“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8 Paul here is addressing believers, not people in general. Believers belong to the Lord. They live and die in relation to Him. Therefore, Christians should…
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and…
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 We are all part of God’s handiwork in His creation. Our “good works” are not the cause of our salvation, but its result. Judaizers threatened most early Christian communities, teaching that…
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 In the Old Testament (OT) the temple was the congregation of believers….
“I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.” Psalm 119:14 “Rejoice in following Your statutes” is the Psalmist’s confession that he takes more delight in the doctrines of God’s Word than he does in riches of the world. That which we have laid up in our hearts and upon which we…
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 The phrase “refuge and strength” may be rephrased “our impenetrable defense.” The psalms regularly use imagery of a fortress to describe God. In the ancient Middle East, cities were built on heights with high walls for defense. Yet there was no city…
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7 “Sparrows sold for two pennies” is a reference of the very poor purchasing sparrows for food,…
“All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” Psalm 119:160 In Psalm 119, eight words repeatedly describe God’s Word. Since each term describes God’s Word, Hebrew poetry uses them in parallel lines, complementing one another in meaning. God’s promises give life because of God’s trustworthy nature. The term “Law” means instruction or…
“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” Jeremiah 33:2-3 Jeremiah appealed to God’s power in creation as the basis for…
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 The appearance and stature of Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab,…