Faithful Sayings

In one sense, all people are the “people of God” and they were created with a high and noble purpose indeed. Whatever God's purpose for man may be, man’s greatest good can be realized in achieving that end. In God’s Word and in this study those who seek to satisfy His divine purpose are called the “people of God” in a very special sense (1 Peter 2:9- 10). In this series we will seek to trace the unfolding of God's purpose and plan for the development of His people.

Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and Earth." (Matt. 28:18). What exactly does that mean and what are the implications of it? Why was authority important to Jesus? Why should it be important to us?

As we conclude our series in Romans, we find Paul’s final exhortation to his brethren whom he loved very much. There are some thirty-five names mentioned in this chapter, most of which are original to the letter and mentioned nowhere else. What can we learn from Paul’s farewell?

Since Proverbs began with a father’s words, it seems fitting that it should end with a mother’s words to her son. She counsels him on how to rule well and warns that the wrong kind of woman can ruin him. The strange woman, like alcohol, can drain a man’s strength and willpower, leading him into sin to the detriment of himself and others (Pro. 31:4-9). Thus she urgently appeals to her son to use wisdom in making one of life’s most important choices–deciding who he will marry. By inspiration Lemuel’s mother describes a wise woman, worthy of affection and praise, and one who would be a strong spiritual force for good in his life.

Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together, and we cannot accomplish all that we need to do without working together. Paul concludes with a final exhortation to unity and steadfastness in the Gospel.

What are some defining characteristics of wise leaders according to Solomon?

You can’t solve a problem, until you understand the issue, and you can’t properly answer a question until you understand what’s asked. These brethren in Rome had a problem. If we can understand what the problem was and how Paul went about correcting it, then we can use Romans 14 to fix the same problems in our time. If we can understand the issue that hindered these brethren, we’ll be less likely to misapply Paul’s solution to problems he does not address in Romans 14.

God says the rod and reproof give wisdom. I want to spend a moment thinking about that second part of the equation–reproof–the verbal instruction we give to train our children in godliness.

How should a Christian relate to civil authorities? What is his or her responsibility? What if that government is evil and opposed to Christ and His will? Let's consider these questions as we read Romans 13.

He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently – Solomon (Pro. 13:24) Scripture reveals hatred as the driving force behind parents’ neglect to discipline their children. No father can passively allow his kids to do whatever they want to do and, at the same time say, “I really love them.” Apathetic, non-interventionist styles of parenting (aka lazy parenting), yields a host of terrible consequences.

Romans Part XXI: Overcome Evil With Good by Leon Valley Church of Christ

In this portion of our Proverbs series, we’re going to focus on parenting–guiding and training our children in godly wisdom, so that they may live in the fear of the Lord from a young age.

Be transformed. It's a command, meaning spiritual growth will not happen by accident. How does the Bible say we can be transformed?

We can use words to comfort, convict, teach, encourage, bless, and communicate the Gospel to the lost. Yet, words also have the potential to inflict great harm–to curse, insult, blaspheme, etc. Scripture teaches us everything about using words wisely and righteously–Proverbs alone addresses the issue 150 times in 915 verses. That’s one-sixth of the book.

To borrow and modify something Emerson once said: You cannot obey the Gospel too soon, because you never know how soon it will be too late. That’s one of the messages we find within Romans 11.

Too many folks spend money they don’t have for stuff they don’t need to impress people they don’t like. – Will Rogers

“Ignorance is one of the scariest things out there, because those of us who are most ignorant are also the ones who often don't know it or don't want to admit it,” said Vera Nazarian. The Bible distinguishes between willful and unwitting ignorance (cf. Num. 15:27; 2 Pet. 3:5), but makes no distinction in the consequences of ignorance. Whether we’re talking about ignorance of sin or ignorance of God’s will (the two are inseparable, are they not?), the end result is condemnation. Never once in Scripture do we find that there is blessing to be had in ignorance.

We have a tendency to think it’s always someone else’s fault–Adam pointed to Eve, Eve pointed to the devil, but at the end of the day we’re all responsible for our own choices. No amount of self-pity or complaining that we were “duped” will remove our accountability to God.

We’re overrun with ads and commercials encouraging us to chase all kinds of products. What’s worse is that such marketing usually promises happiness and “worry free living” if you buy said product or service. I mean, c’mon, really? Worry free? Talk about overpromising and underdelivering. Biblical wisdom calls us to be content with what we have. How many of us have overextended ourselves financially because we weren't content?

God affords all people the opportunity to find salvation through Jesus Christ–to find a place in His glorious kingdom forever. Why would anyone be upset about this, especially people who expected such a kingdom? Paul explains why even religious people reject Christ, and the sad consequences of their bitter response to God.