Category Archives: e) Select Scriptures

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Philippians 4:4-8

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4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation (gentle spirit) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.6 Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

A grand verse of comfort:

Rejoice in the Lord! – be grateful and joyfully acknowledge the blessings that you have in Christ.

Let your gentle spirit be known – you should demonstrate gentleness, yielding, patience, self-control, tolerance, leniency, and generosity. This is the opposite of being contentious and self-seeking. Not spineless, but selfless.

The Lord is at hand – the return of Christ is imminent! I also believe this speaks to our closeness with God and that he is with us always.

Be anxious for nothing – anxiety is a natural, fruitless feeling. We worry about what might happen, and Satan uses it to take the joy out of our lives. God gives us the power to deal with anything, and the knowledge that all things are in his hands gives us comfort, and anxiety evaporates if we trust in him.

Let your requests be made known to God – Gratefully ask God for what you need. Take everything to the Lord. Pray about everything, worry about nothing.

The peace of God – This is peace from God, the removal of anxiety, and the tranquility that comes from being a beloved child of God. This is one of the most impactful benefits we experience as Christians! Salvation and a relationship with God are not only beneficial after this life but provide for a joyful and abundant life now.

Shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus – Guarding our affections and thoughts to stay in step with Christ. To avoid the snares of Satan and the entanglements of sin. We are to focus on the good things that are:

  • True – valid and reliable
  • Honorable – worthy of respect
  • Just – things that are correct, moral, and righteous
  • Pure – clean and moral purity
  • Lovely – amiable, agreeable, pleasing
  • Good report – praiseworthy, measuring up to the highest standards
  • Virtue – the character of moral excellence, righteousness
  • Praise – worthy of worship and glorification. Praiseworthy
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John 14:6

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Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is the way to God; he is the truth of God’s revelation of salvation and the promise of eternal life. There is no other way to God, arriving deemed righteous and uncondemned, than by faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only hope for mankind.

These 18 words have an astounding depth of meaning, weight, and consequences. It would be beneficial for you to consider carefully what this verse means.

Matthew 7:13-14

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13Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The narrow gate is faith in Jesus Christ, and the way is narrow because the word of God constricts it. To believe in Jesus, to establish him as the Lord of your life, and live in submissive obedience to the word of God is the narrow gate and the narrow path to heaven. To enter the wide gate and take the wide path is to come to God however you like or not at all. Wide and easy is the path that caters to desires in this life, tempting with temporal pleasure or conjuring up a savior or religion of imagination that pleases. There is only one way to the Father and eternal life: the narrow way of Jesus Christ. All other paths lead to an eternity in hell. Tragically, most will travel the wide path, and few will find the narrow way.

1 Peter 5:6-10

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Here is one of the greatest verses in the bible!

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God – to humble yourself is to be submissive to God. The scriptures are clear that God abhors arrogance and pride. His “mighty hand” is the righteous power and authority he wields.

that he may exalt you in due time – God will lift you up at the proper time, after you have been tested, according to his will.

casting all your care (anxiety) on him, because he careth for you – Give all your trouble in this world to God because he loves you and because all things work for the ultimate good for those who love him.

be sober, be vigilant – be calm, clear-minded, practice self-control, be focused on God, be alert to your surroundings and situation, seek and follow the will of God.

your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour – know that Satan is at work to destroy you and all that you love – to devour you. He also wants to destroy your testimony. Satan cannot take away your salvation, which has been sealed by God, but he can wipe out your testimony and the good you can do for the Kingdom of God.

resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. Resist Satan by being vigilant in your faith (abiding in the word of God) and in obedience to God. Arm yourself with the full armor of God, and Satan will flee from you. Take heart that all Christians experience the same suffering while here on earth.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. Our suffering here on earth is temporary, and the result of enduring suffering in reliance on God is to:

  • To Perfect – make us complete by maturing us, repairing us, equipping us
  • To Establish – put us on a solid footing
  • To Strengthen – we come out of trials stronger, being reliant on God we can endure anything Read Philippians 4:13
  • To Settle – to confirm, approve, and give us peace

Romans 5:1-2

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1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

This 38-word verse from Paul’s masterpiece on the Christian faith exemplifies the Bible’s amazing ability to convey broad and deep meaning with an impressive economy of words. Here is what this scripture means:

being justified – to be declared righteous in the sight of God and reconciled to Him. Righteousness is to be morally perfect, a condition required to enter heaven. Reconciled means that our relationship with God has been made right, and we are no longer adversarial with Him.

by faith – Justification occurred by the whole-hearted confidence and trust in the word of God. This is to believe the word of God and the resulting submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Abraham had the same type of faith as he hiked Mt Moriah with his son Isaac. It is belief and conviction that Christ Jesus died on the cross for our sins and whose resurrection proved his diety and validated his substitutional atonement for us.

we have peace with God – the state of hostility with God is over; we are now at peace with him. We are reconciled to him and will not be subject to his wrath. There is no way we are capable of achieving this without Christ.

into this grace wherein we stand – grace is the free, unmerited, and undeserving favor of God, the underserved gift of forgiveness of our sins. We are in a favorable position with God to develop a personal relationship with him. He is our spiritual father, and we are welcome to bring him our needs, problems, and praise.

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God – hope is the conviction of certainty (not a wishful hope), and glory is the full manifestation of God. We will radiate the glory of God, his perfect, holy character; our sanctification will be complete, sin removed from our existence, and we will finally be like Christ. This is looking to the future when we will be with him in heaven.

Galatians 5:22-23

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22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Prior to this verse, Paul had presented the vile behavior of those lost in the world (adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.) Paul then gave us this incredible view of the dramatic contrast between that evil against the goodness of the Holy Spirit!

  • Love – self-sacrificing affection for others
  • Joy – deep-seated gladness regardless of circumstances
  • Peace – inner quietness and repose irrespective of circumstances
  • Longsuffering (patience) – forbearance even under provocation
  • Gentleness (kindness) – benevolence and graciousness
  • Goodness – constructive action reaching out to others
  • Faith (faithfulness) – reliability, trustworthiness
  • Meekness – not aggressive, acquiescence to authority and consideration of others
  • Temperance (self-control) – the ability to master oneself

This is quite a list of goodness! Who wouldn’t want to be around people like this? Think what this world would be if we all strived to have these qualities. It might be like heaven.

Colossians 1:9-13

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9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

Paul presents this beautiful prayer asking that his brothers in Christ to come to maturity in the faith:

The Petition . . .

do not cease to pray – we are to pray continually for each other. It is through persistence (a great virtue) in prayer that our petitions are effective with God. We are to pray fervently! Notice that Paul is praying for those who are succeeding and growing in Christ. We should pray for those doing well that they continue strong and successful in the faith.

ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding – The knowledge comes from the word of God and wisdom is the skill to live life according to God’s plan. If we ask God, he will give us wisdom (James 1:5), and obedience to this wisdom produces a life that is beautiful, abundant and glorifies Him. This is enlightenment from the Holy Spirit that directs us in how to live.

walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing – to follow His will that we now know because we are wise!  It is daily loving obedience that pleases God. This is to strive to live as Jesus did, which can only be approached with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God – walking in a manner worthy of the Lord is to manifest the character and conduct of the fruit of Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22 presents that fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This should be evident in our good works, and humble service to our neighbors. Increasing in the knowledge of God, and the continual growth in the understanding of what he wants, allows us to grow in our maturity and effectiveness as Christians.

strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness – God’s power, his might, is unimaginable. Our Lord, the creator of all things, will make us steadfast (resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering, on solid footing) and give us the patience to endure and be effective in the Christian life. Knowledge of the promises of God gives us the strength, patience, and resolution to succeed in the trials of life.

The Praise . . .

giving thanks to the Father – We praise and thank God for all that he has done and the promise of what is to come! All good things come from him, including our justification and salvation (the work of Christ) and he deserves our continual loving gratitude.

which hath made us meet (qualified) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light – we are adopted sons, now qualified to be heirs to the Kingdom of God and the unfathomable joy and riches that this means, which we share with our Christian brothers in Christ. Our qualification is by the work of Christ, by the grace of God, and for this, we are eternally grateful!

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear son – God took us from Satan to himself. The moment we put our faith in Christ we are rescued from the jurisdiction and authority of Satan. We now dwell in the kingdom of Christ as beloved children of God.

in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins – salvation available by the blood of Christ on the cross! We who believe and make Christ our Lord are redeemed from the darkness and now live in the light as our sins are forgiven.

Deuteronomy 6:13-15

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13Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15 (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

A dramatic warning from the Old Testament! Fear God and do not pursue the gods (idols) of the world. If you do, he will wipe you off the face of the earth!

John 3:16-17 & 36

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The best-known verse in the Bible . . .

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

loved the world . . . this was a shocking statement to the Jews. “God so loved the Jews” is what they would expect to hear, but that is not what he said. God loves the world . . . all of us.

he gave his only begotten Son . . . God gave what was most dear to him, his beloved Son, as the ultimate atonement for sin, as a gift and not something deserved. His love for the sinning world was not sentimentality but a love that had tremendous cost.

whosoever believeth in him . . . not the whole world benefits from the gift. It is those who believe, trust and obey; who put their complete faith in; who give their lives to; who rely entirely upon his Son Jesus that will reap the benefit of the grace (unmerited favor) given by God to the unrighteous world.

should not perish, but have everlasting life . . . this speaks to the quality of our eternal existence. To “perish” does not mean annihilation, but ruin, failure to realize God’s purpose, and exclusion from his fellowship. To perish is to endure the wrath of God, which is an eternity in the fire of hell. “Everlasting life” is to avoid God’s wrath because Jesus paid for your sin by his sacrifice on the cross. Through faith in Jesus, you traded hell for heaven and will experience an eternity of joy being in right standing with God.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Jesus did not come to judge, instead, he provided the opportunity for us to accept the gift of salvation. The judgment of the world comes later.

The positive perspective in these verses of salvation by faith in Christ should be joined with the consequence of unbelief that is presented in John 3:36!

36 . . . and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.