Thus says the LORD: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls . . .” –Jeremiah 6:16
Statistics can be confusing to interpret but they can also be sobering to consider. This is especially true with statistics in relation to the Christian church and covenant young people. While there are many variables to be considered, numerous studies show that an alarming number of covenant young people are departing from the visible church. A recent Barna study reported, “Nearly two-thirds of U.S. 18–29 year olds who grew up in church … have withdrawn from church involvement as an adult after having been active as a child or teen.” This sad phenomenon, historically known as apostasy (i.e., “a falling away”), has brought about such terms as “deconstruction” and “dechurching.”
This trend is especially troubling for those who love the Christian church and its young covenant members. Out of a desire for God’s glory as well as these individual’s spiritual well-being, the mature members of the church desire the next generation to “prosper in all things and be in health, just as [their] soul prospers” (3 John 3). In order for God’s covenant people to prosper spiritually, they must take the “old paths” of biblical orthodoxy.
The Need for the Old Paths
The late teenage and early adult years are critical for setting a person’s course in life. As they reach these milestones of maturity and independency, their beliefs and practices become their own rather than simply those of their parents. While not an absolute rule, generally the pattern of life set in a person’s twenties gives a reliable indicator of the pattern of their entire life.
Our culture bombards our young people with voices speaking to which way they ought to take in life. Such voices include the opinions of peers, the instruction of professors, the musings of authors, and especially the clamoring of podcasts and social media influencers. Along with cultural trends and the opinions of one’s own self, all of these voices form an unrelenting call to “come this way” in life.
Many of us have had the experience of being in a busy airport. Thousands of travelers make their way to hundreds of gates to catch flights leading to a host of destinations. Human life is similar, in a way. There are billions of people following millions of paths through life with contrasting convictions on the meaning and purpose of life. Some find themselves boarding the plane of Secularism1 while others stand at the gate of Humanism2; others prefer Narcissism3 while their fellow travelers wait in futility for Nihilism.4
While there are various worldviews with their respective beliefs about God, salvation, and the meaning of life, all roads through life ultimately lead to the same destination: eternity. Human life does not end with a “Game Over” or an exit into nothingness. Rather, upon physical death, “the dust [body] will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit [soul] will return to God who gave it” (Eccl. 12:7).
However, in relation to the common destination of all humanity into eternity, there is also a remarkable and irreversible difference: either heaven or hell. This is the clear revelation of Jesus in Matthew 7:13–14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” In light of such a truth, there is a need for all of us to “stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is . . .” (Jer. 6:16).
The Identity of the Old Paths
Since it is important to find and walk in the old paths, it is also important to identify the old paths. In the context of Jeremiah, the Lord, through His prophet, is calling His covenant people away from innovative idolatry adopted from the surrounding nations and back to covenant loyalty focused upon the divine revelation.
In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, C. S. Lewis warns against what he calls “chronological snobbery.” This is the mindset of “the uncritical acceptance or the intellectual climate common to our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that account discredited.” Essentially, “chronological snobbery” is the mindset that believes the simple, Christian faith of the fathers must be dismantled by progressive, post-modern insight of the children. But it is upon the old paths that a person finds the good way. The old paths are the gracious provision and revelation of the covenant of grace. It was and is this gracious, covenantal redemption that was revealed to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. It was and is this gracious, covenantal redemption that revealed the way for reconciliation between the Lord God and His chosen people.
The old paths form the good way of covenantal redemption that is centered upon the Person and work of the Mediator of the covenant, Jesus Christ. It includes the revelation of and conviction in the miraculous incarnation, the substitutionary atonement, and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the good way is the belief in the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting based upon God’s grace and mercy in and through Jesus Christ.
These old paths are what our covenant forefathers and mothers studied and believed with their open Bibles, bent knees, believing hearts, and active faith. Many of them suffereed persecution because of these good ways, and they pursued immigration because of it. These paths have guided innumerable saints through this life into glory, saints who now form an encouraging cloud of witnesses for those of us who follow behind (Heb. 12:1, 2a).
For those tempted to deconstruct their faith and “dechurch,” what is needed is not a new path but rather a return to the old paths. It is upon the old paths of the apostolic faith that one finds the good way.
The Blessing of the Old Paths
The Bible often attaches promises to commandments. It does so to encourage obedience. The promise given to those who walk in the good way of the old paths is that of rest. Long ago, Augustine reflected that “our souls are restless until they rest in God.” Sadly, our modern culture is overflowing with persons who are restless and searching for a “safe place” for their spirit. While the higher institutions of our contemporary age beckon with the promises of “safe places,” these often turn out to be dead end roads of selfish, subjective preoccupation that only increases the restlessness of those who seek refuge.
True soul rest is found in the old paths of the good way of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus authoritatively and truthfully proclaims to weary travelers, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” As the way, the truth, and the life, He invites and promises, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28–29).
There is a vast difference between simply knowing about the old paths of the good way and actually walking on them. We all need to walk in the old paths of the good way by a personal, living faith in the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not simply a philosophical curiosity in or a historical affirmation of the faith of our fathers. It is a living faith in the Triune God.
The new path of deconstruction and “dechurching” leads further and further away from peace. Nevertheless, the Father stands at the head of the old paths of the good way eager to receive prodigal sons and daughters who come to their spiritual senses and return home on the path of repentance and faith. The call is the same for us today as it was for Israel in Jeremiah’s day, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.’”
Rev. Greg Lubbers is currently serving as Minister of the Word and Sacraments at Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Pella, IA.
1 “Secularism” could be defined as “the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion.”
2 “Humanism” could be defined as “an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters.
3 “Narcissism” could be defined as “excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one’s physical appearance.”
4 “Nihilism” could be defined as “the rejection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless”