God wants believers to serve Him in truth. In fact, it is this very issue that will determine “of what sort” our work is at the judgment seat of Christ.
Sin has consequences and brings responsibility. A man who gets right with the Lord should naturally look for ways to restore that which he has stolen.
God offers no account of anyone (apart from Jesus Christ) who ever suffered quite like Job. Job in many ways serves as an example for believers today.
There are times when we attempt to do the right thing only to have our motive judged as impure. In such times, we can learn much from David's example.
The Old Testament Law declares and expresses the mind of God. It demonstrates God’s hatred for sin and His desire for just judgment.
God places a high value on life. His desire was for man to be fruitful and multiply and bring forth abundantly in the earth (Genesis 9:7).
A tremendous spiritual and physical battle wages around the value of life and the determination of when life begins. Unfortunately, Christians have incorporated the unscriptural terminology of the world by allowing the opposition to define these most important matters. This is especially true concerning the birth of a child. According to the Bible, a woman who is expecting is said to be “with child” (Genesis 16:11; Matthew 1:18). Modern terminology removes the direct association of the unborn to life. Sadly, the termination of the unborn life is simply labeled as an “abortion” rather than murder (the ungodly shedding of innocent blood). To abort means the cancellation of a mission. A woman who is “with child” has another living soul “with” her. As time progresses in the child’s development within the womb, the mother becomes “great with child” (Luke 2:5) until she is “ready to be delivered” (Revelation 12:4; see also 1 Samuel 4:19; Isaiah 26:17).
When a believer considers the Bible’s use of “temptation,” he most often associates its usage to something sinful. Though this may be the scripture’s most common usage of the word, context must always be the determining factor. God undeniably tempted Abraham, yet the temptation was not meant to bring about sin. The temptation served as a test of Abraham’s faith. Basically, temptation functions as a means to try one’s faith. James 1:2-3 clearly offers the connection as it incorporates the words “temptations” and “trying” interchangeably. The author, the purpose, and the circumstances surrounding temptations will vary, but the underlying premise remains constant. Each believer must learn how to discern the specifics when tempted.
Oftentimes the right solutions do not resolve the problems overnight—consider Noah, the ark, and the flood. Patience is a necessity! They all knew God’s plan involved drying the earth and sending them forth from the ark. No doubt, each passing day made it increasingly difficult to wait upon the Lord to resolve the problem that kept them locked in the ark. A man who demands a hasty solution to his problems often fails to find God’s ultimate solution. God’s solutions almost always require time and patience. The problems arose over a period of time and finding their solutions takes time also. The areas of life where troubles most often appear (i.e., sin, family, job, finances) are rarely solved apart from time and patience.
Job’s home was certainly not a perfect home, but God testified to this man’s faithfulness. The Bible points to prayer as one of Job’s most faithful qualities. Job continually sought the Lord on his children’s behalf with offerings and prayer. One might consider this a simple task if the family loves and serves God together. Yet, Job’s wife is the only indicator we have of Job’s family and she mocked Job’s faithfulness (Job 2:9). Some husbands and fathers are quick to point out the errors of those within their home, but could only be moved to prayerful intercession before the Lord by a tragic event. A man who fails to pray for his God-given family is really no man at all.
