MaryJane,

Remember the parable of the sower? This may answer your question.

ginnyrose

Didn't mean to just post on the "why". I know in my own life I need someone who will pray, encourage, and show forth Christ from their own life to remind me it is real. Sometimes things like this are what a person really needs.

Hi MaryJane. It sounds like he may have had a "false conversion" experience, like the persons in the parable of the sower(Matt.13:18-23, see also 1John 2:19). Ray Comfort has a great teaching on true and false conversion. Here is the link:

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=437

Also, you can go to His ministry website and find more info. The name of his ministry is Living Waters.

It's important to remember that the ground must be tilled before the seed can be sown. When people scatter seed before the ground is tilled, you get the different scenarios our Lord spoke of in the famous parable. In particular, there are many who respond with initial ebullience and zeal at the prospect of God, but soon - on account of the unproductive soil - this transient "joy" is either choked out from peer pressure, the allurements of the world, or it just dissapates like the morning dew before the face of the midday sun.

When we see this happen to a kid, yes, it is sad, but we need to approach the circumstance wisely and with a healthy scriptural perspective. It [i]is[/i] possible that the child never truly knew God - that is, in the true regenerate sense that the heart was never in a divinely spiritually-conducive state to receive seed and produce fruit that remains.

Pray for the child, if God has placed the burden to pray, but also bewail the mentality of whomever it was that indiscriminantly threw seed on unplowed ground. I am learning in my own walk that seed-sewing is only 2% of field labor; the unpopular other 98% is the "tilling" by life example: the patient demonstration true godly humility, genuine meekness, the daily mortification of the adamic self-will, showing unfeigned love, the compassion of Christ, showing God's grace and mercy, dispensing salt and light - in other words, preparing the ground takes a whole lot of physical labor and time. The act of sewing the seed is done in a moment (after all the hard work has been wrought) and with minimal physical exertion. This dilemma is the very bane of modern Christianity; namely, the incorrect alignment of these two inseperable actions. There's plenty of men signing the roster for seed-throwing but a conspicuous deficit on plowsharing.

I don't know why I wrote all this, but I felt as though I needed to share it. Perhaps it has some relevance on the situation.

Brother Paul

It is sad to hear these things. Sometimes a brother stumbles because something of the world gets his attention and draws his love and vision from Christ. Sometimes a young Christian may become discouraged because he does not see his more mature brothers and sisters in Christ fully living up to their profession or not retaining vehement love for the Lord Jesus. There could be a host of reasons, but I believe that the following would be a Biblical approach to dealing with such a brother:

Step 1: pray. "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death." (1John 5:16-17)

The value of prayer by other Christians who are walking with God cannot be too much emphasized. James 5:16 says, "Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." There are a number of great men from the past who wandered from God for a time or grew spiritually cold who were eventually restored and mightily used of God. I can think right now of one specific instance, although I'm sure there are many, in which that man later stated that it was the prayers of a mother, sister, etc. that brought him back to the Lord. If you are married, you might mention the matter to your husband, and it would be good to mention it to your pastor as well, so that a number of you could be praying for this young man. If you know of some other discerning, Spirit-filled Christians who could pray for him as well, you should be very discreet in mentioning this burden to them, so that it remains a matter of prayer without taking on the appearance of gossip.

Step 2: Confront. "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:19,20)
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:1-2)

As a lady, you may not be the best person to confront this young man. The pastor may be the best one to do this. It will certainly need to be someone with spiritual wisdom for at least two reasons. First, because they will need to be able to offer guidance in what appears to be a very dangerous situation (and will have great need to be in touch with the Lord). Second, they have to be a person that will not be a stumblingblock to this young man. It can be difficult to accept guidance, even if it is sound, from someone whose character contains something you do not respect.

The direct approach would probably be best. If this young man was indeed walking with God but has grown cold, it did not likely happen overnight. He will likely know what the Lord had been convicting him about and, therefore, what it was that turned him out of the way. It may be that, like David, he simply needs a Nathan to tell him, "Thou art the man!"

It must be done in the spirit of meekness, both for the sake of this young man, and also for the sake of the one who confronts him. A meek spirit will often prevail with someone where a self-righteous attitude will utterly turn them away. Also, we are not above being tempted in a sin from which we are trying to turn someone else, nor are we above being tempted with pride when we seek to lift up another. I can remember a time that I tried to help someone else and made an unwise agreement with them which brought much damage spiritually to myself and did not seem to help them.

Step 3: Pray again. It may be proper to fast as well. I believe it was Justin Martyr (c. 150 A.D.) who said that when one wanted to seek the Lord and join the church in his day, the congregation would fast and pray for that individual for three days. When an eternal soul is at stake, prayer is so important.

Even if it takes a long time, it could mean a world of good for you not to give up on this young man. Try to remember that Christian charity "suffereth long and is kind" and not to be "weary in well doing." Some are reclaimed even after years of wandering.

May the Lord bless you and be powerfully present to draw this young man to Himself.

--Charles

Thank you all very much for sharing what the Lord has placed on your heart. I will be putting it to prayer before I speak with this young man again. Maybe if the Lord has me to I will share some of the things written here.

God Bless
mj

I spoke with this young man again and
shared some of the things that were said
here. He was very quite he listened but did
not say much. I asked him if he was spending
anytime with the Lord? He said he was
not. He said that he had much to think
about. He said he was feeling very convicted
about some things and needed to pray
about them.

God bless
mj