(some excerpts from JC Ryle’s Thoughts for Young Men… If you are of the male gender- I beg you to take 5 min to read this and to repent where needed. Then carve out some time in your busy schedule and beg God to keep you from these 5 traits that are so prevalent among young men. Ladies, read it. Consider who you allow to pursue you in a relationship and more importantly who you consider as a potential husband in your future)
5 Dangers Young Men Face
1. Pride
Pride is the oldest sin in the world.
- Satan and his angels fell by pride… pride stocked hell with its first inhabitants.
- Pride threw Adam out of paradise.
Pride sits in all our hearts by nature-
- We are born proud.
- How common is it to see young men with big heads, high-minded, and impatient of any counsel!
Beware of pride!
- Remember how often Scripture and how strongly Scriptures warns against it
- Think of the great example of humility our Lord Jesus Christ
Young men, if you would be wise, if you would be happy, remember the warning I give you–Beware of pride.
2. The Love of Pleasure
Youth is the time when our passions are strongest–and like unruly children, cry most loudly for indulgence.
Earthly pleasures murder souls.
- There is no surer way to get a seared conscience and a hard heart towards the things of God, than to give way to the desires of the flesh and mind.
- Consider what Peter says: “Abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
- Consider what Paul says: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed” (Colossians 3:5).
- “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).
- Consider, again, the words of Paul: “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Romans 13:14).
Earthly pleasures will all be unsatisfying, empty, and pointless.
- All that glitters is not gold. All that tastes sweet is not good. All that pleases for a while is not real pleasure.
- Write the word “poison” on all earthly pleasures. Even the most lawful of them must be used in moderation.
- Remember the seventh commandment; to beware of adultery and sexual immorality, of all impurity of every kind.
Young men, if you love life- “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Like black grease, you cannot even touch it without getting dirty. Flee from the thoughts of it; resist them, destroy them, pray against them–make any sacrifice rather than give way to them.
3. Thoughtlessness
Not thinking is one simple reason why thousands of souls are thrown away forever into the Lake of Fire.
Young men, none are in more danger of this than you.
- You know little of the perils around you.
- You are careless how you walk.
Thinking is especially important for our souls
- “Don’t think,” whispers Satan
- “Consider your ways,” says the Word of God
Thoughtlessness is too common
- Foolish talking
- Kidding,
- Joking
- Excessive amusement
God is serious, why then should you and I not be serious too?
- God is serious in observing us
- Christ is serious in interceding for us
- The Spirit is serious in striving with us
- The truths of God are serious
- Our spiritual enemies are serious in their endeavors to ruin us
- Poor lost sinners are serious in hell
Oh, young men, learn to be thoughtful!
4. Contempt of Christianity.
None pay so little respect to Christianity as young men.
Contempt of holy things is the straight road to hell.
- Once a man begins to make a joke of any part of Christianity- then I am never surprised to hear that he has turned out to be an unbeliever.
- Have you clearly looked into the fires which are before you, if you persist in despising Christianity?
Do not despise the Bible
- What will you believe, if you do not believe the Bible? There is no choice but to believe something ridiculous and absurd.
- Depend on it, no man is as grossly naive as the man who denies the Bible to be the Word of God; and if it be the Word of God, be careful that you don’t despise it.
- Men may tell you that there are difficulties in the Bible; things hard to understand. Be very sure of this–people never reject the Bible because they cannot understand it.
- They understand it too well; they understand that it condemns their own behavior; they understand that it witnesses against their own sins, and summons them to judgment.
- Men try to believe the Bible is false, because they don’t like to believe it is true.
Never laugh at Christianity. Never make a joke of sacred things. Never mock those who are serious and earnest about their souls. The time will come when your laughter will be turned into sorrow.
5. Fear of Man’s Opinion.
Few young men seem to have any opinions of their own, or to think for themselves. Like dead fish, they go with the stream and tide. In a word, the opinion of the day becomes their religion, their creed, their Bible, and their God.
Young men, I want you all to be free from this bondage. I want each of you to care nothing about man’s opinion, when the path of duty is clear. Believe me, it is a great thing to be able to say “No!”
Consider how unreasonable this fear of man is.
- How short lived is man’s hostility
- How little harm he can do you!
Do not think it a disgrace to show that you are a servant of God.
- Never be afraid of doing what is right.
- Remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Don’t worry what the world says or thinks: you will not always be with the world.
- Can man save your soul? No.
- Will man be your judge in the great and dreadful Day of Judgment? No.
- Can man give you a good conscience in this life, a good hope in death? No! No! No!
Then, “Do not fear the reproach of men,” or be terrified by their insults.
