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This evening the President is set to deliver his final state of the union address to the combined houses of Congress, and the American people.

It is appropriate from time to time to take stock of where we are as a nation, to set goals, to correct mistakes, and to resolve to do better in the future.

It seems equally appropriate that we do the same with our individual lives. Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

So, how about it? What is the state of your life? What spiritual goals do you have? What mistakes do you need to correct? What are your specific resolutions as you seek to live “soberly, righteously and godly in the present age”? (cf. Titus 2:12).

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“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:13-16).

People today have peculiar ideas about the grace we receive from God through Jesus. Never in scripture does the concept of grace bring with it the idea we are not obligated to obey God. Paul condemns the idea (cf. Romans 6:1). Paul also told Titus that grace teaches us to live soberly and righteously (cf. Titus 2:11-12).

Peter, in the text above says the same. Trusting in God’s grace is here illustrated as sober and holy living. As seen in the phrase, “gird up the loins of your mind” it takes diligent and concerted effort on our part. Because of grace, we must obey!

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In 2 Thessalonians, Paul wrote, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2:15). The word “traditions” here refer to practices established by inspiration. They come from God.

In Matthew 15:9, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah, saying, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Here Jesus refers to practices established by men rather than God.

Some are not interested in keeping traditions with regard to religious service. In fact, some go so far as to criticize the “traditional”, while establishing their own, man-made practices instead.

We freely admit to cherishing and holding fast to our traditions. Our traditions are 2,000 years old. They originate in the mind of God, not men. They are worth embracing!

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“But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

The church of the living God is a house. The word house does not refer to a structure, but a family. God is the Father (Ephesians 3:14). Jesus is the Son over that house (Hebrews 3:6). Christians too are children, by adoption (Romans 8:15-17), and as such heirs of eternal life.

As a family, we have many blessings. These blessings are based upon our relationship with God. Among these blessings are the relationships we have with one another as fellow heirs. There is a primary obligation we have to one another, which is spelled out by John:

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21).

Do you love your brethren? You should. We are part of a wonderful family!

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It is comforting to read the many assurances found in God’s word concerning His power, and beneficence toward those who belong to Him. One example of this is found in Isaiah 35:2-3:

“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, you God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.'”

In the midst of uncertain and disturbing times, we cast our confidence in the Almighty God. Jesus has come as a Savior, and will come again to judge the ungodly, and “to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7).

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Acts 12 records a despotic King, Herod, determining to “harass some from the church.” He executed James, the brother of John, and we are told his actions “pleased the Jews.” Their approval spurred him on, and he siezed Peter as well, and put him in prison. (vv. 1-3).

Two lessons can be learned from this:

1) Though we are fortunate not to be the subjects of governmental persecution, that can change. Christians will always be the subject to the ungodly impulses of evil men. It is for this reason we are called to be virtuous in standing when our faith is tested.

2) Ultimately, God wins! So, it is in our best interest to serve Him. Not all who are evil will get their punishment in this life (though Herod did, as God struck him worms, and he died, vs. 23). But, rest assured that the ungodly will be punished, and those who believe will receive the reward of heaven.

As Paul wrote, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

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Have you ever wondered why a flight attendant, when talking about the oxygen masks, says to put on your own mask first before helping your child to put his or her mask on? Simple! You have to be able to breathe in order to help someone else!

There is a similar instruction that Paul gave to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”

You can’t expect to be effective in saving the souls of others if you are not spiritually strong yourself. It is a matter of priority. You need to be able to breathe (spiritually), before you can expect to effectively help someone else!

So, if you want to be effective in preaching the gospel message, understand that the best teachers are those who let their “light so shine before men, that they may see [their] good works and glorify [their] father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

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Weeds are the bane of anyone who desires a pretty lawn. They are an unsightly blight upon what would otherwise be a unmarred expanse of pretty green. Too, when they proliferate, they choke out the grass.

In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, he notes that some seed fell among thorns (weeds). He states the thorns “choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).

Fortunately, Jesus specifies what these things are, three in number (cf. Mark 4:19):

1. The cares of this world. Our focus is not to be on food and clothing, but upon the kingdom of God! (cf. Matthew 6:33).
2. The deceitfulness of riches. Life is not about money and possessions. Whoever thinks so is like the foolish rich man of Luke 12). “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (vs. 20).
3. The desires for other things. No matter our desire, the lack of contentment is an enemy to those who seek to live for God. “Now godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

Pull up the weeds (thorns) in your life, and become fruitful in your service to the Lord!

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The book of Proverbs has many wonderful nuggets of wisdom. A favorite of mine:

(Proverbs 4:23), “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

The concept is very simple. If we are not careful, our heart will be corrupted by the ungodly culture in which we live. In every generation the majority choose to rebel against God (cf. Matthew 7:13). It is the classic case of light versus darkness, righteousness verses lawlessness, Christ versus Belial (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Since the majority reject God, it should not surprise us that the influences that rule are predominately evil. In the face of this we must be diligent (vigilant, ESV). The term involves the idea of a guard who is at his post.

Considering the importance of the task, Albert Barnes wrote, “The heart is such a fountain, out of it flow the ‘issues’ of life. Shall men let those streams be tainted at the fountain-head?”

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I have read, heard and even opined myself on the willingness of so many to attend a football game, or other sporting event or entertainment event, and willingly suffer from weather or other discomforts for the joy of the occasion.

People routinely get up in the wee hours of the morning, or stand in long lines, or suffer through extremes of heat, cold or other weather related trials to cheer on their teams, or play their games, or listen to their music. And, if the game or concert were to go into “overtime”, they consider it a positive development.

In contrast, they may view a 9:00 am Bible study to be too early, a bit warm or slightly cool auditorium not sufficiently comfortable, and a 45 minute lesson an inappropriate imposition upon their time and attention.

The issue is not the relative entertainment value. I know well that a nip and tuck football game is far more entertaining than a long winded preacher. The issue is the extent of your desire to be with God and His people!

So, how about it? Can you say with David, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord'” (Psalm 122:1)?

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him” (John 6:27).

The text is a typical example of a type of idiom (a characteristic mode of expression) used by Jewish people in the first century. It is the use of the “do not … but” construction to make a contrast.

It does not tell us it is wrong to labor for physical food. In other places, the Holy Spirit expresses the importance of providing for our family (cf. 1 Timothy 5:8). Rather, we must have our priorities in order, giving proper emphasis and prevalence to spiritual matters.

We are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33).

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“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”(1 John 5:4-5)

Trapped as we are in this body, and this physical universe, it sometimes seems that “the world” has the upper hand. Evil is rampant, danger abounds, and our faith is constantly under attack. In light of this, it is good to know that our relationship with God through His Son gives us the victory.

It is assured. We are promised, based upon our faith, that we have the hope of heaven. May we all Praise God!, and then, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

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God has promised a crown of life to those who obey Him. “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

There are number of references to that crown, with it described as:

• An imperishable crown(1 Corinthians 9:25)
• A crown of joy/rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19)
• A crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4)

In the passage from Revelation 2:10, there is the implication that our crown may be taken away. Thus, the exhortation, “Be faithful until death.” May we all run the race of life in such a way as to obtain the “imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

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In the New Testament, the term fellowship (from the Greek, koinonia), is consistently used to refer to a joint participation in the spiritual.

• In 1 Corinthians 1:9, Paul uses it to refer to our relationship with Jesus Christ.
• In 2 Corinthians 6:14, he admonishes Christians not to be yoked together with unbelievers and evil.
• In 2 Corinthians 8:4, he attributes the word to the important spiritual work of benevolence to saints who were suffering.
• In Galatians 2:9, he talks of the “right hand of fellowship”, indicating the apostles’ endorsement of his preaching to the Gentiles.
• In Philippians 1:5, he notes that their support of his work in preaching to the lost was “fellowship in the gospel”.
• John speaks of the spiritual relationship we enjoy as children of God, and with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ in 1 John 1:6-7.

Today when religious people use the term they are more likely to be talking about recreation, eating and fun. Putting an (inappropriately) weighty term upon a trivial activity does not make it more credible or important.

Paul wrote, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

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In Romans 8, the apostle Paul expressed a wonderful sentiment when he asked the rhetorical question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (verse 31). The relationship we have with God guarantees our ultimate victory. Christians have on their side the Creator of the universe – the omnipotent, omniscient, eternal One.

Paul knew this, and wrote, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (verse 37). The phrase “more than conquerors” comes from a single greek term, hupernikao. The prefix huper strengthens the term, and carries the idea of “superior, abundant, exceeding.” The word indicates not only a victory, but that said victory is decisive and complete.

In effect, Paul states that through God and His Son we become super conquerors! Nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of god which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (verse 39).

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