“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
 
This verse is about Victory—spiritual victory that we can have if we maintain the kind of tight relationship with Jesus Christ the Apostle Paul has been describing in this section of scripture. 
 
Having just listed some of the difficulties we may experience as human beings, Paul interrupts and makes this powerful and dramatic statement about Victory. Those who are faithful are not just conquerors—they are “more than conquerors,” Paul says in describing our ongoing battle with Satan.
 
The key to this Victory is not allowing anything—any of the kinds of problems he mentions here—to separate us from the love of Christ nor the love of God. That separation could come only as a result of our failing to obey the instructions provided in the inspired word. 
 
The goal of every sincere Christian, then, is to come to the end of life with the assurance of Victory in our hearts as we view judgment day and eternity. 
 
Love,
Joe

“And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?” (Judges 2:2).
 
When God gave the land of Canaan to the tribes of Israel, it was with the understanding that they would drive out the wicked people found there. They were to break down their idols and their altars.
 
In that beautiful land of promise, God wanted them to create a pure and holy nation that would literally glow with the glory of God against the backdrop of the wicked idolatry that was present there. The problem was they did not do what God commanded; so, theirs was a story of failure. They became tired, too eager to build their houses and to develop their farms.
 
Like these people, sometimes we ignore direct teaching in scripture about how God wants us to conduct our physical and spiritual lives: instead, we take care of our own business and follow our own ideas, thinking God will love what we are doing regardless.
 
If that ever becomes our way of thinking and mode of operating, we must know that the New Testament teaches we will arouse the same kind of displeasure from God as they did.
 
We in the Christian Age have the same kind of direction as these people of old: we must follow God’s direction, even if we do not understand His reason for requiring it. Jesus put it best: “If you love me, keep My commandments.”
 
Love,
Joe

“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
 
James addresses one of the most rewarding opportunities available to us as followers of Jesus Christ as he teaches about our responsibility for helping each other get to heaven.
 
First of all, there is the truth that every Christian has the obligation to obey. Second, there is the possibility that we will stray away from the truth—that is, depart from the way laid out in scripture for us to follow.
 
If such an error happens in the life of one of our fellow Christians, we are responsible for trying to assist that person in returning to the truth of God—in love, of course. 
 
If we are successful, we will help that person save his soul as well as help him or her cover—that is, receive forgiveness for—whatever sin he may have been guilty of committing.
 
Love,
Joe

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me” (John 14:23-24).
 
A man named Judas (not Iscariot) serves as spokesman for the group here as Jesus interacts with His disciples in this, one of His parting messages. And Jesus could not have been clearer in His response: we make known our love for the Father and for Jesus by what we do and speak.
 
Claims of love and devotion by themselves are not acceptable, even loud and “showy” ones. If our love for God is not real, it is not pleasing to Him—God has never accepted hypocritical actions from His creation. Rather, we manifest our devotion and love for Him by keeping His words.
 
So, the way we conduct our lives and the attitudes we manifest are highly important. It is not that we do good deeds to be seen of others—we do them to please God. On the other hand, our manner of life should be such that our love for God and for the things pertaining to God naturally show through to those around us.
 
The message of these two verses can make a significant difference in our spiritual acceptability. Such verses as these can serve as a wake-up call if we lend a sincere, listening ear to them.
 
Love,
Joe

“Better not to vow than to vow and not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:5).
 
God has always demanded integrity from His people; and the keeping of vows is no exception. While the New Testament more often uses words like “keeping promises” and “telling the truth,” the Old Testament is replete with teaching about the making and keeping of vows.
 
The preacher, in this verse, says it more succinctly than any of the other writers: when we make a vow to God, we must intend to keep it or we should not make it at all.  To “pay” means we have every intention of doing whatever it is we are promising.
 
Vows include any promise we make to God or before God: for example, obeying the gospel (this vow means we intend to be faithful to Him for the rest of our lives) or taking our marriage vows (this one means we commit ourselves to our spouse for the rest of our lives).
 
If we fail to keep any promise to anyone, we have violated our relationship with God; and we stand in need of His forgiveness. As we begin another new year, it is well that we think seriously about the resolutions we make—these resolutions are vows for which we are responsible.
 
Love,
Joe

“Therefore in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).
 
To serve as the High Priest for all mankind, Jesus had to become a human being, experiencing life as the high priests under the Law of Moses did. These human experiences allowed Him a greater understanding of man’s plight.
 
To fulfill His intended purpose, He had to remain sinless, not giving in to temptations. Then He could serve as the perfect sacrifice, qualified to pay the price for the sins of all people. God could then cleanse us from our sins and, at the same time, maintain His pure and “just” nature.
 
“Propitiation” means “atonement” or “appeasement.” Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross, satisfied God’s requirement for a pure sacrifice. We stand today under the tremendous benefit of this great act that presented us with the opportunity of going to heaven someday.
 
Love,
Joe

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
 
Besides being a book of doctrine, the book of Romans is also a book on living the righteous life. The Apostle Paul lays out some practical principles that characterize the life of anyone who is serious about pleasing God. This verse is no exception.
 
Paul’s teaching here centers on our own attitudes and the esteem we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Even Paul, with all of the benefits he had as an inspired apostle did not reflect an attitude of arrogance or superiority to those around him.
 
Humility and consideration of others are two of the defining characteristics that make up our service in Christ. If we feel superior to those around us or if we carry a sense of self-importance on our shoulders, we can neither please God nor can we hope to have a positive spiritual influence on those around us.
 
Love,
Joe

“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
 
So much in these verses flies in the face of the platform upon which many modern religions are built; there is no absolute truth from God; it is not possible to err from the truth; since it is not possible to err from the truth, there is no erring one to turn back to God; consequently, there is no opportunity for a blessing to be realized. Many scriptures refute these premises.
 
Throughout scripture, we find affirmation that there is such a thing as truth and that it comes to us from God through His word. When a Christian accepts God’s truth, he or she has the choice of staying with it or ignoring it. According to scripture, when we disregard the truth of God, then we slip back into sin; and we will be lost in eternity if we fail to return.
 
When this situation occurs and when another Christian influences an erring brother or sister to return, he receives a spiritual blessing. As well, the restored Christian receives an even greater blessing: he returns from death—that is, spiritual death—and once again has a relationship with God.
 
“Covering a multitude of sins” is used in the sense of the erring person’s receiving forgiveness not that his sins are hidden. This entire process exemplifies an obligation of every Christian: that obligation is to help and encourage our fellow Christians as we all journey toward eternity.
 
Love,
Joe

“And the second is like to it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).
 
After having told His followers that loving God with all of their heart, soul, and mind was the first and greatest commandment, Jesus continues with the second and equal commandment that the people did not expect: loving their neighbor as themselves.
 
We should never lose sight of the love we are to have toward our fellows, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. And Jesus is not talking about a shallow, meaningless kind of love—it is a sincere love that stimulates a genuine concern for others. It is a love that is demonstrated.
 
Such a love requires that we set aside jealousy and selfish ambition and focus on developing our hearts to think the best of others and to do our best to help them become the best servant they can be for the Lord.
 
This kind of love is an identifying characteristic of God’s children—a love that, without which, we do not really have a substantial claim to be a faithful child of God.
 
Love,
Joe

“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
“For the Lord has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
“And they have rebelled against Me;
“The ox knows its owner
“And the donkey its master’s crib;
“But Israel does not know,
“My people do not consider. ” (Isaiah 1:2-3).
Through this great prophet, God communicates His extreme displeasure for the way His people have responded to Him and to His will. In spite of the fact that God has had such care and concern for His people, they have turned against Him.
Their rebellion against God has included refusing to follow His instruction about how they should worship Him and how they should live according to the moral principles He has taught them. As well, they have even dipped into idolatry time and again.
Because of their refusing to listen, God’s judgment is pronounced against them—His decision was that punishment must come.
Our lesson from this tragic situation is profound: as our Creator, God has every right to demand our obedience to His word and our allegiance to Him. He has required  the same from people living in every age of time; so, we must, as Paul, present our bodies a living sacrifice to be acceptable to God.
Love,
Joe