Roots by the River

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church.” ( Ephesians 5:25-29) We are to imitate Jesus in our relationships with our wives and for the same reason: to present her to ourselves in glory, “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless.” You may say, “I cannot do that.” No, but we are still told to do it 'just like Jesus.' We should spend the rest of our lives studying how Christ loved the church and then do it. I will not go into detail but I started this study in 1956. We ...

You probably know that example is the best means of teaching and imitation is the best way of learning. Did you know that we have been told to imitate God, several times? 1. Loving our enemies 2. Loving our wives 3. Humility 4. In everything. 5. In love 6. Loving the brothers 7. Wining an unbelieving husband. Let's look at them. “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:44-48) Jesus tells us to love our enemies then he teaches us how: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (verse 48). We ...

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) All of the words are great words but I want to emphasize the word mouth . The mouth says what the heart believes. “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) Out of the heart the mouth speaks. There is many “a Christian” who believes the gospel in his heart but is afraid to say it with his mouth. Jesus calls it being “ashamed of me and my word” (Luke 9:26). “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) “Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been w...

Here are a lot of “ be ” commands. These “ be ” commands always precede the “ do ” commands. These commands determine what you are . “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) Be joyful – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Be kind – Ephesians 4:32 Be prayerful – Matthew 5:48 Be self-controlled – 1 Peter 1:13 Be holy in all you do – 1 Peter 1:15 Be holy because I am holy – 1 Peter 1:16 Be transformed – Romans 12:2 Be joyful in hope – Romans 12:12 Do not be proud – Romans 12:16 Be willing to associate – 12:16 Do no be conceited – 12:16 Be careful to do what is right – 12:17 Be devoted to one another – 12:10 Never be lacking in zeal – 12:11 Be adopted – Ephesians 1:5 Be to the praise of the glory of His grace – Ephesians 1:6 Be to the praise of His glory – Ephesians 12 Do not let yourself be burdened – Galatians 5:1 Be reconc...

Again, these next few posts are written because I am finding many Christians to whom they apply. If they apply to you, fix it. That is, confess the sins and then obey. You know that taking offense is sin. You do not seem to know that giving offense is the greater sin. “Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God , just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:32-11:1) “And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ .” (1 Corinthians 8:11-12) “If my conscience is clean that does not make me innocent .” (1 Corinthians 4:4) Our conscience is not absolute on right and wrong. In my short acquaintance with you it seems that what you think, you also say – and you think that what you...