A Dilemma

As a Christian student at the University of Kentucky, it is my formeost desire to see the campus come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. All the time I hear people say that there are thousands of people on UK's campus and few of them are Christians. Heck, I think I've even said it since I've heard it so much. But after this semester, I am confused.

All my friends graduated in the Spring 06 semester, and I decided to stick around another year to get a Master's degree. Sticking around has placed some very interesting people in my life, people I did not know prior to this year. Now meeting these people from day one left me thinking my new friends were lost. They cussed, they drank to get drunk, they partied, etc. Yet, after getting to know them better, they claim to be Christians. They talk about going to church. They talk about reading the Bible. And, they claim Christ is their Lord. However, no fruit is produced in their lives. And the more I talk to them, the more adamant I find them to claim Christ, yet no one seems to want to change to produce fruit.

Now, prior to this year, I would have just assumed these people were lost. I mean to live in complete rebellion with no fruit, only lip service, would tend to make me believe they were lost regardless of what their words are. But, the man I look up to the most has said several times that people can live in rebellion and still be saved. According to his interpretation of Hebrews 6, one can be saved and fall away and still go to Heaven. Their lives could be lived like the worldly, and because of their rebellion, God would kill them and bring them home since salvation is something we cannot lose (John 6).

So, that being said, how do I go about talking to these people. Do they need the gospel expained to them, or do they need to be held accountable? Does the Bible really say they can live like this and be saved, or does this prove them to be lost? It's difficult because I want them to know Christ, and I want them to be obedient to Him if they know Him. It's very difficult to talk to someone who may have a wrong understanding of who he/she really is in Christ.

I know for sure that out of this semester, there may be a lot more believers on this campus than I expected, believers extremely weak in their faith who need to be challenged and held accountable by the Church as they are out making decisions on their own in a sinful college world. So I challenge you who read this to talk to people and find out their situation. Maybe you could be the accountability partner and edifier they need to be drawn back to God. Invest.