Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
True biblical love or charity does not condone sin. It abhors and grieves at the outworking of sin in this fallen world. This is the meaning of the word “iniquity”. It is the outworking of sin in crooked or perverted behaviour that violates God’s Holy Laws. The word “iniquity” simply means a disregard of God’s divine laws. It means to act unrighteously and lawlessly.
Hymns: RHC 360 My God, Is Any Hour So Sweet, 358 What a Friend We Have In Jesus, 409 Take Time to Be Holy
Psalm 1:1-6 (KJV)
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Take Time to Be Holy
OUTLINE
Make Not Ungodly Friends (v1)
Make Scripture Your Delight (v2)
Make Time to Bear Spiritual Fruit (v3)
Make Sure to Walk the Way of the Righteous (v4-6)
There is indeed course to take stock to the responses of our heart whenever we would want to retaliate with evil. We need to acknowledge that it is wrong and need to repent and have a renewed faith and obedience by the power of God’s grace to trust God to work things out without taking vengeance into our own hands.
Charity bears no grudges. The word “thinketh” is from the root word “to count”, it is an accounting term, “to keep a mental record”, “to take account”, “to keep in mind.” Charity enables one to not count the evil suffered from others who have offended us and is willing to forgive these offences. Charity does not return evil with good but rather prepares the heart to return good with evil. This is the supernatural love of God in action. It is beyond the comprehension of the carnal man. It enabled Jesus to pray for his persecutors and not hold it against them, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The first martyr Stephen uttered these words to the same effect, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge (Acts 7:60).”
The first covenant home set up by Adam and Eve was devastated when we saw one sibling killing another, Cain killed Abel. It must have grieved the hearts of the parents to see such carnage in the home. The Bible says Cain was very wroth (very angry). What happened? If we can perform an open heart surgery to examine the heart of Cain, you will realise that there is that boiling anger that causes Cain to lose his the peace in his heart, to be provoked so much as to take the life of his brother Abel.Family life grinds to a stand still!
Acts 21:1-21 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
2 And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.
3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians Knowing Your Privilege in Christ “To Be (1)” Ephesians 5:17-20 (KJV) 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be …
“To provoke” is “to rouse to anger or indignation.” It describes one who is short-fused. It has the idea “to irritate, to cause to be upset”. The grammatical context tells us that it is an external provocation that stirs up this anger perhaps when our expectations are not met. This charity is that God-given grace not to be easily offended in the face of provocations.
Be Diligent to Search the Scriptures
Proverbs 2:1-5 “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”
God’s people ought to be diligent in seeking the things of God, because these are things that count and last for eternity. Life does not end when this earthen vessel perishes. The decisions and the paths we take in this life have eternal consequences. We are faced with choices daily! How do we know which is the right choice? How can we walk in the path of God’s blessing?
If we diligently search the Scriptures we will understand “the fear of God and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:5). The fear of God and the knowledge of His will, help guide our choices.
When Jesus was in Gethsemane, He agonised greatly because He knew what suffering He has to endure for our redemption. The Bible says, that he agonised in prayer that He may have the strength to fulfil the Father’s will, His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (We see this in Luke 22:44).