Young People’s Blog

“Balaam…was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet” (2 Peter 2:15-16).

You can read about Balaam in Numbers, chapter 22. He was a false prophet, but he wanted the money that the king of Moab promised him if he would curse the children of Israel. The Lord clearly told Balaam not to go, and when he persisted in going, the Lord actually made his donkey speak to Balaam like a man. I am sure you have never heard an animal speak to you like that! You would think that Balaam would have been frightened when that happened, for only the Lord could make a donkey speak, but Balaam carried on a conversation with his donkey, as if this were quite normal!

Eventually Balaam did try to curse the people, but instead God made him say good things about them. He loved His people and would not allow Balaam to curse them. Later Balaam was killed in a battle with Israel. See if you can find the place in the Bible where it tells us this. It is in the book of Joshua.

“Just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked” (2 Peter 2:7).

Lot was Abraham’s nephew, and he knew the Lord, but when he saw the well-watered area around the river Jordan, he chose that place in which to live. He then “pitched his tent toward Sodom,” even though it was a wicked city. Eventually he ended up living in Sodom, and it seems that he tried to improve the place. But it did not work, and he ended up losing some of his family, including his wife, when God destroyed Sodom.

All this is a solemn warning to us. Like Lot, we may want the advantages that this world offers, but we will find that the world will not improve under our influence. Rather, we will be defiled by all the evil that goes on there. We are to tell them about the Lord Jesus, and how to be saved, but we are not to try and work with the world to improve it. It is far better to be like Abraham, who lived separate from this world, but who was able to show them who the true God was. The people in Sodom did not respect Lot, but the world respected Abraham.

“He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off” (2 Peter 1:9).

What did Peter mean when he talked about being able to “see afar off?” The nation of Israel was used to expecting earthly blessings, and in the Old Testament, if they were faithful to the Lord, they could expect a long life and prosperity. But they had forfeited all that by their disobedience, and had been allowed by the Lord to be taken into captivity.

Under grace, if they believed on the Lord Jesus, they now had a heavenly hope. Seeing “afar off” means looking beyond this world to eternal blessing with Christ in glory. Many in this world are seeing only what is in this world, and do not really think much about eternity. But the Lord has made us not only for time, but for eternity. He wants us to live in view of eternity; He wants us to “see afar off.” What we do in this world will have eternal consequences, as well as consequences in this life. It is important to take a long-term view of things.

“Through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord…His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:2-3).

This is a precious truth that is often forgotten by believers today. We may try to get wisdom and guidance for our Christian pathway from other sources, such as psychology, books written by men, or from various kinds of counselors. However, from this verse we learn that there is not one thing that we need in order to live in this world for God’s glory, that is not found in the knowledge of God, and in His Son Jesus Christ.

It is true that we may have to learn different things from the knowledge available in this world, such as training for a particular career. But anything that concerns life and godliness cannot be found in the wisdom of this world. No, the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that “God made foolish the wisdom of this world” (1 Corinthians 1:20). God’s wisdom is not just an improvement on man’s wisdom; it is the exact opposite of it. If we learn more of Christ, we will have all we need to walk the pathway of faith.

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Today we have the third “must” in John, chapter three. We might call this “the servant’s must.” John the Baptist is speaking here, and telling people that, as the forerunner of the Lord Jesus, he must decrease, while the Lord Jesus would increase. John was not concerned about himself; he wanted only to see the Lord Jesus honored. When the Lord Jesus began His earthly service, John gradually faded out of the picture, and was put in prison. Later, Herod beheaded him because of an oath he made to a young girl who danced in front of him on his birthday. You can read this story in Matthew 14. But John did what he was supposed to do, and his work was done.

This is a good verse for you and me to remember too. It is easy to want to be someone great, even among the people of God, but the only One worthy of honor is the Lord Jesus, and our wish should be to see Him increase. Those who want an honored place among Christians are trying to get the glory that belongs only to God. Let us be content to honor our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).

In this 3rd chapter of John the word “must” is used three times. We saw one of those times yesterday — “Even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” We might call that “the Savior’s must.” In our verse today, we have what we might call “the sinners’ must.” Many people in this world want to get salvation through their own efforts, and at first Nicodemus wanted to have it this way too. He had to realize that God has only one way to be saved, and that is by having a new life in Christ. He had to be born again.

Some people try to tell us that it does not matter how we come to God, but we read in Acts 4:12 that “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” There is no other way to be born again.

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14).

You will remember that when the children of Israel murmured and complained as they were going through the wilderness, the Lord sent fiery serpents among them. They bit the people, and many died. But when Moses cried to the Lord, He told him to make a serpent out of brass and put it on a pole. Anyone who was bitten by one of the snakes and looked at the serpent on the pole, was healed. You can read this story in Numbers, chapter 21.

The Lord Jesus bore our sins on the cross, and He was “made sin for us.” That means that He suffered the judgment of God for sin. The serpents had caused the people to die, and it was a serpent that was made of brass, and put on the pole. Just as one look at the serpent on the pole healed a person, so one look to the Lord Jesus can save us today.

Notice that the Lord did not take away the serpents, but He provided a cure for their bite. The Lord does not take sin out of this world today, but through His Son He has made a way for our sins to be washed away.

“The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1 Peter 4:7).

Many years ago, I had a friend who grew up in a Christian home, and who I believe was a true Christian himself. However, he tended to joke about, and make fun of, just about everything. Finally, someone asked him once, “Aren’t you ever serious about anything?” His reply was rather disturbing, and he did not use very good English. He said, “I don’t take nothin’ seriously.”

However, the Bible talks about serious things, like life and death, and time and eternity, and we need to be reminded of them. Our verse today also reminds us that we are close to the end of all things. If Peter could say that more than 1900 years ago, how much closer we are today! The Lord is coming soon, and then judgment will fall on this world. As Christians we have nothing to fear from coming judgment, but we should be sober, and act as if we understand what is going to happen.

This does not mean that we should go around with a long face. No, we can be pleasant and even enjoy some fun, but we should be serious about serious things.

“He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” (1 Peter 4:1).

The word “flesh” in the Bible can have two meanings. Sometimes it simply means our bodies, and sometimes it means our old sinful nature. Here in this verse it means our bodies. The Lord Jesus suffered in His body, when He refused to sin. For example, when He was tempted in the wilderness by the devil, He was hungry, and Satan suggested that He make bread out of stones. The Lord Jesus had the power to do that, but because He had no command from His Father to do it, He remained hungry rather than step out of the path of obedience.

You and I may suffer in the same way. If we were hungry, and walking by an apple orchard, it would be tempting to climb over the fence and steal some apples. But that would be sin. It is better to go on being hungry, rather than commit the sin of stealing. In refusing to sin, we suffer in the flesh; that is, in our bodies.

We may often have to suffer in this world, in order not to sin, but it is worth it, for then we are pleasing the Lord, and enjoying His company.

“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew [hate] evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue [make an effort to get] it” (1 Peter 3:10-11).

These verses are in 1 Peter, but they are really a quotation from Psalm 34. See if you can find them in that psalm. They were written as promises to Israel, but Peter, who was the apostle to the Jews, quotes the same verses to encourage believers to live good, morally upright lives.

Does this mean that if we live to please the Lord, we will never have any trouble in our lives? There are some groups of Christians who teach that, but it is not true. Even godly Christians can have trouble and difficulty in their lives. However, it is generally true that those who live to please the Lord, even as Christians, can expect the Lord’s blessing in their lives. Even if we do experience trouble, we will be conscious of the Lord’s care over us, and His continued desire for our blessing. Following the Lord is always a happy path, even if the Lord allows some difficulty in it.