God’s desire is that His people would grow into unity. The “perfect man” will experience this unity. The word perfect does not suggest a person without sin; but, rather, an individual who has matured in the Lord and been “furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:17). A perfect man is not without error, but is mature enough in the Lord to exercise the lowliness, meekness, and forbearance discussed in the previous devotions. The Bible says, “Mark the perfect man . . . for the end of that man is peace” (Psalm 37:37). The will of God is that “we all” would come to this “unity of the faith.” It will only happen as believers grow “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
People unite over various causes. Some of those causes are righteous, while others are not. Unity based upon a righteous cause pleases the Lord and leads to righteous acts. Unity based upon ungodly or carnal causes grieves the Lord and leads to the wickedness we find so prevalent in the world today. After the flood, the Lord commanded Noah and his family to “replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1). They could not replenish the earth if they remained together so the Lord wanted Noah’s family to spread out across the earth. Yet, the people immediately began settling together and “Noah began to be an husbandman” (Genesis 9:20). This may seem insignificant, but it was only the precursor to the unified desire in Genesis 11:4 to build “a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven.” Noah’s disobedience led to further and greater disobedience and unity in a common wicked cause.
Though the means of worldly safety have changed throughout time, people have always put their trust in various things to offer temporary safety. The Bible depicts those who trusted in fenced walls (Deuteronomy 28:52), nations (Isaiah 30:2-3), horses, horsemen and chariots (Isaiah 31:1), weapons (Psalm 44:6), and mountains (Amos 6:1). People today place their trust in weapons, security systems, governments, insurance policies, and even medicines. Though the sources of trust have changed, the Lord remains just as grieved today when men place their trust upon the things of this world rather than upon Him. Ultimately, every source of worldly safety will fail, often in the moment we perceive as our greatest time of need.
Most people in the world would not consider themselves rich. For this reason, they might think it impossible to trust in riches. They might point to their meager bank accounts as evidence. Yet, a person does not have to be rich in order to trust in riches. No matter the amount of riches or treasures that one might have, there is a very real danger in trusting in those things. Riches, however, are of little value. According to Psalm 49:6-8, riches are of no assistance in man’s greatest need, the redemption of his soul. Not only can riches not help, but they are uncertain (1 Timothy 6:17). Those who trust in them will be disappointed and will ultimately fall (Proverbs 11:28). Even if riches increase, man should not set his heart upon them (Psalm 62:10).
Thoughts do not have to be wicked in order to be troublesome. Any thought contrary to faith will eventually cause a man to stumble. In Genesis 20:11, Abraham’s thoughts hindered his faith. He perceived that the fear of God was not in Gerar and decided to lie about the identity of his wife in order to insure his personal well-being. Rather than trusting God, he trusted his thoughts. Another example is Naaman. He refused to wash in the Jordan River because he thought that the prophet should have recovered his leprosy by coming out, calling upon the name of the Lord, and striking his hand over the place of leprosy (2 Kings 5:11). When a man trusts in his own thoughts over the words of God, that man shows a complete disregard for truth.
Many have erroneously assumed that the disciples readily accepted Christ’s teachings concerning His death, burial, and resurrection. When Simon Peter first heard the Lord teach on the subject, he immediately took the Lord and rebuked Him for what He said. The Lord Jesus responded by rebuking Peter, going so far as calling him Satan. Peter rebuked the Lord because the Lord’s teaching did not align with Peter’s perception and plans. He had no authority for rebuking the Lord and should have submitted himself to the Lord’s teaching. Some things have changed, but some have not. Believers today “rebuke” the Lord when they respond carnally to God’s working within their lives. They fail to realize their duty is to submit to the Lord.
Believers are to rebuke others in one form or another, but what primary purpose should the rebuking serve? Some rebuke with a prideful heart leaving the person rebuked with feelings of inferiority. Some rebuke because they themselves are guilty of the same glaring fault within their own lives. However, what purpose should rebuking others serve? According to Titus 1:13, believers are told to rebuke others “that they may be sound in the faith.” Scripturally rebuking someone never serves as a self-gratifying act. Rather, it focuses upon helping others grow, improve, and spiritually mature in the Lord. It should never be the desire of a believer to see another person destroyed through a rebuke but always edified. Galatians 6:1 reiterates this same truth.
Paul served as Timothy’s mentor. In fact, Paul referred to Timothy as his “son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). As Timothy’s mentor, Paul gave Timothy truths with the intent that he would pass along those teachings to other believers. Though there are certainly variations of what should be taught, Paul laid out two foundational categories when he mentioned “words of faith and of good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6). Though specifics are given in the epistles of First and Second Timothy and Titus, every teaching should reflect the categories set forth by the apostle Paul. Even practical teaching ought to be based upon the words of God, as some teachings are good (2 Thessalonians 2:15), and some are bad (Matthew 15:9). Every teacher should teach with hopes of eventually learning from his students when they too become the teachers.
Should prayer be kept private or can it be done in publick? For various reasons, some believers have grown increasingly concerned about the appropriate places to call upon the Lord. In Matthew 6:5-6, the Lord rebuked the publick prayers of the hypocrites and suggested that His people should enter into their closets to pray. The Lord Himself followed this pattern by seeking a “solitary place” in which to pray (Mark 1:35). Does this mean that the Lord opposed all publick prayer? It is important to consider the whole counsel of God. Obviously the Lord was not displeased with the publick prayer meeting held by believers in the early church – He answered their prayer by freeing Peter (Acts 12:12). Furthermore, the Lord expressed His will – for men to “pray every where.”
Most Christians have an incorrect concept of the meaning of the word praise. Perhaps one reason for this is the fact that some believers have labeled many charismatic tendencies as praise in order to justify their behaviour. Historically, the word was understood to have a connection to value or worth. Even today, people understand this connection when considering the word appraisal. In fact, many verses that deal with praise also include some statement of the Lord’s worth. 2 Samuel 22:4 says, “I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised.” One must declare the worth of the object of praise in order to praise someone or something. If an action fails to declare the personal value of a person or thing, it cannot rightly be considered praise.
