“There is death in the pot!” #1651

40 Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41 So he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot. (2 Kings 4:40–41, NKJV)

There was a famine in Israel and food was scarce. When Elisha the prophet told his servant to make a pot of stew, someone gathered unknown herbs, vines and gourds for it, “though they did not know what there were” (2 Kings 4:38-39). Elisha miraculously cleansed the poisonous stew, and they ate without harm. When we eat spiritual food we must know what it is. The doctrines and commands of men are “death in the pot” and destroy our souls by taking us away from God’s truth (Gal. 1:6-9; Col. 2:20-23; 2 Jno. 9). The wisdom of the world causes spiritual death (1 Cor. 1:21; 2:6-7; 3:19). Yes, the spiritual food we “eat” matters! Be sure you partake of the Bread of Life (Jesus) by hearing, believing and following His word (John 6:27, 35, 48-58). He has the words of eternal life (John 6:60-68).

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“He Ran and Worshiped Him” #1630

When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. (Mark 5:6, NKJV)

Quite a number of people believe every part of their daily life constitutes worship. Today’s verse (it is not the only one) shows that is not so. Worship (“to pay homage to, to prostrate oneself in homage”) is a particular action by the worshiper given to the object of worship. Please notice the man was not worshiping Jesus when he saw him from a distance. The man was not worshiping Jesus when he ran to Jesus. It is when he arrived that he “worshiped Him.” Christians are instructed to worship God “in spirit and truth” – such are true worshipers (John 4:23-24). Worship involves particular actions directed toward God (prayer, singing praises, the Lord’s supper, giving, and preaching God’s word (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 14:15-16; 11:23-26; 16:1-2). Therefore, worship is more than just going to the lake or mountains and communing with nature. God has revealed the worship He accepts. It is our obligation to offer it to Him without our subtractions or additions. Let us live holy, devoted lives every day, and let us worship God as Scripture directs, with right hearts (“spirit”) and God-approved actions (“truth”).

Christ is Preached #1620

15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. (Philippians 1:15–18, NKJV)

Motives matter. While Paul does not endorse sinful motives for preaching the gospel, he does draw attention to the message that is preached. The spiritual condition of the preacher or teacher does not determine the truth of his gospel message. We must not accept or reject what a person is teaching based on their motives for teaching us. We must listen to their message. Does it agree with the Scriptures (Romans 4:3)? Truth is truth, and it continues to be true even when the person teaching it is prompted by sinful motivation. Paul rejoiced that Christ was preached even though some did so “from envy and strife” to “add affliction” to him while he was imprisoned (v. 15). When you hear the gospel and it convicts our heart, receive it as the word of God. Do not reject God’s truth because you see a character flaw (sin) in the messenger.

Giving Thanks for Our Brethren #1611

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13, NKJV)

Paul felt a moral obligation to always thank God for his brethren. His reasons for giving thanks for them gives us guidance for being thankful for one another. Paul was thankful for them because they were loved by the Lord. Let us be thankful for our brethren because they share in God’s love. Paul was thankful because his brethren were the recipients of God’s eternal purpose of salvation. God chose to save sinners in Christ before the world began (Ephesians 1:4). His plan of “sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” is fulfilled in each person who believes and obeys the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 10:34-35). Because Christians share in salvation it fills our hearts with thankful prayers as we meditate on the rich blessings of God’s eternal love.

The Word of God #1587

22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:22–25, NKJV)

This passage identifies the word of God and describes what it does. First, the word of God is “the truth” (v. 22). The word of God is not a truth among many other truths. It is the truth, it is exclusive, accurate and reliable because is the word of God, not the word of men (1 Thessalonians 2:13). The truth of God purifies the soul when it is obeyed (v. 22; Hebrews 5:9). Our souls cannot be purified unless we obey the truth. Next, the word of God is the seed that produces the new birth (v. 23). The sinner is “born again” when this seed is planted in the heart and obeyed from the heart (Luke 8:11, 15). Those who believe sinners are born again without obedience must ignore this verse (John 3:3, 5). The word of God is powerful, incorruptible and “endures forever” (v. 23, 25). The first-century gospel will do its work in this century. We must receive and obey the truth – the incorruptible word – to be purified of sins and to truly love one another (John 8:31-32; 13:34-35).

The Spirit’s Testimony #1572

26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (John 15:26–27, NKJV)

Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to His apostles to be a Helper, a Comforter, after He left this world (John 14:16-18). He fulfilled His promise to them (Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4, 33). The Holy Spirit has given powerful testimony of Jesus Christ to the world. By His miraculous revelation, inspiration and confirmation, the Spirit of truth bears witness of the gospel of Christ through the apostles He empowered (Acts 1:8). The testimony borne by the Spirit of truth is not a personal impulse, feeling or revelation uniquely given as personal experiences to each individual. His testimony is the gospel He gave the apostles which they preached to the world (Jno. 14:25-26; 16:8-13). To refuse their word for a personal testimony that contradicts the Spirit’s testimony in Scripture is spiritually destructive: “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Hebrews 2:3-4) The New Testament is the Spirit’s testimony to the world. What a comfort the Comforter has given us!

True Worshipers Offer God True Worship #1564

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23–24, NKJV)

The true God seeks true worshipers to offer Him true worship. According to Jesus, true worship is offered God “in spirit and truth.” Since God’s word is truth, it necessarily follows that God’s word reveals true worship and is not devised in the human heart (John 17:17; 2 Kings 12:33). Sincerity alone is insufficient to qualify one as a true worshiper. To please God, sincere worship comes from the heart (“in spirit”) and conforms to the truth of God. The true worshipers we read of in the New Testament offered God reverential prayers, heart-filled singing, memorial eating of the Lord’s supper, thankful giving, and the respectful teaching of God’s word (Acts 2:42; 20:7; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 16:2). Since God accepted their worship, we can offer the same worship today, equally confident that He accepts our worship. True worshipers give God gospel-revealed worship from the heart, not man made worship (Colossians 2:23). God seeks true worshipers. Worship God with your full heart and in the gospel-revealed way.