Paul devoted a great deal of space to the theme of sexual purity because it was a critical problem in the church of his day. It is also a critical problem in the church today. For many people, marriage vows are no longer considered sacred; divorce, even among believers, is...
The sober-minded believer has a calm, sane outlook on life. He is not complacent, but neither is he frustrated and afraid. He hears the tragic news of the day, yet he does not lose heart. He experiences the difficulties of life, but he does not give up. He knows his...
Would you rather have God’s Word than money? The believer who wrote Psalm 119 made it clear that God’s Word meant more to him than “all riches” (v. 14), “thousands of gold and silver” (v. 72), “fine gold” (v. 127), and even “great spoil” (v. 162). I recall a young...
Freedom without authority is anarchy. Authority without freedom is slavery. True freedom is liberty under authority. It is a vain thing to think that man can be free without God. The history of man is the record of new “freedoms” that led only to new slavery. Every step man has...
It is not we who work for God; it is God who works in us and through us to produce the fruit of His grace. Christian service is the result of Christian devotion. The work that we do is the outflow of the life that we live. It is by...
Submission in the life of a believer is certainly not a popular topic in this day of lawlessness and the quest for “personal fulfillment,” but it is an important one. Peter applied the theme of submission to the life of a believer as a citizen, worker, marriage partner, and member...
God sees our hearts, but we do not always know what is there. God uses the Word to enable us to see the sin and unbelief in our own hearts. The Word exposes our hearts like a sharp scalpel. If we trust God, the Word then enables our hearts to...
Along with patience, we need long-suffering. This word means “self-restraint” and is the opposite of revenge. Patience has to do primarily with circumstances, while long-suffering has to do with people. God is long-suffering toward people because of His love and grace. Long-suffering is one fruit of the Spirit. It is...
The Word of God has in it the power to accomplish the will of God. “For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37, NIV). It has well been said, “God’s commandments are God’s enablements.” Jesus commanded the crippled man to stretch out his hand—the very thing the man could not...
Our word conscience comes from two Latin words: con, meaning “with,” and scio, meaning “to know.” We “know with” the conscience. It is the internal judge that witnesses to us, that either approves our actions or accuses us. Conscience may be compared to a window that lets in the light...