The idea is not that we should be self-righteous or look down our noses at those whom we consider morally inferior to us. But while maintaining a proper humility, we should still strive to keep clear of the sins for which the world is noted.
Words like “serious” and “diligent” do not describe the approach most people take to religion. In an age of convenience and ease, there is a strong tendency for us to make our relationship to God simply one of the nice activities in our “lifestyle.”
The day is coming when we will stand before the Lord who died for us and account to Him for the stewardship we have exercised in His work. Until that day arrives, we need to be diligently working, so we won’t have to be ashamed of our workmanship.
This week, may our aim be to strengthen our hope and be more appreciative of it. Living in a difficult world, it makes a big difference to be a faithful Christian and be able to look forward to being forever with a Lord whom we love.
Both the Lord and His apostles predicted that some would depart from the faith and that His people must be steadfast. The question is not whether we will have to deal with religious error, but whether we will deal with it in a way that honors Christ.
It should be apparent by the way we conduct our lives every day that we appreciate God’s goodness. Paul wrote, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Our deeds are often hasty and our lives end up being haphazard hodgepodges of this and that, rather than the well-constructed results of premeditation. Nowadays we truly need the biblical warning to think about what we are doing.
One lifetime is too short a time for anyone to learn all he needs to know by experiencing everything himself. The person who is not willing or doesn’t take the time to learn from the experiences that others have passed through will not be very wise.
Sunday is our best opportunity to be with the best people in the world — the Lord’s people — to worship, learn, pray, and sing, to give of our means and observe the Lord’s Supper, to edify and be edified, to rejoice in our blessings in Christ.
We need to strive for greater consistency in our lives. If we are not living what we say we believe, two things are likely to happen: (1) we will be ashamed of our lives, and (2) we will be unsuccessful at having a good influence on other people.
