Virtue or Grace?

At Starbucks last week a pastor friend of mine, Doug, told me about a seventeen-year-old he had been helping. This young woman, Claire, was struggling. Her older sister, who is not a Christian, is living with her boyfriend.

"David, she asked a bunch of other people, other Christians, what to do," Doug explained. "And all of them, every one of them, said that without a doubt she should confront her older sister and tell her that what she is doing is wrong and that it's against God's plan."

"I told her I agreed that the behavior is wrong, but then I asked her something: 'Claire, do you think it's the right time to say something to your sister? I mean, you know the situation; you know your relationship with her. A loving confrontation might be appropriate. God uses us to speak to others. But are you asking the Holy Spirit to help you know what to say or when to say something? God is concerned with her soul, not just her behavior.'"

Pgs 195-196 UnChristian - What a new generation really thinks about Christianity ... and why it matters