“But the fruit of the Spirit is …self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23. As believers in Christ, we are challenged by the author of Hebrews to rid ourselves of every “weight”, and the sin which so easily ensnares us (Hebrews 12:1). This includes anything that encumbers our spiritual effectiveness. By discipline and self-control, we must shed any habit, practice, […]
“I will judge his house… because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” I Samuel 3:13. Eli let his two sons do pretty much as they pleased. He rebuked them only after it was too late. As a result they died. His was a false kindness. God, however, is compassionate but not permissive. He chastens us […]
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23. All of us have a secret garden of the heart. How we tend it will determine what speech and behavior it produces. Guarding what we take into our hearts and monitoring our response will determine what takes root there. […]
“You in faithfulness have afflicted me.” Psalm 119:75. God brings our sins to the surface of our consciousness in order to remove them from our lives. He carefully applies pressure just where it’s needed. Never does He arbitrarily break us. On the contrary, His plan is to work on our sinful self-sufficiency, greed, lust, and […]
“…guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23. One sinful act sometimes ruins a life. Uzziah had been a marvelous king for nearly 50 years. But he was smitten with leprosy for intruding into the work that God had reserved exclusively for priests. It’s frightening to think that a single act […]