Discussion of 4 Spiritual Laws booklet from Campus Crusade??

[carlos123]

Hi all,

Just had a question for anyone that could give me a heads up on whether we could discuss this booklet here at Worthy. I recently bought a book by Bill Bright talking about how to use this booklet to lead others to Christ. While the book was very encouraging to me I was also struck by how the contents of the 4 Spiritual Laws booklet has probably resulted in many false conversions. As a result of it being worded in such a way that an unbeliever might end up getting a wrong idea of what it means to become a Christian.

The gospel as preached and promoted today certainly does not seem to be what Jesus and the New Testament Church preached. Oh there are some essential parts still there...that Jesus died for our sins, that we are sinners in need of salvation, and other things. But it's all embedded in a feel good, get something for nothing from God, message.

The 4 Spiritual Laws booklet seems to contain some of that and I think it would be instructive to discuss it. As an example of the kind of gospel that is generally promoted today. A gospel that has become seeker friendly and leaves out the many parts that are not so pallitable but which are an essential part of becoming a true Christian (like denying self, taking up one's cross to follow Jesus, and surrendering to the Lord as Lord).

I am not sure how we could discuss it openly since it is copyrighted. Perhaps this kind of discussion would best be done by private email. Don't know. Just thought I would ask.

Carlos

[Guest]

It's been a long time since I saw one of those Four Spiritual Laws tracts. To help with the discussion, I found a Flash version of the tract Here on the Campus Crusade Website.

There is a site that does a good job of demonstrating Jesus' way of preaching the Gospel, though. It's called The Way of the Master. It's got a nice intro to evangelism on it.

[Guest Jericomarch]

It's been a long time since I saw one of those Four Spiritual Laws tracts. To help with the discussion, I found a Flash version of the tract Here on the Campus Crusade Website.

There is a site that does a good job of demonstrating Jesus' way of preaching the Gospel, though. It's called The Way of the Master. It's got a nice intro to evangelism on it.

thank you walla299 for the link way of the master

[Aleksander]

There is a site that does a good job of demonstrating Jesus' way of preaching the Gospel, though. It's called The Way of the Master. It's got a nice intro to evangelism on it.

Amazing website. I spent some time there. Ordered their evangelism course book. I might or might not be doing what those guys are doing in the same way they are doing, but the course has been a blessing so far and I am learning a lot. The course is a must-have for a Christian, I'd say.

I tend to agree with them; how they reach out to people seems so contradictory to how the Gospel is preached today and one might get confused at first. But I think those guys got it right. I am proud to say that they inspired me to carry some Gospel tracts with me.

[Guest]

Amazing website. I spent some time there. Ordered their evangelism course book. I might or might not be doing what those guys are doing in the same way they are doing, but the course has been a blessing so far and I am learning a lot. The course is a must-have for a Christian, I'd say.

I tend to agree with them; how they reach out to people seems so contradictory to how the Gospel is preached today and one might get confused at first. But I think those guys got it right. I am proud to say that they inspired me to carry some Gospel tracts with me.

Good to hear that. I have to agree with the Way of the Master folks that a person has to understand they are guilty of breaking God's law (we are sinners) before they can get saved. Anything else just isn't the Gospel of Christ. I was watching one of the videos where they were street witnessing, and you could see the understanding in the guy's eyes they were talking to. Things got serious all of a sudden. It's really amazing seeing the Spirit work on someone like that.

There are so many people today who have zero exposure to the Bible that they often don't understand what "sin" is. Once they understand that, the Holy Spirit does His work.

[irishcowboy]

The Gospel of Christ is user friendly.....

as with the woman at the well, here is a very sinful woman, and Christ has her confess her sins. very user friendly. those that accept Christ as the Lord have eternal life. Christ Crucified, Christ Risen, Christ assended. pretty user friendly.

Christ also tells us that those that do not have him, DO NOT HAVE LIFE AND WILL HAVE ETERNAL DAMNATION... BUT THOSE THAT HAVE HIM WILL HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY....

Christ did also teach a very strong message.... to become "saved" is free, but to follow Him will cost us everything. the thing is, the closer a person walks with Him, the less a person needs, or wants.

Christ did not preach hell fire and damnation to the woman at the well, I believe that would have chased her away. There are some (not all, not by any means) that need a little scare to get them back on the right track....

for instance.

some people, all they have to do is see some one else get into trouble to keep them from getting into trouble, others have to learn the lesson the hard way because they do not learn from the examples of others, then there are some, no matter how the lesson comes into them, they will not learn it at all.

one boy, 16 years old, thought he was having fun, even though he knew the deeds they were doing was wrong. he and a buddy (17) were drinking and decided to go to the swim hole and go rope swinging.... they jumped in the buddies car, took off and made it less then a block lost control, hit the curb, busting the rim (front wheel drive, spoked rim) and the car would not go anymore. they got out and when the police caught up with them, the one (the17 year old buddy) has yet to learn his lesson, the 16 year old (now 21) is doing very well, no longer drinks at all..... neither one of them learned from the lessons of others, one is still trying to get the idea.....YOU DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE..... the younger was charged with underage drinking, the olderone was charged with DWI, LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT, FAILURE TO RENDER AID, UNDERAGE DRINKING, CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF A MINOR (supplier of the booze, and cigarettes),

the Gospel of Christ is like that, some of us learn from just reading about Christ and what He did for us, others have to live their life as they want and it is not until they are at the very end of their rope with only a single thread or less left to hang on to before they realize they are lost and the only way is Christ....

mike

[Guest burger]

It's been a long time since I saw one of those Four Spiritual Laws tracts. To help with the discussion, I found a Flash version of the tract Here on the Campus Crusade Website.

There is a site that does a good job of demonstrating Jesus' way of preaching the Gospel, though. It's called The Way of the Master. It's got a nice intro to evangelism on it.

Personaly i have always had a problem with the four spiritual laws as i have tested them with very little results, the reason being not all people react the same way. The solution to this was when it struck me that the Master said ," Come after me and I will make you fishers of men'' There must be a total reliance on the Holy Spirit, but this does not mean that you must bypass instruction. In our sincere desire to bring the gospel over to others we act in haste and leave no plce for the Holy Spirit to guide us. When we lift Him up , He wil draw others to Him.

[kross]

I think there is an underlying question/message in your post?

I believe I agree with you that the message of salvation today is not what it used to be, or at least should be. There is a lot more "selfish" reasoning for answering the call of CHRIST promoted than there is "GODly" reasoning.

To say that as plain as I can, we tend to give people selfish reasons to seek GOD than the simple idea of seking GOD because HE is GOD.

But, as was stated with different language, you do have to meet people where they are. Most unsaved people are going to ask, "What's in it for me?"

So the gospel comes to us first from that point of view and, hopefully, we mature into a relationship that makes us ask, "What's in me for you, GOD?"

[AnotherTraveler]

It's been a long time since I saw one of those Four Spiritual Laws tracts. To help with the discussion, I found a Flash version of the tract Here on the Campus Crusade Website.

There is a site that does a good job of demonstrating Jesus' way of preaching the Gospel, though. It's called The Way of the Master. It's got a nice intro to evangelism on it.

Personaly i have always had a problem with the four spiritual laws as i have tested them with very little results, the reason being not all people react the same way. The solution to this was when it struck me that the Master said ," Come after me and I will make you fishers of men'' There must be a total reliance on the Holy Spirit, but this does not mean that you must bypass instruction. In our sincere desire to bring the gospel over to others we act in haste and leave no plce for the Holy Spirit to guide us. When we lift Him up , He wil draw others to Him.

Amen!

[Ovedya]

I think the use of the term "law" is used a little loosely in the booklet, but I get what they're trying to do. Biblically speaking, however, there are no such "laws on the book."