1/2 For Youth Only

Part 2 of 3

Next, we see in verse nineteen, that after he repented, he was instructed. Now that is interesting. God didn't bother speaking and giving him instruction until he repented. How can God teach you and help you to grow if you haven't responded to the last sin “He” spoke to you about? God is waiting for you to repent so He then can give you instruction. Listen, God may have spoke to you saying that your sin was wrong through His Word or through preaching. Most Christians say to themselves, what's wrong with that? Remember what God thinks is the important thing. You must simply obey God and repent of your sin, then He will instruct you and explain why your sin is wrong. I hear Christians all the time say, “God hasn't convicted me of that sin yet.” I believe the problem is you really haven't been paying a lot of attention. God doesn't say that one thing is wrong for you and right for another. Sin is sin. It will always be sin, and it will always be wrong. I am not talking about weights. God wants to give us instruction, but we must first repent of the sins in our lives. This is the main reason that Christians never grow.

Now let's look at verse nineteen, it says that after Ephraim was instructed about his sin that he smote his thigh. His sin bothered him to the point that he smote his thigh. He was bothered by what he had done and where he was in his life. He was thinking how could he have done what he did. Does your sin bother you at all? Do you ever think about your sin and how it hurts you and those around you? I believe Ephraim showed sorrow for the sin in his life. It would be great if Christians had sorrow and remorse for the wrongs in their lives. Just saying you're sorry really doesn't mean a whole lot. Words sometimes are just too easy to say without any heartfelt meaning behind them. Ephraim showed actions by hitting his thigh. It had more of a meaning to him. He actually felt bad about what he had done. Just saying you're sorry and then meaning it are two completely different things. Not only did he smite his thigh, but also the next few words in verse nineteen say that he was ashamed.