Truth is a crucial piece in the believer’s armour, girding the loins and, as such, freeing a man from life's entanglements.
Although there are times where God respects some while rejecting others, God’s acceptance of one and rejection of another is never a baseless respect.
Death is the departure of the soul and spirit from the body, but where does each part of man end up after a man dies? The Bible answers this question and more.
God especially cares for all those that the world frequently disregards. For instance, the Bible points out that the Lord is “the helper of the fatherless,” and the poor commit themselves unto His care (Psalm 10:14). Why is it important for the poor to look up for their help? Because the Lord regards “the oppression of the poor” (Ecclesiastes 5:8) and delivers the poor “from him that is strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him” (Psalm 35:10). Jeremiah confirmed this truth when he said, “the LORD . . . hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers” (Jeremiah 20:13). The world may regard the poor as a burden, but the Lord sees them as one of His highest priorities.
Without the truth, there can be no true biblical conviction. By definition, conviction is the work of God that convinces an individual concerning the validity of truth and accountability for truth. The Spirit of God takes the law of God and writes it upon men’s hearts. That truth works upon a man’s conscience to accuse or excuse one’s thoughts. Either way, this work is very much the work of conviction. On one hand, a man develops the conviction that Jesus is the only way to get his sins forgiven. On the other hand, a man sees himself as sinful with no hope. In the end, conviction demands a holy God and a holy truth in order to forgive sin. Both elements working together bring true biblical heartfelt conviction.
It is extremely important for everyone to have a functioning conscience. According to Romans 2:15, the conscience works in man to either accuse or else excuse his thoughts. His thoughts further affect his actions. The more often a conscience is ignored, the sooner it loses its capability to work upon man. The same holds true for any conscience defiled by sin. In John chapter 8, as the Lord dealt with the scribes and Pharisees, the desired inner workings of the conscience can be seen. In this instance, the religious leaders brought a woman before the Lord, accusing her of sin. In response, the Saviour suggested that he that was without sin should be the first to cast a stone in judgment. One by one the consciences of the religious leaders convicted them as they turned and walked away.
Breaking down a compound word into its parts is one of the easiest ways to understand what it means. The word conscience is a compound word made up of the root word science and the prefix con. The prefix con means with while the root word science means knowledge. As is often the case, the built-in dictionary of the Bible helps to solidify this connection, understanding, and definition. In 1 Corinthians 8:7 and 1 Corinthians 8:10, the word conscience is used in conjunction with the mention of knowledge possessed by men. Romans 2:15 makes a similar connection by joining the word conscience with the statement that something is written in the heart. As such, God designed a man’s conscience as an internal tool to place pure and righteous knowledge within an individual that he would otherwise lack.
Divorce is not the only tragedy that can directly split a home. In fact, the separation caused by death often impacts the home similar to the act of divorce. Throughout scripture, the Lord promises to minister to and defend those whose homes are torn apart because of death’s sting. Though this separation is not always directly caused by specific sin, all death results as a consequence of the entry of sin into the world. As such, the Lord shows Himself strong to those who feel its impact most. Any time a home is severed there are difficulties, but the difficulties of losing a husband and father require special attention from the Lord and He is glad to offer His strength to those directly affected. The God of the Bible is the God of the widow and the fatherless, and He never forsakes His own.
Godly ladies are known for the love they express toward others. Isaiah 49:15 might be used to argue otherwise, but the Lord references a mother’s love to depict the peak of earthly love. This passage simply points out that the mother’s love only fails to reach the pinnacle when compared to God’s own love toward His creation. God made a woman’s heart tender, but sin can harden this tender heart. For this reason, the older women within the New Testament church are instructed to nurture this particular trait within the younger women by teaching them how to love their husbands and their children (Titus 2:4). When things are spiritually right, the godly woman makes it her priority to care for those whom God has given her, and she does so in love. Examples of this love permeate the pages of scripture.
Following a shipwreck, Paul, and those with him, escaped to an island called Melita. The Bible describes the natives as a barbarous people who were not completely void of truth. They demonstrated kindness toward those who had escaped the sea by kindling a fire for them. Paul helped the natives by gathering a bundle of sticks to cast upon the fire. As he cast the sticks on the fire, a viper came out of the heat and fastened on Paul’s hand. Immediately, the barbarians assumed Paul to be a murderer who was being recompensed for his wickedness. Even though these people did not know the Lord, they had some of His laws written in their consciences..
