The Bible often speaks of sin as a thing of the past pertaining to the believer’s life prior to salvation. This is not because believers are without sin, but the goal of every believer should be to depart from and avoid the sins which once controlled his life prior to salvation. These past actions which helped us to see our lost condition should be viewed as the friend of our past and the enemy of our present and future. This is exactly how Paul spoke of envy in his epistle to Titus. According to Paul, “we . . . were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” Concerning the sins of the past, Paul further admonishes: “let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints” (Ephesians 5:3).
Charity is the peak of Christianity (2 Peter 1:5-7). The Bible says that after salvation, charity is to be desired above all other things (1 Peter 4:8) and is the bond of perfectness (Colossians 3:14). Yet far too many people, Christians included, know so little about charity. God has not left man without answers, both simple and profound. First Corinthians chapter 13 offers the most vivid description of charity: charity suffereth long and is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4). It rejoiceth not in iniquity but in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). It beareth, believeth, hopeth, and endureth all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). Out of all the wonderful things associated to charity, the Bible makes it clear that charity will have no part with envy.
Though peace may seem illusive, God instructs all believers to pursue after it. True inner peace is not something that one can afford to live without. The Bible says, “seek peace, and pursue it.” Peter reiterates this truth by saying, “seek peace, and ensue it” (1 Peter 3:11). Men should seek after peace; and when found, they should allow nothing to prevent them from fully seizing upon it. The Lord said, “therefore love the truth and peace” (Zechariah 8:19). Several New Testament verses repeat the importance of peace by admonishing the believer to follow after it (Romans 14:19; 2 Timothy 2:22; Hebrews 12:14). God certainly wants us to seek peace (1 Corinthians 7:15) and makes peace attainable. Yet, He demands that we pursue after His peace His way because any other peace is really no peace at all.
