Christ was no thief, but He allowed Himself to be crucified with and for thieves. Why did He allow this? Love compelled Him to bear the sins of many.
Christians will, at times, desire to hide from the ones to whom they have been called to minister. Even Christ had times when He desired seclusion.
Very few understand that the tongue is one of the most dangerous weapons possessed by man. It is commonly used to wound, deceive, and corrupt others.
Interestingly, the Lord actually commands His people to be angry! This may surprise or concern some believers who fail to study the entirety of scripture within context, but the Lord admonished believers at Ephesus to be angry. No doubt this was a call for a righteous anger with a cause, but nonetheless it was a call for anger. Why? The Bible points out that a godly anger can put a stop to sin. According to Proverbs 25:23, “The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.” This directly correlates to the context of Ephesians 4:26 as the surrounding passages speak of ceasing from sin. Simultaneous to the Lord admonishing believers to be angry, He also cautioned them not to let their righteous anger turn into sin.
With all the difficult challenges that a woman faces within the home, it should not be surprising that the Lord repeatedly gave warnings against a woman with a contentious spirit. How does the downward spiral begin? She may spend her life serving others with little to no thanks. She may honour and submit to a husband who deserves little honour or authority. If she does not continually walk with the Lord, she can become disillusioned with the Lord and with her duties as a mother and wife. She might begin to be contentious (Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 25:24; Proverbs 27:15) causing greater problems in the home, perhaps to the point of causing those she loves to become bitter against her (Colossians 3:19).
The world constantly and consistently contradicts the truths of God. For instance, it has convinced mankind that it is manly to start a fight and cowardly to cease from strife. As is almost always the case, the world’s natural way of thinking stands in stark contrast to true scriptural teachings. According to scripture, “It is an honour for a man to cease from strife.” This reveals that the most honourable of men are those who through God-given wisdom are able to bring strife to a peaceable resolution without the need for war. A fool, however, continues to meddle until a fight breaks out. The Bible clearly states the dangers of meddling, yet a fool chooses to ignore the scriptural warning to his own hurt.
The Bible depicts the hypocrite as someone who may work hard. Yet, their efforts are directed toward the wrong things. The Lord Jesus pointed out that the hypocrites would “compass sea and land to make one proselyte.” This conveys hard work. Think about the difference that Christians could make by labouring that hard to win “one” soul to the Lord! The hypocrite promotes unholy things contrary to the will of God. Believers need to take the right lesson away from studying the hypocrite. Each of us should be working hard to lead others to Christ and then to teach sound Bible doctrine. Yet, we should spend a lot less time finding fault in others. If we did, churches would be full of converts growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Many carnal believers quoting 1 Timothy 5:23 have attempted to justify their unscriptural use of alcohol. Yet, a careful look at the scriptures proves that they wrest (or twist) the scripture to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). From the passage, we understand that Timothy was plagued by some chronic health problems. Paul specifically mentioned stomach problems, but there were other infirmities that beset him as well. Drinking water was not curing Timothy’s ailments, so Paul, perhaps with doctor Luke’s guidance and recommendation, suggested “a little wine” for Timothy’s often infirmities. What purpose did the wine serve? It was strictly medicinal and not social or pleasurable. In other words, Paul said that Timothy needed some medicine to facilitate his recovery. Paul was not offering Timothy or us an excuse to drink but a prescription of medicine for recovery from debilitating ailments.
Some Bible teachers have erroneously suggested that anger is a sin. But God actually commands His people to be angry, yet further instructs them not to allow that anger to push them to respond sinfully (Ephesians 4:26). If a man can be angry without sinning, then anger is not a sin. In fact, anger used in a righteous manner can accomplish many things for the Lord. One of the benefits of anger is found in today’s passage. A good, healthy, angry countenance can serve as the best remedy to keep people from backbiting others while in your presence. The reason people backbite others is because they have an audience for their vitriol. If we would express our displeasure, the backbiting would cease. Try it out! The backbiting tongue will cease the moment you respond with an angry countenance.
Athletes understand the importance of being temperate in their training. They incorporate a variety of exercises to strengthen each body part thus maximizing their potential. Limiting training to one aspect causes the athlete to lose his edge. It is important to realize that exercise is only one part of the training regimen. For instance, no serious athlete ignores the importance of a balanced diet rich in nutrients. Dedicated athletes strive for a corruptible crown by implementing temperance in all things. Believers seeking a spiritually incorruptible crown should learn from the athletes who incorporate temperance. An athlete missing out at the finish line results in sadness. The Christian's failure to incorporate balance will cause him to lose rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. This is the greater loss.
