We often refer to the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. I was recently rereading them and the two verses preceding the Commandments caught my eye. Here they are:
Exodus 20:1-2 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
I noticed three principles revealed in these verses. Continue reading
Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
This verse informs us that a person may decide a direction to take in life and may plan how to get there, but it is the Lord Who guides his steps. This is dependence. As Jesus stated in John 15:5, “without me ye can do nothing”, we cannot prosper without divine assistance. Continue reading
Ecclesiastes 8:8a There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death:
Death affects all. It is an event over which we human beings have no control. It can occur in a moment and forever change the lives of those still here. Continue reading
Christians have an obligation to live a life of holiness in honor of their God Who is holy (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15-16) and provided a holy sacrifice for their sins in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the only reasonable response believers have (Romans 12:1). Paul wrote of this in the Epistle to the Romans.
Romans 6:11-15 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Continue reading
Ecclesiastes12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Solomon spend a good portion of his life seeking satisfaction apart from God. He tried wine, women, and song. He tried humor, building projects, and riches. He tried everything “under the sun”. Nothing satisfied him. The book of Ecclesiastes chronicles his search. He finally concludes, as the verse above testifies, that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. Continue reading