The youth hold the future of the next generation. Therefore, it is very important that they are taught well about the issues of life and how to be successful. In Ecclesiastes 12:1 it 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 verse emphasizes that it is very important to remember, know, have fellowship with, seek and live for the creator in the days of your youth.

2 Timothy 2.22 reads:

“Flee youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, and peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart”.

From this verse it can be said that it is very easy for the youth to indulge in many vices but they are being called to avoid evil deeds and follow righteousness, faith, charity and peace. All the vices that one can think of can be grouped under four broad topics:

• Drugs

• Premarital sex

• Homosexuality

• Occultism.

Drugs

In talking about drugs, I think the distinction has to be made between medications prescribed by a doctor and illegal drugs that often cause hurtful and destructive behaviour such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, alcohol etc. Drugs that are mind –altering should be avoided by Christians for several reasons:

1. “Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial” – 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NIV)

While God is the creator of all things not all things are necessarily good.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own: you were bought at a price. Therefore, honour God with your body”.1Corinth. 6:19-20

Since we are bought at the price of Christ’s death on the cross, why should we dishonour God by intentionally harming ourselves? We were made to glorify God, not to satisfy our own selfish desires. Also, the negative effects these substances have on the body need to be considered.

2. People who abuse drugs and/or alcohol often become violent or otherwise abusive towards others. This is a violation of the second greatest commandment:

“Love your neighbour as yourself” Mathew 22:39 (NIV)

The most important thing a Christian considering drug use should ask themselves is: is a few minutes of being “high” really worth more than anything else? If you are looking for happiness that is not fulfilled by substance use, please give Jesus a try.

Other verses that can be considered are:

Proverbs 20:1

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise”

Anything used to dull the senses or induce a state of euphoria is a drug. God’s goal for us His people, is that we will be healthy and strong 3 John 2.

The most overwhelming evidence against drug use is Mark 15:23. When Jesus was on the cross He refused to take the wine that was offered to him as a pain killer. He is our example.

Remember, it is those under the influence of drugs that commit crimes like armed robbery, murder, shoplifting, rape etc. Anyone with drug addiction should get help.

Premarital sex

Most singles or youth think that the scriptures on sexual purity are outdated and archaic. After all, when the scriptures were written, the people during that time got married when they were teens; so they did not have to struggle with sexual temptation like we do now.

Here are some scriptures to meditate on:

Galatians 5:9

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness..”.

Hebrews 13:4

“Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge”

The Bible says that sex causes “two people to become one.” Therefore, it is more than just a physical act, it is also a spiritual encounter.

Mark10:6-9

“But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God has put together, let not man put asunder”.

Why then should a young man or woman have sex with someone he/she is not married to? Sex comes with an emotional attachment therefore it is best to wait for the partner God has prepared for you.

Some say it is best to have sex before marriage because no one would buy a car without test driving it: one could not imagine committing to marriage without taking a “sex test drive”. When this happens partners can feel threatened if they think their mate could be comparing them with previous partners. A random survey among ten women to find out if they would be worried that their husband was comparing them if he had had intercourse with multiple women before marriage, 80% said yes.

This provides a strong argument to abstain from sex before marriage to protect the emotional safety that your spouse will need to feel in marriage. Perhaps you are asking , What if I am guilty of sexual sin”? The first thing to remember is that no sexual sin is beyond God’s forgiveness. He does not withhold forgiveness or grace from those who ask for it.

I John 1:9

“If we confess our sins ; He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

Note, this includes all sin and does not exclude sexual sin.

Psalm103:12

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions (sins) from us”.

In addition to forgiveness, God wants you to embrace His grace that will help you move forward in life and embrace the promises He has for you with joy. In spite of your wrong choices God wants to bring you to relational fulfilment.

Homosexuality

To begin lets look at Genesis1:2

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them”.

Genesis 2:18-25

“And the Lord said, “It is not good for man should be alone, I will make him a helper comparable to him”. Out of the ground the Lord formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name So Adam gave names to cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman and He brought her to man. And Adam said: THIS IS BONE OF MY BONES AND FLESH OF MY FLESH, SHE SHALL BE CALLED WOMAN, BECAUSE SHE WAS TAKEN OUT OF MAN”. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife and were not ashamed”.

The image of God is both male and female and is reflected in a godly union between male and female where the creative power of God, His life-giving, His self-giving and His moral nature are perfectly expressed. This is only possible in a heterosexual union.

If God had intended the human race to be fulfilled through both heterosexual and homosexual marriage, He would have designed our bodies to allow reproduction through both means and made both means of sexual intercourse healthy and natural. Homosexual intercourse carries a high risk of disease, this is recognized in scripture where gay men are said to receive in their bodies the due penalty for their error. Various studies indicate that homosexual behaviour makes both men and women more vulnerable to disease and decrease life-span.

Other verses of scripture to consider:

Romans 1:26-27

“For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men leaving the natural use of woman burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due “.

The verse above indicates that homosexual passions and acts are unnatural, shameful, contrary to sound doctrine and deny entrance to the kingdom of God. This being so, they cannot be the basis of a Christian marriage sanctioned by God’s church. The church exists to save people, not to bless the means of their damnation.

Occultism

Today, many people dabble in the mystical, occultic arts. Is there anything wrong with being involved in these practices? Yes the Bible takes a clear position on this subject, strongly denouncing these practices. God created us and therefore owns us. He has the right to set the rules for our lives. God’s word indicates these practices are part of satan’s strategy of evil tricks and deception, designed to lead us astray. Satan and his demons are real beings set on our destruction. Christians are warned to:

Ephesians 6:11-12

“Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”

Deuteronomy 18:9-12a

“Concerning occultic practices, the Israelites were told:”When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you, anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire (an ancient occult practice) or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells or a medium or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination (detestable) to the Lord…”

Although the Bible does not go into great detail about astrology, it certainly makes its position clear. We should never trust in astrological beliefs or predictions. Astrology is an ancient heathen practice that leads to disaster. Our lives are not determined by the stars or movement of planets. The Bible warns against the false predictions of astrology.

Jeremiah 10:2

“Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed by them”.

Also, the Bible repeatedly condemns the associated practice of worshipping the sun, moon and star (or dieties or demons associated with them)

Deuteronomy 4:19

“And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the hosts of heaven, thou shouldest not be driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto the nations under the whole heaven”.

Research has shown that occult magic is often fraudulent and deceitful illusion counterfeit miracles. Many books have been written on this subject. In some instances, occult magic or divination are a manifestation of demonic powers or the result of demon possession.

Acts16:16

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying..”.

The Bible strongly warns people not to consult mediums and spirits for the truth but to inquire of God.

Isaiah8:19

“And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto wizards that peep, and mutter: should not a people seek unto God? For the living to the dead?”

The Bible provides examples showing the folly and failures of those who claimed the ability to predict the future based on their own powers and those of spirits

Daniel 2:27

“Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the King;..”

We are not to look to omens or “signs” to direct our lives. The Bible reprimands people for doing this. It is an “abomination” and foolishness. Look to God and His instructions for life provided in the Bible. To do otherwise is to foolishly deceive yourself, or allow satan and others to deceive you.

Conclusion

I will like to conclude with Ecclesiastes 12.13-14

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandment for this is the whole duty of man.

For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil”.

References

1. The Bible

2. Where in the Bible might there be scriptures regarding drug use? @www.answers2prayer.org

3. What does the Bible say about sex before marriage? By Gregg Farah.

4. Three lies about premarital sex by Shana Schutte

5. What does the Bible say about same sex marriage? @www.christiananwers.net

6. Christian perspective on homosexuality by Lane Craig.

7. The occult-What does the Bible say @ www.christiananswers.net

8. Occultism @ ww.knowing-jesus.com.

About Author

Evangeline Esaaba Folson is a Youth Evangelist studying for a Diploma in Ministry with the Christian Leaders’ Institute in the US. She is also an active member of Harvest Chapel International with its headquarters in Ghana, West Africa. Evangeline is married and has two children.