INTRODUCTION: James tells us that the tongue is an unruly member. If we can control the tongue, he says, we can control anything. At the same time, the Bible teaches that the tongue has tremendous power for good. We destroy with our words. We build with our words. THE TEXTS: The wise in heart shall …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XXII
Introduction: Husbands are commanded to love, and we are taught that the kind of love they are to render is the kind that bestows loveliness. But wives are not encouraged by this to simply be passive recipients—they are given a command as well. They are to be subject to their husbands (v. 24), and they …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XXI
INTRODUCTION: The central command given to husbands as husbands in the New Testament is the command to love. The central command given to wives as wives is the command to honor and respect. We will consider the first in detail this week, and the second next week. THE TEXTS: For the husband is the head …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XIX
Introduction: Learning is awkward. Even assuming good motives, and a desire to learn, and no rebellion against God’s pattern, there are still difficulties. G.K. Chesterton once said that the “chief object of education is not to learn things but to unlearn things.” Couple this with the fact that what we must unlearn is frequently what …
And Not As the Scribes
As we come to the conclusion of Christ’s great sermon, we should consider these words of His to be the capstone. Without a proper understanding of application, all that has been said up to this point is useless. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XVIII
INTRODUCTION: Being a married Christian is a function of being a Christian. In other words, we should not expect to find a set of marital “techniques” that are unrelated to the task of living as a Christian generally. For the unmarried, the best preparation for future duties is a pleasant embrace of current duties. For …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XVII
INTRODUCTION: In the Scriptures, jealousy is a virtue. Like all good things, it can be bent and distorted into sin, but for some reason, we have come to think that jealousy is necessarily sinful. This is not the case at all. In the modern world, we are not nearly jealous enough. THE TEXT: “Take heed …
Ask, Seek, Knock
God is our Father, and we as believers must learn to approach Him as our Father. This approach is not limited to what we call Him; it necessarily includes our requests. In a very real way, what one feels free to request indicates how much at home that person is. Are you at home in …
Judge Not
Who do not live in a discriminating age. In fact, we have so little ability left in discrimination that we even think that it is an evil thing to do. But this is a very real problem — and some have sought support from this passage in defense of their error. “Judge not, that you …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XVI
Introduction: Some people take an approach to marriage that flatters everyone. In other words, it is assumed that everyone wants (deep down) to be a godly husband or a godly wife, and that the only impediment to this marital bliss is ignorance. That ignorance, it turns out, can be remedied with this book, this seminar, …