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God hates all workers of iniquity...The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. Ps 5:5-6

The apostle Paul said we have the mind of Christ. He who is spiritual judges all things. I'm ashamed of you because you're not judging. 1 Co 2:15-16

Moses wrote of God; God said, if you do not obey me my soul shall abhor you. Lev 26:15

Paul writes inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let love be without hypocrisy. Hate evil. Ro 12:9: If you don't hate evil than your love is hypocrisy.

Should you love those who hate the Lord; therefore, the wrath of the Lord is upon you. 2 Chr 19:2

Bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slay them before me. Lk 19:27

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 1 Jn 2:15

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Jn 3:19

With all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Th 2:10–12

"The opposite of truth is not error. It is unrighteousness." ~ Adrian Rogers 2 Thess 2:10

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isa 5:20

The Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ²speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. ^{^[1]}

A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left (Ec 10:2). I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Jn 10:10

Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. Isa 55:7, NASB

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 1 Jn 3:9

As a ring of gold in a pig’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion (Pr 11:22).

No fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. (Eph 5:5–7).

She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he [Joseph] left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. Ge 39:12

God promises, "freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" Isa 61:1

A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 1 Co 7:39

"The bible says that evil communication corrupts good manners. In plain language that means you'll get in trouble if you run with the wrong crowd. Twenty seven times in the New Testament we're told to run--not with the wrong crowd but from the wrong crowd--to run--the bible says flee fornication. Don't see how close you can get. Don't see how far you can stay away. It's not a sin we are told to fight. It's a sin we are told to flee. He who would not fall down ought not to walk in slippery places. Get out of those slippery places. Don't even go near the door of her house. Be careful...about the temptation that you put yourself into. When you put yourself into temptation, you've already sinned if you willingly deliberately put yourself into temptation. " ~ Adrian Rogers

Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ro 6:11

You were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. Ro 6:17–19

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Pe 1:3–11

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way...You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must putt off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. (Eph 4:17-20, 22-25).

You thought I was altogether like you...I will reprove thee, and set them in order before your eyes. Ps. 50:21–22

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not die but he shall have eternal life. Jn 3:16

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ro 6:23

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us or sins and purify us from all unrightousness. 1 Jn 1:9

We all, like sheep, have gone astry, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isa 53:6

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Ro 10:9

God forgives sin. When you admit you have sinned and sincerely ask God to forgive you, He will forgive you. Read 1 John 1:9

You become a Christian when you accept Jesus as your personal savior. Read Romans 10:9

Prayer is very important as you think about accepting Jesus as your savior. Ask God to help you as you make this decision.

[Jesus on Leadership Gene Wilkes] Jesus said you can't have two masters. You will either hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other (Mt 6:24). Remember, God s spelled E-G-O or G-O-D. You choose. Take a moment to examine your heart and answer the following questions:

* Have I confessed my self-centeredness that leads to sin and resistance to God's leadership in my life?

If you want to settle these issues in your life right now, pause and ask Christ to be Savior and, just as important, Lord of your life. When you have done that, call a Christian friend or pastor and ask him or her to join you in prayer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Co 5:17

Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. Eze 36:31

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Mt 7:21-23

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Mt 7:13-14

Although our Lord gives several parables in this chapter, He interprets only two of them: the parable of the sower and the parable of the wheat and tares. His interpretation is a guide to the symbolism in the other parables. For instance, in this parable of the sower, the birds represent Satan. Now when He uses the symbol of birds in another parable, we may be sure that they do not represent something good. We need to be consistent and follow our Lord’s interpretation.

The parable of the sower is the first of the Mystery Parables and may be considered as the foundation for all of them.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow [Matt. 13:3].

I’ll just run ahead and give you our Lord’s interpretation of the sower. He will tell us later that the sower is the Son of man and that the seed represents the Word of God.

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold [Matt. 13:4–8].

Sowing seed was a familiar sight in Palestine. They would sort of scratch the surface of the ground with a very crude plow. Sometimes they didn’t even do that much. Then the sower would go out and fling the seeds upon the earth. Even today in our land in the springtime, all the way from Pocatello, Idaho, to Pensacola, Florida, and from Minnesota to Muleshoe, Texas, you will see farmers sowing wheat, corn, and cotton. It is a very familiar sight—of course, we use machines to sow the seed, while in that day it was sown by hand.

As I have mentioned, the sower represents the Lord Jesus—we learn this from the parable of the wheat and tares (v. 37). The Lord Jesus is the One sowing the seed, and I feel that this defines His work today in the world. He was the King, but He laid aside His regal robes, and today He is doing the work of a farmer, sowing seed—but He is still the King.

The seed, we learn from verse 19, represents the Word of God. The field symbolizes the world (v. 38). Notice that it is the world, not the church. We are talking about a world situation. I think the picture is something like this: Here is the church in the world, and outside there are multitudes of people who have not received Christ. The Word of God is given to this one, and the Word is given to that one, and the Word is given to another. One accepts, another does not accept. Our business is to sow the seed, although not everyone will receive it.

The Lord Jesus has charge of this great program of sowing seed. He has given me a little corner to work in, and my business is to sow seed. I want to be specific here. This is the day for sowing seed. I don’t want to split hairs, but the “harvest” is not the picture for today. But someone says, “Didn’t Christ say, ‘Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest’?” Yes, and let’s look at it again: “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:36–38).

This passage occurs just before the Lord sent out His apostles to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The age of the Law was coming to an end. Harvest time comes after seed has been sown. For fifteen hundred years, approximately, under Law, the seed had been sown. Then the harvest came, and a new age, a new dispensation, came in. At the close of one age there is a harvest, and at the beginning of another age is the sowing of seed. But I want to emphasize that the harvest at the end of an age is judgment. We will see that in some of the parables which follow.

However, in our day we are to be sowing the seed of the Word of God. I rejoice when I receive a letter from someone who has listened to my teaching of the Word by radio. Some folk listen for a year or more, and finally the seed germinates and brings forth fruit. It is my business to sow the seed while I am in the world, and it is your business also, my friend.

Now notice where the seed falls. It falls on four types of soil, and three–fourths of the seeds do not grow—they die. There was nothing wrong with the seed, but the soil was the problem. You can argue election all you want to, but in this parable there is a lot of free will exhibited. The condition of the soil is all important as far as the seed is concerned.

Now let’s look at our Lord’s interpretation of the types of soil on which the seed fell. In verse 4 He says that some of it fell by the wayside, and the birds came and ate it up. In verse 19 He explains to His disciples the meaning of it—

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side [Matt. 13:19].

The birds represent the evil one—the Devil takes away the seed sown by the wayside. This is something which ought to cause every church member to examine his own heart. My friend, don’t apply this to the other fellow, apply it to yourself. Someone has written a clever little poem which says:

The wayside soil apparently represents church members, professing Christians. They heard the Word of God, but it was not the hearing of faith. The Word was not mixed with faith—or if it was, it was a formal, intellectual faith which simply nodded the head. In other words, to folk like this, Christianity is a sideline. Belonging to the church is like belonging to a lodge or a club. These folk are in deep freeze. Not only do we find them in our churches, but some of them have fallen away from the church and are in cults and “isms.”

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended [Matt. 13:20–21].

These rocky–ground folk are the opposite of the first group. It was the Devil who took the Word away from the wayside hearers, but the flesh is the culprit with this group. Instead of being in deep freeze, they are in the oven—warm, emotional, shedding tears, greatly moved. These are what I call Alka–Seltzer Christians. There is a lot of fizz in them. They make as much fuss during a service as a rocket on a launching pad, but they never get into orbit. I classify them as the Southern California type. They have great zeal and energy during special meetings, but they are like burned out Roman candles after the meetings are over.

I stood on the rear end of a train, years ago, going through Kansas. Someone had thrown a paper onto the railroad tracks. As our train sped past, the paper fluttered up into the air and went in every direction. As soon as the train had gone by, the paper settled down on the track and was soon dead still. As I looked way back at the paper lying there, I thought, “That is just like a lot of so–called Christians. When there is a sensational meeting in progress, they really get enthusiastic, but they have no real relationship with Christ. It is just an emotional high.” They are the rocky–ground folk.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful [Matt. 13:22].

With these folk the world crowds out the Word of God. The Devil got the wayside folk, and the flesh took care of the rocky–ground folk, but the world chokes out the Word for this class of hearers. The cares of the world move in. Sometimes it is poverty, and other times it is the deceitfulness of riches. It is quite interesting that folk at each end of the social spectrum—extreme poverty and extreme prosperity—are folk who are the most difficult to reach for Christ. I find that a great many people have let the cares of the world crowd out the Word of God. These three types of soil do not represent three types of believers—they are not believers at all! They have heard the Word and have only professed to receive it. My friend, it is well for all of us to examine ourselves to see whether or not we are really in the faith.

Thank God, some seed falls on good ground, and our Lord interprets this for us—

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty [Matt. 13:23].

These are the hearers who receive the Word and understand it. Some of them don’t bring forth much fruit—only thirtyfold, but some bring forth an hundredfold!

There must be an understanding of the Word. The Ethiopian eunuch, you remember, was reading the Word, but he didn’t understand it—although he wanted to understand it. So the Spirit of God put Philip there as a hitchhiker. He took a ride with the Ethiopian and gave him a ticket to heaven. He explained the Word to him—that the One who was led as a sheep to the slaughter was the Lord Jesus Christ, that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. The Ethiopian believed and received Him.

Philip was sowing the seed of the Word of God. This is a Kingdom–of–Heaven situation as it reveals that the Sower, the Lord Jesus Christ, is sowing the seed of the Word of God in the world and that the Holy Spirit applies it to the hearts of those who want to believe.

After our Lord had given the parable of the sower, He said something quite interesting—

Well, if we have these things on the side of our head called ears, can’t we hear Him? Yes, but notice the question and His answer—

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? [Matt. 13:10].

Someone has said that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. This is a good definition. But the word parable is from the Greek paraboleµ. We get our English word ball from it. You throw something down beside an object to measure it. For example, it’s like putting a ruler down beside a table to measure it. That ruler is a parable; it is put down for the purpose of measuring. Our Lord gave parables to measure heavenly truth which He could set before us.

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given [Matt. 13:11].

If a man wants to know the Word of God, he can know it. He who wants to know the truth can know it. But you can shut your ears to it. There are multitudes of so–called broadminded people who shut their ears to the Word of God. If you don’t want to hear it, you won’t hear it, my friend. Not only would you fail to hear it, but you wouldn’t understand it if you did hear it. You must have the kind of ear that wants to hear the Word of God.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath [Matt. 13:12].

If you know a little truth and you want to know more, the Lord will add to it. If you don’t want to know the truth, the Lord will see to it that you won’t get it. You see, the Lord will never shut the door to one who wants to hear. He makes it very clear that this is His reason for speaking in parables. Those who don’t want to hear will not understand them.

The Lord drew His parables from commonplace things, things that were at the fingertips of the people in that day. He gave them great spiritual truths illustrated by things they knew and could see. Someone has put this concept in verse—

In the parable of the sower, we see what could be called a Kingdom–of–Heaven condition; that is, it exhibits God’s present rulership over the entire earth as He calls out a people to His name. And God is carrying out His program today through the church, the called–out body, composed of every true believer. Therefore, we have a Kingdom–of–Heaven condition today as God is carrying on His program of bringing folk to a saving knowledge of Christ.^{^[3]}

Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. Mk 8:35

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 1 Jn 3:10

Whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil. Pr 1:33

The hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them. Mt 13:15

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? Je 17:9

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. Ro 8:6–9

Ro 8:6 carnally minded. In the Gr. “minded” is a noun form of the verb in v. 5. “Carnally” means “of flesh.” This is a simple spiritual equation: The person with the mind set on the flesh is spiritually dead (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 2:1). spiritually minded. This describes every Christian. The person with his mind set on the things of the Spirit is very much spiritually alive and at peace with God (see note on 5:1; cf. Eph. 2:5). MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1707). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Eph 5:3

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things (Phil 4:8).

¹⁶I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.^{^[4]}

⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.^{^[5]}

⁴Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.^{^[6]}

"If you follow in my Word you are my disciples (Jn 8:31). The doers of the Word not the hearers only are the ones who are genuine." ~ John MacArthur

15:4–6 Abide in Me. The word “abide” means to remain or stay around. The “remaining” is evidence that salvation has already taken place (1 John 2:19) and not vice versa. The fruit or evidence of salvation is continuance in service to Him and in His teaching (8:31; 1 John 2:24; Col. 1:23). The abiding believer is the only legitimate believer. Abiding and believing actually are addressing the same issue of genuine salvation (Heb. 3:6–19). For a discussion of the perseverance of the saints, see note on Matt. 24:13.^{^[7]}

15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.^{^[8]}

The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks, "God won't hold me accountable; he doesn't care." Ps 10:4

There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness. Pr 30:12

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. 1 Co 6:9–11

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Co 2:14

For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Co 6:14

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge Ps 34:8

No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Lk 9:62

I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. Ps 101:3

“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. Eze 18:24

Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Ps 51:11

Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Mt 5:13, MSG

It is God's will that you should...learn to control [your] own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who does not know God (1 Thess 4:3-5).

[He] has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. Ac 17:26–27

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Co 13:7-8

When you have that relationship in a marriage, you have a happy home. You won’t have to attend seminars that instruct you on how to live as man and wife. The secret is love; when you don’t have that, you don’t have anything. But if you have love, you have everything. You can work out your financial problems; you can adjust your personality conflicts; you can work together in dealing with your children if you love each other. However, if you don’t love each other, you can’t work out anything.^{^[9]}

[Heart in Sodom and the flesh or heart for God and the Spirit?] "Ge 19:26 his wife looked back. Lot’s wife paid the price of disregarding the angelic warning to flee without a backward glance (v. 17). In so doing, she became not only encased in salt, but a poignant example of disobedience producing unwanted reaction at judgment day (cf. Luke 17:29–32), even as her home cities became bywords of God’s judgment on sin (cf. Is. 1:9; Rom. 9:29; 2 Pet. 2:5, 6)." MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 42). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt [Gen. 19:26].

"I think this verse has been greatly misunderstood. Why in the world did Mrs. Lot turn and look back? I think that the reason is twofold. First of all, she turned and looked back because she did not want to leave Sodom. She loved Sodom. She loved Lot, too, but it was a lot of Sodom that she loved. And she didn’t want to leave it...Her heart was in Sodom. Her body walked out, but she surely left her heart there.

The other reason that she looked back is simply that she did not believe God. God had said, “Leave the city, and don’t look back.” Lot didn’t look back; he believed God. But Mrs. Lot did not believe God. She was not a believer, and so she didn’t really make it out of the city. She was turned to a pillar of salt." McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Law (Genesis 16-33) (electronic ed., Vol. 2, pp. 51–52). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

If the unbeliever departs [in marriage], let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. 1 Co 7:15

"1 Co 7:16...Some may have been reluctant to let go of their unsaved spouse, who wanted out and was creating discord in the home—thinking they could evangelize the spouse by hanging on for the purpose of seeing that one converted. Paul says there are no such assurances and it is better to divorce and be at peace (v. 15), if the unsaved partner wants to end the marriage that way. "MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1739). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Ro 8:28

[J. Vernon McGee Ro 8:28] "I have translated it this way: But we know (with divine knowledge) that for those who love God, all things are working together for good, even to them who are called-ones according to His purpose.

The late Dr. Reuben A. Torrey (I had the privilege of being pastor for twenty-one years of the church that he founded) was a great man of God, greatly abused and misunderstood. He knew the meaning of this verse, and he called it a soft pillow for a tired heart. Many of us have pillowed our heads on Romans 8:28. We know the whole creation is groaning, but we also know something else: all things are working together for good—even the groanings.

“We know” is used five times in Romans, and “know” is used thirteen times. It refers to that which is the common knowledge of the Christian, that is, that which the Holy Spirit makes real. “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth” (see 1 Cor. 8:1), and this is the knowledge that only the Spirit of God can make real to our hearts. Charles Spurgeon used to say, “I do not need anyone to tell me how honey tastes; I know.” And I can say, my friend, that I know God loves me. I don’t need to argue that point; I know it.

“For those who love God” is the fraternity pin of the believer. “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision [that is, there is no badge]; but faith which worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6). Love is the mark. The apostle John put it like this: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [the mercy seat] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:10–16). My friend, you are going to have trouble believing that God loves you, and you will have difficulty loving God, if you are hating other Christians. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). And the apostle Peter said: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). The thing that will bring joy and brightness into your life is the sincere love of God.

“All things”—good and bad; bright and dark; sweet and bitter; easy and hard; happy and sad; prosperity and poverty; health and sickness; calm and storm; comfort and suffering; life and death.

“Are working together for good” is causative and means that God is working all things—there are no accidents. You remember that Joseph could look back over his life, a life that had been filled with vicissitudes, disappointments, and sufferings, yet he could say to his brethren—who were responsible for his misfortune—“… ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good …” (Gen. 50:20). And I am confident that we as children of God will be able to look back over our lives someday and say, “All of this worked out for good.” Job could say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him … ” (Job 13:15). That is the kind of faith in God we need, friend. We know that He is going to make things work out for good because He’s the One who is motivating it. He’s the One who is energizing it.

However, we often cry out, as Jeremiah did, “Why did you let me see trouble?” (see Jer. 11:14). It was during the San Francisco earthquake many years ago that a saint of God walked out into the scene of destruction and debris and actually smiled. A friend asked her, “How can you smile at a time like this?” Her reply was, “I rejoice that I have a God who can shake the world!” How wonderful to be able to face life—and death—unafraid. I think of Paul who could face the future without flinching. He said to his friends, “… What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). Many of us would like to come to that place of total commitment to Him.

Now notice that all things are working together for good for them “who are the called” ones, and it is “according to his purpose.” This is something that is hard for a great many people to swallow. “The called” are those who not only have received an invitation, they have accepted it. And they were born from above. They know experimentally the love of God. Paul describes three groups of people, and I think they are the three groups that are in the world today: “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:23–24). (1) The Jews trusted in religion, rite and ritual. To them the cross was a stumblingblock. (2) The Greeks (the Gentiles) trusted in philosophy and human wisdom. To them the cross was foolishness. (3) “The called” were a group out of both Jews and Greeks who were chosen not because of their religion or wisdom. God called them. To them the cross was the dynamite of God unto salvation. “The called” heard God’s call. That is important.

Let me go back to my illustration of the turtles. Suppose you go down to a swamp, and there are ten turtles. You say to the turtles, “I’d like to teach you to fly.” Nine of them say, “We’re not interested. We like it down here; we feel comfortable in this environment.” One turtle says, “Yes, I’d like to fly.” That is the one which is called, and that is the one which is taught to fly. Now that doesn’t have anything in the world to do with the other turtles. They are turtles because they are turtles. My friend, the lost are lost because they want it that way. There is not a person on topside of this world that is being forced to be lost. They are lost because they have chosen to be lost.

A boy down in my southland years ago wanted to join a church. So the deacons were examining him. They asked, “How did you get saved?” His answer was, “God did His part, and I did my part.” They thought there was something wrong with his doctrine, so they questioned further. “What was God’s part and what was your part?” His explanation was a good one. He said, “God’s part was the saving, and my part was the sinning. I done run from Him as fast as my sinful heart and rebellious legs could take me. He done took out after me till he run me down.” My friend, that is the way I got saved also.

This does not destroy or disturb the fact that “whosoever will may come” and “whosoever believeth.” Henry Ward Beecher quaintly put it, “The elect are the whosoever wills and the non-elect are the whosoever won’ts.” And it is all according to His purpose. And, my friend, if you have not yet got your mind reconciled to God’s purpose and to God’s will, it is time you are doing that, because this is His universe. He made it. I don’t know why He made a round earth instead of a square one—He didn’t ask me how I wanted it—He made it round because He wanted it round. My friend, His purpose is going to be carried out, and He has the wisdom and the power to carry it out. Whatever God does is right. Don’t you criticize God and say He has no right to save whoever wants to be saved. He has the right to do it. He is just and He is loving, and anything my God does is right.

There was a great theologian in the past by the name of Simeon. In his sermons on Romans 8 he said there were three reasons why he preached on the doctrine of election: It laid the axe at the root of pride, presumption, and despair. I like that. My friend, there is no place for human pride in the doctrine of election. It is God’s work, His wisdom, and His purpose that is being carried out. The will of God comes down out of eternity past like a great steamroller. Don’t think you can stop it. In fact, you had better get on and ride."

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Ro 1:28-32

If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 1 Tim. 5:8

Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 Jn 4:7–8

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all. 2 Co 1:3

Let the one who does what is evil continue to do what is evil. Let the filthy person continue to be filthy. Let the righteous person continue to do what is right. And let the holy person continue to be holy. Re 22:11

Do not, then, allow sin to establish any power over your mortal bodies in making you give way to your lusts. Rom 6:12-13

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,^{^[10]}

Just like His Father, “the Everlasting God” (Gen. 21:33), whose “ways are everlasting” (Hab. 3:6) and who says, “I do not change” (Mal. 3:6), so Jesus remains the same forever.^{^[11]}

13:4 honorable. God highly honors marriage, which He instituted at creation (Gen. 2:24); but some people in the early church considered celibacy to be holier than marriage, an idea Paul strongly denounces in 1 Tim. 4:3 (see notes on 1 Cor. 7). Sexual activity in a marriage is pure, but any sexual activity outside marriage brings one under divine judgment. God will judge. God prescribes serious consequences for sexual immorality (see notes on Eph. 5:3–6).^{^[12]}

2 Pet 2:14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.^{^[14]}

¹⁹For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. ²⁰These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”^{^[15]}

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s [Exod. 20:17].

Covetousness, according to the apostle Paul in Colossians 3:5, is idolatry. This is one of the great sins of the present hour. God condemns killing, adultery, stealing, bearing false witness, and covetousness. We will have an occasion to look at the Ten Commandments in a different way later on.^{^[16]}

Death Penalty: Shall not be remitted, Num. 35:31. In the Mosaic law the death penalty was inflicted for murder, Gen. 9:5, 6; Num. 35:16–21, 30–33; Deut. 17:6; adultery, Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:24; incest, Lev. 20:11, 12, 14; bestiality, Ex. 22:19; Lev. 20:15, 16; sodomy, Lev. 18:22; 20:13; incontinence, Deut. 22:21–24; rape of a betrothed virgin, Deut. 22:25; perjury, Zech. 5:4; kidnapping, Ex. 21:16; Deut. 24:7; upon a priest’s daughter, who committed fornication, Lev. 21:9; for witchcraft, Ex. 22:18; offering human sacrifice, Lev. 20:2–5; for striking or cursing father or mother, Ex. 21:15, 17; Lev. 20:9; disobedience to parents, Deut. 21:18–21; theft, Zech. 5:3, 4; blasphemy, Lev. 24:11–14, 16, 23; for Sabbath desecration, Ex. 35:2; Num. 15:32–36; for prophesying falsely, or propagating false doctrines, Deut. 13:1–10; sacrificing to false gods, Ex. 22:20; refusing to abide by the decision of court, Deut. 17:12; for treason, 1 Kin. 2:25; Esth. 2:23; sedition, Acts 5:36, 37.^{^[17]}

¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise prophecies. ²¹Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.^{^[19]}

Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh [Jude 23].^{^[21]}

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away...always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth...so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. 2 Ti 3:1–9

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful (Ro 1:31).

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. Mt 12:25

¹²He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. ^{^[25]}

²²Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ^{^[26]}

¹³Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.^{^[28]}

Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Ps 32:9

The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 1 Co 6:13

"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman." Job 31:1

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. Mt 5:27-29

The one bound to a wife should not seek divorce. The one released from a wife should not seek marriage. Do you have a wife? Don't seek a divorce. 1 Co 7:27

"The man who hates and divorces his wife," says the ..."To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife (Mal 2:16).

¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.^{^[30]}

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ^{^[31]}

⁷For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ^{^[32]}

⁷Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.^{^[33]}

God's mission for man: be fruitful, multiply...subdue (take possession) is given both to Adam and to Eve. "And God said to them..." Ge 1:28.

"That longing in the heart of a woman to share life together as a great adventure--that comes straight from the heart of God, who also longs for this (Eldredge, pg. 34).[34]

"There is a vicious cycle. Those who come from broken homes, tend to have broken homes. There is the reproduction element. Broken homes produce broken humans that produce broken homes that produce broken humans that produce broken homes. Somewhere in their we need to break that cycle." ~ Adrian Rogers

"God's highest priority is for one man to be married to one woman until death do them part and that priority is higher than the priority between parents and children. For this cause shall a man leave his mother and father...Divorce is a transgression of the will--the law the purpose of God...Parents, you need to teach your children that divorce is never an option--never an option...It is not God's plan. It is not God's will. It is not God's way. No to divorce! For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and he shall cleave unto his wife." ~ Adrian Rogers

"Marriage is more than moonlight and roses. Much more than the singing of love songs and the whispering of vows of undying affection. In our day, it is by many lightly regarded and by many as lightly discarded. But, marriage will ever remain in the sight of God an eternal union made possible only by the gift of love which God alone can bestow." ~ Adrian Rogers

"God wants us to have a home in heaven. God wants' us to have a church home. And, God wants us to have a family home. And, Jesus is the key to all three." Adrian Rogers

²¹Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

²²Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ³⁰And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³²Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

³⁵“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”^{^[36]}

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isa 30:15

Contrary to what the world claims, Beauty does not diminish with time; Beauty deepens and increases. Our latter glory will be greater than our former. Hag 2:9

"You don't have the right to make choices about what you are going to do apart from God. He said be ye holy even as I am holy. He will not relate to you in your sin. He cannot tolerate sinfulness. He shed his blood for you and me. The message of the blood is holiness. God's most prominent attribute is His holiness. You don't hear the angels saying "Love, Love, Love". You hear the angels saying "Holy, Holy, Holy" (Re 4:8). Forgiveness is not cheap. Can you say I'm living out my life because I love Him? I cherish Him? I adore Him. I want my life to reflect Him. If you cannot say that, you need to examine yourself. Ask, what am I living for? Pleasure? That won't always be there. Riches? You could loose it over night. Good health? You'll probably loose that at some point. What are you living for?--To be a living, walking expression in conversation, conduct and character of the Lord Jesus Christ. The transformed life. That is what the cross is all about." Charles Stanley

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.^{^[38]}

"It's the nature of a child of God to walk in holiness. Association is determined by nature. Fish swim in schools and birds in flocks and Christians want to congregate in church. They really do. If you have not desire to be in the house of God, it's probably just because you don't have the nature that these folks have. Christians want to be with one another. We love one another. We love the brethren. You see, you're behavior, your appetite, your environment, your association is all controlled by your nature." ~ Adrian Rogers

3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

⁵Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

⁸But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, ¹¹where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

¹²Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

4 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.^{^[40]}

"People are always looking for happiness. After all, it's written in the Constitution. Is it not? It's our birthright. And this is how they see it--they walk out on their marriage. Why? I'm not happy. I'm looking for happiness...The truth of the word of God consistently teachers that there is no happiness. There can be no happiness apart from holiness. The devil is forever muddying the truth. Forever convoluting the truth. The devil is forever deceiving us into thinking that happiness can be found in the next relationship...Happiness can only be found in Jesus Christ who is our wisdom...The path of wisdom's bounty is tranquility (Eccl). People think they can live for themselves in this life and then inherit the kingdom of God. How false. How tragic. You know deep down that this is an impossibility. You cannot have it both ways....Do you place trust--complete trust in his word above your wants and above your feelings. Do you want wisdom's bounty? Satan offers false wisdom. It is false. It is not true. Falling for a lie leads to disobedience. And disobedience leads to broken fellowship with God. A broken fellowship with God leads to: fear and anxiety, depressions, self-loathing, emptiness, meaningless life, and the effort to hide from God. Falling for a lie creates a chasm between God and man. When we break fellowship, we end up in a life of turmoil and in an eternity of a bottomless pit. As there was one way into the garden there is one way out of the garden. The one way into the garden was obedience to the word of God. The one way out of the garden is disobedience to the word of God. One way each way. Satan temps us now as he did then. He watches and sees areas of our weakness. He's watching and seeing at the inclination of our hearts. He's watching to see where we are vulnerable. You don't believe me? This is how he tempts husbands and wives to abandon the marriage vows and their families and their kids. You see, he knows our weaknesses. He knows our personalities. He knows our longing and the longing of our hearts. He knows our curiosities. He knows our imagination and he reads them. And once he drags you away from fellowship with God, he is ready to move for the kill. Ah, you deserve a better spouse than the one you've got. Oh surely, this one would be much better than the current spouse. You are better off with this one. Surely you know, God wants you to be happy. The dreaded happiness. And you haven't been happy for a long time. Poor thing. He comes as sympathetic. He is not sympathetic at all. And on and on until he destroys a marriage. You see, when Satan moved in for the kill, he appealed to Eve's pride. He does that with us to....They ceased to believe that God's command was the final authority." ~ Michael Youssef

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written:

²⁰Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²²For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.^{^[41]}

¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; ²⁰and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours^{^[42]}

"There is no comparison between man's wisdom and God's wisdom--not even close. Stay on his path...You can have human wisdom and you can absolutely destroy your life. You can have godly wisdom and survive any and every circumstance...The Lord is my shepherd not a shepherd....Sometimes sheep wander off. You think that's what you want--greener pastures but that's not what you want....That's how you get lost. If you're not watching the good shepherd your going to get yourself in trouble....He says he's there to restore us--to brings us back and that's exactly what he does because he loves us. He said if we confess our sins he will forgive us--he is a tender loving shepherd. We all like sheep have gone astray. He died for us so we could be brought back into the fold and restored. He restores our soul. How is it restored? Intimacy--listening to him. Allowing him to hold you tight and remind you that you are loved with an infinite and divine love. Nobody else in the world can." ~ Charles Stanley

²⁷Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ^{^[43]}

Jesus makes a distinction between redemptive love which is divine and possessive love which is human.

²⁶“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.^{^[44]}

Our relationship to our loved ones--unless it grows out of redemptive love--it will not last. He is saying that if a husband and wife's love for each other does not flow from Christ's love for them, it is possessive love not redemptive love.

Possessive love is selfish but redemptive love is self-giving love. Selfish love is doomed to failure. But, love that comes as a result of total commitment and total loyalty in Jesus Christ is a love that can only grow deeper and stronger and higher.

When Jesus is unrivaled in your life, your love for others will be real and genuine...Follow him every day or don't call yourself a disciple....'You cannot be my disciple when your pursuit of happiness is greater than your pursuit of holiness. You cannot be my disciple when success is far more important to you then surrender. You cannot be my disciple when power is more important to you than prayer. You cannot be my disciple when truth means less to you than treasure.'" ~ Michael Youssef

Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it [Luke 17:33].^{^[46]}

²So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³And being in torments in Hades^{^[47]}

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.^{^[48]}

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength" (Isa. 30:15).

⁵But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

¹⁰Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; ¹¹for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^{^[50]}

"A Christian is not a stick stuck in the ground. He is a plant--a tree that is growing and when growth fails the decay begins....When a man ceases to be better he ceases to be good....If you are not growing, you are failing. And if you are failing, you are sinning. If you're not growing, your disobeying because this book ends with this command--grow." ~ Adrian Rogers

As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa 55:9).

If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me. Mt 10:39, MSG

"Worship God and only God. Without him as a standard of truth, holiness, justice and love then there is no mooring. There's no anchor. There's no firm foundation and there's no end to the wickedness that men are willing to commit for their own convenience." ~ Bob Enyart

[Pernicious ways] "...Ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness. Do you know what lasciviousness is? It's unbridled lust. They take the word grace and add the idea that grace means that you can: live any way, do anything, and it's quite alright--turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only God and our Lord Jesus Christ....Jeremiah chapter 23 in verse 14, I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing--the commit adultery and walk in lies....Sooner or later, you're going to find gross immorality....They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen also the hands of evildoers that none doth return from his wickedness. They are all of them as unto me as Sodom and as the inhabitants of Gamorrah...There are a lot of people who want it that way....There are a lot of people who don't want sound doctrine.³The time will come when they will not endure sound [lit. hygiene] doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." They don't want spiritual hygiene. They don't want sound doctrine....American is embracing the same sins that he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for. And God left Sodom and Gomorrah with its smoking ruins as an example to those who after should live ungodly--all of it was a transgression from the word of God--people who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness and denied the only God that bought them." ~ Adrian Rogers

¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Therefore by their fruits you will know them.^{^[51]}

"Cheap grace is nothing but a license to sin. That is not the grace of God." ~ Michael Youssef

"The grace that does not change a person is not the grace of God." ~ Charles Spurgeon

Sorry so long all of those years. He said it's the same except for now we are just in separate beds. I wish I would've known you feel so far away. They were even farther. If you felt so far away I wish he would have worked to connect with me. I hope it's not too late for that.

Can get our dog food at Costco if you would like. I believe it is just his cheapest Murdochs.

[God's Pattern for Parents by John MacArthur edited notes] Good parents do not allow reprobate children to get full expression to the evil desires. We are called to punish them while there is still time in childhood to correct them. We were born with the seed of every sin deep in our heart. It only takes time for that sin to express itself. Children need to be restricted and restrained. The wicked are estranged from the womb. They speak lies and go astray from birth. They have venom like a serpent (Ps 58:3-4). They are little snakes when they come out of the womb--that's total depravity. That is how we are born. David said in sin did my mother conceive me (Ps 51:5). At conception men are iniquitous. You can bring children under control but ultimately you want to see them pass from darkness to light (Eph 5:8). Instead of giving into their deceitful desires you want them to submit to God. Parents must confront their children's wickedness. Help them to understand that God is holy and that conformity of the divine standard is what is required of them. Give them the knowledge of the law so that they can see their need for Christ. When saved, the Spirit will restrain them from evil deeds and they will be transformed by God. They aren't born little angels. They are corrupt sinners who need to become saints.

Heredity can be negative or positive in their lives. Your life provides a blueprint for them. You kids and grandkids need you to obey God. They need to see that you've obeyed God. You don't want your prayers as parents and godparents hindered. If you do not walk in obedience, they may not. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments (Deut 5:9-10). Valuing marriage and family is the key to future generations success. This is the generation disobeys God's word and frustrates the children. Fathers are given one command and in this generation they do exactly what God tells them not to do--frustrate the child. Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Eph 6:4). Family is not valued. Divorce is rampant. We are left with an angry and violent culture.

When you tell children that they are good no matter what they do, you only pour fuel onto the fire. You should have self-esteem no matter what you do? No. Healthy guilt is a good thing. Guilt is there for a reason. We've all been told you have to boost kids self-esteem. They don't need self-esteem. They need self control. This culture makes you feel good about everything no matter how wicked you. The self-esteem movement became self absorption. People don't even raise their own children. You are to bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Eph 6:4). That job is too important to farm out to others.

You have the external world: the world, the flesh, and the devil and the internal wicked heart and the two forces colliding in one. You need to teach your children to find Jesus Christ. If you are a parent, you are an evangelist. If you are a parent, it's not what you do to your children that makes them go astray--mostly it's what you do not do raising them to have a proper fear and reverence for the Lord.

They need to know the exceeding sinfulness of law and judgment. They need to know that they will experience wicked temptations in their lives. If they get into sin they will forfeit blessing. They will suffer a second death and eternal hell. Every child must know this. They need to be evangelized with the truth about sin and death. You can't preach about grace and forgiveness if you do not preach about sin, death and hell. You cannot preach grace and forgiveness if they don't understand law and judgment. Your children need to know a lot more than Jesus wants to be your friend. Their hearts must be transformed or they will die and perish in eternal fire.

Children are more easily terrified by hell. Adults are not appropriately fearful of hell. Children are more susceptible to the terrors of hell. Children are more susceptible to truth--and to error. Children need to know that God is angry with the wicked every day--and that includes them. He will punish them if they do not come to into a right relationship with Jesus Christ. They need not fear when they are saved. They can have hope and the joy of heaven to look forward to. Constantly teach them about God's judgment, grace and forgiveness when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deut 6:7-9). It is not confusing and complex but it is not simplistic either. They must understand the seriousness of their sin and God's holy standard.

Don't tone down the demand for a surrender to Christ and the need for his Lordship in their lives. Teach them God is a holy God and he cannot look upon iniquity. He is perfectly holy. Don't start with God loves you and wants to be your friend. For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy (Le 11:44). Show them God is absolutely holy and has set an absolutely holy standard. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect (Mt 5:48). Because God is holy, God hates sin and he is angry with sinners. Sinners will never be able to stand in his presence (Ps 1:5). The wicked will not stand in the judgment Ps 1:5). Second, show them that because of their sin, they have fallen short of that divine standard. The gospel is a remedy for sin. There is forgiveness--they do not need to perish in hell. Tell them God will forgive them.

Hold your children to godly standards and forgive them when they repent. Tell them they are not alone. Everybody is in the same situation. Tell them there was a time when you were in the same situation before you received Christ's forgiveness. Tell them they can do nothing to earn their salvation. It is a gift from God. You cannot forgive yourself. God must forgive you. We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (Isa 64:6). Plead with them to be reconciled with God in this way. Only God knows when it becomes their faith and not just yours.

Leading children to salvation is no different than leaving adults to salvation. It's the same gospel but the hearts of children are more tender, more responsive. They are less cluttered with accumulated years of selflessness, worldliness and cultivated lusts.

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. Ps 113:7-8

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. John 13:34, NLT

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12, NLT

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:12, NLT.

God grants repentance: "2 Ti 2:25 those who are in opposition. Primarily unbelievers (captive to Satan, v. 26), but also could include believers deceived by the "foolish and ignorant" (v. 23) speculations of the false teachers; and, possibly, the false teachers themselves. God … will grant them repentance. Cf. Acts 11:18; see 2 Cor. 7:9, 10. All true repentance is produced by God’s sovereign grace (Eph. 2:7), and without such grace human effort to change is futile (cf. Jer. 13:23)." MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1878). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

7:8, 9 I do not regret it … I did regret it.… Now I rejoice. Paul did not regret sending the letter, even though it caused them sorrow, because he knew that sorrow over their sin would affect in them repentance leading to obedience. Yet Paul did regret having sent it for a brief time while awaiting Titus’ return, fearing that his letter was too harsh, and that he might have driven them further away from him. In the end, however, he rejoiced because the letter accomplished what he had hoped.

7:9 your sorrow led to repentance. The letter produced a sorrow in the Corinthian believers that led them to repent of their sins. “Repentance” refers to the desire to turn from sin and restore one’s relationship to God (see notes on Matt. 3:2, 8).

7:10 godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.“Godly sorrow” refers to sorrow that is according to the will of God and produced by the Holy Spirit (see note on 2 Tim. 2:25). True repentance cannot occur apart from such a genuine sorrow over one’s sin. The word “leading” is supplied by the translators; Paul was saying that repentance belongs to the realm or sphere of salvation. Repentance is at the very heart of and proves one’s salvation: unbelievers repent of their sin initially when they are saved, and then as believers, repent of their sins continually to keep the joy and blessing of their relationship to God (see notes on 1 John 1:7–9). sorrow of the world produces death. Human sorrow is unsanctified remorse and has no redemptive capability. It is nothing more than the wounded pride of getting caught in a sin and having one’s lusts go unfulfilled. That kind of sorrow leads only to guilt, shame, despair, depression, self-pity, and hopelessness. People can die from such sorrow (cf. Ps. 32:3, 4).

7:11 This verse provides a look at how genuine repentance will manifest itself in one’s attitudes. diligence. Better translated, “earnestness” or “eagerness.” It is the initial reaction of true repentance to eagerly and aggressively pursue righteousness. This is an attitude that ends indifference to sin and complacency about evil and deception. what clearing of yourselves. A desire to clear one’s name of the stigma that accompanies sin. The repentant sinner restores the trust and confidence of others by making his genuine repentance known. indignation. Often associated with righteous indignation and holy anger. Repentance leads to anger over one’s sin and displeasure at the shame it has brought on the Lord’s name and His people. fear. This is reverence toward God, who is the One most offended by sin. Repentance leads to a healthy fear of the One who chastens and judges sin. vehement desire. This could be translated “yearning,” or “a longing for,” and refers to the desire of the repentant sinner to restore the relationship with the one who was sinned against. zeal. This refers to loving someone or something so much that one hates anyone or anything that harms the object of this love (see note on v. 7). vindication. This could be translated “avenging of wrong,” and refers to the desire to see justice done. The repentant sinner no longer tries to protect himself; he wants to see the sin avenged no matter what it might cost him. to be clear in this matter. The essence of repentance is an aggressive pursuit of holiness, which was characteristic of the Corinthians. The Gr. word for “clear” means “pure” or “holy.” They demonstrated the integrity of their repentance by their purity...

7:15 fear and trembling. Reverence toward God and a healthy fear of judgment (see note on 1 Cor. 2:3).^{^[52]}

3:2 Repent. This is no mere academic change of mind, nor mere regret or remorse. John the Baptist spoke of repentance as a radical turning from sin that inevitably became manifest in the fruit of righteousness (v. 8). Jesus’ first sermon began with the same imperative (4:17). For a discussion of the nature of repentance, see notes on 2 Cor. 7:8–11. ^{^[53]}

³³But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (emphasis mine). ^{^[54]}

"God didn't promise to remove the trouble but he promised to be with us through it. He knows that real character if formed best by not evading problems and heartaches and burdens but by learning to endure them until God has finished what he's set out to do in our life. God knows that spiritual maturity is not the overflow or the fruits of a life of ease, comfort and pleasure but what? Tribulation, trail, temptation and testing...The goal of the believer should never be to avoid all problems, all heartaches, all difficulties, all disaster, all calamity but rather; to learn how to respond when these things come into our life...What is our response to be--one of defeat or one of victory? We don't have to settle for a settled for life. Regardless of where you are today in your circumstances you still have the privilege and the power to become the person that God Almightily wants you to be. But, it's a matter of seeing things from God's perspective and not of the world's perspective. Seeing, not the circumstances, but the person who lives within you....See your situation as a challenge to your growth and your spirituality." ~ Charles Stanley

³⁷Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.^{^[55]}

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open (Lk 8:17).

If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Jas 1:23–25

"A man likes to be sure his tie is straight and his hair is combed. We are living in a day when our appearance seems to be very important. A mirror reveals our flaws.

There is a danger, though, of looking into the mirror, seeing the flaw but doing nothing about it...

...My friend, you cannot afford to read the Word of God and not respond to it. It demands your response; and if you don’t respond, you are responsible...

What law? Christ’s law. John says in his first epistle, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments …” (1 John 5:3)...

There is liberty in Christ, and it is the only true freedom. However, you can be sure that if you are in Christ, you are going to obey Him—and His laws are not hard; they are not rigorous... [Laws] are for the weak, for the natural man. Laws are for lawbreakers: what to do, where to go, and how, with a punishment prescribed for those who break over. Honest citizens do not need the law...

Today God has called His children to a higher level. A child of God has a spiritual spontaneity, a high and lofty motive, an inspiration of God. The believer has no desire to murder or commit adultery. He lives above the law. He is now motivated by the love of the Savior, and he desires to obey Him. The more we read and study the Word, the more we will learn, we will love, and we will live. Joy fills and floods the soul. We are not like galley slaves, whipped and chained to a bench and doing that which we do not want to do. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (James) (electronic ed., Vol. 53, pp. 45–46). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

"Better [not just be content with it--it's better] is the sight of the eyes [what you already have in your possession on this side of the fence] than the wandering of desire. The greenest grass for you is the grass that God has given you." Eccl 6:9 ~ Darrell Ferguson

[Edited notes Smelling Salts by Darryl Ferguson] Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe destroys the mind. Eccl 7:7

"Surely, the practice of extortion [using sinful means in order to get money] turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe [using money to accomplish sinful means] destroys the mind. Both are examples of how money can corrupt wisdom...Desire for earthly treasure can tamper with the brain. It can foul up your wisdom....It's amazing how desire can make the most intelligent person start to think like a moron. Desire can short out wisdom...You can have all kinds of wisdom in one area but if something comes and hits your soft spot--some idolatrous, greedy desire that you have--that will change the way your brain interprets data and you become a fool." Eccl 7:7 ~ Darryl Ferguson

"Why is the end of something better than the beginning? Well because the purpose of the beginning is to get to the end, right? So, the end is better. Starting is great. Finishing is better...Are weddings impressive?...A couple stands up here and says--'Til death do us part! We promise to God--'til death do us part! Is that impressive, to make that vow? A little bit; but, not as impressive as like my mom and dad who made that vow in 1958 and now fifty-five years later still just as married as ever. That's more impressive. The end of a matter is better than the beginning because reality is better than intention. Finishing is better than starting and fools--fools and wise people--you cant tell the difference at the beginning. They start the same. They both say we're going to do this. They both make the same vows at their wedding. The difference isn't seen until they start running into hardship. And that's where you sort it out.

The fool is the one that says, oops this got hard. I quit. A wise person perseveres and finishes...Fools are always arriving at that conclusion--Time to quit this, time to quit that. They start things left and right but they never finish anything. 1 Ki 20:11 says one who puts his armor on should not boast like those who take it off. The point of that is--first go fight the battle. Then, come and tell me how tough you are.

What is it about fools? What keeps them from finishing? Why do they get so derailed so easily? Very often it's because of impatience. Impatient people give up because they are so easily upset. They begin things left and right but rarely do they see anything through to the end because they can't deal with upsets. They just can't handle them and so they quit. And so, we need patience. We need to be able to deal with upset.

It's better to be patient than--what does that say?--than proud? Eccl 7:8. Isn't that interesting? I wouldn't have expected that. I didn't see that coming. I would have thought he would have said better to be patient than impatient, right. But instead he sets the opposite of patience as pride....You would naturally assume if you have a problem with impatience--the core of that is pride...Impatience reveals a heart of self importance. It's basically you saying, I shouldn't have to deal with all of these irritations of life because I'm a V.I.P.--that's pride. And what causes pride? Pride comes when I'm so immersed in the trivial of life that I loose sight of my place in this world and I start to think My little world is the whole world....When I loose the big picture and I get caught up in my little world, who ends up being the god of that little world? Me. I am the most important person in my little world. It's not like I'm consciously thinking I'm more important than everybody but it's an attitude. When we're easily annoyed and irritated with people, it's an attitude. Whether we admit it or not--it's an attitude that's saying How dare all of these little peons around me create inconveniences for someone like me don't they realize how important my life is? When pride takes root in the heart, you're going to have an anger problem.

One major cause of anger is greedy desire in our heart. Right, you want something. Another cause of anger is pride and self-importance. That is a foolish way to live. That's what he's saying here. Verse 9, Don't let your spirit run to be angry for anger abides in the heart of fools. If you're an angry person, he's saying, you're a fool. There's no wisdom in letting offenses and irritations and inconsiderations and insults get you upset. There's no wisdom in that. Think about that. When you're angry, do you do wise things? When you're really angry, do you tend to do lots of smart things that benefit everybody all around you? Or, do you end up doing dumb things that you end up regretting? Anger is not a wise way to live. Fools are hotheads because they have such a short-term view of everything--still, that end and beginning thing. They look at beginnings not endings. Here's what we need to understand about emotion. All emotion is the result of your assessment of a situation weighed against the value system in your heart. Something happens, you assess that, you weigh that assessment against the norms in your heart and then the result of that is emotion. That's what emotion is. And fools so that too quickly. They make assessments before they have enough information.

Jesus loves you (Jn 3:16). Jesus is willing to save you (2 Pe 3:9). Repent (Eze 18:30-32; Ac 17:30). Believe (Mk 9:23).

^{^[1]} The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Ti 4:1–2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[2]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Pr 6:26). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[3]} McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Matthew 1-13) (electronic ed., Vol. 34, pp. 177–184). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[4]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Ga 5:16–26). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[5]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Ga 6:7–10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[6]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Jn 15:3–4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[7]} MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1615). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

^{^[8]} New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Jas 1:14–15). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^{^[9]} McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Prophets (Hosea/Joel) (electronic ed., Vol. 27, p. 36). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[10]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Eph 6:10–18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[11]} Stanley, C. F. (2005). The Charles F. Stanley life principles Bible: New King James Version (Heb 13:8). Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles.

^{^[12]} MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1921). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

^{^[13]} Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

^{^[14]} MacArthur, J. (1999). The MacArthur topical Bible: New King James Version (p. 15). Nashville, TN: Word Publishing.

^{^[15]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 15:19–20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[16]} McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 1, p. 268). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[17]} Swanson, J., & Nave, O. (1994). New Nave’s Topical Bible. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.

^{^[18]} New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Heb 3:15). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^{^[19]} The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Th 5:19–22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[20]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Jn 8:31–32). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[21]} McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 5, p. 874). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[22]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Pr 29:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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^{^[24]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Pr 16:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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^{^[27]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Ro 14:10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[28]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Php 3:13–14). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[29]} Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Ro 15:7). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

^{^[30]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Jas 1:13–15). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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^{^[33]} The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Pe 3:7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[34] Unveiling the Mystery of Woman's Soul, Eldredge, John and Stasi.

^{^[35]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Ps 112:1–2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[36]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 18:21–35). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[37]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Pr 3:5–10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[38]} The New King James Version. (1982). (2 Pe 1:3–4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[39]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Ps 119:9–16). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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^{^[41]} The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Co 1:18–25). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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^{^[46]} McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Luke) (electronic ed., Vol. 37, p. 217). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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^{^[50]} The New King James Version. (1982). (2 Pe 1:5–11). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[51]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 7:16–20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[52]} MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., pp. 1774–1775). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

^{^[53]} MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1396). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

^{^[54]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 6:32–33). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[55]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Ro 8:37). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^{^[56]} The New King James Version. (1982). (Pr 15:3). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.