“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29 ESV). There is a biblical theology of work. God works. God made man in His own image and gave him work to do too. The modern view that there is a division
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4 ESV). The Lord gave Isaiah a vision of the latter days when
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 ESV). After David repented of his sin of adultery, he prayed that God would “create” in him a clean and pure heart. The Hebrew word for “create” is the same as is found in Genesis 1:1 (בָּרָא, bārā’),
“Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest” (Psalm 50:3 ESV). The Psalmist reminded the people of Israel that offering sacrifices without a heart of true righteousness and thanksgiving was not acceptable to God. His apparent “silence” over their hypocrisy and sin would soon
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV). The example of Christ’s generosity should inspire and empower our own. He took on the poverty of our separation, sin and
“Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you” (Ecclesiates 7:21 ESV). Solomon warned against being overly sensitive to what others say about you. Guard your heart. For from time to time, even those closest to you may say something disparaging of you. You might even
“Let not your mouth lead you into sin” (Ecclesiastes 5:6 ESV). How many times has your mouth led you into sin? How quickly it seems to speak without thinking. It makes promises it can’t keep and it offers opinions on things of which it has no knowledge. It exaggerates for pride’s sake and denies to
“Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV). The apostle Paul quoted Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa. 49:8) concerning the time of salvation that the coming Messiah would bring to both Jew and Gentile alike. Paul declared to the Corinthians that the long awaited for time had come.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV). This is the great exchange: The Righteous One took on our sin, so that we might become His righteousness. The Son took the Father’s wrath that we
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV). Paul encouraged the Corinthians not to give up, for the present troubles of this world are temporary, but the coming glory