Scripture plainly reveals that God repeatedly calls for His people to separate from the world. This separation extends to every aspect of life, especially including the marriage bond. Why? Because God knows the very real danger that unbelievers pose to believers by drawing them away from Him (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Judges 3:6-7; 1 Kings 11:2). This is why God specifically instructed His people in both the Old and New Testament to marry among themselves (Jew with Jew and Christian with Christian). The nation of Israel was forbidden to yoke up with the surrounding nations because Israel would adopt heathen practices and the worship of false gods (Exodus 34:15-16). Though God’s commands for the New Testament believer are often different from His plan for the Jew, in this aspect they remain constant and unchangeable.
Modern society is increasingly mocking purity, yet God is pleased with those who endeavour to keep themselves pure before marriage. Increasing temptations combined with the declining standards concerning courting have made purity a rarity rather than the norm. Regardless of this trend, young people with a deep and abiding love for the Lord will continually strive to overcome these obstacles and remain pure. Those who have failed in the past will renew their commitment to the Lord seeking to prevent further regrets. This must be accomplished with a firm resolve. A young person must determine that he or she is going to respect the commandments of God and the other individual with whom he or she is courting. Beyond this, each young person must determine to build fences of protection to keep from entering into tempting situations. The Devil does not need much room to rob a youth of his or her purity (Ephesians 4:27).
The Bible plainly points out that God is not the author (or originator) of the confusion in the life of any believer. In fact, God desires for every individual to have clarity of mind when it comes to the truths found in His word. He wants man to know for a certainty concerning his eternal destination, whether heaven or hell. God furthermore wants man to have perfect clarity in distinguishing sin from righteousness. Simply put, God has no desire for believers to live in a confused state of mind. Had sin never entered into the world, there would be no conflicting feelings or voices introducing the confusion so prevalent today. Yet, God’s truth becomes even more essential in order to clear up the confusion caused by sin and Satan.
Charity is certainly love, but not merely what we would consider a standard type of love and certainly not like today’s usage or definition. Charity is a deeper, fuller, and stronger type of love. In fact, charity remains at the peak of Christianity (1 Corinthians 13:13; 2 Peter 1:7) and is to be sought above all else (Colossians 3:14). With this in mind, a man would be wise to study the subject of charity in the Bible. After careful consideration, if he finds himself not behaving charitably, he should adjust his actions. The Bible also says that charity suffers long and envies not (1 Corinthians 13:4). It rejoices not in iniquity, but in truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). Additionally, charity is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4). This shows that those behaving charitably treat others like members of their family. Those displaying charity will care for others in the good times as well as the bad. They will rejoice when there is truth, but never in iniquity.
God's choice of the word kindness reveals a compound word clearly defined within scripture. When studying a compound word, it helps to first consider the root word definition. Kindness contains the root word kind. A cursory look might reveal this study as quite simplistic, but a good Bible student exposes the spiritual depths of any particular truth. He first considers other uses of the word kind and then examines the words containing the same root word. For example, the Bible refers to something reproducing “after his kind.” The context of this phrase reveals that it refers to those belonging to the same family. Likewise, the compound word kindred incorporates the same root word kind and means to be within the same family. This truth is further confirmed by our subject passage referring to “brotherly kindness” (2 Peter 1:7). These truths indicate that a man demonstrates kindness as he treats other people as though they are a treasured part of his own family.
