Thoughts for Young Men
Chapter 1: Reasons for Exhorting Young Men
• For one thing, there is the painful fact that there are few young men anywhere who seem to have any genuine religion
• For another thing, death and judgment are facing young men, even as others, and they all seem to forget it.
• For another thing, what young men will be, in all probability, depends upon what they are now, and yet they seem so easily to forget this.
• For another thing, the devil uses special diligence to destroy the souls of young men, and yet they seem not to know it.
• For another thing, young men need exhorting, because of the sorrow it will save them to begin serving God now.
J. C. Ryle encourages us to have genuine religion, meaning that we are led by the Spirit, on the narrow way that leads to life, setting affections upon things above, and taking up the cross and following Christ. This genuine religion has one main unspoken goal: the magnification of God’s name. The question arises: what does total commitment and reckless abandon for God’s sake look like? It means living life in the reality that there is death and judgment. God deems death for both the old and the young. While this is a tragedy, what is even more tragic is our apathetic attitude toward death. I see a need in my own life to be sober-minded and watchful, knowing that my adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Therefore, I need to submit myself to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, and he will draw near to me (James 4:7-8). I found the following verses in Galatians (Gal 6:7-10) powerful: "7Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Wow! God considers our saying, “Why can’t I enjoy life now and serve him later?” mocking the King of the universe! How quickly do I live for the now and pay no attention to the consequences! The mess that I so often find myself in is just the corruption that I deserve. May we, as young men, seek to sow to the Spirit so that we may reap from the Spirit eternal life. The second part of that verse is so easily stated, yet so difficult to realize. As this conference gets closer, let us not grow weary of doing good, not only in the high-visibility jobs, but also in the tedious behind-the-scenes jobs, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. In this way, God plans good for us so that we may live without regrets.
May all of the glory in our attitudes, in our actions, in our work, and in our fellowship, be to His honor and glory,
Andrew K.
Chapter 1: Reasons for Exhorting Young Men
• For one thing, there is the painful fact that there are few young men anywhere who seem to have any genuine religion
• For another thing, death and judgment are facing young men, even as others, and they all seem to forget it.
• For another thing, what young men will be, in all probability, depends upon what they are now, and yet they seem so easily to forget this.
• For another thing, the devil uses special diligence to destroy the souls of young men, and yet they seem not to know it.
• For another thing, young men need exhorting, because of the sorrow it will save them to begin serving God now.
J. C. Ryle encourages us to have genuine religion, meaning that we are led by the Spirit, on the narrow way that leads to life, setting affections upon things above, and taking up the cross and following Christ. This genuine religion has one main unspoken goal: the magnification of God’s name. The question arises: what does total commitment and reckless abandon for God’s sake look like? It means living life in the reality that there is death and judgment. God deems death for both the old and the young. While this is a tragedy, what is even more tragic is our apathetic attitude toward death. I see a need in my own life to be sober-minded and watchful, knowing that my adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Therefore, I need to submit myself to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, and he will draw near to me (James 4:7-8). I found the following verses in Galatians (Gal 6:7-10) powerful: "7Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Wow! God considers our saying, “Why can’t I enjoy life now and serve him later?” mocking the King of the universe! How quickly do I live for the now and pay no attention to the consequences! The mess that I so often find myself in is just the corruption that I deserve. May we, as young men, seek to sow to the Spirit so that we may reap from the Spirit eternal life. The second part of that verse is so easily stated, yet so difficult to realize. As this conference gets closer, let us not grow weary of doing good, not only in the high-visibility jobs, but also in the tedious behind-the-scenes jobs, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. In this way, God plans good for us so that we may live without regrets.
May all of the glory in our attitudes, in our actions, in our work, and in our fellowship, be to His honor and glory,
Andrew K.
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