Young People’s Blog

“It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2).

As I write this on September 12, 2023, an event is fresh in my mind. On Saturday, two days ago, I attended the funeral of a good friend and brother in Christ. He had suffered from a chronic illness, and finally was taken home to be with the Lord. I was thankful to be at his funeral, for the one who took the service read today’s verse at the beginning of his talk, and reminded everyone very plainly about their need to be saved.

Many people do not like to go to funerals, for it is a reminder that one day they too will die. Deep down inside, I believe that everyone knows that they will have to meet God someday. The Word of God is very clear about this, and tells us that death is not the end of all things. People would rather go to a happy occasion, like the “house of feasting” that is mentioned in our verse. But in the presence of death, all are solemnized, and are compelled to think about eternal matters. There is nothing wrong with feasting: it has its place in our lives. But we all need to be reminded that sooner or later, all of us must face death. However, there is one exception to this, which we will discuss tomorrow.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Most of you who are young people will probably not remember this date, unless someone has told you about it. Today is the 24th anniversary of the attack on the world trade towers in New York city in the U.S.A. by some Muslim extremists. Two planes were hijacked and then flown directly into the two world trade towers in New York city, causing them to catch on fire. The towers eventually collapsed, and the death toll was almost 3,000 people. It was undoubtedly the most significant and memorable terrorist attack in the modern world.

As you may imagine, those who went to work in those two towers that day never suspected that something like that would happen. Then suddenly those planes hit the towers, and by the end of the day, thousands of people had died. We can be thankful for all those who knew the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and who instantly went to be with Christ. But in most cases, those who did not know the Lord Jesus had no time to think about where they were going: they were taken away in death very suddenly.

How important it is to settle the matter of our souls’ salvation now, while there is time!

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It us thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men” (Matthew 5:13).

As believers in the Lord Jesus, and with a new life in Christ, we are called to be the salt of the earth. What does this mean? We all know what salt is, and how important it is in our lives. Our bodies need salt in order to function, and salt is very important in food preparation. Food without any salt at all can be very bland and tasteless.

Salt in the Bible speaks of “holy grace.” It means bringing into our lives God’s holiness and God’s claims over us, so that others may see it. But it is to be mixed with grace too, in order to attract others to Christ.

If we, as Christians, are unfaithful to the Lord, we are like salt without any flavor. This can happen to salt, and then it is not good for anything. An unfaithful Christian is not good for anything in this world either, for he is not comfortable anywhere. Let us be faithful to the Lord, and exhibit that godly flavor that the Lord wants us to have.

“And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35).

After what we said yesterday about how God can make our way perfectly smooth, perhaps some of you may say, “But God does not always make my way perfectly smooth! And what about all the true Christians who suffer in this world, and sometimes even give up their lives for the Lord?”

Yes, God does sometimes allow difficulties in our lives, and allows us to pass through them. In some countries in the world, Christians are imprisoned, ill-treated, and even put to death for their faith in Christ. Why is this?

It is because the Lord Jesus is glorified when we suffer for Him, and honor Him by refusing to give up our faith, even though we may have to endure shame or even death for His sake. The early apostles counted it an honor to suffer for the Lord. But the greatest example of suffering for doing good was the Lord Jesus Himself. He never did even one thing wrong, yet this world cast Him out and crucified Him. Again, it is an honor to be called upon to suffer for Him. More than this, He has promised us a rich reward, if we suffer for Him down here in this world.

“God is my strong fortress, and He maketh my way perfectly smooth” (2 Samuel 22:33 JND).

Yesterday was a nice day outside, so we invited some Christian friends and went out for a picnic lunch beside the Rideau canal, since it is only a few minutes from our home. The canal is still in use all summer, although it was built almost 200 years ago. At first it carried small steamships with commercial cargo, but today almost all the boats going through it are pleasure boats. It was relaxing to watch boats going through the locks, and thus avoiding the rapids and falls along the Rideau river. Some of those rapids and falls are impossible for a boat to go over: the boat would be badly damaged, and in some cases smashed to pieces. Yet the canal makes the way perfectly smooth.

I thought of how that canal is like the way that the Lord allows us to pass easily around serious difficulties in our lives. He knows where the rapids are, and how certain things would be impossible for us to go through. Then He provides a way for us, and as our verse tells us, He makes our way “perfectly smooth.”

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept…for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20,22).

Here is another important result of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Since He is risen from the dead, it is the guarantee that every true believer who has died will rise again. (We have already looked at these two verses back in March, but the subject is important, and bears repeating.) Most of us who are alive have loved ones—relatives and close friends, who have died. Of course, unbelievers also have loved ones who have died. But what a difference between them and Christians!

Many years ago a woman’s husband died, and it does not seem that either of them were believers. Her tragic comment was, “My husband has been taken from me, and is gone forever!” But for believers, the Apostle Paul could say, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Paul was speaking of the coming of the Lord, when every true believer will be instantly raised from the dead. But this could not happen if the Lord Jesus had not risen from the dead.

Since believers have the same life as Christ, we are sure of resurrection, for He is risen.

“If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

Some people may ask why the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is so important. Here in our verses today we see one very important reason why the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is important. When He was raised from the dead, it was the seal of God’s approval on the work of Christ on the cross. (I have already mentioned this fact back on August 24, but it is good to repeat it.)

If the Lord Jesus were still in the grave, then the Apostle Paul makes it clear that we would have no Savior; we are still in our sins. Why is this? It is because the wages of sin is death: death came into this world because Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying the one command that God gave them. If the Lord Jesus were still dead, then He too would be under the same punishment as those who have sinned against God. It would mean that His work was not complete, and that the sins of believers were still there before God.

Thank God, the work is complete, and the Lord Jesus rose triumphant from the grave. We can be absolutely sure that the sins of true believers are thoroughly washed away through the precious blood of Christ.

“Ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:5-6).

When a seed is placed into the ground and dies, a plant grows from it, and we obtain much more fruit from the plant than the one seed we put into the ground. But we never get back that seed we planted; it dies, and we cannot recover it.

However, it was different with the Lord Jesus. He died, but on the third day He rose again. Some of the women who knew Him came to the grave on the morning after the Sabbath, expecting to place sweet spices on His body. But the angel told them that He was risen; He was no longer in the grave. What a wonderful thing to hear!

Yes, you and I are the fruit of the death of the Lord Jesus, but we did not lose Him! He is alive, and has ascended to heaven. Soon He is coming for us, and we will see Him!

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).

Whenever we want to grow something, we must plant a seed. But in order to grow a plant, that seed must die in the ground. Then the plant grows, and we get much more than the one seed we planted.

Right now in the area where we live, the corn is ripe and many of us are enjoying it. Most types of corn have only one or two ears of corn on a stalk, although some hybrid varieties may have more. But have you ever counted the number of kernels in an ear of corn? One ear of corn can have 600-800 kernels in it. All this just from one kernel of corn planted in the ground!

The Lord Jesus compared Himself to a corn (we would say a grain) of wheat. He had to die, but from His death much fruit came—much more than the 600-800 kernels in an ear of corn. Every true believer is fruit from the death of the Lord Jesus. However, there is one big difference between the grain of wheat that dies, and the Lord Jesus. We will look at that difference tomorrow.

“And the chief priests accused Him [the Lord Jesus] of many things: but He answered nothing. And Pilate asked Him again, saying, Answerest Thou nothing? Behold how many things they witness against Thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled” (Mark 15:3-5).

As the Roman governor, Pilate was used to having accused people before him, and no doubt all of them did their best to defend themselves when they were accused. Yet here was a man who said nothing when He was accused, and Pilate was very surprised.

The Lord Jesus did not need to defend himself, for His perfect life spoke for itself. Pilate knew about the Lord Jesus, and knew that “the chief priests had delivered Him for envy” (Mark 15:10). Pilate also knew that the Lord Jesus had not committed any crime; it was just that the Jewish leaders wanted to get rid of Him.

If you and I suffer because of a good Christian testimony, we do not need to defend ourselves. Our lives should speak for themselves. When the apostles were accused by those who did not like their preaching, they simply told their accusers what the Lord had asked them to do. A life lived for God’s glory is our best defense.