Young People’s Blog

“Who [the Lord Jesus] His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, He bore the judgment for our sins in His own body. However, it is important to realize that while our verse uses the word “stripes” to describe the judgment for our sins, those stripes were not from the things man did to Him. It was not the stripes from the scourging, the sufferings from the crown of thorns, or the sufferings from being crucified, that put away our sins. No, it was His sufferings in the three hours of darkness, from the hands of God, that put away our sins. We do not know what happened during those three hours, for God made it dark so that no one could see what took place.

Sometimes the Bible uses a word that we can understand (like the word “stripes”) to describe something we cannot understand, for we cannot really know or understand what the Lord Jesus suffered during those hours of darkness.

“In the multitude of my anxious thoughts within me Thy comforts have delighted my soul” (Psalm 94:19 JND).

Yesterday we saw that the Lord does not want us to worry or be anxious, but rather to go to Him in prayer. But if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that sometimes we do worry about various things. Evidently the writer of this psalm (probably David) knew how it felt to be anxious about many things at the same time, and to have many anxious thoughts.

While the Lord does not want us to worry, He provides comfort for us even in those times that we do worry. Just today (in February, 2024) a brother in Christ emailed me from a foreign country. He was in the hospital and was anxious about paying his hospital bill. I was able to reassure him that we were praying for him, and that if he prayed about the situation, the Lord would give him peace about it. The Lord did comfort him, and he was able to rest more easily.

We should be ready to go to the Lord in prayer first, but even if we do occasionally worry, the Lord is ready to comfort us if we look to Him. And the Lord did send the funds to pay the bill!

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6).

We normally think of being careful as being watchful, so as not to get into trouble, or hurt ourselves. But in today’s verse, the word “careful” has the thought of worrying, or being anxious. There are different things in our lives that can make us worry or be anxious. Perhaps you get anxious about your exams, or whether you will get into a good university, if you are thinking about higher education. Sometimes even young people get sick and worry about their health. Or perhaps you are concerned about the health of your parents. We can also get upset if our father loses his job, or if we suddenly have to move to a new town or city.

The Lord tells us not to be anxious. Rather, we should go to Him in prayer about it. But notice that when we pray, we must do so with thanksgiving, remembering that the Lord wants the very best for us. Then the Lord does NOT say that the problem will immediately go away. Rather, He promises us the peace of God. Even though the cause of the worry may still be there, we can have peace, because we have left it all in the Lord’s hands.

“Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied” (Acts 9:31).

We saw yesterday that the Lord used even the persecution that arose in Jerusalem to further the preaching of the gospel. However, God does not allow persecution to go on indefinitely. As we have also seen a few days ago, He saved one of the worst persecutors—Saul of Tarsus, and then a time of rest came to those assemblies in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Again, this had a good result, for instead of being scattered, there were opportunities to be built up, and to learn more of the Lord Jesus. Also, more people were saved. God works in times of persecution, and also in times of peace.

All down through the history of the church God has allowed times of persecution, and then times of peace. Then later He has allowed persecution again. We need times of persecution to remind us not to settle down in this world, but we need times of rest too, in order to be built up and strengthened spiritually.

“And Saul was consenting unto his [Stephen’s] death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad” (Acts 8:1).

“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).

A few days ago I referred to Stephen, a very faithful man in the early church who was stoned to death by the Jews because of his preaching. As a result of his death a savage persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and many of them were scattered here and there. You can read about this in the early part of Acts chapter 8. But what was the result of this persecution and this scattering? It only resulted in those believers preaching the word everywhere they went. Instead of hindering the gospel, the persecution only helped it.

God will never be frustrated in His purposes. He can use even persecution to help spread the gospel.

“They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14).

Yesterday we saw that it is important to follow after the things which make for peace. However, the Bible is perfectly balanced, and in today’s verse we see that the Lord was displeased with those who passed over evil behavior in order to keep the peace. They were allowing evil to go on, and not saying anything about it. This may have kept the peace among themselves, but the Lord says that this is not real peace. There is a big difference between avoiding something that might offend someone (even if doing that thing would not be wrong), and allowing some sinful behavior and not saying anything.

We have a saying in English that “silence implies consent,” and if we do not speak out about wrong behavior, others will likely think that we do not have a problem with it. It is important to remember this!

“But judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way” (Romans 14:13).

“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Romans 14:19).

What is a stumbling block? It is something that someone trips over, and falls. If we deliberately do things that we know are going to upset other Christians, then we can become a stumbling block. In Romans 14, this consisted of eating things that others felt it was wrong to eat. Many Jews who became Christians still felt it was wrong to eat certain things that were forbidden by the law of Moses, and they needed time to understand full Christian liberty. Those believers who understood Christian liberty were not to provoke those who needed time to realize this liberty.

The word “edify” means to build up, and it is the opposite of what a stumbling block does. Let us ask ourselves, In our relationship with other Christians, are we a stumbling block or a building block?

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them” (Acts 20:7).

We notice in this verse what was important to the early Christians on the Lord’s day. They came together to break bread! It does not seem that anyone directly told them to do this first; rather, the Spirit of God showed them that since the Lord Jesus had asked them to remember Him, it was important to honor Him first of all. Then, after they had done this, it was quite in order for Paul to preach to them. But in the Word of God, what is due to the Lord always comes first, and then what is due to man.

We should remember this order—that worship always comes first, then service to the Lord. Also, the Spirit of God led them to do it on the first day of the week—the Lord’s day. This is the day when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and it is appropriate that we come together on that day to remember Him. If you are truly saved, are you remembering the Lord as He has asked you to do?

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord…” (Acts 9:1).

“And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias…and the Lord said unto him, Arise…and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth” (Acts 9:10-11).

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus is one of the most remarkable events in the Bible. As a young man he was the strongest opposer of Christianity. He had stood calmly by when Stephen was stoned, and he wanted to stamp out the name of Jesus Christ, if he could. He was even going to Damascus, to a foreign country (Syria), to arrest Christians. But then the Lord saved him, and he became the Apostle Paul.

Someone has remarked that when Satan arranged to stone one of the brightest lights in the early church (Stephen), God’s grace picked out the very worst one responsible, and then made him an even greater servant of God than Stephen. Conversions today are not accompanied by a light from heaven, but every time someone is saved, it is a miracle of God’s grace.

“And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39).

We are not told how long Philip was with this man, but as soon as he was baptized, Philip was caught away. Since Philip had to make his own way down to Gaza, we might wonder why the Lord caught him away in this way. I believe that it was for two reasons.

First of all, it was a positive proof to the man who was saved that Philip was speaking the truth, and that his message was from the Lord. Only God could take Philip away in that way.

Secondly, it saved Philip another trip, for Azotus is about 35-40 km. (20-25 miles) from Gaza. The Lord knows how to look after His servants, as Philip may have been tired after his long trip to Gaza. Remember, he did not have a car, or even a horse; he was evidently walking all that way.