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Scripture exhorts us to love out of a pure heart (1 Tim. 1:5). Christian love is to be without hypocrisy (Rom. 12:9); it is to love “even as” the Lord loves us (John 13:35). We are commanded to have a love that is fervent and sincere (1 Pet. 1:22), as well as one that is ever increasing (1 Thess. 3:12). True love is an attitude of the heart and will that must display itself in action. It is not lethargic…

The title is a reflection of one commentator’s summation of the thoughts of Paul from Romans 8:31-39. In this section, the great apostle is speaking to the power of the cross of Jesus and he has to conclude there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is a conclusion reached after asking and answering four questions – notice them with me briefly: 1. If God is for us,…

In Luke 15, Jesus teaches a crowd that consisted of ‘tax collectors and sinners’ as well as Pharisees and scribes, by using three parables. Perhaps one of the most well-known of all parables is the parable of the lost sons or “The Prodigal Son.” A certain man (our Heavenly Father) had two sons, and the teaching was directed to both the sinners (youngest son) and those who thought they were better than the sinners (oldest son). Please notice the contrast…

Even the best of people sometimes get discouraged. After all, even the sun has a “sinking spell,” doesn’t it? Discouragement can especially be prevalent in the work of the Lord, and for a variety of reasons. But at the heart of all the reasons should be the awareness that the Devil is not going to leave us alone! It appears that much of the book of 2 Corinthians was written during a time when Paul was experiencing discouragement. Here are…

Our words carry great power! With our words we can encourage and build up, speak with love and compassion and with our words we can just as easily discourage and tear down. If you are an average person, you speak between 125 and 150 words per minute. There is great power on display every time our mouths open. That is why the Bible spends so much time referring to the tongue of man and the responsibility to harness its power…

That’s what humility has been called – “the knees of the soul.” Faith and humility not only go together; they ought not be separated from each other! Proverbs 3:34 says the Lord is scornful to the scorners, “but to the humble He gives favor.” We all wrestle, at least occasionally, with pride. And Christians must understand that we face few enemies so formidable. Here’s the reason. We can’t be full of ourselves and full of God at the same time.…

The people of God are to be known by their love, their light, and their being the salt of the earth (John 13:35; Matthew 5:13-16). How we conduct ourselves says much about our spiritual health. What we are really desiring to pursue in this life, God says, has much to do with our relationship with Him. Consider the words of Paul to the church in Rome in Romans 14:19, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and…

It is the gospel of Luke that gives us the most information surrounding three crosses on Calvary (Luke 23:32-49). Jesus was crucified in the middle of two criminals. Holy Writ gives few details of the circumstances leading to the criminal’s demise, but we are given in the three crosses four pictures that show the relationship between death and sin. Death because of sin. This picture is seen in the two thieves. The Garden of Eden must have truly been an…

It is unfortunate that the word “edification” is a term that’s fallen into disuse. Every thoughtful Christian should recognize that God’s people should strengthen each other spiritually and build up one another in the faith (Ephesians 4:16). That’s what biblical edification is. For one thing, it’s a natural outgrowth of evangelism – when people come to Jesus in faith, repentance and baptism, they need additional attention, nurturing and instruction to continue growing in Christ (see 2 Peter 1:5-11; 3:17-18). For…

It is fascinating in studying the book of Colossians to notice, that while some form of false teaching was threatening the church, Paul repeatedly stresses the preeminence and sufficiency of Jesus and His gospel. While some description is given concerning the nature of the error affecting the church, the exact problem never is completely spelled out. Its precise identity eludes us. However, by emphasizing Jesus and His gospel as Paul does, the church would have everything needed to combat error…

It is a thought that should be a source of great joy and comfort – the church belonging to Jesus was in the mind of God from eternity! God was not caught off-guard when the crown of His creation, Adam and Eve, would make the choice to disobey and bring sin into the world. God knew that provisions would need to be made in reconciling the relationship that sin had broken between Himself and mankind. He knew that redemption would…

The devil will use temptations and troubles to worry and weaken us, but God can use them to strengthen us (see 1 Peter 5:10-12). When problems cause us to worry, the prescription is prayer. 1 Peter chapter 5 speaks of God as the Mighty Warrior-King and as Merciful Lord and Shepherd. As Warrior-King, we are to think of His mighty hand and know He will lift us up (5:6). He will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us (vs. 10). Our…