Over the years I have encountered far too many teenagers and young adults who crumble under the weight of some sin. Often, it is some sin they have believed is somehow “unforgivable”. Perhaps it was a sexual sin, an abortion, drugs, violence…. it really doesn’t matter as long as the young person feels like he or she has crossed an imaginary line with God from which there is no turning back.
Ironically, they may readily say that God can forgive any and all sins – including things like murder – even while secretly believing He won’t forgive them. Even if they intellectually believe God has forgiven their sins, they may not “feel” forgiven. Of course, this can be made even worse if a friend, relative or Christian they respect somehow feeds into this notion of crossing a line that cannot be reversed.
What happens to these young people? In my encounters, most have given up trying to obey God since they are “hopeless” in their minds. Many leave church and reject God. They may even repeat the sin exponentially to somehow compensate – “If I have done it once, I may as well do it a million times because the net rejection by God will be the same.”
Part of the solution is teaching them a godly resilience from sinning. Yes, their sin separated them from God – but no better or worse than any other sin. Teach them how to repent and atone – or how to become a Christian if they haven’t already. Don’t overemphasize grace to the point where they believe they can still sin with impunity. Rather reflect the New Testament teachings about the importance of obedience and striving for perfection. Be prepared to repeat yourself multiple times as they work through what they have done and attempt to move forward from their sin.
Resilience is based on a close relationship with a loving, supportive adult – preferably a parent, but Bible class teachers and mentors can step in when parents can’t, won’t or don’t. Just don’t let one or even several really poor choices destroy the faith of your Bible students. Teach them how God planned for them to survive and even thrive.