Our studies reveal that the Bible places great emphasis upon the evils of strife. Any sincere believer should recognize that this negative strife is often based upon pride, hatred, and a love for transgression. Yet, there are times when the opposite holds true. Striving can be done out of a holy desire to please the Lord. Perhaps the most significant aspect concerns the enemy with whom believers strive. The apostle Paul said that he “strived to preach the gospel” (Romans 15:20) and desired for believers to “strive together with” him in prayers to God (Romans 15:30). He further illustrated his point concerning striving by pointing out some opposing parallels: the world strives for mastery in order to gain a corruptible crown, but believers should strive to gain an incorruptible crown.
The apostle Paul wanted to educate the Corinthians concerning the deeper things of God; however, he was unable to do so because of their inability to grasp such spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). These believers displayed a carnality like none other found within the scriptures. As a result of their carnality, they also exhibited envy, strife, and divisions (1 Corinthians 3:3). As their boasting concerning the individuals they chose to follow escalated, the divisiveness also increased. Some of them boasted of following Paul, while others boasted of following Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:4). They were full of pride and Paul had to enlighten them concerning the foolishness of this strife. The strife birthed from pride yielded a foolish behaviour. Strife was all the evidence Paul needed to rebuke these believers concerning their carnality.
The Bible plainly points out that God is not the author (or originator) of the confusion in the life of any believer. In fact, God desires for every individual to have clarity of mind when it comes to the truths found in His word. He wants man to know for a certainty concerning his eternal destination, whether heaven or hell. God furthermore wants man to have perfect clarity in distinguishing sin from righteousness. Simply put, God has no desire for believers to live in a confused state of mind. Had sin never entered into the world, there would be no conflicting feelings or voices introducing the confusion so prevalent today. Yet, God’s truth becomes even more essential in order to clear up the confusion caused by sin and Satan.
God comforts believers expecting that they, in turn, will extend that heaven-sent comfort toward others during their times of need. Believers are admonished to “comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, and be patient toward all men” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Stronger believers are encouraged to bear the infirmities of those who are weak (Romans 15:1). When one believer weeps as a result of the trials and troubles of this life, the body of Christ should weep with that brother or sister (Romans 12:15). Every member of the body of Christ should be available to the strengthening and support of other members of the body, for in doing so, believers fulfil the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
The death of someone is a sorrowful event, but much more so for those who do not know God (the lost). Believers, on the other hand, understand that the separation of death is only temporary. For this reason, believers should find much hope after losing a loved one who knew the Lord. This loss serves as another reminder to look forward to the joys of heaven awaiting God’s people. The scenario is much different for the lost. When a lost person loses a loved one, there is no reason for hope. If the departed loved one was saved, no hope for a reunion is both real and anticipated; however, if the loved one was never saved, hell will not be a place for any joyous reunions. It is terrible to witness others lose loved ones to death without the wonderful hope offered by God to His children.
Man cannot be drunk with wine and simultaneously filled with the Spirit. The two elements are completely inconsistent and stand in direct conflict. Man will be either yielded to the control of the Spirit or yielded to the control of alcohol but cannot be yielded simultaneously to both. “[B]e not drunk with wine” is a commandment to avoid sin. “[B]e filled with the Spirit” is a commandment to yield to righteousness. This dichotomy should be an easy choice for each and every believer to identify and formulate. On one hand, the individual can choose to indulge in alcoholic beverages, resulting in a choice to displease the Saviour. On the other hand, he can yield to the Holy Ghost, resulting in a decision pleasing to His Lord. No believer should ever be deceived into believing that he can fill himself with both the world’s drink and God’s Spirit. It does not work, it will not work, and it cannot not work!
Two of the greatest opportunities within godly homes revolve around time spent at the family altar and time spent together at the supper table. Both interactions help to develop a cohesive family unit and an unbreakable bond. The family altar helps the family to get to know the Lord while the family table enables the family to get to know each other. The psalmist speaks of the blessing of having children around the table (Psalm 128:3). Some may wonder if this is some other table, but the context of Psalm 128:2 is that of a meal. Families historically placed great importance upon gathering together around the table as much as possible. Today’s disintegrating familial unit usually has each person grabbing his or her own food only to rush off into some other room for work or pleasure. These times of gathering need to be given precedence in order to offer any hope of restoring the family unit.
A believer should be controlled only by the Lord. At no point should a man be controlled by the cravings of his body, even that of his appetite. No doubt, Paul’s words above covered a much broader scope than simply a man’s appetite, but he too understood the need to control one’s cravings. The Bible records several instances where Paul was hungry and had nothing to eat (2 Corinthians 11:27). Solomon warned his son about the need for controlling one’s appetite when seated before rulers at a meal. He admonished, “When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite” (Proverbs 23:1-2).
Life is cyclical. Many of the physical challenges experienced by young children will once again be encountered by those who live long enough. As a person ages, many things taken for granted long ago in the prime of life begin to deteriorate. For instance, the Bible says that Israel’s eyes “were dim for age” (Genesis 48:10), Barzillai’s hearing and taste buds were ill affected (2 Samuel 19:34-35), and David “gat no heat” (1 Kings 1:1) as he grew old. For these reasons and others, the Bible emphasizes that aged saints are “old and well stricken in age” (Genesis 18:11). In other words, the passing of time or the coming of age strikes the physical well-being of the body and its physical and mental functions. This physical and mental degeneration is the fulfillment of the cycle of life as the body prepares to return to the dust from whence it originally came (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
There are people everywhere who are not saved, no matter where anyone lives. In addition to that, there may also be those who do not even have the knowledge of God. Unfortunately, many believers take for granted that all those who live in certain developed nations of the world have heard the gospel of Christ. This simply is not true. As fewer preach and teach the gospel of God’s grace, the number of those ignorant of these truths continues to increase exponentially. In addition to this, those propagating damnable doctrines continue to muddy the message of salvation. These realities increase the responsibility of true believers to be better ambassadors for Christ. Paul expressed these truths when writing to the believers in Corinth. He told them about the ignorance of some in their midst and put the blame squarely upon those who knew the truth and refused to witness.
