The normal desires of life were given to us by God and, of themselves, are not sinful. Without these desires, we could not function. Unless we felt hunger and thirst, we would never eat and drink, and we would die. Without fatigue, the body would never rest and would eventually...
We must be patient toward the lost, even though we do not agree with their lifestyles or participate in their sins. After all, unsaved people are blind to spiritual truth and dead to spiritual enjoyment. Our contact with the lost is important to them since we are the bearers of...
Sin in our lives keeps us from serving Christ as we should; this means a loss of reward. Lot is a good example of this truth. Unlike his uncle Abraham, Lot was not walking with the Lord and thus lost his testimony—even with his own family. When the judgment finally...
Imagine imitating the life of Jesus Christ with the poor equipment we have as mere human beings. A man with two broken legs might as well try to play baseball like a big league star. We would give the man an “E for effort,” but he would nevertheless fail in...
Rahab was a harlot, an unlikely person to put faith in the true God of Israel! The other inhabitants of her city were marked for death, but God in His mercy and grace permitted Rahab to live. She knew that Jehovah had delivered Israel from Egypt and that He had...
There are four basic words for love in the Greek language. Eros refers to physical love; it gives us our English word erotic. Eros love does not have to be sinful, but in Paul’s day its main emphasis was sensual. This word is never used in the New Testament. Another...
When the dying Jews looked to the uplifted serpent in the wilderness, they were healed (Numbers 21:4-9). This is an illustration of our salvation through faith in Christ. “Looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2) describes an attitude of faith and not just a single act. “To look” means “to trust.” When...
As Christian citizens, we should submit to the authority vested in human government. But Scripture does not say we must blindly obey every law. When Daniel and his three friends refused to obey the king’s dietary regulations, for example, they disobeyed; but the way they did it proved that they...
Laodicea in Asia Minor was known for its wealth and its manufacture of a special eye salve, as well as of a glossy black wool cloth. It was also located near Hierapolis, where there were famous hot springs, and Colossae, known for its pure, cold water. As with some of...
The word covenant not only means “an agreement,” but also carries the idea of a last will and testament. If a man writes his will, that will is not in force until he dies. It was necessary for Jesus Christ to die so that the terms of the New Covenant...