As a youth pastor I have noticed a disturbing trend.  In our rush to have successful youth ministries we sometimes end up teaching young people how to modify their behavior instead of living out true freedom.  With good intentions we push the Christian disciplines of bible reading, prayer, fasting, worship, purity, etc.  These disciplines are good and we should continue to encourage our young people to have healthy devotional lives.  The problem occurs when these disciplines are separated from the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.  If we are not careful, these disciplines can become a system of works that takes us from grace into dead religion.  We have to stress that we are in right standing with God based on our faith in Jesus Christ.  We cannot become any more righteous that the first moment we put our faith in Jesus.  Bible reading is extremely crucial to spiritual growth and development, but bible reading cannot make us right with God.  Prayer brings us closer to the Lord as we commit ourselves to it, but prayer did not cover the multitude of our sins.  

Our salvation is in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  We don’t have to work for righteousness because Jesus has already made a way.  Our messages must be rooted in who Jesus is and what He has done.  If not, we will have a bunch of young people trained to look spiritual instead of truly being spiritual.  They may be abstaining from things in public while indulging in private.  Jesus did not come to modify our behavior, he came to give us a new nature all together!  The only way to be free is to learn to live from the new nature and identity that God has brought us into.  Peter said that we have been given promises from God that enable us to share in His divine nature.  Remember, our good works should be the result of salvation not the price we pay to earn it.  I believe the first step to true freedom is faith in Jesus Christ and what he has done for us.  He defeated sin, death, the world, and the devil.  We who trust Him get to share in that victory on a daily basis.  Our value and worth do not come from robust devotional activities, our value and worth are in found in Christ and Christ alone.  Please take some time to read Romans chapter three for more understanding.