January 22, 2013

Hedges to Help Protect Us from Sin

Hedges

When Satan came before the Lord, God praised Job for his righteousness: “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:8). Satan, however, protested. In his mind, he believed that God was unfairly protecting Job from temptation: “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” (Job 1:10). This “hedge” of divine blessing made Job less susceptible to temptation.

Of course, when God granted permission for this “hedge” to be removed, Job remained faithful (Job 1:22; 2:10). But the fact that Job had to work harder to resist the temptation to forsake God cannot be denied. Temptation was more severe when the “hedge” protecting Job was taken away.

As we make application to our lives, we should understand that we can have certain hedges to help protect us from sin. God has promised a way of escape so that every temptation can be defeated (1 Corinthians 10:13). The more hedges we have in place, the better we will be able to overcome temptation.

The only infallible safeguard against temptation is the word of God. The wise man wrote, “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:5). However, there are other hedges that we can put in place to help guard against temptation. We will consider a few of these in this article. We should understand that none of these safeguards are infallible, but they can greatly help if we use them properly.
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January 9, 2013

Take Courage

In concluding His final address to the apostles before His arrest, Jesus told them to be courageous in the face of the hardships that would be coming against them.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Courage is the confidence and conviction to do what one knows to be right, regardless of the consequences. The apostles needed courage to carry out the Lord’s instructions without being deterred by the persecution that awaited them.

As Christians, we also need to have courage today. The Lord has left instructions for us to follow. We are to “observe all that [Christ] commanded” (Matthew 28:20). Furthermore, we are warned that we will become a target by following the Lord’s instructions. Paul said, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).

How can we “take courage” (John 16:33) so that we will be able to endure the sufferings that will come for the cause of Christ?
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January 1, 2013

Practical Ways for Developing a Better Understanding of God’s Word

Bible Study

At the start of the new year, many have made the determination to increase their knowledge and understanding of the Bible. This is certainly commendable. The Bible is the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). It contains the “words of eternal life” (John 6:68). The gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). No book is more deserving of our attention than the Bible.

It is one thing to want to grow in knowledge of the Bible. It is another to actually do it. So as we begin this new year, I want to consider some practical ways in which each one of us can develop a better understanding of the word of God.
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December 22, 2012

The Silence of the Scriptures (12/22)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Hebrews 7-10.

As the Hebrew writer explained to his readers that Jesus was the new high priest (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-15; 5:8-10; 6:20), he made it clear that the priesthood of Jesus after the order of Melchizedek would be different and better than the Levitical priesthood. But the fact that the priesthood would be better did not provide authority for the new priesthood. The law would have to change for the new priesthood to be authorized. The Hebrew writer explained:

“For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests” (Hebrews 7:12-14).

Priests coming from the tribe of Levi was not a matter of tradition but a matter of divine law (Numbers 3:5-7). The reason given by the Hebrew writer as to why Jesus, being from the tribe of Judah, was prohibited from being a priest under the Old Law teaches us a fundamental point about Bible authority.
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December 18, 2012

A Message of Life or Death

2 Corinthians 2:15-16

Often when people want to emphasize the serious nature of a matter, they describe it as “a matter of life or death.” The gospel is certainly a serious matter as it pertains to our eternal life or death (Romans 6:23). But in another sense, the gospel is a message of either life or death depending on how it is received by the one who hears it. Notice what Paul wrote to the brethren in Corinth:

“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

For some, the gospel is a message “from life to life.” For others, it is a message “from death to death.” Which one depends on how the hearer perceives it. Let us notice the difference in perspectives.
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December 4, 2012

“Peddling the Word of God” (12/4)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Corinthians 1-4.

When one has a product to sell, he will highlight its impressive features and keep silent about any real or perceived problems it may have. It is common for one to exaggerate and even lie in order to sell his product. If sales are not as good as he hopes, he may even decide to change the product altogether to make it more appealing to his target audience. When one is selling a regular product or service, there is nothing wrong with making changes in order to improve sales, as long as he continues to “provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17, KJV).

However, too many people view the gospel as a product to be sold and will, therefore, change it in order to make it appealing to a larger group of people. Yet the gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16), not a common product to be marketed and sold. Therefore, we must not treat it as common or changeable. Notice what Paul told the brethren in Corinth:

“For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 2:17).

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December 2, 2012

“Do Not Be Children in Your Thinking” (12/2)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Corinthians 12-14.

When the disciples tried to prevent children from being brought to Jesus, the Lord said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). There are certain characteristics common in children that disciples must have (innocence, trust, etc.). Yet Jesus did not teach that His followers must be like children in all things. Notice what Paul told the brethren in Corinth:

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20).

While there are certain characteristics of children that are to be emulated, there are others that are not. In this passage, Paul said that in the realm of thinking, Christians are not to be like children, but are to be mature.
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