PROVERBS 4
Listen to the corrections of your father verse 1- 3
Hear ye children – the instruction of a father
and attend to know understanding
for I give you good doctrine
forsake ye not my law
for I was my father’s son
tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother
Psalmist listened to his father verse 4
He taught me also – and said to me
Let your heart retain my words
keep my commandments and live
Admonition to get wisdom verse 5- 9
Get wisdom – get understanding – forget it not
neither decline from the words of my mouth
forsake her not – and she shall preserve you
love her and she shall keep you
Wisdom is the principle thing
THEREFORE get wisdom
and with all your getting get understanding
exalt her and she shall promote you
she shall bring you to honor
when you do embrace her
She shall give to your head an ornament of grace
a crown of glory shall she deliver to you
Following instructions leads to long life verse 10- 13
Hear – O my son – and receive my sayings
and the years of your life shall be many
I have taught you in the way of wisdom
I have led you in right paths
When you go – your steps shall not be straitened
and when you run – you shalt not stumble
Take fast hold of instruction
let her not go – keep her – for she is your life
Warning regarding evil verse 14- 17
Enter not into the path of the wicked
and go not in the way of evil men
Avoid it – pass not by it – turn from it
and pass away
For they sleep not – except they have done mischief
and their sleep is taken away
unless they cause some to fall
For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence
Righteousness lights up your life verse 18- 19
BUT the path of the just is as the shining light
that shines more and more unto the perfect day
The way of the wicked is as darkness
they know not at what they stumble
Remember father’s instructions verse 20- 22
My son – attend to my words – incline your ear to my sayings
let them not depart from your eyes
keep them in the midst of your heart
For they are life to those that find them
and health to all their flesh
Issues of life come from the heart verse 23
Keep your heart with all diligence
for out of it are the issues of life
Watch your language verse 24
Put away from you a forward mouth
and perverse lips put far from you
Keep eyes straight on coarse verse 25- 27
Let your eyes look right on
and let your eyelids look straight before you
Ponder the path of your feet
and let all your ways be established
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left
remove your foot from evil
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 For I give you good doctrine, for sake you not my law. (3948 “doctrine” [leqach] means instruction, teaching, insight, learning, or fair speech.)
DEVOTION: Biblical fathers have the responsibility of teaching their children which way to go in life. Solomon wanted his son to follow after wisdom. Wisdom is the application of knowledge.
Children have to understand which way is the right way to go. It was only the adults that could teach them. They set the example for them to follow. Children will not follow the instructions of their parents for very long if they are not practicing what they are teaching.
An example of this is when their parents want them to pick up or clean their room but their room is a mess. Or they want their children to get organized but they are not organized. Parent can learn from their children. Parents need to listen to what the children are saying regarding their habits.
However, there are many who follow the path of the wicked. Solomon didn’t want his son to walk that way. Those fathers who are followers of the LORD want their children to walk in the right direction.
Their plan is to not have their children commit the same mistakes that they have committed. Their plan is to teach them how to avoid wickedness. This chapter describes wickedness as walking in darkness. When we walk in darkness we can fall over things. Fathers don’t want their children to fail. Good fathers don’t want their children to suffer the same way they had to suffer.
Most fathers would rather go through hard times rather than have their children go through hard times. Fathers have to instruct their children to walk in the light of the Word of God. The only way they can do this is by studying and knowing the Word of God.
They have to learn how to balance their teaching between legalism and license. IF it is too legalistic the children will rebel. IF it gives too much freedom, it can lead to a sinful lifestyle. Balance is hard but can be done with the help of the LORD. The teaching that is found in the Word of God centers on who God is and what HE has done and is doing. Our children need to see God at work in our world. IF we are praising the LORD for HIS daily provision, our children will learn to do the same.
CHALLENGE: Train up yourself before you train up your children. Then watch the growth in the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 He taught me also, and said to me, Let your heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. (8551 “retain” [tamak] means hold, to grasp, support, lay hold of, to stick to firmly; whether in a physical or abstract sense, to acquire, seized, accept, or hold secure.)
DEVOTION: It is important that fathers teach their sons the true of what is going on in the world. It is important that children listen to fathers who love the LORD.
David loved the LORD and instructed his son Solomon in the things of the LORD. He was not perfect as no man is perfect but he taught his son to listen to the LORD as he tried to listen to the LORD.
No father is perfect. Not human is perfect. There was only one man who walked this earth that never sinned and that was Jesus Christ. All other fathers had a sin nation and they yielded to it at times.
Those fathers who loved the LORD knew that they had to confess their sin to the LORD and ask HIM for forgiveness, in order to, receive HIS blessing on their life. There are consequences to sin but if they are confessed the LORD will forgive and help us to move on from that confessed sin to a life that can be blessed by HIM.
So David who was a sinner confessed his sins to the LORD and taught Solomon to do the same and to then watch for the LORD’S blessing on his life if he meant business with the LORD.
There are consequences to sins but the LORD can help us with handling the consequences if we are willing to ask for forgiveness and then move on toward the LORD again blessing our lives.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God but those who accept Christ as their Savior have forgiveness and can be blessed of the LORD because of their genuine confession.
Our responsibility is to ask the LORD to help us obey the commandments of the LORD and understand that we will never be perfect but we can be forgiven. That doesn’t me we should sin just to seek forgiveness but that we should with the LORD’S help try to sin less.
CHALLENGE: Only with the help of the LORD can we sin less and be an example of a genuine servant of the LORD. HE knows if we are trying to please HIM or just trying to please ourselves.
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: 18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day. (3559 “perfect” [kun] means established, fixed, be directed aright, certain, or prepared.)
DEVOTION: Growth in the LORD is a slow process. There is three steps forward and two back. There are those who think that they have arrived and can grow no more. Those thoughts are not from the Bible. They are from the enemy.
Each day is a new day in the life of a believer. Remember the statement
that “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Each day manifests a new challenge. Each day brings its new problems. No day is without a challenge.
There seems to be two stages to the growth of a believer. The Bible speaks of the milk of the Word of God and the meat of the Word of God. The author of the book of Hebrews states that there were people in the church who should be eating meat and were still only able to drink milk. They were not willing to grow properly. It is said that some people have been a believer for forty years but still only one year old in the LORD.
Those who are willing to realize that the Christian life is a marathon instead of a sprint will grow well. Growth comes but slowly. When we meditate on the Word of God we have to take the time to chew the truth that is taught until we understand it and apply it. This is not a fast process. As a believer we have to challenge ourselves.
Reading through the Bible in a year is good for some but others cannot retain much if they read it that fast. The LORD wants us to retain HIS Word. This takes time. Once time is used properly there is blessing associated with our knowledge of the Word.
Our eyes become lighter and lighter or our knowledge increases on a regular basis. Our closeness to the LORD causes our face to shine. The order of a regular day is that the sun is the brightest at noonday. That is truth of those who are growing in the LORD. Their life seems humble and full of wisdom.
Our prepared life works for the good of all those who are around us on a regular basis. If we think we have arrived – we haven’t. If we are willing to learn more – we are on the right path.
CHALLENGE: Allow your growth in the LORD to cause your countenance to glow brighter each year of your Christian life. Let people come to you with the realization that you are growing in the LORD and they want what you have.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. (6424 “ponder” [palace] means weigh, make level, balance, to clear, make a way, smooth, or with a focus that the activity is measured and thought out.)
DEVOTION: Solomon is instructing his son to think before he acts on all occasions. He doesn’t want him to act before he thinks through what is going to be the consequences of his actions.
Once we become a follower of Jesus Christ we have to meditate on HIS instructions to HIS disciples and make sure that we are walking the way HE wanted them to walk and wants us to walk.
If we are willing to take the time to think through all of our actions we will sin less. We will want to ask the LORD what is right to do in every situation that HE allows in our life. We will want to please HIM.
Too often many of us have acted before we thought through what we were doing or what we were saying. So often we find ourselves saying things that hurt people because we have not thought about them before we open our mouth.
Sometimes we go places we shouldn’t but because of lack of asking the LORD for direction we walk into things that cause us trouble. Not only the time we walk there but later as well as our enemy likes to remind us of our past failures to walk properly for the LORD. He likes to cause us to think that we have failed once and so what is the sense of trying anymore. One of the tricks of the devil and his fallen angels.
We need to establish a Biblical walk with the LORD on a daily basis and that can only happen if we are daily in HIS Word the Bible and praying for guidance through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life.
CHALLENGE: Those who are genuine followers of the LORD need to think before we act. This can only happen if we are hiding God’s Word in our heart. Where is the Word of God today in your life?
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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)
Attend to my words verse 20
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
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)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Law verse 2
Commandments verse 4
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
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)
Children verse 1
Father verse 1, 3
Son verse 3, 20
Mother verse 3
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Forsaking God’s law verse 2
Not listen to Godly parents verse 5
Path of Wicked verse 14, 19
Way of evil men verse 14, 15, 27
Mischief verse 16
Cause some to fall verse 16
Bread of wickedness verse 17
Wine of violence verse 17
Way of the wicked is darkness verse 19
Know not at what they shall stumble verse 19
Forward mouth verse 24
Perverse lips verse 24
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Hear verse 1, 20
Instruction verse 1, 13
Understanding verse 1 , 5, 7
Good doctrine verse 2
Obedience to parents verse 4
Wisdom verse 5- 9, 11
Right path verse 11- 12
Just verse 18
Light verse 18
Health verse 22
Keep heart faithful verse 23
Look straight ahead verse 25
Ponder your path verse 26
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Solomon instructing his children verse 1- 27
Wants them to hear what he has to say
Wants them to know understanding
He was his father’s son – David was his
father
Get wisdom and understanding
Don’t decline from the words of my mouth
Wisdom is the principal thing
Get understanding
Promotion come from obedience
Wisdom will extend life
Hold fast instruction
Enter not the path of wicked
Path of the just is a shining light
Son attend to my words
Incline your ears to my sayings
Keep them in the midst of your heart
Give life
Health to all flesh
Keep your heart with all diligence
for they are life to those who
find them
Let all your ways be established
Remove your foot from evil
David wanted Solomon to retain his words
and keep his commandments verse 4
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Perfect day verse 18
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QUOTES regarding passage
4:20–27 In the closing appeal the father scarcely concerns himself with specific moral issues. He simply urges the son to stay true to Wisdom.
Metaphoric use of body parts permeates this text. The eyes are to stay fixed on right teaching (vv. 21, 25) as the feet are to stay in the right path (vv. 26–27). The mouth and lips must shun using twisted words (v. 24). Above all, the heart must be guarded by sound doctrine (vv. 21, 23). If the son listens to his father, the whole body will be healthy (v. 22).
The heart, v. 23 says, is “the wellspring of life.” “Heart,” here as always, refers not to the physical organ but to the mind and even the whole personality of the individual. It is “the wellspring of life” in that the capacity to live with joy and vigor ultimately comes from within and not from circumstances. The corrupt heart draws one down to the grave, but Wisdom protects the heart from that corruption. This verse, perhaps in conjunction with Ezekiel’s vision of the River of Life (Ezek 47:1–12), apparently was the source of Jesus’ perplexing citation in John 7:38.
The fourth exhortation closes with a return to the image of the path (vv. 25–27). Of particular interest is v. 27, the warning to swerve neither to the right nor to the left. Deuteronomy 5:32; 17:11; 28:14; and Josh 23:6 are similar. The idea is that one should not be distracted from the way of wisdom (v. 25). Temptation to allegorize “right” and “left” in light of modern usage should be resisted. At the same time, the text can be taken to urge the reader to maintain the simplicity of biblical teaching. Modern theological schools of any and of all persuasions are not always careful to do this. (Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs (Vol. 14, pp. 88–89). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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26, 27. Feet. The succession of steps, by which vision is turned into action, demands practical planning. Ponder (av) and take heed to (rsv) are better translations than rv’s make level, of the first word of 26. av connects it with the Heb. for scales (cf. 16:11) and the idea of weighing up one’s course of action. rsv has the support of a verb ‘to examine, search out’, in the cognate language Accadian (G. R. Driver, JTS, 1935, pp. 150f.). But make level (rv), while it fits well enough here, yields little sense in 5:21, and none in 5:6 without rv’s violent paraphrase. (Kidner, D. (1964). Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 17, p. 65). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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It is not the mouth only that shows the state of the heart. The feet likewise will walk according to the condition of the soul. Forgetting the things behind, we are exhorted to press on to the prize of the calling of God on high. The eye is to be fixed on the goal, looking straight before. For us, this is Christ. As the plowman cuts a straight furrow when the eye is on a distant point directly before him, so the Christian’s path will be that of the just, when the eye of the heart is fixed on the Lord Jesus, now ascended to glory. But this involves likewise earnest concern about one’s ways, that all may be established in accordance with the truth. Evil is to be judged and departed from, the foot turning neither to the right hand nor the left. The mind of God once known is to be faithfully acted upon, irrespective of self-interest or the thoughts of others who discern it not.
To walk with God necessarily means to be misjudged and misunderstood by unspiritual persons who are ignorant of the power of God and the value of His truth. But if one has His approbation, there need be no consulting with flesh and blood, but implicit obedience to what He has said in His Word. (Ironside, H. A. (1908). Notes on the Book of Proverbs (pp. 54–55). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Bros.)
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4:24–27. These verses apply the command to guard one’s heart (v. 23), including what one says (v. 24), sees (v. 25), and does (vv. 26–27). (See comments on 6:17–18.) The mention in 4:24 of mouth and lips is similar to Christ’s teaching on the relationship between one’s heart and his speech (Luke 6:45c). Perversity comes from ‘iqqēš, “crooked” (cf. Prov. 2:15). Corrupt or foul talk (cf. 6:12) should never be on the lips of one who trusts the Lord (cf. Eph. 4:29).
Each believer should focus his eyes (Prov. 4:25) on the wise path (cf. v. 11), concentrating on it and not being distracted. And his conduct should be upright, as he stays on level paths (cf. v. 11b) and does not turn aside to evil (cf. v. 15; 1:15). Again paths and ways (4:26) are used to refer to one’s conduct (cf. 2:13, 15, 20; 3:6, 17; 7:25; and cf. “path” and “way” in 4:18–19; also note 8:20). “Proverbs provides both a goal and route. The goal is successful living and the route is the way of wisdom” (Robert L. Alden, Proverbs: A Commentary on an Ancient Book of Timeless Advice, p. 48). Though wisdom keeps one on the right path (cf., e.g., 2:12) here the encouragement is to keep oneself on the straight way. (Buzzell, S. S. (1985). Proverbs. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 914). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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“What is beyond my path?” (vv. 26–27) The Hebrew word translated “ponder” means “to weigh” or “to make level.” It is related to a word that means “scales” (16:11). In his final speech before he drank the hemlock, Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living”; Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5, NKJV). The Lord is weighing our ways (Prov. 5:21) and our hearts (21:2), as well as our actions (1 Sam. 2:3), and we had better do the same. Life is too short and too precious to be wasted on the temporary and the trivial.
If we’re walking in the way of wisdom, God promises to protect our path, direct our path, and perfect our path.
All folly can offer us is danger, detours, and disappointments, ultimately leading to death.
It shouldn’t be too difficult to make the right choice! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Skillful (p. 45). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Dark Waters and Thick Clouds
“And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.” (2 Samuel 22:11-12)
This mysterious passage in David’s song of deliverance (also in Psalm 18) is usually classified by commentators as mere poetic hyperbole. However, it may also be taken literally, if we only assume that David was translated by the Holy Spirit (who “spake by me”—2 Samuel 23:2) far back in time to the great Flood, seeing in vision the Lord in great power unleashing the mighty waters of judgment on a corrupt world, yet delivering Noah through it all. David had a similar vision when he wrote Psalm 29, which speaks explicitly of the Noahic Flood (Hebrew mabbul, v. 10)
In our text above, the Hebrew word for “wind” is the same as “spirit,” so this phrase could refer to “the wings of the Spirit.” In the Bible’s first reference to “the Spirit of God” (Genesis 1:2), He is seen as “moving” in the presence of the primeval waters, the word being the same as that for the fluttering movement of the wings of a great bird. This vibrating motion implies the generating of mighty waves of energy flowing out from the Spirit to energize the newly created cosmos of Genesis 1:1. Similarly, the divine energy emanates again from the Spirit here at the Flood, but this time in destructive rather than creative power.
The references to waters and darkness in these and nearby verses may well refer to the condensation and precipitation of the extensive canopy suggested by the “waters which were above the firmament” (Genesis 1:7), when great torrents of rain suddenly poured through “the sluiceways of heaven,” continuing at highest intensity for 40 days, then at lesser intensity for 110 more days, until the “thick clouds” were emptied and the great Flood covered the whole earth. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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The Thessalonians follow Paul’s life example and grow to spiritual maturity.
Because the Christian life is more easily caught than taught, personal godliness is a powerful ministry tool, and imitation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Paul gave the Thessalonians not just the words of the Gospel, but also his very life – “you know what kind of men we were among you” (v. 5). The Thessalonian believers witnessed Paul’s life and imitated him, which resulted in spiritual growth for them – “you became followers of us” (v. 6). As a result, they became an example to the Macedonians and Achaians. This pattern of “life-on-life” ministry was first demonstrated by our Lord. Jesus selected 12 men “that they might be with Him” (Mark 3:14). Take a moment to think about how you can learn from or teach someone else in a mentoring relationship. (QuietWalk)
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TEST THE SPIRITS
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.1 John 4:1
The position of the Scripture is one that faces two extremes: The Spirit is essential, and experience is vital; however, truth and definition and doctrine and dogma are equally vital and essential. And our whole position is one that proclaims that experience that is not based solidly upon truth and doctrine is dangerous.
There is the necessity for testing and trying the spirits. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.” Now some people object root and branch to this process of testing. There are many reasons for that, of course. In the case of some people it is nothing but slackness, indolence, and laziness a desire for ease.
But there are those who feel that this whole process of testing and trying the spirits is unscriptural. According to such people, the moment you begin to discuss and consider and define, you cease to be a spiritual person. But my reply to this is that we must test and try the spirits because Scripture commands and exhorts us to do so, and for me that is enough. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits.”
Not only that, but Scripture tells us why we ought to do so: “because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Alas, there are false prophets; there are evil spirits; there is a devil who is so clever and subtle that he can transform himself into an angel of light. If we were confronted with the Holy Spirit only, there would be no need to test the spirits, but the very name “Holy Spirit” suggests other spirits, devilish spirits and there are such powers.
A Thought to Ponder: We must test and try the spirits because Scripture commands and exhorts us to do so. (From The Love of God, pp. 18-20, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Walk away
From people who put you down. Walk away from fights that will never be resolved. Walk away from trying to please people who will never see your work. The more you walk away from thins that poison your soul, the healthier you will be. (Thanks Marcia Crate)
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BREAK POINT
A little over a week ago, the White House issued a series of documents for the “International Transgender Day of Visibility.” Even more than revealing a new progressive “baseline” when it comes to politics and gender, these documents foreshadow new and real threats to religious freedom.
For example, a statement from the Office of Population Affairs claimed that so-called gender-affirming treatment “improves the mental health and overall well-being of gender-diverse children and adolescents.” In this case, however, gender “affirming” means to encourage grade-school children to question their gender and, once they do, provide them with puberty blockers and hormone therapy to help them reject their bodies. In some cases, the document says, adolescents should even have access to so-called “gender-affirming surgery,” a procedure which removes or destroys perfectly healthy body parts and is irreversible.
In recent months, states such as Texas and Florida have taken legislative steps to prevent children from being subjected to such mental and physical harm. However, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), an entity of the Department of Health and Human Services, issued a release proclaiming that “gender-affirming care” is neither “child maltreatment nor malpractice.” Around the same time, the Department of Justice sent a letter to all state attorneys general, saying that opposing HHS guidance is discrimination, is essentially an attack against “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, nonbinary, or otherwise gender-nonconforming” people, and that such actions “may be unconstitutional.” The Department of Justice!
To top it all off, President Joe Biden issued a video in which he spoke specifically to parents, insisting that “affirming [their] child’s identity is one of the most powerful things [they] can do to keep them safe and healthy.” In it, he not only jumped way past the line of state authority into parental authority, but he appealed to biblical language, misguidedly conflating the image of God with the confusion of gender dysphoria.
It’s not just that the government’s claims fail to match reality, or that their talking points are crafted from data with flawed research methodology, or even that their appeals to “settled science” are clearly premature. Transgender ideology falsely promises hope and instead brings harm to people who bear God’s image. When government forces and federal departments are co-opted to advance this ideology, religious freedom is placed in a precarious and fragile position.
Years ago, during the Obama administration, Chuck Colson began to notice how then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other officials began to use the language of “freedom to worship” instead of “freedom of religion.” As he said at the time, freedom to worship is a narrowing of religious freedom, away from public expression toward only private conviction. It is a major loss if religious freedom no longer includes the right to order one’s life around deeply held religious beliefs, but only protects the right to believe in one’s own heart, head, home, and house of worship.
These recent proclamations from the Biden administration assume that flawed understanding of religious conviction, while also establishing a new baseline for political enforcement of the sexual revolution. The statements and letters issued frame all opposition to the state’s view of sexual orientation and gender identity as intent, not only to discriminate, but to harm.
(Sad but true! Our world is changing in the wrong direction).
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Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana to demonstrate His deity to His disciples.
INSIGHT
In John 2:24 we read, “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them.” The word commit is the same word that is translated “faith” or “believe” in other places in the Bible. It gives us additional insight concerning the concept of faith in the Bible.
Faith is more than just intellectual understanding. Once someone understands the Gospel, he must make a personal commitment to it. He must entrust himself to it. In reality, to believe in Jesus Christ is to commit one’s self to Him. (Quiet Walk)
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THE CROSS AND JUDGMENT
He will judge the world in righteousness. Acts 17:31
Christ on the cross says, “Now is the judgment of this world” (John 12:31). He prophesies what is going to happen. He is to be the judge. “He [God] will judge the world in righteousness,” says the apostle Paul to the Athenians, “by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” And Revelation 20:12-13 tells us that the books will be opened, and every man will have to stand before Him. Those who died at sea, those who died on land, those who were blown to nothing in the air—all will come back before Him in the final judgment.
And the simple message of the whole of the Bible is that the world, everything that is opposed to God and trusts in man and in his own power, is all going to be judged and condemned to everlasting misery and destruction. Now you see why Paul glories in the cross. It is the cross alone that saves any one of us from the destruction that is coming to the world. The whole world lies guilty before God, “for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). The whole world is going to be judged and is going to be destroyed.
We are all born in the world and of it. And unless we can be separated from that world, we will share its fate. God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified unto me, and I am separated from it. How? Let me make it clear. On that cross, the Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself the punishment that is coming to all who belong to the world. That is why He died; He was receiving the punishment of the sins of men.
A Thought to Ponder
It is the cross alone that saves any one of us from the destruction that is coming to the world. (Walking with God devotional by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Same Mind
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)
The days of the early church were the days of its greatest power because they were days of its greatest unity. “They, continuing daily with one accord…and singleness of heart.” “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul:…and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 2:46; 4:32-33). It was not long, however, before divisions, contentions, and schisms crept in. Therefore, the New Testament contains many exhortations toward a restoration of the unity—and thus the power—of the early church. Note the following examples.
“Be of the same mind one toward another” (Romans 12:16). “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God” (Romans 15:5-6). “Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11). “Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8).
Real unity, of course, must be both “the unity of the Spirit” and “the unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:3, 13), and “the same mind” must be nothing less than the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Making Every Moment Count
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Matthew 24:42
The halted hands of a pocket watch in a library’s archives at the University of North Carolina tell a harrowing tale. They mark the exact moment (8:19 and 56 seconds) the watch’s owner Elisha Mitchell slipped and fell to his death at a waterfall in the Appalachian Mountains on the morning of June 27, 1857.
Mitchell, a professor at the university, was gathering data to defend his (correct) claim that the peak he was on—which now bears his name, Mount Mitchell—was the highest one east of the Mississippi. His grave is located at the mountain’s summit, not far from where he fell.
As I ascended that mountain peak recently, I reflected on Mitchell’s story and my own mortality and how each of us has only so much time. And I pondered Jesus’ words about His return as He spoke to His disciples on the Mount of Olives: “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44).
Jesus clearly indicates that none of us knows either the moment He’ll return and establish His kingdom forever or when He may summon us to leave this world and come to Him. But He tells us to be prepared and “keep watch” (v. 42).
Tick . . . tick . . . The “clockwork” of our lives is still in motion—but for how long? May we live our moments in love with our merciful Savior, waiting and working for Him.
By James Banks (Our Daily Bread)
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