Acts 28
Paul bitten by a poisonous snakeverses 1-6
And when they were escaped
then they knew that the island was called Melita
and the barbarous people showed us no little kindness
for they kindled a fire
and received us every one
because of the present rain
and because of the cold
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks – and laid them on the fire
there came a viper out of the heat – and fastened on his hand
And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hand on his hand
they said among themselves
No doubt this man is a murderer – whom
though he has escaped the sea
yet vengeance suffered not to live
And he shook off the beast into the fire – and felt no harm
howbeit they looked when he should have swollen
or fallen down dead suddenly
but after they had looked a great while
and saw no harm come to him
they changed their minds
and said that he was a god
Paul heals Publius’ fatherverses 7-10
In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island
whose name was Publius
who received us – and lodged us three days courteously
AND it came to pass
that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux
to whom Paul entered in – and prayed
and laid his hands on him
and healed him
SO when this was done – others also – which had diseases in the island
came and were healed – who also honored us with many honors
and when we departed
they laded us with such things as were necessary
Paul on final part of his journey to Romeverses 11-16
And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria
which had wintered in the isle – whose sign was Castor and Pollux
and landing at Syracuse – we tarried there three days
And from there we fetched a compass – and came to Rhegium
and after one day the south wind blew
and we came the next day to Puleoli
where we found brethren
and were desired to tarry with them seven days
and so we went toward Rome
And from there – when the brethren heard of us
they came to meet us as far as Appii forum
and the Three Taverns
whom when Paul saw
he thanked God – and took courage
And when we came to Rome
the centurion delivered the prisoners
to the captain of the guard
but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself
with a soldier that kept him
Paul gathers Jewish leaders in Romeverses 17-20
And it came to pass – that after three days Paul
called the chief of the Jews together
and when they were come together
he said to them
Men and brethren
though I have committed nothing against the people
or customs of our fathers
yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem
into the hands of the Romans
Who – when they had examined me – would have let me go
because there was no cause of death in me
But when the Jews spoke against it
I was constrained to appeal to Caesar
not that I had aught to accuse my nation of
For this cause therefore have I called for you
to see you – and to speak with you
because that for the hope of Israel I am bound
with this chain
Paul presents message to Jewish leadersverses 21-24
And they said unto him
We neither received letters out of Judea concerning you
neither any of the brethren that came showed
or spoke any harm of you
But we desire to hear of you what you think
for as concerning this sect
we know that everywhere it is spoken against
And when they had appointed him a day there came
many to him into his lodging
to whom he EXPOUNDED and TESTIFIED
the kingdom of God
PERSUADING them concerning Jesus
BOTH out of the law of Moses – and out of the prophets
from morning till evening
And some believed the things which were spoken
and some believed not
Paul quotes Isaiahverses 25-27
And when they agreed not among themselves – they departed
after that Paul had spoken one word
Well spoke the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers
saying
Go unto this people – and say
Hearing you shall hear – and shall not understand
Seeing you shall see – and not perceive
For the heart of this people is waxed gross
and their ears are dull of hearing
and their eyes have they closed
LEST they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears and understand with their heart
and should be converted and I should heal them
Paul offers message of Jesus to Gentilesverses 28-31
BE it known therefore to you
that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles
and that they will hear it
And when he had said these words – the Jews departed
and had great reasoning among themselves
And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house
and received all that came in unto him
PREACHING the kingdom of God
and TEACHING those things which
concern the Lord Jesus Christ
with all CONFIDENCE
no man forbidding him
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. (2191 “viper” [echidna] means snake, poisonous snake, or adder)
DEVOTION: Paul had just escaped being shipwrecked at sea. The soldiers wanted to kill all the prisoners including Paul but the centurion in charge didn’t want to see it happen. They finally made it to shore safely and were gathering around a fire because of the cold and rain.
Paul was a worker. He was not using his position to send someone else out to gather sticks to put on the fire. He was out gathering sticks. It was then that it was found out that there was a poisonous snake in the group of sticks. As Paul put the sticks on the fire the snake bite him.
The people around thought for sure that he was going to die soon as they had witnessed it happening many times before. They thought he must have been a very bad person who could escape a shipwreck and be bitten by a snake.
However, that all changed when they saw that he didn’t die and then their mind changed to think he was a god. That also was wrong thinking. He was a man under the protection of the one true God.
Today we have people who think that because Paul was spared and the gospel of Mark says that “they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them….” Those who read these things think that all believers are safe from anything poisonous. That is not what is meant in these passages.
We are not to try God by looking for occasions to handle snakes or drink poison. It is stating that at times those who are believers will accidently pick up snakes or drink poison and it will not hurt them. God is in control of the circumstances in which HE places HIS servants. We are not to test God by our own actions.
Paul was spared because an accidental bite didn’t kill him so that he could be the witness God said he would be in Rome. God had a plan and no snake bite was going to hinder HIS plan.
CONCLUSION: Don’t test God by being foolish. Let God work HIS plan in your life. HE is watching over all of HIS servants
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 15 And from there, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The Three Taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and too courage. (2294 “courage” [tharsos] means confidence, be given hope, receive encouragement, manliness, boldness, or to be of good cheer)
DEVOTION: We are to be encouragers and be encouraged by other believers. Here we find Paul coming close to Rome and fellow believers came to meet him on his way to Rome.
This was a group of men and women who wanted to encourage Paul on his way to Rome to face trial. He saw them and Luke records that he was encouraged and thanked God.
When the LORD sends us people to encourage us we should make sure that we thank them and God for the encouragement. If we are not a thankful people we can think that it is all us and not God who is working. Paul didn’t have these thoughts.
We might be the only ones who can encourage someone who is going through a rough time. They don’t have to be going to trial for something they were not guilty of or they may not be suffering a great health issue but they still need to be encouraged. Every believer needs encouragement at some point in their walk with the LORD. Even a smile can be an encouragement.
CHALLENGE: Find someone to encourage today. Write a thank you note to someone who has encouraged you in the past.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (3975 “waxed gross” [pachuno] means to thicken, stupefy or render callous, be unable to understand, to make fat or fatten)
DEVOTION: Paul has his journey to Rome. On the way he is ship wreaked. While on the Island he is bitten by a poisonous snake. The natives think he must be a murderer but when he doesn’t die they think he is a god.
While in Rome he rented a house to live in. He invited the Jewish leaders to his home to present his story. He told them that he was falsely accused. They told him that they didn’t know anything about what was happening to him and wanted to know more.
A group came to his house to listen to his teaching. Some of the people believed but others did not. After this reactions Paul told them that he went to the Gentiles and they believed. He also quoted this verse that explains to us that they had caused their heart to become calloused to hearing another view of the law and the prophets. He taught that Jesus was the Messiah.
When we hear something that we disagree with regarding the word of God, do we check it out? Our responsibility is to find out if what is being said is the truth. Our responsibility is to let the Holy Spirit help us understand the word of God. There are many false teachers in our world. There are many false doctrines that are being taught in some of our churches. We need to check them out with what the Bible says to be true. Let’s not let our hearts be calloused. Keep digging!!! Keep learning!!!
CHALLENGE: Search the Scriptures daily to make sure you are keeping a Biblical Worldview.
: 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. (3954 “confidence” [parrhesia] means boldness, freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech, openly, frankly, without concealment, or without ambiguity or circumlocution.)
DEVOTION: Restrictions are never easy to work within during our life. We like freedom to do as we please when we please. We want to go where we want to go when we want to go. We want to be with people that we want to be with when we want to have a good time in the LORD.
Paul didn’t have these freedoms. He was under guard in a rented house while he was waiting for trial. He used this opportunity to serve the LORD within his restrictions.
How would you like to be under arrest for two years for doing nothing wrong? What would your attitude be? Would you be praising the LORD or wondering what the LORD was doing in your life?
Paul used this time to reach people in Rome with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The guards had to listen to each message and we know that some of them became believers.
He used his time wisely not in self pity. He was busy preaching the kingdom of God. He was busy teaching those who were believers, so that, they would be good witnesses for the LORD in Rome. He did all this with confidence that the LORD was with him and giving him this opportunity. He was glad to be serving the LORD in his present situation. We need to do the same.
He had an open door with no man forbidding him from speaking the truth in love.
CHALLENGE: Our open door is available to us. We need to go through it too. Forget the past and work for the future.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Fellowship with brethren verses 14, 15
Fellowship in his hired house verses 30-31
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Paul prayed for the sick verse 8
Paul thanked God for believers verse 15
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Expounding verse 23
Testifying verse 23
Persuading verse 23
Preaching verse 31
Teaching verse 31
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Law of Moses verse 23
Prophets verse 23
Isaiah verses 25-27
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God verses 15, 23, 28, 31
Kingdom of God verses 23, 31
Salvation of God verse 28
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verses 23, 31
Lord verse 31
Christ verse 31
Lord Jesus Christ verse 31
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Holy Ghost verse 25
Holy Ghost spoke through Isaiah verse 25
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Island: Melita verse 1
Barbarous people verses 1, 4
Show kindness verse 2
Publius: Chief man of the island verse 7
Publius’ father verse 8
Alexandria verse 11
Sign: Castor and Polux verse 11
Syracuse verse 12
Rhegium verse 13
Puteoli verse 13
Rome verses 14, 16
Appii forum verse 15
The Three Taverns verse 15
Centurion verse 16
Captain of the guard verse 16
Soldiers verse 16
Romans verse 17
Caesar verse 19
Gentiles verse 28
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Murderer verse 4
False god verse 6
Accuse verse 19
Believed not verse 24
Not understand verse 26
Not perceive verse 26
Heart waxed gross verse 27
Eyes closed verse 27
Dull of hearing verse 27
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
No harm verse 5, 6
Prayer verse 8
Healing (physical) verse 9
Brethren verse 14, 15
Thank God verse 15
Take courage verse 15
Examined verse 18
Sect verse 22
Expounded verse 23
Testified verse 23
Believed verse 24
See with their eyes verse 27
Hear with ears verses 27, 28
Understand with heart verse 27
Converted verse 27
Healed (spiritual) verse 27
Salvation verse 28
Preach the kingdom of God verse 31
Teaching verse 31
Confidence verse 31
No man forbidding verse 31
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Chief of the Jews verse 17
Customs of our fathers verse 17
Jerusalem verse 17
Jews verse 19, 29
Hope of Israel verse 20
Letters from Judaea verse 21
Desire to hear verse 22
Great reasoning among themselves verse 29
Church (New Testament people of God)
Paul verse 3
Viper bite
People changed their mind
Laid hands of Publius father
Healed Publius’ father
Healed others of diseases
Brethren verse 14, 15
Sect verse 22
Expounding verse 23
Testifying verse 23
Persuading verse 23
Preaching verse 31
Teaching verse 31
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
25–28 The points at which many of the Jewish leaders disagreed with Paul and left the session, Luke says, were two: (1) Paul’s attempt to prove the obduracy of Israel from Scripture on the ground that Isaiah had foretold the Jews’ rejection of Jesus as Messiah, and (2) his insistence that because of Israel’s hardened attitude the message of “God’s salvation” has been sent directly to Gentiles where it would find a positive response. He documented the first point by quoting Isaiah 6:9–10. The LXX had already turned the imperatives of vv. 9b–10a into finite verbs, with the result that the entire blame for Israel’s estrangement from God is placed on the stubbornness of the people themselves. That is how Jesus also is reported as having used the passage in the “Logia” collection (cf. Matt 13:13–15; Luke 8:10; see also the use of the passage in Mark 4:12 and John 12:40, though not with quite the same thrust) and how Paul explained Israel’s predicament in Romans 9–11. But Paul quotes prophecy here not just to explain Israel’s stubbornness but to set the stage for his second point: In the providence of God, redemption was now being offered directly to Gentiles and they were responding.
A revolutionary new policy for proclaiming the gospel and making converts had been providentially worked out during Paul’s first missionary journey and at the Jerusalem Council (cf. 12:25–16:5 and comments in loc.). That policy was then carried out through two more missionary journeys extending into Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia (cf. 16:6–19:20). It was a policy that advocated the proclamation of the gospel “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom 1:16; cf. Acts 13:46–52). Luke has taken pains to show how everything that happened in the ministry of the early Jerusalem church essentially looked forward to the inauguration of this policy and how this policy lay at the heart of Paul’s missionary purpose. Now having traced the story of the advance of the gospel to Rome, Luke reports how that same pattern was followed at Rome. And his account of the gospel’s advance from Jerusalem to Rome in terms of the distinctive policy of first the Jew, then the Gentile comes to a fitting conclusion with the quotation of Isaiah 6:9–10—one of the oldest Christian testimonia portions from the OT. (Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, pp. 570–571). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
28:25–27. The disagreement among the Jewish leaders in Rome about Paul’s message showed that they were not amenable to the gospel. With prophetic insight Paul applied the words of Isaiah (6:9–10) to his own contemporaries. Obstinate refusal to believe results in calloused hearts, deafened ears, and spiritually blinded eyes. This had happened to Israel both in Isaiah’s day and in Paul’s (cf. Rom. 11:7–10). Interestingly Paul ascribed Isaiah’s words to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 4:25). (Toussaint, S. D. (1985). Acts. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 430–431). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Paul kept “open house” and received anybody who wanted to discuss the things of the kingdom of God. He was chained to a guard who was relieved every six hours, but who was forced to listen as Paul preached and taught and prayed. No wonder some of them were saved! (Phil. 1:12–14; 4:22)
During these two years in Rome, Paul wrote Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. He expected to be released (Phil. 1:23–27; 2:24; Phile. 22) and most students agree that he was. During this time, he had Timothy with him (Phil. 1:1; 2:19; Col. 1:1), as well as John Mark, Luke, Aristarchus, Epaphras, Justus, and Demas (Col. 4:10–14; Phile. 24). He also met Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus and led him to faith in Christ (Phile. 10–21). Epaphroditus brought a gift to him from the Philippian church and almost died ministering to Paul (Phil. 2:25–30; 4:18). Tychicus was Paul’s “mailman” who delivered Ephesians (Eph. 6:21), Colossians, and Philemon (Col. 4:7–9). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 511). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Ver. 27. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, &c.] Or fat; stupified with notions of carnal and temporal things, and become hardened against, and unsusceptible of, divine and spiritual things: and their ears are dull of hearing; the Gospel, and its joyful sound; to which they stop their cars, as the deaf adder to the voice of the charmer: and their eyes have they closed; and wilfully shut, against all evidence from facts, miracles, prophecies, and preaching: lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted; that is, see the evidence of miracles, take in the truth of doctrine, understand the meaning of prophecy, and so be turned from darkness, ignorance, and unbelief, to light, knowledge, and faith: and I should heal them; or have mercy on them, as the Ethiopic version renders it; that is, forgive their sins: hearing the Gospel preached, is the ordinary means of understanding spiritual things; and the understanding being enlightened through the ministry of the word, by the spirit of God, whereby the sinner sees his lost state by nature, his impurity and impotency, the danger he is in, and the destruction that is imminent on him, and he is liable to, and also his need of Christ, and salvation by him; this issues in conversion, in the turning of a man from the evil of his ways, to believe in Christ, walk on in him, and worthy of him; when he is healed of the diseases of his soul, which are many, are natural, and hereditary, mortal and incurable, but by Christ the great physician; by whose stripes, wounds, and blood, there is healing, that is, pardon; for healing diseases, and pardoning iniquities, are one and the same; see Psal. 103:3 and at conversion, when a soul is enlightened, and made sensible of the evil of sin, and that there is no cure of this disease, by any thing that he or any creature can do, or prescribe for him, but only by the blood of Christ; a discovery of pardoning grace is made unto him; and he is made whole, and cured of every disease that attended him; from whence spring joy, peace, and comfort to him: but when through hearing the word, the understanding is not enlightened, and conversion does not follow upon it, there is no healing of the disease of sin, no pardon applied; and consequently such must be in a most deplorable and miserable condition, as all ignorant hearers and despisers of the Gospel are; see the notes on Matt. 13:14, 15. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 411). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
Paul’s quotation of this ominous Isaiah passage in Romans 11:8 shows that he had already thought through this whole matter and had received enlightenment on the matter of Israel’s strange blindness to the truth concerning Jesus. Here, in Rome, speaking to the leaders of the most important Jewish community of the Diaspora, Paul quoted the ominous Isaiah passage again. This was no angry, spur-of-the-moment reaction to the unbelief of the Roman Jews. This Holy-Spirit-inspired quotation marked the formal handing over of the Jewish nation to blindness. It was the final closing of the door. The days of Jewish privilege and opportunity were over. (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary (Ac 28:25–27). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)
FROM MY READING:
God responds to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
INSIGHT
To understand the Lord’s response to the people building the tower of Babel, consider the command God gave Noah and his descendants in Genesis 9:1: “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.’ “
In apparent disobedience, the people stayed in one place and began to build a monument to themselves. In response, God confused their languages and scattered the people over the face of the earth.
God deals with disobedience in different ways. Sometimes He lets us go our own way and suffer the natural consequences of our sin. At other times the issue is a major part of His program, and it cannot be ignored.
Disobedience always has a price, and in the end God always has His way. Obedience, then, while not always easy, is always wise. God always acts for the ultimate benefit of His children. (Quiet Walk)
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S DIVINE DEEDS
The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Job 33:4
Certain things are done by the Spirit that we are told in the Scriptures can only be done by God. First of all, creation. In Genesis 1:2 we read, “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” There it is at the very beginning. Job says it also: “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” This is the creative work of the Holy Spirit, again a proof of His deity. And we must remember also that His is the special operation that we describe as regeneration. John 3:7 establishes that once and forever: “Ye must be born again.” “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit…” (John 3:5). This is the action of the Spirit; He gives the rebirth. Original creation and the new creation are both the special work of the Spirit. “It is the spirit that quickened,” says our Lord again (John 6:63).
The work of inspiration is also the work of the Spirit. “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation,” says Peter; “…holy men of God spoke as they were moved”—carried along, driven; it does not matter which translation you use—“by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20-21). All the Scriptures were written in that way: The Holy Spirit inspired and controlled the writers in an infallible manner. So we have our doctrine of the infallibility of the Scriptures, and it is proof positive to us that He is God. It is God alone who can give the truth and inspire men in their record of the truth.
The work of resurrection is also attributed to Him. Very often people are surprised by this. But it is to be found quite clearly in Romans 8:11: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.” So we arrive at this—that the Holy Spirit is a person and a divine person.
A Thought to Ponder: The Holy Spirit is a person and a divine person.
(From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 16-17, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The Holy Spirit’s Ministry: Helping Us in Our Weakness
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)
When the Holy Spirit said He “helpeth our infirmities,” He caused Paul to coin the Greek word sunantilambanomai (translated “helpeth”). This very unusual and complicated term is only used twice in Scripture, once in our text and the other when Martha requested that Jesus tell Mary to “help” her wait on guests during a dinner at their home (Luke 10:40) This strong term insists on working together in the same task with the same enthusiasm.
We have astheneia (infirmities) and are unable to articulate the correct request. But the Holy Spirit makes huperentugchano (intercession) for us; again, a completely unusual word, adding the Greek preposition huper (above) to the basic word for “intercession” (used in Romans 8:27, 34; 11:2; Hebrews 7:25).
Then, the Holy Spirit uses stenagmos (groaning) that cannot be alaletos (stated), using two words unique to this very specific application. What seems to be in view by Paul is that the Holy Spirit makes a “sigh” in a way that only God Himself can understand, because the thought is “too deep” for words.
Whenever we find these words used in other Greek literature, they usually describe a sound that is emitted under either pain or ecstasy. How marvelous!
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
Why God Comes First
When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God. PSALM 73:16-17
If you were asked to name three things that pose the gravest general threats to the health of today’s marriages—and to your marriage in particular—what would be on your list? When Barbara and I were asked the same question recently, here are the three we gravitated toward:
Threat number one is not really knowing who God is. In his book The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer wrote, “The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of a hundred lesser evils among us.”
When we fail to attribute to God the majesty of His supreme position over us and all creation, we weaken our need to stay accountable to Him in our behaviors and attitudes toward each other. We also lower the healthy self-esteem that’s derived from measuring our value in the light of His love and grace. Tozer summed it up, “The most important thing you think is what you think about God.”
Threat number two is selfishness. This shows itself in numerous degrees, from not wanting to help fold socks . . . to not caring what our schedules are doing to our families . . . to outright adultery. But in reality, this second threat breeds on the first one. Lives that are being constantly molded and characterized by a fear of the Lord will move toward humility and self-denial rather than living to satisfy self.
Threat number three is lack of biblical skills in resolving conflict. Conflict happens in marriage. It is simply unavoidable. But many people are not fully aware of the wealth of scriptural truth on this subject. Just following the admonition of a verse like Ephesians 4:32—being “kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you”—will change your life.
DISCUSS
Which of these three threats strike the closest to where you are right now? What commitments should you make to each other to counteract them?
(Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
We see in Jesus the best, most practical most human example of what it means to be holy. He is our model for love (John 13:14), our model for humility (Phil. 2: 5-8), our model for facing temptation (Heb. 4: 15), our model for steadfastness in the midst of suffering (I Peter 4:1-2, and our model for obedience to the Father (John 6:38; 14:31). We see all the virtues of holiness perfectly aligned in Christ. He was always gentle, but never soft. He was bold, but never brash. He was pure, but never prudish. He was full of mercy but not at the expense of justice. He was full of truth but not at the expense of grace. In everything he was submissive to his heavenly Father, and he gave everything for his sheep. He obeyed his parents, kept the law of God, and forgave his enemies. He never lusted, never coveted, and never lied. In all that Jesus Christ did, during his whole life and especially as his life came to an end, he loved God with his whole being and loved his neighbor as himself. (p. 47, The Hole In Our Holiness by Keven DeYoung)
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