Sin withholds good things from man that he would otherwise have opportunity to enjoy. Instead of peace, sin brings unrest, frustration, and heartaches.
In the tribulation, there will be many who will love “not their lives unto the death.” Their love for the Saviour will surpass their love for life itself.
There are certain areas where the Lord shows some of His greatest care and concern. He takes great offence and moves swiftly in their defence when men abuse these areas. For instance, the Bible says that the Lord is jealous for His “holy name” (Ezekiel 39:25). Perhaps, with this in mind, the Lord said, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). The Bible also says that God is jealous for Jerusalem (Zechariah 1:14; Zechariah 8:2), which is His land (Joel 2:18). When people abuse His name or His land, God takes these things particularly personally. Unfortunately, in these last days, men are increasingly abusing both His name and His land.
According to the apostle Paul, the last days would be marked by an ever greater love for pleasure than a love for the Lord. This lack of love for the Lord might manifest itself in various ways but ultimately results from a heart problem. For instance, an individual might forsake Bible reading or prayer in order to enjoy some form of amusement. He might choose not to take part in his church’s outreach because he is instead consumed with pleasure-seeking. He might forsake the assembling together with the saints of God in a worship service because he is consumed by seeking out worldly entertainment. Though men justify these things, this is an open manifestation that men choose pleasures over the God who sent His Son to die for their sins.
Marriage involves a relationship between a man and a woman, but what constitutes a scriptural marriage? Scripturally speaking, it is not merely “flesh joining flesh.” This is plain in that a man could marry a wife only to find that she had been unfaithful with another man to whom she was not married (Deuteronomy 24:1; Matthew 5:32). It is also clear that Shechem defiled Dinah, but then asked if she could become his wife (Genesis 34:1-4). The woman at the well had an improper relationship with a man, but the Lord declared that that particular man was not her husband (John 4:16-18). Instead, marriage occurs when God joins a man and a woman (Genesis 2:21-24; Mark 10:9), and it is often established by a ceremony with vows given to each other (Matthew 22:1-13; John 2:1-2).
The Lord laboured to reveal, inspire, and preserve His words for man to read, learn, and study. Did He do so but then insure that no one could possibly understand? No! The Lord gave man His word with the expectation that each believer would read it and heed what it says. In Isaiah 34:16, the Lord commanded His people to “Seek . . . out of the book of the LORD, and read.” In fact, a constant theme of the Lord’s rebukes, during His earthly ministry, pertained to man’s failure to read the scriptures. In Matthew 12:3, the Lord rebuked the Pharisees for their failure to read about the exploits of David. In another place, the Lord rebuked the Sadducees by saying, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). The Lord obviously expected His people to know and heed His word.
