Young People’s Blog

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

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

The verses for today show us the difference between one of the greatest servants the Lord ever had, and the Lord Jesus Himself. At the end of his life, when Paul knew that he would not be released again, but was going to be taken home to be with the Lord, he could say to Timothy the words in our first verse today. He had indeed fought a good fight, he had finished his course, and had kept the faith. He had steadily walked in all the precious truth that the Lord had committed to him. In that sense, he had nothing to regret, nor was there anything between him and the Lord that would hinder his fellowship with the Lord.

However, there was only One who, at the end of His earthly ministry, could confidently say, “I have finished the work Thou hast given Me to do.” Surely there was much that remained to be done, and the apostles and others in the early church did many of those things. But whatever the Father had given the Lord Jesus to do, He had done.

More than this, He could speak of the greatest work He was to do—His work on Calvary’s cross, as if it were already completed. Only a divine Person could do this. When He prayed the prayer in John 17, His work on the cross was ahead of Him. Yet He could speak as if it were finished.

“When therefore I have performed this…I will come by you into Spain” (Romans 15:28).

The Apostle Paul was heading up to Jerusalem, for some assemblies in Macedonia and Achaia had heard that the brethren in Judea were going through a hard time, and had collected some money to send to them. In those days they could not simply write a check and mail it, or send the money on the internet. No, someone had to carry the money in a bag, and take it to the people to whom it was to go. Paul and others were going to do this.

But then, after that, Paul wanted to visit the brethren in Rome, and then go on into Spain. However, we know that Paul got to Rome only after several years, and then as a prisoner. There is no record in the Bible that he ever made it to Spain. However, it is nice that he had these desires, and wanted to go to new places to preach the gospel. Paul was always looking for a chance to bring the gospel to those who had never heard it before.

The Lord does not call all of us to travel to foreign lands, but we can all look for opportunities to give the gospel to people who perhaps have not heard it before.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were responsible to keep the law the Lord had given them. They had voluntarily placed themselves under that law, not realizing that they could not keep it. Even today, every false religion places people in fear, and asks them to do something in order to be saved. But those false religions promise nothing; you can only hope that maybe you will be all right.

The Lord Jesus has now brought every true Christian into peace and blessing, and given us a relationship of real intimacy with God His Father. The word “Abba” in Hebrew is a term of endearment, comparable with the word “daddy” in English. Other languages have similar words for a father. We have been adopted into God’s family, and now can call God our Father.

“I praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34).

Two years ago on this day Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of Great Britain, and recognized as the head of state of many other countries belonging to the British Commonwealth, died at the age of 96. She had ruled for more than 70 years, longer than any other British monarch. I live in Canada, which is one of the countries that recognizes the monarch of Great Britain as the head of state. I remember when she became queen in February, 1952, consequent upon the sudden death of her father, King George VI. (We sang “God save the King” every day at school, and suddenly we had to start singing “God save the Queen.”) Her reign was a long one, but it eventually came to an end, for death overtakes all of us, unless the Lord comes first.

In our verse today, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was brought to realize that while he was indeed a mighty king, the Lord Himself was over all the affairs of men, and would eventually set up a kingdom that was “from generation to generation.” The Most High, which is the millennial title of the Lord Jesus, will live forever, and no one will ever be called upon to replace Him. How wonderful it is to know the One who will never die, and who today wants to be our Savior. If we know Him as Savior, you and I will be associated with Him in that day!

“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).

Today’s verse immediately follows yesterday’s verse, and adds another dimension to it. Not only does our behavior have an effect on others, whether for good or bad; we also belong to the Lord, and we are to accept and submit to His lordship over us. When we consider any kind of behavior in our lives, we are not only to look at how it may affect others; we are also to ask ourselves, Is this pleasing to the Lord? Our behavior may not always affect others in a bad way, yet it may still be displeasing to the Lord.

On the other hand, how comforting it is to remember that we are the Lord’s, whether in life or in death. He has bought us with His blood, and now we belong to Him. He has guaranteed to bring us safely home. He will keep us in life, and then take us home, either in death, or better still, at His coming for us. We are reminded in Psalm 73:24, “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”

“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Romans 14:7).

This is a serious verse which we all need to remember. How we live our lives does not only affect us. We all have an effect on others, whether for good or for bad. We may think that what we are doing is all right, but it may be having a wrong effect on others, and we need to consider this. Are we being an encouragement or a hindrance to other Christians? Are we being a good testimony for Christ to this world of unbelievers, or are we a bad testimony?

I knew a man once who was a true Christian, and he has long since passed away. If you and I know Christ as our Savior, we will see him in heaven. But he behaved so badly as a Christian that an unbeliever once said, “If that man is a Christian, I don’t want to be one.” What an awful thing for a man of this world to say about a Christian! Let us be careful about our behavior as Christians, not only for ourselves, but because of the effect we have on others. Tomorrow we will see another reason to be careful about our behavior as Christians.

“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute [taxes] to whom tribute is due; custom [duties or taxes on imports] whom custom; fear [respect] to whom fear; honour to whom honour” (Romans 13:7).

Away back after the flood in Noah’s time, God established government in this world, and we still have government today. We can be thankful for those in government who maintain law and order for us. In order to keep the country going, these governments often impose taxes on us, so that they can pay for various services in the country. God has also established those who are in positions that demand respect, and we are told to give respect and honor to those in positions of authority.

Unhappily, in much of the western world today, the respect and honor that ought to be given to those in positions of authority is often not present. Some people feel that they can insult and defy the government over us, and also can be rude and abusive to those who should be respected.

It is true that sometimes those in these positions do not act uprightly, but we as Christians are told to give them honor and respect because it is the Lord who has put them there.

Yes, they will be held accountable by the Lord for how they use their authority, but it honors the Lord when we submit to them.

“For I say…to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Romans 12:3).

It is common today for people to think very highly of themselves. When men and women write resumes in order to obtain a job, they often exaggerate greatly their abilities, using words such as “awesome,” “great,” and “fantastic.” It is doubtful whether their abilities always match their own opinions of themselves.

Unhappily, we can do the same thing spiritually. God has placed each one of us in the body of Christ, and we each have an ability given to us of the Lord. It is good to recognize what the Lord has given us, and not to go beyond it. But sometimes we can get a high opinion of ourselves, and want to do what the Lord has given to someone else. Let us be content to do what the Lord has given us, and what He has fitted us for.

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

The words “conformed” and “transformed” are quite different, and all because the prefixes at the beginning of the words are different. To be conformed means to become like something, or like someone else. It means to behave according to the same customs or expectations of a certain group of people. If we, as Christians, are conformed to this world, it means that we behave like worldly people.

However, if we are transformed, it means that we change completely, either in appearance or in the way we act. This is what we are to do as Christians. Before we were saved, we were like the people in this world, but now that we know the Lord Jesus, He wants us to be changed, and to act like those who have a new life in Him.

It is possible to be a true Christian, and yet still to be conformed to this world. But the Lord wants us to be different, and to display Christ in our lives. When we do this, we are able to know and to do the will of God.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

In the Old Testament, any sacrifice that was brought to the Lord was a dead sacrifice, for it was an animal that had been killed. The blood of these animals did not take away sin, but those sacrifices spoke of the death and blood-shedding of Christ, and God accepted them for the time, to cover the peoples’ sins in His sight.

Now that the Lord Jesus has died and put away our sins once and for all, there’s no longer a need for dead sacrifices. However, we are called upon to offer our bodies as “living sacrifices,” which are acceptable unto God. We express ourselves through our bodies, and there is plenty that we can do for the Lord through those bodies, not to get saved, but because we are saved. It is a great privilege to serve the Lord, and to use our energy for Him as living sacrifices.