Hope for the Next Generation?

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (II Tim. 2:2). We must teach the Word of God to saints and sinners. Generations come and go, but the truth is the same and that message needs to be taught and defended with all our might.

There will always be resistance to the truth. The letter of II Timothy was the last inspired epistle of Paul. He warned Timothy that troubles were coming. He said people would be ungodly in their lives (3:1-7). He told Timothy to preach the Word in spite of the fact that some would “turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (4:4). Christians can get caught up in this compromise; Paul said, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” (4:10). Today is no different.

When the tide is against us, we can lose our confidence in people, especially young people. There has definitely been a change over the past few generations. Attitudes are not the same. Values are different. Morals have changed. And belief in the fundamentals of Christianity—the existence of God, the deity of Christ, and the inspiration of the Bible—has declined.

A defender of these basic tenets wrote, “There is no doubt that whereas fifty or one hundred years ago there was a universally accepted background of conviction as to the elementary truths of biblical religion, that background has, for the younger generation at least, largely disappeared” (quoted by Wilbur Smith, The Supernaturalness of Christ). Many would say a hearty “Amen.” But the writer he cited said this in 1938! That same generation of young people not only went on to fight for their country in World War II but also led a major revival of these basics in the 1950s!

The writer of those words would be surprised and encouraged if he were alive today. An all-out war has been waged against God in this land and the moral and spiritual death toll is high. But many still believe in God, Christ, and the Bible. Even more encouraging is the fact that the church Jesus built has not only survived but is spreading, especially in foreign fields.

The promises of God are sure. He knows the future and He never lies. Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Peter wrote, “But the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (I Pet. 1:25). Let us have great confidence in the power of the Bible.

Kerry

West End church of Christ • December 8, 2025