Youth urged to eschew self-centred Christianity

Mr Michael Kyeremanteng, an author of Christian literature, on Saturday advised the youth to avoid practicing self-centred Christianity and lead a holy and morally-acceptable life.

He defined self-centred Christians as people who are always asking God through prayer to provide or solve their problems, but who do not show any commitment towards the work of God or live an upright life.

“Go to Achimota Forest, go to Atwea Mountains or other prayer camps in the country and you will see a lot of people praying that God should help them get a good spouse or solve their marriage problems - God should grant them visas - those looking for jobs would also be holding pieces of paper with names of people who are heads of organization, praying that God should help them get a good job. Yet, these people do not seek to put on the whole armour of God as the Bible commands us to do,” he said at a symposium marking Youth and Students Week by the Asylum Down Presbyterian Church in Accra.

The celebration was on the theme: “Put on the whole armour of God: The Christian Soldier.”

He bemoaned Christianity in Ghana today saying it has turned into hypocrisy.

“We love to pray but the basis of our prayer is not right, we have ignored truth, salvation and faith, so irrespective of our prayers, our foundation is still weak.”

Mr Kyeremanteng, who is also a Member of the Young Peoples' Guild of the Presbyterian Church, said people were so concerned with the business of the world to the extent of frustrating the work of God and asked, “What profits a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?”

He urged Christians to pray for an encounter with the Holy Spirit instead of being materialists.