Having a Proper Sense of Self-Worth

Woman at sunset

We must guard ourselves against the sin of arrogance. The wise man warned, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Proverbs 16:18). Paul admonished the saints in Rome, “Everyone among you [is] not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think” (Romans 12:3). James said, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

While it is necessary that we keep from thinking too much of ourselves, we must also keep from thinking too little about ourselves. There is a balance. Thinking too little of ourselves can also lead to sin. If we think that our lives do not matter, we may be reckless in our actions and transgress God’s law. If we think that no one pays attention to us and we will, therefore, not be accountable to others, it becomes easier to flirt with sin. If our self-esteem is dependent upon what others think of us, we will act in such a way as to find approval from others, even if it means committing sin.

Therefore, we must have an appropriate sense of self-worth. Thinking too much of ourselves leads to sin. Thinking too little of ourselves also leads to sin. We need to find the proper balance.
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The Fertile Fields of Sin in Sodom

Lot and the Men of Sodom

Shortly after receiving the promises from God, Abram (Abraham) journeyed out of Egypt with his nephew Lot (Genesis 13:1). A problem soon arose between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen because the land was unable to support all of their livestock (Genesis 13:6-7). Abram proposed that they separate in order to resolve the conflict and allowed Lot to choose which direction he would go (Genesis 13:8-9). Notice what the text says about his decision:

Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord… So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. […] Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom” (Genesis 13:10-12).

While the area around Sodom provided fertile ground for his livestock, Lot ignored a very significant fact about the city: “The men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord” (Genesis 13:13). Just as the ground was fertile to produce vegetation, conditions among the inhabitants of Sodom were fertile to produce the great wickedness in that city.
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A Call for Praise to the Lord

Psalm 100 is a call for all men to praise the Lord. It also reminds us of the reasons we are to praise Him and what our attitude should be in our praise.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.

Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.

There are four points in this psalm that relate to our praise to God.
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Who Is Qualified to Preach the Gospel?

Preaching

It is a commendable thing for one to desire to preach the gospel. Yet not everyone should do it. James wrote, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Preaching the gospel is a serious matter.

How would one become qualified to preach the gospel? Many denominations require that their preachers (or pastors/ministers) complete some sort of training at a college or seminary. Some of our brethren believe a preacher should attend a certain college or complete some type of preacher training program or that these somehow make him more able to teach. But if we really want to know what to expect of one who desires to preach, we need not look any farther than the word of God. The New Testament provides a description of one who is qualified (fit) to preach the gospel.
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Restoration Principles

King Josiah and the scroll

A movement began a couple hundred years ago in this country to try to restore New Testament Christianity. In this period, men discarded the creeds and churches of men to return to the pattern found in the New Testament. In 2 Kings 22, a similar restoration began. The goal was to return to the pattern found in the Law of Moses. The principles in this chapter show how faithful service to God can be restored and maintained. These principles were held by those who worked to restore New Testament Christianity in this country. The same principles can help us today to restore and maintain faithful service to God. Let us examine some lessons from the restoration of King Josiah’s day.
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