Should we even try?

This morning I was reading an article from cnn.com entitled "Why young Christians aren't waiting anymore."  The article was written to show the vast similarity between Christians and non-Christians in the area of pre-marital sex.  The numbers were shocking to read.  There seems to be no difference in practicing sex outside of marriage for professing Christians as there non-Christian peers.  But what was even more staggering to me was the paragraph that closed out the article.  Here the writer posed the questions:

"So what should a Christian parent or youth pastor do? How do they convince more young Christians to wait until marriage, or should they stop even trying?

I fear the answer to this question for most parents and pastors, both student pastors and lead pastors alike, is that we should just accept the facts and not try anymore.  I fear we have just accepted the immorality of church goers as a whole (because this issue goes far beyond those rebellious teenagers) and adopted the mentality that there is nothing we can do.  So, what should we do?  How are we as parents and pastors to raise up a generation of disciples of Christ who are marked by holiness not conformity?  

Before I address how we should do this, I want to address how we should not do this.  First, we should not use the "because Christians don't do that sort of thing" argument.  This gives no reason for life change and breeds either religion or rebellion.  Either the person will obey this order out of duty and compulsion rather than love or they will reject the teaching all together because they see no legitimate reason to adhere to it.  

Also, we must not reduce ourselves to using the fear technique (Have sex and you will die!) to manipulate sexual purity and holiness.  Anyone who has ever been involved in a youth group or sat under any teaching on abstinence has encountered this.  The person teaching gives all these statistics on teen pregnancy and tells you how bad STD's are and then proceeds to tell you that this is why you shouldn't have sex until you are married. 

There are two main problems with this approach.  One, nobody ever really believes this will happen to them.  This type of teaching may have an effect for a short while, but then they will realize that their peers are engaging in sexual activity and the majority of them are not pregnant nor disease ridden.  The fear that leads to purity slowly dwindles and the commitment to abstinence dwindles with it.  Second, one's personal health and safety should not be the reason we follow Christ commands as believers.  Our motivation for obedience and holiness on any level should flow from the love of Christ for us and His work on our behalf, not from a fear of sickness or pregnancy.  

So what should are response be as parents and the church to this reality that more and more professing Christians are being conformed to the way of the world?  To put it simply, preach Christ and Him crucified.  Teach as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 6:20 "for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body."  If we are going to see the church follow Christ in holiness, specifically dealing with the issue of sexual purity, it has to be in light of the completed work of Christ and who we are in Him, no through fear.  Raise believers up in the gracious gospel of Christ and teach them who they are in Him.  People who are consumed with the glorious work and person of Christ Jesus will follow Him and seek purity for they know that He is good and His commands are from love not oppression.

So to answer the question posed in the title of this post, "Should we even try?", absolutely we should.  As parents and the church, we should not sit by why those who profess to be believers in Christ sit in the filth of their sins, rather we should proclaim the work of Christ and the reality of who they are in Him and loving lead them through the power of the Spirit from conformity to the world to a holiness in Christ Jesus.  So the question to be ask now is not should we try, rather will we?