Has it occured to anyone the message that is sent by the title to this little book? As I read it there is only one way to live. The other is the way of death; so why do we suggest to people that the ‘other’ way is a way of life as well?
Just puzzled.

Two ways to live

As a Christian - yes there is only one way to live, but somehow I don’t think “One Way To Live” really works as a title.

The message of Two Ways confronts the unbeliever with the choice that they can make - continue to live life their own way or decide to live God’s way.  As I see it, that’s the choice and hence “Two Ways To Live”.

The title doesn’t comment on which is the best way to live - that is the choice of every individual.

I don’t think that Christians are “suggesting” that the “other” way is a way of life, but it does acknowledge the reality that not all will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and that those people will face death and eternal separation from God.

I hope my ramblings help!

JD

2 ways

Surely the point of Two Ways to Live is that, contra the post-modern world’s perspective that there are many ways to live, many paths from which to choose, in reality there are only two ways one can live the life that we have here on earth. We can live in rebellion against God or we can live in submission to Him through faith in Christ. All the supposed alternatives can be lumped into the same category, rebellion, no matter how religious or “spiritual” they may be.

I agree that in a theological perspective the way of rebellion is a sort of “living death”, but it is nit-picking to suggest that the title of the little booklet is inappropriate because of that.

Also, it is not meant to imply that there is only 1 way to live out our Christian life, except in the very generic sense that we either live as Christians or we don’t. Christ’s body is a multi-gifted, multi-faceted organism.

G’day and God bless all.

I have not read this book, nor do I know where to get it. Any suggestions?

craig

http://secure.fellowworkers.com/cgi-bin/mmstore/2wtc.html

[quote author="Craig Bennett"]G’day and God bless all.

I have not read this book, nor do I know where to get it. Any suggestions?

craig

Craig:  just put, “Two Ways To Live” into Mr Google and Bob’s your uncle!

JD

Here is the online version:

Thanks dnm and Luke. Now don’t get me wrong, with what I am going to say, because personally I love the Bible and my faith is based soley on the authority of the Bible.

I wonder if because of the postmodern world in which we live today, the mention of what the Bible says so often in that tract would turn some peole off that tract.? I am coming from a postition of never using it, whereas it seems to me that more and more people are open to being told your own personal testimony of what Christ has done for them, and using that to open the bible.

craig

Craig… I don’t have time to respond to your post.  But check out this link (you may have found it already) and it will help to explain what 2WTL is and how it is helpful in our postmodern world.

Grace and Peace

2 ways to live

Evangelism is not a formula driven thing. In the final washup it involves telling someone the good news of Christ, which requires saying something like “the Bible says”. Getting to that point will take many different pathways, however, depending upon the nature of the relationship we have the other person and the work of God’s Spirit in their hearts.

I’m not a great believer in sharing my “testimony”. My personal experiences of how I came to believe in Christ and how I perceive Him working in my life are easily dismissed as being great for me, but irrelevant to someone else.  There may be times when it is helpful, if someone I have come to know and who is aware of my faith asks me about how I came to believe. Generally, though, I think it is a bit of distraction, telling people more about what I think of myself than what Christ has done and can do for them.

What is far more important is the the way I live my life now, which reveals what Christ really means in my life. If my life is not consistent with the gospel then my testimony may actually bring disgrace to Christ; if my life is consistent with the gospel then this will be a powerful statement. I think it will be far more powerful than sharing with someone a decision I made many years ago. As Jesus said, “by this will all men know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. And Peter urged us to be ready to give an explanation of the hope that is within us, the context being a life faithfully lived which in turn leads people to ask the question of us.

I suspect that many Christians underestimate God’s ability to do His own work of saving people. Yes, the body of Christ is charged with the responsiblility of sharing the message, but that process is not merely one of speaking words into a vacuum. It is a process of living authentically and being ready to speak when it is appropriate. I think far too much effort goes into training people in how to talk the talk and not enough emphasis is placed on walking the walk.  (Witness the paucity of responses so far to the other discussion topic on living out our faith at work. Maybe people don’t know how to answer that question???)

The point is that the bit of evangelism that many people think is the most important - the telling of the gospel message - will only be effective in people’s lives if God has done the groundwork for their hearts to be ready. I believe that many Christians turn people off by blurting out the spoken words before people are ready to hear. Again it depends upon the nature of the relationship you have with someone. Every now and then someone might get converted through a “cold call”, like the Navigators used to do around university campuses. However, most of the Christians I know came to faith over a long period of time as a result of the friendship of another Christian. Or they came into contact with Christians through something like the baptism of their kids and were impressed with the loving acceptance they were shown, which validated the words they were hearing.

Tracts like Two Ways to Live have their place, though I think you have to be careful how and when you use them. Always remember the principle of doing to others as you would have them do unto you. If having someone read from a little pre-prepared booklet turns you off then you shouldn’t do it with others. Authenticity requires finding a way of sharing the gospel that is a genuine expression of who you are in Christ, not trying to imitate the way that others do it.

Two Ways to Live

Wow! My first post!!!!
I feel rather nervous - and a bit of a fraud, for two reasons:
a) I don’t live in Sydney Diocese (country bumpkin)
b) Don’t go to an Anglican church

However . . . . this site is a real boon for we evangelicals out in the sticks. It keeps us in touch with current issues, encourages us in ministry and its always nice to read a post written by a friend!  Hi Scott!

RE:  Two Ways To Live.
Craig, my husband and I run a youth group for kids aged 10 to 12 (Years 5 to 7).  At the end of last year we used 2WTL with them for two reasons:
- to give them a simple tool to tell friends and family the gospel
- to revise the gospel truths we had been teaching over the year.

It was a fantastic success; the pictorial emphasis really helped them understand and communicate the steps, and we used a shortened form of the relevant Bible verses.  Picture if you will between 30 and 40 kids busting to be the person chosen to come out the front and present the gospel!  Only a few of these children are from church families - and each week everyone went home to practice telling the gospel to their families.
We had some useful feedback from families, and a group of young people becoming more confident to talk about Jesus.
We didn’t find that the amount of “Bible stuff” put anyone off at all.

Hope this is useful.
Lydia

Lydia,

I’m also a fraud:
1) I live outside of Sydney D (Central Coast)
2) I don’t go to an Anglican church.

I help to run a year 7-9 youth group, and we did 2WTL first term this year.  It was gold!  The gospel was clearly presented so that Christians and non-Christians could be clear on the gospel, people became Christian, and Christians were better equipped to share the Good News of Jesus.

We had a great term.

I don’t think I properly understood the gospel until year12 (AD1998) when I learnt it to use on a mission.  I was already a Christian… yet the most succinct statements of what a Christian is were 1) someone who believes in God and 2) someone with Jesus in their hearts.  They are dodgy answers… and 2WTL is a helpful way for people of all ages to remember and understand key elements of the gospel and a framework to understand it in.

[15] So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  [17] For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:15-17 (ESV)

I am coming from a postition of never using it, whereas it seems to me that more and more people are open to being told your own personal testimony of what Christ has done for them, and using that to open the bible.

*laughs* Craig, I grew up on 2 ways to live. We had to learn it by heart and be able to draw all the pictures freehand in my catechism class.

How long has it been around, anyone know?

I know it probably has its place, but I wonder if it is time to rethink the format/way of presenting the gospel that it uses…

It’s interesting that while there has been some comment about the title of 2WTL, that the Didache tells us there is one way to live. I think the title is wrong and does give the wrong impression.
While others have had success with the booklet, I agree with the post that reminds us to be authentic in our relationship with others to ‘pass the gospel’. I really hate formulae, and would be averse to teaching it to young people. I also have reservations about the Biblical-ness of 2WTL. Its very authoritarianness goes against the Jesus who longed for Jerusalem like a hen for her chicks.
It seems to me we should be seeking to build relationships with people and introduce them to a relationship with the loving God who seeks to give us all new life. I don’t see in the Bible where he seeks to be ‘king’ of our lives; not in those terms, anyway.

DG

Craig wrote:

I wonder if because of the postmodern world in which we live today, the mention of what the Bible says so often in that tract would turn some peole off that tract.? I am coming from a postition of never using it, whereas it seems to me that more and more people are open to being told your own personal testimony of what Christ has done for them, and using that to open the bible.

Craig, when I learnt 2WTL someone helpfully pointed out to me that it’s possible to present the outline either as:
‘six separate points or doctrines on the Christian faith’ that are basically disconnected from each other;
OR you can present it as ‘the way that God has interacted with the world’, where you show how all the points actually link together and form one coherent ‘storyline’.

I think it’s much more effective if you present it the second way, because that means you are able to present in terms of not just the facts, but also how it applies to you - and to the person you are sharing it with - personally. It becomes much more ‘real’. It is also more personal and easier to show how you have seen God at work in your own life - so it will go a long way towards helping with the problem you suggested above.

Of course as with all these types of outlines, it’s best as a tool to help Christians share the gospel, not as the only way to share the gospel or anything like that.

Hope that is some small help.

Geoff

OR you can present it as ‘the way that God has interacted with the world’,

So where does the Bible tell us that Jesus wants to be king of our life?

piet.