Let Your Love Increase & Overflow

Our love for ourselves and for other people should be increasing and overflowing as we mature in Christ and in our relationship with Him. Here are some key Scriptures:

A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Mt 22:39 NLT)

We can’t learn to love our neighbor, until we learn to love ourselves—by the grace of God. God loves us as we are, even though He knows all about our weaknesses and our past. God’s love is mature and steadfast and doesn’t accept offense.

And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more [displaying itself in greater depth] in real knowledge and in practical insight . . . (Phil 1:9 AMP)

As the verse quoted above says, our love will display itself in greater depths as the years and our experiences in Christ continue. This will make us better spouses, parents, neighbors, and witnesses for the Kingdom of God.

And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we do for you. (1 Thes 3:12 CSB)

As we grow in our awareness of God’s steadfast and unfailing love for each one of us, individually, the Lord will trigger a yearning in our hearts to show God’s precious and anointed love to everyone with whom we come into contact. May your joy abound and be shared with everyone you meet!

The Lord is Faithful & Upright

The Bible tells us in many different verses that God is not only faithful, but that He is upright. What do these terms means to us?

Faithful means the fact or quality of being true to one’s word or commitments, as to what one has pledged to do, professes to believe, etc. Titus 1:2 reminds us that God cannot lie! This tells us that we may trust whatever He says.

Upright means morally erect; honest; just; conforming to high, moral standards.

Now let’s look at these Scriptures:

For the word of the Lord is upright; and all his works are done in faithfulness. ⁵He loves righteousness and justice; the world is filled with the gracious love of the Lord. (Ps 33:4-5 ISV)

According to this passage, God’s Word is upright, honest, and just. All of God’s works are done in faithfulness, according to what He has promised. Glory to God!

Our Lord, you are true to your promises, and your word is like silver heated seven times in a fiery furnace. (Ps 12:6 CEV)

This Bible verse reminds us that God’s promises are true (genuine, valid, sincere), and that they have been tried and tested—just like fine silver.

The Lord is your mighty defender, perfect and just in all his ways; your God is faithful and true; he does what is right and fair. (Deu 32:4 GNT)

How reassuring to read this Bible passage above! God is declared to be our mighty Defender who is perfect and just (good, fair, honest, honorable) in all of His ways.

For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will see His face. (Ps 11:7 NASB)

According to the Scripture shown above, all who are upright (honest, respectable, righteous) will see God’s face. Hallelujah!

The earth, O Lord, is full of thy steadfast love; teach me thy statutes! (Ps 119:64 RSV)

Lastly, we see the Lord’s love described as steadfast which is just another word for faithful, reliable and trustworthy.

As you can see, based upon what we have just studied, God is indeed faithful and upright! He is worthy to be praised!

Abide in God’s Word & Be Made Free

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

The word KNOW in verse 32, above, means to perceive; understand; recognize; or realize. This is a knowledge that has inception, a progress and an attainment, according to Strong’s concordance (#1097). It is the recognition of truth by personal experience.

This personal experience suggests a close, personal relationship. And verse 32 states that we need to abide in [accept, stand in, obey] God’s Word and thereby confirm ourselves to be Christ’s disciples.

In that context, as we personally come to experience the truth of and dependability of God’s Word, it is that same truth that shall set us free from various challenging and destructive experiences in our lives. It also sets us free from the hurts that other people have inflicted upon us.

God’s steadfast and unfailing love for you can give you such strength and stability in your emotions that you can be made emotionally whole and healthy.

The best kindness that you can do for yourself is to abide in the Scriptures and become more and more stable and secure in their truth—because you know that God does not lie. (Num 23:19)

Rest in Jesus, who has given you the grace, freedom, and strength to live your life to His glory daily!

Note: This is a reprint of our blog article dated 11/21/2016.

A Shield Called Faith

. . . above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (Eph 6:16, emphasis added)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 Joh 5:4, emphasis added)

We see that the Bible mentions a “shield of faith” in Ephesians chapter six. This is quite an important concept, when you think and meditate upon it. Shields were used to in ancient times to block attacks from hand-held weapons like swords as well as from projectile weapons such as arrows.

The shield can also symbolize steadfast principles, commitment, loyalty and protection, which are afforded to us by taking up the spiritual “Shield of Faith” in Christ Jesus, our Savior. This spiritual shield protects our hearts and minds from the attacks of the enemy which are designed to rob us of peace and joy. Our spiritual shield also enables us to persevere in times of trials and crisis.

Cling to your confession of faith, brothers and sisters! Heed Romans 10:8-9:

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Yes & Amen

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (2 Cor 1:20)

This is a wonderful, blessed, and encouraging Bible verse. It means that every promise in the Bible is fulfilled through, and guaranteed by, Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

But what does that mean, in everyday life, to a believer?

First, the key is to remember that all of God’s words are reliable. They are firm, constant, and steadfast. God cannot lie. (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Heb 6:18; Tit 1:2)

These promises are fulfilled IN JESUS so it’s crucial to remember that Jesus never changes. (Heb 13:8) Neither will His promises nor His support of God’s Word ever change.

God is consistent and His love is consistent. That means that He, His love and His words NEVER FAIL.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. (Ps 13:5)

For with God nothing will be impossible. (Lk 1:37)

He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever . . . (Ps 18:50)

And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. (Josh 23:14)

The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. (Ps 33:5)

. . . so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isa 55:11 NIV)

So, our question from the top of the article is what does this mean for the believer. First, here are the definitions of the words: The word Yes means “certainly, absolutely, and positively.” The word Amen means “I agree” or “Yes, indeed.”

In everyday life, this means that you may choose a Bible verse or several that you would like to come to pass for you in your life. As you meditate upon the verse (or verses) and keep it in front of your eyes, know that through Jesus, the Lord has already answered: “certainly; I agree; absolutely; yes, indeed; and positively” to your need.

How glorious! We serve the God of the impossible!

God, Our Savior: Our Hiding Place

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. (Ps 119:114 ESV)

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. (Ps 27:5 NKJV)

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. (Ps 31:20 NKJV)

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. (Ps 32:7 NKJV)

A pavilion is another word for a tent, chamber or building. Through these Bible passages, the Lord is:

Teaching us,
Making promises to us, and
Encouraging us.

The Lord is teaching us to run to Him and to His Word when we are in need, in poor health, or in trouble. He is reminding us to lay all of our troubles and concerns at His feet; and to trust Him to deal with each and every one of them on our behalf.

The Lord, through these Bible verses, promises to:

Be our safe haven,
Shield us and hide us from trouble,
Set us high upon a rock, far from strife and evil words spoken against us,
Save (deliver) us from trouble, and
Surround us with songs of release and freedom from and victory over all evil.

Last, but not least, the Lord is lovingly encouraging us to put all of our faith and trust in Him and in His Word. He wants us to be steadfast and unwavering in our faith in Him.

God wants us to remember that He cannot and does not lie! (Num 23:19; Tit 1:2) Trust the Savior today.

Preparation for Glory

One of the purposes of our lives here on earth, aside from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is to prepare us believers for future glory. At times, our preparation will seem very difficult to bear up under.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. . . (2 Cor 4:17)

The apostle and his fellow sufferers compared their current light suffering with the reward that, by faith, they knew awaited them in heaven. They considered the heavenly crown awaiting them to be far more significant than their current afflictions.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom 8:18)

According to the verse above, our earthly problems will seem mild and temporary when we view them from the safe haven of eternity with Jesus. At times, it will help us to endure when we focus upon unseen realities that exist in the spiritual realm.

. . . knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Jas 1:3-4)

When our faith is put to the test, the Word reminds us to patiently endure—or to cling to the truth of God’s Word. Remaining steadfast in faith through a time of suffering will result in our faith becoming more mature, deep and strong. When we live in this way, we are following Christ’s example.

. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Heb 5:8)

This verse is referring to Jesus Christ, our Savior. This passage reminds us that our Savior learned, through suffering, all about the unique obedience needed to qualify Him as our High Priest. (See Commentary on Hebrews 5 by A. R. Fausset, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown)

The point of this article is to meditate upon the fact that Jesus—the Savior of mankind—endured great suffering for our sake. He didn’t grumble about it but focused upon His love for His Father and the end result of His obedience which was the reconciliation of mankind to God the Father. At the cross, Jesus could say, “It is finished.”

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials . . . (Jas 1:2)

The Unchanging Nature of Salvation

In this article, we’re considering the unchanging nature of our salvation. As I think about this subject, I believe that our salvation is based upon three important cornerstones.

God’s Will for Mankind

The covenant God made with His children is unwavering, for God (who cannot lie) has made a promise and then confirmed it by an oath. (see Num 23:19 & Heb 6:13-18)

For I am the Lord, I do not change . . . (Mal 3:6a)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (Jam 1:17)

God’s Word

God’s Word is eternal. The Bible reminds us that we should never add to or delete anything from God’s Word. (Deu 4:2; 12:32; Pro 30:5-6)

The Bible also warns us not to confuse the teachings of men with the Word of God. (Mt 15:8-9; Mk 7:6-8)

God’s Word will stand forever; it shall be entirely fulfilled.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. (Isa 40:8)

. . . having been born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever . . . (1 Pet 1:23)

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Mt 5:18)

Our Savior—Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8)

But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. (Heb 7:24)

Jesus, who is the Living Word, has an unchangeable priesthood and an unchanging character. He is steadfast and trustworthy. He has completed the mission that our heavenly Father gave to Him. He has redeemed mankind and reconciled to the Father all who have accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord. All glory to God!

Not Perfection but Maturity

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God . . . (Heb 6:1)

What does the author of Hebrews 6 want us to understand by the word “perfection” as used in this verse? The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (JFB) Commentary on Hebrews 6 says this about it:

perfection–the matured knowledge of those who are “of full age” ( Heb 5:14 ) in Christian attainments.

In the JFB commentary, “full age” can be understood to mean mature. Once a person is mature in Christian attainments, what does their life look like to others?

This person is not easily swayed by false or erroneous doctrines; but it’s someone who ministers God’s love and mercy to others. (Eph 4:13-16)
Their relationship with the Lord remains steadfast, regardless of the current circumstances of their life. (Col 1:23)
A mature Christian doesn’t get anxious over things that they can’t control—especially about events reported in the news. (Ps 112:7)
He or she will not allow any circumstance of life to disrupt their faith in God nor their daily spiritual habits of quiet time with the Lord, prayer, and Bible reading. (Act 2:42)
They maintain their childlike sense of wonder and trust in God. (Mt 18:3)
A mature Christian does not compare themselves with others. (2 Cor 10:12)
This is a person who is rooted and grounded in love—the love of God for them and the love of God for other people. (Eph 3:17)

The verse at the top of this article (Heb 6:1) reminds each of us that the Lord doesn’t want us to remain stationary in our Christian walk but that we need to build upon the foundational principles of our faith and to grow in maturity in Christ Jesus.

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