“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 The Apostle Paul is apparently addressing Timothy’s lack of confidence in using his spiritual gifts, which form his pastoral aptitude. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives each of us spiritual gifts and…
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 To “love with words” is to feel love and speak loving words but stop short of doing anything. To “love with speech” is to profess what one does not have at all. The opposite of loving…
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9 “How God showed his love among us” was to visibly demonstrate it through Jesus’ work on the Cross on our behalf. “One and only Son” expresses the…
“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 To answer the Jewish lawyer’s question, Jesus quoted from a familiar Jewish confession of…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when…
“Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.” Proverbs 14:22 One of the most significant pairings of words of piety in the Bible is the phrase translated “love and faithfulness”. Together the words mean “constant faithfulness” or “true loyalty.” In the NT, the Greek…
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 “No fear in love” … love is the work and will of God and the fruit of faith in God for the salvation…
“The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:9-10…
“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Proverbs 17:9 The covering of an offense in this sentence is not in the context of sin and salvation vis-a-vis one’s relationship to God. The intention of this verse is to speak of the interrelations of friends, and the…
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:11-12 An exhortation to remember when we are tempted to be unloving. Our love…