Days of Thy Youth

Home

We find this phrase in:

• Ecclesiastes 11:9 says: Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
• Notice that our verse tells us that God gave us a free will and we can do whatever we want.  However, we will be judged by God for our choices in life.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1 says: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
• This reference tells us to serve God while we can enjoy the service and before we have the consequences of sin interfering with our enjoyment of serving God.  Remember that Galatians 6:7 says: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  If you spend your youth pursuing sin you must live with the consequences even if you start to serve God later.
• Ezekiel 16:22-23 says: And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.  And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)
• God saved the Jews while they were sinners and God saves us while we are sinners.  They promised to serve God when they were saved and we do the same.  They lied and returned to a life of sin and went into slavery because of it.  That is why our reference says woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD.  This same warning applies to us today.
• Ezekiel 16:43 says: Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.
• God brought shame and death on the Jews because they did not live right after God saved them.  Again, we see a warning to disobedient children of God.
• Ezekiel 16:60 says: Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.
• God promises to bless the few that truly repent and turn back to serving Him.  However, they do not have the same blessings as they would have had if they had never turned to a life of sin.

Every place that the Bible uses the phrase the days of thy youth  we see a warning about judgment based upon the way that we chose to live.  Those people who seek God in their youth are blessed.  Those people who seek a life of pleasure end up suffering because of the sin that they get involved with and only a few of those people who chose a life of sin truly repent and return to serving God.  Those few are blessed but not like the people who turned their life towards God in their youth.

No one seeks to reap the results of sin.  No one sets out to become a whore or a drug addict or a drunk.  All seek pleasure and fail to see the trap which sin sets to keep people from returning to a life of blessings.  Often this is because people don't know what is really going on until it is too late.

Therefore, it is important to understand some basic truths about life so that we can make wise decisions.

1. There are only two basic ways to go in life.  We can follow the way of God which leads to life or we can follow the way of the world, the flesh and the devil, which lead to destruction and death.
1. The Bible tells us that there are two ways:  one of death and one of life.
1. Deuteronomy 30:19 says: I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
2. Jeremiah 21:8 says: And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
2. The Bible warns about the ways of death.  Notice that there are many.
1. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 say: There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
3. The Bible also tells us about the way of life.  Notice that there is only one and it requires obeying the Bible.
1. Proverbs 6:23 says: For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
2. Proverbs 10:17 says: He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.
3. Proverbs 15:24 says: The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
4. Jeremiah 21:8 says: And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
5. Acts 2:28 says: Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
4. A dead fish floats down-stream.  A living fish that acts dead does the same thing.  It takes effort to swim against the stream and only live fish who act alive do that.  Salmon fish cannot reproduce unless they swim upstream to where they were spawned and many die while trying to get there because they do not know how to avoid death from men and animals who are fishing.  There are certain blessings which are only given to some saved people and they are like the wise fish that makes it to the place of reproduction.
5. The first three chapters of 1Corinthians tell us that the wisdom of God  goes the opposite way from the wisdom of this world / flesh.  The Corinthians were saved and thought they were serving God but had been led into doctrinal error because they were happy with being saved and going to Heaven but did not put out the effort to get the wisdom of God.  Even though they were saved they were still following the way of death  because they did not accept reproof  and did not take the time to get instruction in the way of life. 
6. Youth camp is specifically designed to give young people the reproof  and instruction in the way of life  which is needed at a young age so that youth can make wise decisions.  Without the type of instruction given there, most youth will waste time going the way of death.  Remember that as far as you float downstream, you are adding that distance to how far you must swim upstream.  Also, with all of the hazards in life and hidden consequences of sin, many who float downstream  never make it to the place of reward that God originally planned for them.
2. Galatians 2:20 says: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
1. Notice that this says the faith of the Son of God.
• This is the faith  that belongs to the Son of God.  It is not our faith.  Faith  requires us to act in obedience to God before we receive the blessing.  The Son of God  went to the cross believing that He could change our life after we get saved and that He could do it without taking away our free will.  Our verse tells us that the life which I now live in the flesh  is going the way that the Son of God  tells me to go.  That is what is meant by the word by  in and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.
• Notice that our verse uses the Son of God  and not Jesus  nor Christ  nor Lord  nor any other title for the Son of God.  In the Bible, a son  receives the character of his father.  Paul trained several men but only called three son  and he was not their physical father.  However, they received Paul's character in the ministry.  Therefore, when our verse says the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,  it is talking about our living a life which shows the world the character of God the Father.
• John 1:12 says: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.  Notice that the to become the sons of God  is future-tense and comes after the past-tense received him.  We have the power but must exercise it in order to become the sons of God  after we get saved.  A baby is not born with the character of its parents but must be taught how to act after birth.  The same is true about spiritual birth and life.
• Youth camp is designed to teach you how to have the character of God so that you can become a son of God  and receive the blessings only given to those saved people who live this life displaying the character of God to Father to this world.
2. Our sentence has a colon in it which makes Christ liveth in me  equivalent to the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.  If you are saved you always have the Holy Spirit indwelling you but you only have Christ liveth in me  when you are doing your part in keeping your relationship with God.  You only get certain blessings when you are doing that.  If you leave home your parents are still your parents but they are no longer paying your bills.  Likewise, if you leave your relationship with Christ then you are still saved and God is still your Father but you are no longer getting the blessings that are only given while we are in this relationship.  Youth camp helps teach how to maintain this relationship and get these blessings.
3. Our sentence also says who loved me, and gave himself for me.  That means that He who loved me, and gave himself for me  so that He could teach me to live displaying the character of God the Father.  He does this through messages such as will be provided at Youth Camp.  Do you want to face Him in judgment and have Him tell you that you made Him suffer for no reason because you refused to learn what He died to teach you?
3. We started out with verses telling us that we will be judged for the choices that we make in the days of our youth.  That judgment will happen at the judgment seat of Christ.  2Corinthians 5:10-11 says: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
1. This is in Heaven and only saved people will be there.
2. Notice the word bad.  Notice the phrase the terror of the Lord.  Not all saved will receive these because we also have the word good  here.  However, some will receive the3se things and those saved people are the ones who followed the way of death  even though they were saved.  Those who receive good  are the saved people who made the effort to learn the way of life  and then obey it.
3. In Luke 19 we have the parable of the pounds  and in Matthew 25 we have the parable of the talents.  Both teach variable rewards.  In John 14 we see Jesus say In my Father's house are many mansions  but that was at a meeting where he excluded over 90% of the people who went to His church.  Further, He only promised those who were there a place.  A bed in a dormer for 10,000 is a place.  If we want anything more, such as a mansion,  then we must pay attention to the parables about the pounds  and talents.  Both of them teach variable rewards based upon how much we do for God's kingdom.  If you want more than just a place  then you have to learn how to serve God and His kingdom while here in this life.  Youth Camp teaches the basics of this and you need to go and learn what is taught if you want eternal rewards.
4. All of this message was directed at saved people and what they can get out of Youth Camp.  However, Youth Camp also deals with lost and any lost people who attend will be given chances to hear the gospel and get saved.
4. In the beginning we saw that there were two ways for us to go in life.  Deuteronomy 30:19 said: I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.  If you have not received God's life in salvation then you will spend eternity in the lake of fire.  You are invited to come to the altar and tell God that you chose life and want to be saved.  If you already have God's life in you then you need to feed that life in order to grow strong and do things that spiritual babies can't do.  Please come and tell God that you chose to go to Youth Camp so that you can learn the way of life  and be able to continue to grow your spiritual life in the future.

It is your life and God gave you a free will.  However, God also warned us that we will be judged according to the choices we make with our free will.  God also urged us to Chose life.  Please do so.