FLEE YOUTHFUL LUST But flee youthful lusts, and follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those

who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2Ti 2:22). Lust is that abnormal desire for something which is characterized by either external occurrences or evil imagination which virtually leads to sin if not controlled (James 1:15); Thus lust of the eye or flesh (1John 2:16). Lust of the flesh comes in when humans are overcome by desires that arouse as a result of uncontrolled human weakness (1Sam 11:2, Gen 3:7, Luke 4:3). Lust of the eye on the other hand is the avenue in which things of the world; riches, luxuries, beauty inflame us (Luke 14:18 Josh 7:21). It is an undeniable fact that a greater number of contemporary people find themselves in this terrain as it was in primitive days. It is either sexual immorality or being desperate for material things. Attention was given in particular to the youth since at that stage youthful exuberance which draws people into all manner of malice is lofty. Timothy was a youth and the Apostle knew the ups and downs a young Christian like him could face. He therefore admonishes him to flee from such things.

E-mail: emmaboakye2@yahoo.com

Many Christians in our days are some what confused; whether to follow the multitude or to follow the orders of our good Lord. Sin has become such a normal phenomenon that one is tempted to call what is bad good. People are practicing immorality like no bodys business. They are hurling insults on the gospel of Christ as if the author and the finisher of our faith was a murderer or a hardcore criminal. Majority of the human race are condemning his followers as if he was a first class felon. Men are rather going after what their sinful desires tell them to go for. All these coupled with the persecutions children of God are now facing can cause a devout Christian to either fall or backslide to some extent. Such was it in the days of Timothy. What the old man seems to be telling Timothy is that even though your generation has become a generation of vipers, I charge you to keep yourself blameless before God. He was telling Timothy not to give in to the anomalous desires of his days but to disappear without delay from such sinful acts. This is the meaning of the flee in the above scriptures. The old man seems to be saying; my son this is poisonous and deadly so dont even go near it. Beloved, we are likewise to disappear quickly from those infectious waves which are eagerly knocking our doors in this era. They are contagious and fatal and for that

matter have come to blow us out of the grace. Those lustful desires of our days have come to spoil our faith which is the foundation of our Christian life. They are in so that the people of God would be found wanting but this is what the Holy Ghost is saying flee from youthful lust before it sends you to hell. Son of God, lust would let you fornicate, kill, steal, and even commit incest. It is like potent venom. It gets into your system then you are completely gone forever. David lusted after another mans wife and he was punished (2Sam 11:1-3), Gehazi lusted after money and he missed the mark as a successor of a double portion anointing upon a father (2Ki 5:25-27), the rich man in Luke 19 lusted after riches and he ended up in hell, Haman lusted after power and he was rewarded with a death sentence (Est 7), even Samson the mighty warrior lusted after a foreign woman and his death was not befitting (Judges 16). The illustrations can go on and on. Hear me, never be deceived by the doings of the multitude but rather strive impatiently to follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Amen
Gospel Writers Association Network P O Box SN 638,

Santasi-Kumasi Or call 0243113118