Don’t be a hypocrite Isaiah 29:15 How horrible it will be for those who try to hide their plans from the LORD. Their deeds are done in the dark, and they say, “No one can see us” and “No one can recognize us.” Matthew 7:5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” 2 Timothy 3:5 They will appear to have a godly life, but they will not let its power change them. Stay away from such people. Matthew 15:8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 1 Peter 2: 1So get rid of every kind of evil, every kind of deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander.
DON’T BE A HYPOCRITE, OR FORM CLOSE RELATIONS WITH HYPOCRITES.
Perfection Is Unattainable Ecclesiastes 7:20 Certainly, there is no one so righteous on earth that he always does what is good and never sins. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This verse reminds us that no one is perfect, and we all need God’s grace. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 – “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” This verse reinforces the idea that perfection is beyond human reach. Matthew 5:48 states, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This verse is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where He calls His followers to a higher standard of righteousness. The word “perfect” in this context does not mean flawless or without sin, as humans are inherently imperfect. Instead, it refers to completeness, maturity, and wholeness in love and righteousness. Jesus is urging His disciples to reflect God’s character—especially His love, mercy, and grace—in their interactions with others. This verse follows Jesus’ teaching about loving enemies and practicing kindness beyond societal norms. It emphasizes that believers should strive to love unconditionally, just as God does. The call to perfection is about spiritual growth, not achieving an unattainable standard of human flawlessness.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND RECEIVED FROM THIS QUICK REFRESHER.
GODLY HUNGER AND THIRST Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval. They will be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 speaks to a deep spiritual longing—a desire for righteousness as essential as food and water. In this verse, Jesus acknowledges and blesses those who earnestly seek righteousness, promising that they will be fulfilled. Breaking it down: – Hungering and thirsting: These are powerful metaphors. Just as we need food and water to survive, true righteousness is something our soul craves. – For righteousness: This isn’t just about personal virtue but longing for justice, truth, and alignment with God’s will. – “They shall be filled”: This is a promise—those who seek God with sincerity won’t be left empty but will find satisfaction through Him. It’s a call to seek God wholeheartedly, knowing He responds to those who yearn for His presence and truth.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND RECEIVED FROM THIS QUICK REFRESHER.
PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING Praise is an expression of approval or admiration; thanksgiving expresses gratitude. The two are linked in worship, 1 Chr. 23:30. When the trumpeters and singers united in praising and thanking the Lord at the dedication of Solomon’s temple, the glory of the Lord filled the house of God, 2 Chr. 5:13, 14. Praise always glorifies Him, Psa. 50:23. When Paul and Silas prayed and sang in prison, God acted on their behalf, Acts 16:25. Their praise was literally hymn singing. God delivered the people of Israel from their enemies when they began to sing and to praise, 2 Chr. 20:21, 22. This is an important element in the missionary enterprise, Psa. 96. Even though it may be only a joyful sound, Psa. 66:1, 2, it characterizes the homes of the godly, Psa. 118:15. Christ is said to praise God in the midst of the church, Heb. 2:12. Thanksgiving can be expressed with vocal and instrumental music in worship, Psa. 147:7. As an indispensable element in prayer, the promise of peace is associated with it, Phil. 4:6, 7. The ungodly do not give God thanks, Rom. 1:21, but it is the revealed will of God that all Christians thank Him in everything, 1 Thess. 5:18. One mark of the filling of the Spirit is the giving of thanks to God always for all things, Eph. 5:18–20.
LET US BE SURE TO GIVE OUR GOD HIS PRAISE AND THANKS. OUR GOD RESPONDS TO OUR PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING.
THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT LETTING OUR LIGHT SHINE Those who have placed their faith in Christ alone for salvation have the light of Christ living within them. We should never tell someone, “Try to be the light.” No! You either are the light or you are not. Scripture declares that if you are in Christ, you are the light. Matthew 5:14 reminds us, “You are the light of the world.” Christ’s saving work in you has caused an identity shift—it’s who you are now. Letting your light shine means allowing Christ, who lives in you, to produce good fruit through your life. There should be a noticeable difference in how we live compared to those who do not believe. Let me clarify what I’m not saying. I’m not suggesting we should do good works to be seen as “good people.” Instead, we must always examine our motives. Our actions should flow from a desire to please the Lord. We should live in a way that glorifies Christ before others, so He is the one they see. Our purpose is to point people to the true Light of the world. God calls us to be His vessels in this world, so go and let your light shine brightly! Matthew 5:14 “You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. Matthew 5:16 In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven. Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
LIVE GODLY, DON’T GIVE UP Galatians 6:9 We can’t allow ourselves to get tired of living the right way. Certainly, each of us will receive ⸤everlasting life⸥ at the proper time, if we don’t give up. Hebrews 12:1 Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⸤of faith⸥, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” LIVE GODLY, STAY STRONG IN THE LORD. DON’T ALLOW THIS WORLD TO CAUSE YOU TO BECOME TIRED AND GIVE UP. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
What’s so special about sex? Paul advises Christians to flee from wrong sex. ‘Just run!’—as Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him (Genesis 39:12). The sex act is unique. It unites our whole self—body, mind and spirit—with the body, mind and spirit of another person. The Bible describes this as becoming ‘one flesh’—that is, two persons becoming one ‘self’ (Genesis 2:24). Sex is a beautiful and complete commitment. For human beings, it’s the ultimate one-anotherness. For Christians, it’s a glimpse of the Trinity of God—the continual self-giving of Father, Son and Spirit. For these reasons, the proper use of sex is expressed in marriage—the total togetherness and ongoing commitment of husband and wife.
I HOPE YOU FOUND THIS QUICK REFRESHER TO BE HELPFUL.
The good-sex guide 1 Corinthians 6:12–20 Someone may say, “I’m allowed to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but I won’t allow anything to gain control over my life. Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will put an end to both of them. However, the body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. God brought the Lord back to life, and by his power God will also bring us back to life. Don’t you realize that your bodies are parts of Christ’s body? Should I take the parts of Christ’s body and make them parts of a prostitute’s body? That’s unthinkable! Don’t you realize that the person who unites himself with a prostitute becomes one body with her? God says, “The two will be one.” However, the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Stay away from sexual sins. Other sins that people commit don’t affect their bodies the same way sexual sins do. People who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves. You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body. Paul says that the kingdom of God is for those who have been made pure by Jesus Christ. Sex outside marriage, male prostitution, sodomy and indecent acts all make us impure. Paul knows that the Corinthians used to behave in those ways, but now they are clean. Paul is being challenged by Christians who say it doesn’t matter what they do. They are ‘free’. Their bodies don’t matter any more, because their souls are safe with God. And anyway, anything they do can be forgiven … Paul agrees that it is a wonderful thing to be free. Because Jesus died for us we are forgiven our sins and released from guilt. But our freedom isn’t a permission to do whatever we like. Paul sees our freedom as a liberty to do what’s right. We’re not owned, obsessed or driven by any habit or passion, except the power of the new life of Jesus within us. Paul teaches that our bodies are not just bins for food and tools for sex. Our bodies belong to the Lord. They are part of his own body now. It is unthinkable to use a Christian body, which is part of Jesus, for sex with a prostitute. Does Paul think our bodies don’t matter? Quite the opposite. He believes they matter very much. God made us with bodies and Jesus had one when he shared our life on earth. Our resurrection bodies will be part of our identity in heaven. For now, our bodies are the place in which we meet with God and from which we serve him—in other words, they are temples of God’s Holy Spirit.
I HOPE YOU FOUND THIS QUICK STUDY TO BE HELPFUL. IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO CONTINUE THESE OF STUDIES, LET US KNOW.
THE WORD OF GOD SPEAKS TO US ABOUT: Scandal, legal action and sex Scandal! 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Corinth is a very sexy place. To be a ‘Corinthian’ means living to satisfy all your appetites for food and drink and sex. In Corinth everything can be done to excess, because nobody knows you and nobody cares. But the church should be different. Paul has heard that one of the Christian men at Corinth is having sex with his father’s wife. This probably means he is living with his stepmother while his father is still alive. This is forbidden several times by the laws of Moses (in Leviticus 18:8; Deuteronomy 22:30; 27:20). It is a situation which would be offensive even to pagans. To Paul, this is outrageous. It is a blatant and continuing breach of Christian holiness. But the Corinthians are proud of it! They’re not hung up on all the old ‘don’ts’. They can do what they like because Christ has set them free! Paul tells the Christians at Corinth that they should have reacted to this man’s behaviour with united grief. It should have upset them deeply that a Christian brother could shame his Lord in this way. They should have expelled him, for his own sake. Much better for him to be punished in this life and come to his senses, than lose his eternal salvation. Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians that they are pure. They are living in the sunlight of Christ. They are an Easter people. At Passover, the spring-cleaning sweeps all the old yeast from a house. Yeast is a symbol of wickedness, because it spreads so completely. Now Christians are to have a new kind of yeast—they must be filled with sincerity and truth. Paul doesn’t expect Christians to be perfect—but he urges them to be open and honest. Paul has written to them before about all this. In a previous letter he told them not to have anything to do with people who are sexually immoral. Some of the Corinthians thought he meant that they shouldn’t mix with the rest of society. But Paul now explains that he didn’t mean that at all. Christians must mix with unbelievers. That’s what Jesus came to do. He had a reputation for sharing meals with tax collectors and other outcasts, and for being a friend of sinners. He told his disciples that they must do the same—like light shining in darkness and yeast mixing with dough. This is how the people of the world will see the gospel lived and hear it explained. But it is a different matter to mix with evil in the church. The church is a holy people, and its standard of living must express the holiness of God. Paul says that Christians must have nothing to do with church members who are flouting the standards of holiness. It isn’t only in matters of sex that Christians must be pure. The same applies to greed for money and possessions, lying, being judgmental about people, drunkenness and robbery. Paul says that people who call themselves Christians but persistently behave in these ways must be expelled. They must be excluded from the church’s fellowship meal. Today we call this ‘excommunication’—being banned from attending Holy Communion. Paul says this discipline is the task of the whole church. It is not just the responsibility of an apostle or leader to take action against an immoral member. Everyone must be involved, acting together as a body. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND RECEIVED FROM THIS DEEP STUDY. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
Our Never-Failing Passport John 14:13–14 I will do anything you ask ⸤the Father⸥ in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son. If you ask me to do something, I will do it. Hebrews 4:16 So we can go confidently to the throne of God’s kindness to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time. The name of Jesus is a never-failing passport to our prayers. In that name a man may draw near to God with boldness and ask with confidence. God has engaged to hear him. Think of this. Is not this encouragement?
LET US NEVE FORGET HOW IMPORTANT JESUS IS TO US. LET US THANK GOD FOR JESUS.
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