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.
Any honest person, however, would have to confess that God hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
The Bible often defines words through their associations. For instance, the words salute, saluteth, and salutation involve a greeting.
Paul was one of the most religious people ever to live. In spite of his religious efforts, he was condemned to hell until he trusted Christ as Saviour.
In every country, believers should be the most faithful and conscientious citizens. Believers are to do this, not for personal gain, but for the Lord’s sake.
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.
Although no person is excluded from troubles, saints have historically understood that God extends mercy as He divvies out life’s trials.
The Bible mentions true riches thus indicating the existence of false riches. Much of what the world considers riches simply serves as a veil for true poverty. While on earth, the Lord appeared to be the poorest of the poor (Matthew 8:20), all the while being the One who owned all things. The believers at Smyrna appeared to be poor, but the Lord unflinchingly stated that they were in fact rich (Revelation 2:8-9). The opposite was said of those in Laodicea. Although they claimed to be rich, the Bible states the reality: they were poor (Revelation 3:14-17). This truth is confirmed in Proverbs 13:7 when the Bible says, “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”
Those with a broad understanding of scripture recognize that charity functions as the peak of Christianity (see 1 Corinthians 13:13). Yet, few students consider the fact that a good conscience is mentioned within the same context (1 Timothy 1:5). A good conscience was a key component of Paul’s charge to young Timothy (1 Timothy 1:18-19). It was also part of Peter’s admonition to the believers to whom he wrote (1 Peter 3:16). In Paul’s own life, it was one of his chief concerns to serve the Lord with a good or a pure conscience (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3). It may require work, but the early believers saw the importance of putting forth the effort to maintain a good conscience.
The preacher of God’s words has many responsibilities. One such responsibility concerns his obligation to charge believers to live their lives in such a way that they may be void of blame. Paul gave Timothy instructions concerning one’s treatment of other believers (especially widows). This is not the only scriptural admonition to avoid blame. In fact, the scripture is filled with instructions dealing with other subjects meant to help the believer avoid being justly blamed. God instructed the man of God to teach and preach these truths in order to guide the believer. It remains each believer’s responsibility to believe the words of God and live in accordance with those words so as not to bring reproach upon the name or cause of Christ.
