Young People’s Blog

“An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin” (Proverbs 21:4).

 Here we find the reason why God cannot accept the good deeds of the natural man. He may do something good or nice, but it is always done from the wrong motive. When an unsaved person does something good, usually he or she is proud of it. Pride in man is always wrong, for it takes away glory that belongs to God, and gives it to man.

Even if it is only something like plowing a field, an unsaved person does it without reference to God’s claims. There is nothing wrong with plowing, but if I do not recognize that this world belongs to God as its Creator, then I am taking a place of ownership that does not belong to me.

The natural man disposes of this world as if it were his own, while God tells us in His Word that “the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). Not only did God create this world; He created us too, but man often forgets this, and acts as if he had no responsibility toward God.

When we come to Christ, we recognize God’s claims over us, and recognize, too, that we are sinners before God. Then we find that God is willing to forgive ours sins through the Lord Jesus Christ, His beloved Son.

“The carnal mind is enmity [hatred] against God…so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8).

These verses are speaking about someone who is not saved. They have a “carnal” mind—a mind that enjoys natural things. They are looked upon as being “in the flesh;” that is, they operate only with their sinful fallen nature; they do not have a new life in Christ.

While these people may sometimes have a nice personality, and even do what are commonly called “nice things,” yet none of this is pleasing to God. We might wonder why this is so. Why cannot God accept good things that are done by people who are not saved? Today many who are not true believers may give money to help the poor, or may help someone out who is in trouble. Last summer my neighbor (who is not saved) offered to come over and mow my lawn for me. Tomorrow we will see why God cannot accept this as a good deed that will help toward his salvation.

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:12).

Many years ago I had a friend who I believe was a true Christian. Yet, in speaking about himself once, he said, “I don’t think I have two natures. When I want to do something, it is just me, and I decide to do it.” Was it really true that he did not have two natures?

No, it was not true; he certainly did have an old sinful nature, and I believe he also had a new life in Christ. However, he was living so far away from the Lord that his sinful nature had taken over his life. He was doing what our verse today tells us NOT to do. He was allowing sin to reign in his life, and he did not even realize that he had a new nature that wanted to please the Lord.

This can happen to any one of us, if we allow sin in our lives, and do not confess it to the Lord. Then we become hardened to sin, and we are often worse than an unbeliever. Other verses in Romans 6 tell us that we are to consider ourselves dead to sin, and to allow the new nature to govern our life and our conduct.

“The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, and lifteth up” (1 Samuel 2:7).

There may be some “low” times in your life but be assured that His plan is to lift you up, if you will come to Him and let Him! It is always His purpose in our lives as Christians to make us into something beautiful for Himself, even if we may have failed Him.

This spring I threw some shrub prunings onto our “burn-pile” at the far end of our yard. A couple of weeks later, my wife went out with her scissors to find some nice twigs to add to a bouquet of flowers she was arranging. She saw my clippings on the burn-pile and brought a few of them in. They did make the arrangement look nice, but soon something else happened. Those dead-looking twigs that had been discarded for burning began to shoot forth buds and then tiny soft green leaves. A picture of resurrection! And a picture of what the Lord can do for you and me. In His mercy and love, He gathers us when we might think we are of no use or beauty to anyone. We can be alive and useful for Him when He works His transforming power in our lives.

“And he [Josiah] did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 22:2).

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).

This is the third option for pleasing. Not self-pleasing, or pleasing others to gain their approval, but doing that which is “right in the sight of the Lord.” Living to please the One who died for us not only is the blessed and happy path but comes with the approval of our Savior. It is a relationship in communion and comes with many blessings and great joy. Whatever we ask we receive of Him? Yes, because in communion with Him, we will ask according to His mind, and He delights to give.

“The thing was right in the eyes of all the people” (1 Chronicles 13:4).

“And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them” (Mark 15:15).

Perhaps you are not just pleasing yourself as we saw yesterday. But how about trying to gain favor, and make yourself look good in the eyes of others? Are you living to please others, and to get their approval?

David’s plan in 1 Chronicles 13 ended in death and disaster when he tried to transport the ark of God according to his own ideas and to please the people. It was accompanied by singing and music and all seemed very good, but it was not right in the eyes of God.

And poor Pilate. He was willing to please the people, but in doing so, he crucified the Son of God, and went himself into eternal destruction.

Yes, we want to be kind and accommodating to our fellowman, but not to have their approval as our object.

“Every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

Whom are you trying to please? If you stop and think about it, what would this world really be like if we all were free to do just what we thought was right? No laws. No police force to maintain order. No courts to punish crime. The end of selfishness (and that is really doing just what we think is right) is chaos. You would not even have any friends, for who wants a totally selfish friend?

The Christian has a much higher standard and a higher motive in life than self. We have the Lord Jesus as a Friend and Object. And He also promises to help us overcome the selfishness that seems to creep over this world and into our lives. Today as you start your day, take with you this verse, Romans 15:13, “For even Christ pleased not Himself.”

“I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” (John 17:4).

Yesterday we raised the question about why the three hours of darkness are mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but not in John. I may not be able to give a complete answer to this, but it is noteworthy that the Lord’s time in the Garden of Gethsemane is not mentioned in John either. It simply says that he went “where was a garden.”

Our verse today helps us to understand this. In John’s gospel the Lord Jesus is portrayed to us as the eternal Son of God. As such, He rose above all the suffering and agony connected with the cross. Of course He went through it all, but also He could pray ahead of the time as if the work were already completed. It had all been settled in past eternity, long before this world and the whole universe were made.

When it came time to go to the cross, the Lord Jesus looked beyond it all, and saw all the glory that would result from the cross, and all the blessing for you and me. He knew that He would be satisfied with the results of His own work, as we read in Isaiah 53:11. For these reasons the Spirit of God does not mention the immediate cost involved.

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying…. My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me”? (Matthew 27:45-46).

As I write this today (April 8, 2024) there was a total eclipse of the sun, and it was quite visible in our part of Canada. We live right in the direct path for the best view of its totality. For days and even weeks ahead of this event, people have been getting ready to watch and study it. Today thousands flocked into strategic cities, buying the special viewing glasses, doing sun-dances and enjoying general partying.

As the time came and the day darkened, I watched an eerie gloom spread across the sky. It was all over in 4 minutes; the sky brightened and the sun shone once more. I could not help thinking of those terrible three hours of darkness at midday nearly 2000 years ago. God was punishing His beloved Son for my sins, and yours, if you will accept Him as your Savior. Three hours. We will never know what happened during that time, for God saw to it that it was dark, not just gloomy.

After the sky brightened, I sat down and re-read those accounts in the gospels … Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I thought about why the hours of darkness are not mentioned in the gospel of John. Do you have any ideas? We will write about that tomorrow.

“Their strength is to sit still” (Isaiah 30:7).

“In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

More ways to wait! Sitting still and being quiet. Life today is very fast paced. There is always something going on. Friends to meet, texting, phoning, checking up on acquaintances on social media. How often do we really and truly sit still, really still, in His presence? Once again, this is connected with strength. We do not get weak sitting quietly with our Lord, but actually gain strength!

And “quietness” ….a missing commodity today. There is always music or some other distraction coming from somewhere!

I was in a shopping mall last week with our little great-granddaughter who has just learned to walk. She was toddling along looking in the windows, when suddenly she stopped and began to sway and bob up and down. I had been oblivious to the music coming out of the store until then, but she heard it! This world is never quiet. We need to cultivate quietness in our lives and build up “the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).