All men, at some point in their lives, are confronted with the truth. At such time, men must choose to accept or reject that truth.
What if God was true, but on a limited basis? This would be a cause for great concern; however, this is quelled by the fact that He is both true and faithful.
The God of the Bible is a God of truth. On the other hand, the Devil is the great enemy of truth. The Bible says of him, “there is no truth in him.”
Paul’s salutation was so important to him that although he did not personally pen most of his epistles, he personally penned his salutation.
One day, all who know the Lord as Saviour will cease from their labours. It will be a time of eternal rest experienced only by those who are born again.
Trials, afflictions, and heartaches may presently abound, but those who know the Lord rejoice, knowing that those things only exist for a season.
For many ages now, the people of God have been asking, “how long?” This question suggests a longing, a longing for the Lord to set things straight.
The Lord permits no rivals. In Isaiah 43:11, He said, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” Yet, there is a battle on the horizon that will bring all matters to a head. The Antichrist will sit in the temple of God claiming to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). He will torture the people of God (the Jews) and blaspheme the name of God. He will set up his image and demand that the people worship him (Revelation 13:14-15). This peak of idolatry and blasphemy will lead to the culmination of God’s jealousy when He returns to judge the world (Revelation chapter 19).
One day, the world’s hope will come to an abrupt end. Although the world (apart from Christ) derives its hope from several sources, their common ground revolves around the fact that their hope is not in God. The Bible points to the results: “the hypocrite’s hope shall perish” (Job 8:13), “all that forget God” (Job 8:13) will see their hope “cut off” (Job 8:14), and the hope of the wicked “shall be as the giving up of the ghost” (Job 11:20). Unfortunately, the world can only focus upon the here and now. They judge everything by how things are presently taking place. If they gain (riches, health, material goods, promotions), they assume that they have hope, yet they fail to see that there will be no hope when God brings judgment upon their souls (Job 27:8).
In the presence of others, Paul carefully behaved himself in such a way to bring glory to God. For example, when Paul was in the presence of the believers at Thessalonica, he was gentle, “even as a nurse cherisheth her children.” He laboured “night and day” because he “would not be chargeable” to the believers. Paul conducted himself in such a godly way that he had no problem suggesting that the believers themselves were witnesses of “how holily and justly and unblameably” he had behaved among them. Paul thought his testimony was so important that he would rather personally suffer than bring any reproach or blame upon himself or the work of God.
