Reformed Living

Statements made by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Staff in person and on the IVCF website:

"Our mission in New England is to advance the Kingdom  through whole life conversion to Jesus Christ;

"[we want to help] students to move from cynic to seeker  to Christ-follower to leader to world-changer."

"students who have made decisions to leave their "cynic" status and become seekers after God, through experiencing the love of Jesus first-hand in their Christian friends who have been exploring the faith with those friends and have made decisions to believe in Christ"

My comments:

cynic n.- misanthrope, misogynist, misogamist, mocker, satirist, scoffer, pessimist, sarcastic person, caviler, sneerer, flouter, carper, critic, unbeliever, egoist, manhater, skeptic, doubter, questioner, detractor, negativist, nihilist, doubting Thomas

Not all students are cynics vis-a-vis Christianity (those who are, often come from Christian homes or churches and/or have been impacted by cynical college professors or friends)  Many may be simply agnostic or indifferent.  Some may be very committed to another Faith, World View or Ideology.  Evangelism must also connect with these students as well as the "cynics".  The following explains their greatest need and the Scriptural steps necessary to meet it.

Christianity Today has run a chart comparing the views of John Piper with those of NT Wright on the subject of Justification.  I have copied the words of Piper from the chart (below in italics) with my personal response in bold print.

God created a good world that was subjected to futility because of the sinful, treasonous choice of the first human beings. Because of this offense against the glory of God, humans are alienated from their Creator and deserve his just condemnation for their sins. YES and NO (for what it omits)

God reckons as righteous those who believe, who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead;