“For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” Psalm 33:4-5 “Word of the Lord” is His infallible and inerrant revelation provided to all people in either written form (the Bible) or the…
“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 59:16 David sings with joyful abandon of his relationship with God, despite the presence of wicked persons. There are two verbs translated “I will sing”; together…
“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him…” 1 Corinthians 2:9 The “what” are the miraculous acts of salvation in the Old Testament, which are now surpassed by the mystery and…
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 These verses start with a command for the people to respond properly to God. They must listen and obey. These verses, known as…
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2 These are qualities of Christ Himself, which He works in believers for the sake of the Church’s unity. These attitudes do not come naturally. They must be cultivated by the determination to place others above ourselves. Only the Spirit…
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 God is spirit. Since God’s essential nature is spiritual, not material, it reinforces the teaching that people should worship with the inclinations of the heart and by faith. God is not limited by time and space. When people are…
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to…
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 Humble yourselves is the result of being laid low before God because of sin. “Lift you up” … after repentance comes God’s forgiveness, new life, and ultimately the crown of life. Jesus teaches that those who humble themselves before God will be…
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 Paul commands that we continually keep these virtues, which are fundamental ideals of life according to God’s design, in…
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Galatians 6:1 “You who live by the Spirit” could possibly refer to congregational leaders; however, all Christians have the Spirit, not just a select or…