Rather than dismissing the distinction between godliness and ungodliness by saying, “Only God knows who His people are,” we need to be growing in our ability to make this distinction rightly. Yes, we must be humble. But we must also be honest.

Let’s avoid thinking that “eternal life” is different only in that it lasts longer than our earthly life. It is indeed “eternal” because it is unending, but more than that, it is of a different quality. It is not only longer, but it is better.

The fact that, as Joseph knew, sin is always against God should weigh more heavily in our thinking than any social consideration. Social consequences are serious, no doubt, but separation from God is the worst of the worst things that can happen.

We can stay where we are, which is easier, at least in the short run, or we can let the Great Deliverer begin to break our chains. Between now and eternity, there is a “wilderness” that will have to be traversed — but our freedom will be worth it!

As with Israel’s deliverance (Exodus 12), our salvation from sin depends on doing certain things God requires before He delivers us (Acts 2:37,38). The gospel must be obeyed to be effective, but it starts with a heart honest enough to cry for help.

When we ourselves are among the unfaithful, what is our response? Hearing the message that we are under the penalty of death for our sins, are we tenderhearted enough to cry out with those on Pentecost, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37,38).

Joy is what God wishes to restore to us in His Son. So for the Christian, the ideal life is the joyous life, whether it is attended with “happiness” or not. Indeed, it may only be through unhappiness that a person’s joy in Jesus Christ can be found.

If we approach the discovery of truth with any intent other than to obey the truth, it is not likely that we’ll find the truth we’re looking for. Getting the right answers to our questions depends greatly on our reasons for asking those questions.

Jesus asked some of his followers, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” True seekers are not content until their knowledge has become godly action. What we learn in the library must be lived in the neighborhood.

Is there anything a wise person wouldn’t give up in order to have God? The privilege of knowing God through Christ so far surpasses the value of everything else that Paul said he would gladly “count all things loss” in order to have this one thing.

In Christ, it is important that we see God as our Friend. God is not only lovable; He is also likeable. We may not only adore Him; we may also trust Him. It is not only our duty to worship Him; it is our privilege to spend time with Him.

In the long run, that which we receive from God will turn out to be the thing we’ve most honestly and deeply wanted, not what we’ve pretended to want. God acts on the basis of what He sees when He looks into the very depths of our true will.

In addition to knowledge, we need courage. Fighting on the Lord’s side is not for the fainthearted. And we must understand: courage does not mean not being afraid; it means that we go ahead and do whatever needs to be done, despite our fear.

Shouldn’t our minds be attracted to the wealth of God’s wisdom? We should be fascinated by it, pulled in by its power and majesty. What right-thinking person could get a glimpse of God’s wisdom and not be moved to meditate upon it and contemplate it?

We must deal realistically with the fact that the day of our death is coming. Too often, it just doesn’t seem real. “So teach us to number our days,” Moses prayed, “that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” May our own death be real to us — right now.

The main issue here is evangelism, and the question is whether our reputation is helping or hurting the gospel. “What other people think of me is becoming less and less important; what they think of Jesus because of me is critical” (Cliff Richards).

Some things are worth beginning, even if we can’t see how they may be finished. What we need is not more knowledge or ability but the courage to take the next step, the one that lies right in front of us. We need the courage to get started.

As long as God is our Master, we need not doubt that His next order is going to be good. It may be disruptive and inconvenient, but it will be good. Our next “assignment,” may be different than what we had in mind — and it may come at any minute!