Bible League: Living His Word The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.— 1 Timothy 1:5 NLT Some teachers lose sight of the basics of Christian instruction. They get side-tracked in the teaching of meaningless speculations that don't do much more than cause controversy and waste time (1 Timothy 1:4). True Christian instruction, on the other hand, gets people back on the track of what's important in life. For example, it inspires people to be filled with love. It inspires them to be filled with the kind of love that has the features the Apostle Paul mentions in our verse for today. First, true Christian instruction will lead to love that comes from a pure heart. Love that comes from a pure heart is more than just an external expression of love. It's genuine love because it comes from the heart that has been purified by the blood of the Lamb. As such, it is a love that is no longer dominated by selfish ambitions and evil desires. It is love that is in line with the Lord God's first and second commandments about love. Second, true Christian instruction will lead to love that comes from a clear conscience. A clear conscience is that which has been purified by the blood of the Lamb, and is unburdened by guilt and shame. This is important, because guilt and shame stifle the expression of love. The person burdened by them holds back from the love of God and the love of people because of a feeling of unworthiness. True Christian instruction, however, liberates people from guilt and shame with teaching on confession, repentance, and forgiveness. Finally, true Christian instruction will lead to love that comes from genuine faith, based on the truth that God loved us first (1 John 4:19). Without the guidance of faith in God, love is nothing more than the self-centered concern of the one who loves. True Christian teaching shows us that love must be based on much more than the arbitrary whim of an individual person. True Christian teaching will focus its hearers on the pure love of God that flows into us and then out to the world. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 22, 23, 24 Psalm 22 -- My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 23 -- The Lord is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 24 -- David's Psalm of Glory to God NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 20:1-16 Acts 20 -- Paul in Macedonia and Greece; Eutychus Raised; Paul's Farewell to Ephesian Elders NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”Insight Jesus was sending 36 teams of two to reach the multitudes. These teams were not to try to do the job without help; rather, they were to ask God for more workers. Some people, as soon as they understand the gospel, want to go to work immediately contacting unsaved people. Challenge This story suggests a different approach: begin by mobilizing people to pray. And before praying for unsaved people, pray that other concerned disciples will join you in reaching out to them. In Christian service, there is no unemployment. God has work enough for everyone. Don't just sit back and watch others work—look for ways to help with the harvest. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Thessalonians 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.Many persons want to know their election before they look to Christ, but they cannot learn it thus, it is only to be discovered by "looking unto Jesus." If you desire to ascertain your own election;--after the following manner, shall you assure your heart before God. Do you feel yourself to be a lost, guilty sinner? go straightway to the cross of Christ, and tell Jesus so, and tell him that you have read in the Bible, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." Tell him that he has said, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Look to Jesus and believe on him, and you shall make proof of your election directly, for so surely as thou believest, thou art elect. If you will give yourself wholly up to Christ and trust him, then you are one of God's chosen ones; but if you stop and say, "I want to know first whether I am elect," you ask you know not what. Go to Jesus, be you never so guilty, just as you are. Leave all curious inquiry about election alone. Go straight to Christ and hide in his wounds, and you shall know your election. The assurance of the Holy Spirit shall be given to you, so that you shall be able to say, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him." Christ was at the everlasting council: he can tell you whether you were chosen or not; but you cannot find it out in any other way. Go and put your trust in him, and his answer will be--"I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." There will be no doubt about his having chosen you, when you have chosen him. "Sons we are through God's election, Who in Jesus Christ believe." Daily Light on the Daily Path Jonah 4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.Numbers 14:7,18 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. • The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.' Psalm 79:8,9 Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, For we are brought very low. • Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake. Jeremiah 14:7 "Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for Your name's sake! Truly our apostasies have been many, We have sinned against You. Jeremiah 14:20 We know our wickedness, O LORD, The iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You. Psalm 130:3,4 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? • But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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