Discussion of 4 Spiritual Laws booklet from Campus Crusade??

[Guest luzalej]

hi Carlos!

Im glad I came across your post. I think you are right. The Gospel has been presented in a way that makes unbelievers 'believe' they are up for the biggest game of chance in town. you see, the booklet is campus crusade's primary tool to share the gospel..that is Evangelism. it is not the 'only' tool but it has been proven effective by thousands who tried to use it in introducing Christ.

I thinkyou would agree with me that Evangelism in BOTH a means and an end of DISCIPLESHIP. THere is a Follow-through process that has to come right after reading the booklet with an unbeliever. This is where we build them up in their faith. As much as possibble, every trained '4SL sharer', after sharing the booklet, gives the contact the opportunity to grow in his relationship with Christ through a Follow-through series. Here, discipleship begins....

Faith

[carlos123]

hi Carlos!

Im glad I came across your post. I think you are right. The Gospel has been presented in a way that makes unbelievers 'believe' they are up for the biggest game of chance in town. you see, the booklet is campus crusade's primary tool to share the gospel..that is Evangelism. it is not the 'only' tool but it has been proven effective by thousands who tried to use it in introducing Christ.

I thinkyou would agree with me that Evangelism in BOTH a means and an end of DISCIPLESHIP. THere is a Follow-through process that has to come right after reading the booklet with an unbeliever. This is where we build them up in their faith. As much as possibble, every trained '4SL sharer', after sharing the booklet, gives the contact the opportunity to grow in his relationship with Christ through a Follow-through series. Here, discipleship begins....

Faith

Biblically...being a Christian is being a disciple. To become a Christian is to become a disciple. Do you agree with this?

If you don't agree with this then maybe we need to discuss this.

If you do, then I would like to ask how the 4 Spiritual Laws booklet makes it clear that becoming a disciple involves denying your self, taking up your cross, giving up attachment to all your possessions, and hating your own life and that of your relatives (in comparison to your love for God) in order to follow Christ?

Carlos

[Guest shiloh357]

If you do, then I would like to ask how the 4 Spiritual Laws booklet makes it clear that becoming a disciple involves denying your self, taking up your cross, giving up attachment to all your possessions, and hating your own life and that of your relatives (in comparison to your love for God) in order to follow Christ?

The four spiritual laws booklet is not designed to tell you everything you need to know. As stated previously, there is an assumption of basic competency on your part to fill in the gaps, to provide the extra information. The tract is nothing more than a guide to keep you headed in the right direction with the person you are speaking to. It is far too small to include every aspect. Tracts are simply tools. I have never seen a tract that tells you EVERYTHING. They are not supposed to do that anyway. YOU are the one who is leading someone to Christ, not the tract. The tract simply provides talking points. It is up to YOU to share the gospel.

[carlos123]

The four spiritual laws booklet is not designed to tell you everything you need to know.

That alone is cause for great concern Shiloh! If we are talking about the Gospel message that is.

I believe an essential part of the Gospel message IS the need to realize that becoming a Christian involves becoming a disciple. Making a choice to follow in the footsteps of Jesus before a holy God. Trusting the blood of Christ such that we turn our lives over to the Father and choose to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The booklet does not cover that at all. At least not adequately enough to help a person understand what they are getting into becoming a Christian. The booklet has a feel good Gospel presentation. God has a wonderful plan for your life, accept Jesus into your heart, let Him be boss, say this little prayer, and be saved!

The idea of Him being boss does imply some measure of Lordship but it is as deficient in laying out what that means as the idea that a nice, older gentleman holding out a job that will be a wonderful part of my life is reflective of Gods' offer of salvation! God is not a nice, older gentleman wanting to be our boss.

He is a holy God who has power to cast into hell! He is King and Almighty God and we, as unbelievers, are in absolute rebellion to Him. We must lay down our arms and surrender our wills. Cease from our rebellion and draw near to Him through the forgiveness offered through the blood of Jesus Christ.

THAT Gospel won't neccessarily win many converts compared to nice booklets like the 4 Spiritual Laws but it will result in more genuine conversions than what we have today. A Church absolutely full of people who have not even gotten off first base in understanding what it means to become a Christian. Even worse who are living under the deception that they can be Christians while continuing to live for themselves doing what they essentially want to do in life. With the nice, older gentleman known as God giving them presents and grace to get that better house, car, and job so that they can pursue the American dream...only with God on their side this time (or at least according to their thinking).

THAT Gospel is a bloody affair. Where we surrender ourselves and allow God to crucify that which we want out of life that He might use us to accomplish His purposes.

As stated previously, there is an assumption of basic competency on your part to fill in the gaps, to provide the extra information. The tract is nothing more than a guide to keep you headed in the right direction with the person you are speaking to. It is far too small to include every aspect. Tracts are simply tools. I have never seen a tract that tells you EVERYTHING. They are not supposed to do that anyway. YOU are the one who is leading someone to Christ, not the tract. The tract simply provides talking points. It is up to YOU to share the gospel.

To rely on people using a feel good about becoming a Christian booklet to adequately present God in His awesome majesty and holiness to a rebel in need of repentance is like relying on a person from timbuktoo to explain what the U.S. Constitution means to someone interested in becoming a U.S. citizen using a 4 page simple booklet as a guide.

Worse yet people who are not surrendered to God themselves use the booklet to present a feel good Gospel all the more to those in need of salvation.

If we know God...one can explain the Gospel need to surrender to a rebel just fine. Even without any booklet.

New Testament Christians did not even have a printing press! But they did have surrender and shared the Gospel of cross bearing quite well as a reflection of what they had done in their own lives. And they turned the world upside down despite their "lack".

Carlos

PS. I acknowledge that there are those who share the Gospel using the booklet and actually see people saved through it and for that I am thankful. But the exceptions do not prove the rule so to speak.