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Top 13 Bible Verses About Virtue



God places a high value on godly virtues, so here are the top 13 Bible verses about virtue as found in Scripture.
Second Peter 1:5-7 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
A virtuous person is one who has high moral standards, and acts with integrity, honesty, and morality, and importantly, even when no one is looking. The Apostle Peter tells us we are to “make every effort” to supplement our “faith with virtue,” meaning it doesn’t come naturally, even for Christians. Notice that Peter puts virtue before knowledge, but virtue with self-control leads to godliness. This godliness allows God to love others through us.

Proverbs 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
When the Bible mentions “walk” or “walking,” it is referring to a lifestyle, so whoever lives with integrity in life can rest assured they’ll walk securely. There’s a lot more damage that can be done be telling a lie than telling the truth, even to one’s own heart. This means, we must keep our promises, or not make them in the first place. God “honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Psalm 15:4).

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
One way I can get rid of that “song in my head” is to replace it with another, so in this sense, when we’re thinking bad or negative thoughts, it’s time to dwell on virtuous things…things that are honorable, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent. It’s still up to us to make every effort to “think about these things.”

Proverbs 31:10-11 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
To the question, “Who can find” an excellent wife,” I can honestly say I have a virtious wife. Perfect? Of course not, but a godly woman who “opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy” (Prov 31:20). With my own eyes I have seen her as “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue” (Prov 31:26). Her value is far above that of rubies because “a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Prov 31:30b).

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
These are natural by-products of the Holy Spirit. These are godly virtues that we cannot produce of ourselves (John 15:5), and these virtues (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) are in great demand today.

Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
By saying “The integrity of the upright guides them,” we could understand that to mean, what they know they must do, they do. Whatever is right guides their decision making. If you know the right thing to do and manage to do it, the consequences will provide a straighter path in life, and one that’s straighter is decidedly safer than one that’s crooked. That’s the treacherous way, and that way destroys many.

James 5:12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Anything more than “Yes” seems to be an attempt to prove that we mean it. If we swear by something that we have no control over, that cannot guarantee something will or won’t happen. Swearing to do something only puts a person at risk for humiliation when they fail to do it…even though they “swore on their mother’s grave.” A simple yes or no will suffice…and it’s better than trying to add stipulations to it.

First Chronicles 29:17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.
This writer has a clean conscience. That’s more difficult to have when you know God knows the heart (1 Sam 16:7), but clearly, we can’t fool God. He tests our hearts, but not so He’ll find out anything new about us, but so we’ll find out new things about us! One thing we know, God is pleased by the righteous virtues of His people. Of course, they’re not sinless or perfect, but they’re striving to live a virtuous life.
Proverbs 19:1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
Riches can’t help us walk in integrity any more than poverty can, so walking in integrity has nothing to do with a person’s social or financial status. A poor person will do far better in life walking in integrity, in this life and at the judgment, than a rich one will do who walks in his or her own way.

Psalm 41:11-12 By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.
God upholds those who walk in integrity. Integrity is even more important in this world with all the corruption there is, so the psalmist sees God’s righteous hand will uphold him throughout life. God also sees His children as being set “in your presence forever,” or as if, it’s as good as done.

Romans 5:7-8 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I can remember many heroic accounts of someone giving their lives for another or for several people, but I cannot remember someone volunteering to die; even willingly, for someone who’s an known enemy. That’s the virtuous love of God that doesn’t give enemies what they deserve (God’s wrath), but what they need (love, forgiveness). Those are virtues we should endeavor to live.


John 8:46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
Who could accuse Jesus of any sin? No one could because He was without sin. Jesus asked the crowds of self-righteous Jews, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” Here was their chance to accuse Jesus of sin, publically, but they were silent in their accusations about Him because He did no sin, and there was no other way that we could be redeemed by God than “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:19). It took His perfection to save us.

Luke 23:4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”
Pontius Pilate understood that there was “no guilt in this man,” Jesus Christ. The Son of God was virtuous in every way possible, and Pilate knew that there was no reason to have Him crucified, but rather, Pilate knew the Jews were jealous of Him (Matt 27:18). Even so, Pilate gave into the near-to-riot crowds and had the sinless Son of God put to death.

Conclusion
If you liked these Bible verses about virtue, I hope you’ll share them with your friends. The virtues that the Bible speaks about, and those generated by the Holy Spirit, are like water to a dying and thirsty world. Without these virtues, Christians would be just like the world, but if we have one virtue above others, let it be our love, for it is by our love for one another that the world will know we are His disciples (John 13:34-35).
 

Walk in Humility
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:4-7 NIV

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Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
and he shall lift you up.

James 4:10 KJV

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Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.

Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.

For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

1 Corinthians 4:5-7 NASB
 
“I will sing of mercy and judgment.”

Psalm 101:1

Faith triumphs in trial. When reason is thrust into the inner prison, with her feet made fast in the stocks, faith makes the dungeon walls ring with her merry notes as she cries, “I will sing of mercy and of judgment. Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.” Faith pulls the black mask from the face of trouble, and discovers the angel beneath. Faith looks up at the cloud, and sees that

“'Tis big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on her head.”


There is a subject for song even in the judgments of God towards us. For, first, the trial is not so heavy as it might have been; next, the trouble is not so severe as we deserved to have borne; and our affliction is not so crushing as the burden which others have to carry. Faith sees that in her worst sorrow there is nothing penal; there is not a drop of God's wrath in it; it is all sent in love. Faith discerns love gleaming like a jewel on the breast of an angry God.

Faith says of her grief, “This is a badge of honor, for the child must feel the rod”; and then she sings of the sweet result of her sorrows, because they work her spiritual good. Nay, more, says Faith, “These light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” So Faith rides forth on the black horse, conquering and to conquer, trampling down carnal reason and fleshly sense, and chanting notes of victory amid the thickest of the fray.

“All I meet I find assists me
In my path to heavenly joy:
Where, though trials now attend me,
Trials never more annoy.
“Blest there with a weight of glory,
Still the path I'll ne'er forget,
But, exulting, cry, it led me
To my blessed Saviour's seat.”
 
4 Ways to Get Your Marriage Back on Track



Have you ever thought “Crap, I married the wrong person” ?
Marriage has a lot less to do with marrying the right person and more to do with doing the right things with the person you married.

Maybe you’re in a rough spot in your marriage and you’re having a hard time finding your way back to “happily ever after.”
When things aren’t going well, there’s hope. You can get your relationship back on track.

Why You Said ‘I Do’
Here are four ways to remind yourself of why you said, “I do” in the first place and to bring back that loving feeling:
  1. Listen--It’s natural to want to express your viewpoint, especially when you disagree. Everyone wants to be heard. When a situation is heated, it’s easy to begin criticizing, condemning and complaining. When you’re criticizing and condemning, you’re no longer listening. Instead your focus shifts to your husband’s negative traits. Complaining places the focus on problems instead of solutions. Seek to understand his point of view by listening. Try to put yourself in his shoes. You don’t have to agree with him, but you can show him respect and validate him by listening to what he has to say. Then you can respond by letting him know you understand why he feels the way he feels.

  2. Touch--Touch is a powerful form of nonverbal communication. It’s easy to want to disengage when you disagree. Touch is a fundamental human need. It communicates connection and reassurance. Instead of moving away from your husband during a disagreement, move towards him. Initiate physical touch. A gentle touch can communicate compassion and love. Place your hand on his leg or shoulder. Hug him or kiss him to diffuse the situation.

  3. Be quiet–Once words come out of your mouth, you can never take them back. In the heat of the moment, you might want to say something you’ll later regret. Calling names, being sarcastic and mocking will probably escalate the disagreement and could produce feelings of contempt. Instead of responding out of anger, take time to calm down. Resume the conversation when you’ve had time to think and can respond in a rational way.

  4. Kindness–When you re-engage in the discussion, be kind. Keep your voice low and soft. And don’t minimize your husband’s concerns. Affirm him. Remind him you are on the same team, and your disagreement is not more important than your relationship.
 

We will see Him!
They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:4,5 NASB

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For now we see in a mirror, dimly,
but then face to face.

Now I know in part, but then I shall
know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:12,13 NKJV

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But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God.

And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him--and in seeing him, become like him.

All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own.

1 John 3:2,3 MSG
 
“This man receiveth sinners.”

Luke 15:2

Observe the condescension of this fact. This Man, who towers above all other men, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners — this Man receiveth sinners. This Man, who is no other than the eternal God, before whom angels veil their faces — this Man receiveth sinners. It needs an angel's tongue to describe such a mighty stoop of love. That any of us should be willing to seek after the lost is nothing wonderful— they are of our own race; but that he, the offended God, against whom the transgression has been committed, should take upon himself the form of a servant, and bear the sin of many, and should then be willing to receive the vilest of the vile, this is marvelous.

“This Man receiveth sinners”; not, however, that they may remain sinners, but he receives them that he may pardon their sins, justify their persons, cleanse their hearts by his purifying word, preserve their souls by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and enable them to serve him, to show forth his praise, and to have communion with him. Into his heart's love he receives sinners, takes them from the dunghill, and wears them as jewels in his crown; plucks them as brands from the burning, and preserves them as costly monuments of his mercy. None are so precious in Jesus’ sight as the sinners for whom he died.

When Jesus receives sinners, he has not some out-of-doors reception place, no casual ward where he charitably entertains them as men do passing beggars, but he opens the golden gates of his royal heart, and receives the sinner right into himself — yea, he admits the humble penitent into personal union and makes him a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. There was never such a reception as this! This fact is still most sure this evening, he is still receiving sinners: would to God sinners would receive him.
 
God Ordains Whatsoever Comes to Pass, Including Your Suffering



A while back, I wrote a post titled: God’s Will For Your Life Is That You Would Suffer. The heart of the piece dealt with three aspects of the Will of God and built a theology showing that indeed, God does will that we would suffer. These aforementioned aspects included God’s Decretive Will (His decreed or sovereign will), His Preceptive Will (His revealed will in the Scriptures), and God’s Permissive Will (His allowance of evil, and so forth). In the piece itself, I demonstrated that it is the case, but not necessarily how and why. Stemming from this post, a dear friend asked a good question: When God sovereignly ordains something against His moral will via His permissive will, why would I say, in effect, He desires this to happen? Why would He desire our suffering?

In essence, the logic didn’t quite make sense to see that God would actively cause something to come to pass that violates His revealed will. This is a similar question to the Arminian’s, save the large difference in taking it a step further to ask how such a thing is morally good. For our purposes, this touches heavily on His permissive will – so I want to take some time to explain this more clearly and also provide answers as to why God would desire something, like suffering at the hands of persecutors, yet simultaneously ordain the persecutor to rise against His people. I use suffering as an example because it was the topic of the previous post, as well as the context the question came forth from.

I believe one of the ways we tend to get lost in this is by framing things purely in terms of His “allowing” these things to happen. By virtue of the fact that He has a sovereign will that He exercises freely, He actively brings all things that come to pass. The idea behind this is that God, in exercising His right over all things to do with them as He pleases, does so in utter perfection. In that, God is not passive, but active. It is not enough to say God merely permits the evils of this world to happen (consider Job 1:8). We must be consistent in acknowledging that all things come from His hand – He ordains whatsoever comes to pass and in so doing, He desires it to happen (Pro. 16:33; Eph. 1:11).

Naturally, when you raise such a proposition, the problem of evil comes up (i.e. how can God actively ordain all things, such as for sin to come into the world, and yet be without fault?). Most plainly stated: when God handles anything, it is by virtue of His being, not evil or wicked. He is the fountainhead of all goodness, indeed, the very source of our understanding of good. What then flows from His character, being, and deeds, is utterly and wholly good. The inherit problem in this is not that I have said He is good, but that many cannot reconcile how all His deeds can be good, if it is said that such deeds are perceived as evil in the human mind. I believe the misconception of our Arminian friends in this is that God is inadvertently defined in terms of perceived goodness, rather than actual goodness being defined in terms of God.

God is good, therefore, goodness bears qualitative likeness to God’s own being and flows from his essence. The clearest place one sees this is in His creative genius in Genesis 1-2, and it is no small wonder why the very first words of the Bible set up this portrait for the Christian. Straight away, the Scriptures propose the existence of God, demonstrate His complete mastery over all things by virtue of the fact that He speaks them into existence, and then displays all of His works to be good. In each instance of Creation, God brings something into existence, shapes it for His purposes, and then calls it good. When He has completed His work, He steps back, delights in it, and declares it all to be very good.

The ultimate proposition of the Scriptures then is that whatever God does, it is good. This should be an uncontroversial statement for those who claim Christ. What we need to do then is turn the corner, and simply see that God does many things that don’t align with our initial perception. This does not then flip the former notion of God’s goodness on its head, but rather, reveals a deficiency in our own minds in comprehending His goodness in and through such things. Yet what I would propose here is that the deficiency is not only in the inadvertent defining of God in terms of perceived goodness. It is likewise a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of sin.

We tend to define sin in terms of a tangible thing. However, sin is not a substance, but rather a state of being that falls short of the standard of God. Therefore, nothing God does can be intrinsically sinful or short of that standard. Not one act from the hand of the Creator and Sustainer can be said to fall short of His own standard – He’s the very source of the standard! This is precisely why we see God bearing attributes, which in humanity, quickly lead one into all sorts of gross misconduct. The fundamental difference, again, is that God exercises these things in perfect fashion, in accordance with His will or desire.

For example, He can be jealous, angry, and vengeful without exercising those attributes as humanity would because He is not wounded or suffering loss, but instead, extending perfect and righteous judgment. He can take life without being guilty of bloodshed because He is the author of all life, and He has the right to take life. Likewise, the Lord can raise a people, such as the Babylonians, to bring the Israelites under His holy judgment, yet simultaneously judge the Babylonians for rising against people in violence (Hab. 1:5-11; 2:6-20). This is also precisely why we can see Joseph recognize the evil of his brothers, yet the goodness of God in bringing those events to pass (Gen. 45:4-8, 50:20). Behind every evil deed, there is the God who works and intends all things for His good, not in reaction to evil, but long before that evil thought was entertained in the minds of the wicked.

This is fundamentally at the heart of the “how” in my friend’s question posed in the beginning. The reason I bring these things to the forefront of this piece is to now demonstrate “why” He would do such a thing, and actually desire such things happen to us. To keep with the initial theme, we will ground this in terms of suffering and/or persecution. In this, we do not think that God is helpless, passive, or inattentive, but rather, we recognize He decrees such hardships and they are qualitatively good. Secondly, He desires that they happen to us for our benefit. Yet why would he desire this, of all things?

If one were to look to the first chapter of the epistle of James, they would find he encourages the church to consider their various trials all joy. This mindset of joy is not on the basis that these hardships are joyous in and of themselves, but for the work which is produced from them. In v. 3, James assumes a knowledge of the church; they know the result of these trials, yet he reminds them nonetheless. These trials, these things “testing our faith” develop perseverance, and perseverance presents us as whole in Christ. In essence, he is speaking toward the immediate results of having an assurance of our salvation, yet also, an eye toward that final salvation, to which suffering causes us to endure and receive the crown of life (see James 1:12). Trials produce in us this final assurance and genuine faith that causes us to persevere until the end.

In similar fashion, 1 Peter 1:6-9 speaks of the “proof” of our faith being revealed in the “testing” of it through trials:
“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”


This passage likewise ties suffering into our final salvation and glorification, yet with an interesting metaphor. The genuineness of our faith is worth more than gold, yet the testing by fire is like gold in that the fire removes the impurities and dross so that the more pure “metal” of our faith remains. Yet notice the key result: it is found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is just another way of saying that Christ has been worshipped in being revealed, or unveiled and seen for who He is, and made more fully known to us.

Equally as important is the notion that this testing of our faith produces an endurance and genuine faith that carries us to future salvation and glorification, in spite of not seeing Christ now face to face. So Peter speaks to this unveiling that happens where we see Christ, but then reminds us that we have not yet seen Him face to face. In spite of that fact, trials somehow mysteriously produce these things within us because Christ is being unveiled at the same moment. Suffering reveals Christ to us, produces a genuineness of faith, and causes us to endure to gain our final inheritance and finally see Him face to face.

The proposition from Scripture is that we will suffer if we are servants of Christ and desire the things befitting conversion (2 Tim. 3:12; John 15:20). Undoubtedly, the genuine Christian will have tribulation (John 16:33). We know that those in Thessalonica were destined to suffer, even being warned previously of its coming (1 Thess. 3:2-4). Likewise, those in Philippi endured persecution (Phil. 1:27-30). Notice Paul does not shy away from indicating where the source of their suffering comes from. However, also notice that he indicated the purpose was to demonstrate the destruction of their oppressors, and the surety of their own salvation (Phil. 1:28).

It is the same purpose found in Acts 14:22, where Paul and Barnabas are found saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God” (emphasis mine).
In reality, these are the reasons we suffer, and why I would say God in fact desires we suffer. Furthermore, God ordains, or appoints genuine believers to suffering, with the explicit purpose of bringing us to final glorification. It tests our faith, removes the impurities thereof, and produces perseverance in us, so that we might behold Him face to face and enter the Kingdom of God. Naturally then, it must be restated that those who do not endure cannot obtain the crown of life. Suffering then not only waves a banner for us to see Christ more clearly and behold Him in faith, it separates the sheep from the goats (Matt. 13:20-21).

It is in this perfect form of weakness that God brings His church through to the end. It is not through might, power, and comfort one enters the Kingdom of Heaven, but weakness. Just as one’s initial salvation is from the Lord, their final salvation and glorification is of the Lord. In this, we must recognize one of the means He has instituted to bring us all the way home is through suffering various trials. It is not in the trial itself we rejoice, as if God advocates a twisted form of schadenfreude, but the result of the trial: namely, we get to see our Creator face to face.
 

He Lives! Our Hope.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV

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Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:5-6 RSV

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It is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:18-20 NASB

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.
 
“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”

Psalm 32:5

David's grief for sin was bitter. Its effects were visible upon his outward frame: “his bones waxed old”; “his moisture was turned into the drought of summer.” No remedy could he find, until he made a full confession before the throne of the heavenly grace. He tells us that for a time he kept silence, and his heart became more and more filled with grief: like a mountain tarn whose outlet is blocked up, his soul was swollen with torrents of sorrow. He fashioned excuses; he endeavored to divert his thoughts, but it was all to no purpose; like a festering sore his anguish gathered, and as he would not use the lancet of confession, his spirit was full of torment, and knew no rest.

At last it came to this, that he must return unto his God in humble penitence, or die outright; so he hastened to the mercy-seat, and there unrolled the volume of his iniquities before the all-seeing One, acknowledging all the evil of his ways in language such as you read in the fifty-first and other penitential Psalms. Having done this, a work so simple and yet so difficult to pride, he received at once the token of divine forgiveness; the bones which had been broken were made to rejoice, and he came forth from his closet to sing the blessedness of the man whose transgression is forgiven.

See the value of a grace-wrought confession of sin! It is to be prized above all price, for in every case where there is a genuine, gracious confession, mercy is freely given, not because the repentance and confession deserve mercy, but for Christ's sake. Blessed be God, there is always healing for the broken heart; the fountain is ever flowing to cleanse us from our sins. Truly, O Lord, thou art a God “ready to pardon!” Therefore will we acknowledge our iniquities.
 
4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Gossip About Your Husband (and 1 Reason You Should)



When people talk about things you shouldn’t do in marriage, cheating, lying and abuse usually top the list.
It’s true those things won’t lead to a successful marriage, but there’s one thing you shouldn’t do in marriage that’s rarely talked about.

Gossip.
Can you gossip about your husband?
When you tell someone the negative attributes of someone else in an unkind way–no matter who that person is– it’s gossip.
It seems to be an acceptable practice to bad-mouth your husband to your friends or family.
Truth is, you shouldn’t gossip about your husband.

Complaining to others about your husband is gossip.
When we were first married, I didn’t consider talking to my friends or family about my husband gossip.
But invariably, when someone shares something negative about their husband, other women join in.
And before you knew it, you’re discussing the poor qualities of your husbands, which creates feelings of resentment and comparison.

Talking to your girlfriends about your marriage may seem harmless. But sharing what’s going on in your marriage with friends or family is harmful to your marriage.
Your friends or family form opinions about your husband, and you reenforce your negative thoughts and feelings.
You might be thinking, I ought to be able to share my thoughts and feelings with others.
That’s true. You should be able to share your feelings, but not to the detriment of your husband.
Complaining about husbands has become a rite of passage in marriage.

It’s almost as if you’re not really married if you don’t complain about your husband.
When you tell someone the negative attributes of your husband, you undermine your marriage. You might feel better when you’re finished, but without realizing it, you may be doing long-term damage to your relationship.
It’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of your marriage.
How would your husband feel is he knew what you shared? How would you feel if he shared similar details with his friends or family?
Here are 4 reasons you shouldn’t gossip about your husband:
  1. 1. Gossip re-enforces negative feelings about your husband.

The more you complain about your man, the more negative you’ll feel about him. If something he’s doing is bugging you, when you tell your girlfriend about it, do you think you’ll become more irritate or less irritated? Focus on the negative, you’re going to feel more negative. When the disagreement has blown over, your friends and family won’t forgive or forget as quickly as you do.

2. Gossip erodes trust.
How would your husband feel if he knew what you were saying about him to your friends? He probably assumes things that happen in your relationship stay between the two of you. If he found out that you talk about what happens in your marriage with your friends, it could create a huge trust barrier, which will break down intimacy.

3. Gossip fuels your feelings of resentment.
Ever notice you get madder and madder the more you talk about the way your husband loads the dishwasher or how he spends money? What may have begun as a minor irritation can turn into a major source of contention after discussing it with your friends. They may agree, tell you how bad you have it and even offer advice as to how you should handle the situation.

4. Gossip may destroy the healthy marriage you’re trying to build.
People who make it a habit of gossiping about their husbands usually don’t have healthy relationships. Are those the people you want to serve as relationship models for you?
If you have talk about your husband, here’s one reason why you should:
Talk about his positive qualities and the things you appreciate about him. Brag about the nice things he does for you or how great he is with your kids.
Your focus will shift to the things you appreciate about him.
Protect your marriage by refusing to gossip about your husband. If you must talk about him, talk about how well he treats you and how lucky you are to have him.
 

Let us be diligent then to Obey Him
Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:22,23 NIV

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Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:7-9 KJV

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Those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

Luke 20:35,36 NASB

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.
 
“A people near unto him.”

Psalm 148:14

The dispensation of the old covenant was that of distance. When God appeared even to his servant Moses, he said, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet”; and when he manifested himself upon Mount Sinai, to his own chosen and separated people, one of the first commands was, “Thou shalt set bounds about the mount.” Both in the sacred worship of the tabernacle and the temple, the thought of distance was always prominent. The mass of the people did not even enter the outer court. Into the inner court none but the priests might dare to intrude; while into the innermost place, or the holy of holies, the high priest entered but once in the year.

It was as if the Lord in those early ages would teach man that sin was so utterly loathsome to him, that he must treat men as lepers put without the camp; and when he came nearest to them, he yet made them feel the width of the separation between a holy God and an impure sinner. When the gospel came, we were placed on quite another footing. The word “Go” was exchanged for “Come”; distance was made to give place to nearness, and we who aforetime were afar off, were made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ. Incarnate Deity has no wall of fire about it. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” is the joyful proclamation of God as he appears in human flesh.

Not now does he teach the leper his leprosy by setting him at a distance, but by himself suffering the penalty of his defilement. What a state of safety and privilege is this nearness to God through Jesus! Do you know it by experience? If you know it, are you living in the power of it? Marvellous is this nearness, yet it is to be followed by a dispensation of greater nearness still, when it shall be said, “The tabernacle of God is with men, and he doth dwell among them.” Hasten it, O Lord.
 
Are Christians No Longer Sinners?



Some Christians actually say that they are no longer sinners, but what does the Bible say?
All Have Sinned
When my friend and I were witnessing to a man on the street, we asked him if he was a good person and he said, “No, I’m not a good person…I’m great” to which we pointed out the Bible verse that says “None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom 3:10), so I told him that either you are right and you are a good person or the Bible is wrong and there are good people out there. In reality, the Bible isn’t very flattering to believers or to the unsaved. Our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and only through Christ’s perfect life of obedience can we be forgiven. I suppose if this man had a Bible, he’d blot out Romans 3, and a multitude of other Bible verses or even chapters, so we can’t deny that we are sinners and all our good works do is make us unacceptable to God.

It won’t happen without Christ’s meritorious works on our behalf. God will not accept our works because they are an attempt at self-justification and Jesus warned about those who trusted in themselves and in their own righteousness. Jesus said told the Jews the Parable of the Persistent Widow and said that they are “those who trusted in themselves they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9), so, so much for their righteousness if they treat others with contempt. Sadly, they thought they were righteous but were actually wearing filthy rags before God (Isaiah 59:2) and God will not accept their filthy works because even their best works cannot save them.

Wages of Sin
If we claim to have no sin, the Apostle John says we are liars. I’m not saying that…but God’s Word does as John writes “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” and “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1st John 1:8, 10), so to say you have no sin is to declare these verses wrong. We had a man join our church once who hated our prayers about being sinners and he said that he was not a sinner. I told him what Martin Luther said that we’re sinners, yet saints, and obviously, a work in progress, but truly, we all earn what we deserve and the wages of our sins is death (Rom 6:23), and since all of us fall far short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23), we’ve got a huge problem that we cannot solve, but until a person confesses their sins, they don’t admit what the Scriptures have said, and that is there is not one who has not sinned. Only Jesus was without sin but no other human in history can make that claim. The man did say he used to be a sinner, but not anymore, so I asked him if he’s ever told a lie since he’s been saved…and all he could do is say nothing.

If-we-say-we-have-not (2)

Jesus Died for Sinners
For the man who declared he was not a sinner, my heart felt sadness for him because I told him, “I am sorry you’re not a sinner because Jesus came to die for sinners,” and if you’re not a sinner anymore, why wouldn’t you be in heaven. He had no answer. He simply kept justifying himself by his good works but I pointed out to him, “I wouldn’t trust the best 5 minutes of my life to save me.” His own good works and mine are nothing but filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). Job said “What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous” (John 15:14)? Obviously the answer to this rhetorical question is men and women are not righteous, and if they think they are, their perception is not reality. We don’t even seek after God (Rom 3:11) because dead men can’t seek (Eph 2:1), so this man who kept justifying himself ignored biblical teaching that “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Rom 3:12), and “none” in any language adds up to zero!

Works = Nothing
Most world religions teach that you must do this and do that…and if you don’t, then you have nothing, but Christianity is not as much a religion as it is a relationship, and it is not about “do, do, do” but is “done” in Jesus Christ. The truth is “all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Gal 3:10), so “no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith” (Gal 3:11). Thankfully, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal 3:13a) and this is so that “so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14).

Conclusion
Only God is good, as Jesus said, and He would know good better than we, so the fact is none of us are really good in ourselves because we’ve all fallen infinitely short of God’s glory, but Jesus has closed that gap on sinful creatures by His atoning death and we can receive the very righteousness of God through Jesus Christ (2nd Cor 5:21) and certainly not on our own merit or good works (Eph 2:8-9), but this takes the Spirit of God to make us new creations in Jesus Christ. The old creature cant’ do it…they are sinners, and even after conversion, the sin nature doesn’t automatically stop (Rom 7), so we will never be sinless this side of the veil…but we should at least be sinning less, but not ever sinless…until we are finally saved to sin no more.
 
Be His Sheep: Obey His Voice
To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice

Faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time

Titus 1:2 NIV

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Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

John 10:27-29 KJV

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To those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.

Romans 2:7-11 NASB

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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 KJV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.
 
“Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?”

Job 7:12

This was a strange question for Job to ask of the Lord. He felt himself to be too insignificant to be so strictly watched and chastened, and he hoped that he was not so unruly as to need to be so restrained. The enquiry was natural from one surrounded with such insupportable miseries, but after all, it is capable of a very humbling answer. It is true man is not the sea, but he is even more troublesome and unruly. The sea obediently respects its boundary, and though it be but a belt of sand, it does not overleap the limit. Mighty as it is, it hears the divine hitherto, and when most raging with tempest it respects the word; but self-willed man defies heaven and oppresses earth, neither is there any end to this rebellious rage.

The sea, obedient to the moon, ebbs and flows with ceaseless regularity, and thus renders an active as well as a passive obedience; but man, restless beyond his sphere, sleeps within the lines of duty, indolent where he should be active. He will neither come nor go at the divine command, but sullenly prefers to do what he should not, and to leave undone that which is required of him. Every drop in the ocean, every beaded bubble, and every yeasty foam-flake, every shell and pebble, feel the power of law, and yield or move at once.

O that our nature were but one thousandth part as much conformed to the will of God! We call the sea fickle and false, but how constant it is! Since our fathers’ days, and the old time before them, the sea is where it was, beating on the same cliffs to the same tune; we know where to find it, it forsakes not its bed, and changes not in its ceaseless boom; but where is man-vain, fickle man? Can the wise man guess by what folly he will next be seduced from his obedience? We need more watching than the billowy sea, and are far more rebellious. Lord, rule us for thine own glory. Amen.
 
God Is…



Some of God’s attributes also say a lot about His character, so here are 5 major attributes that speak volumes about God.
God is Holy
The only attribute of God that is mentioned three times in Scripture is that God is holy. Isaiah the Prophet wrote that he saw seraphim over the Lord’s throne, “Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:2-3)! God is not just holy, but He is holy, holy, holy to infinity. That is the greatest emphasis you can use in the Hebrew language. Isaiah was undone over this vision of the Holy God he saw, thinking he was a dead man. He wrote, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5)!

Even though Isaiah was one of the holiest of men in ancient Israel, he still knew, compared to God, that the best that he could do were just filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6), but we are called to be holy. Naturally this doesn’t mean we’ll be sinless and live in perfection. That’s not possible this side of the veil, but the Apostle Peter admonishes us that just “as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Of course, our holiness before God comes only through Christ as it is imputed on our behalf (2 Cor 5:21), and not of ourselves (Eph 2:8-9).

God is Love
People say the love God, and that’s fine, but it must be understood that God made the first move (John 6:44). Scripture teaches that “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19), and not the other way around. It was not we who made the first move, but God who “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (1 John 3:16-17). Christ made a way for us over 2,000 years ago, so those who are loved by God also love those who are loved by God, but “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Micah the Prophet describes the love of God very well, writing, “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (7:18-19). Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13), and Jesus did just that, testifying, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

God is Good
When a man came up to Jesus and ask Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life” (Mark 10:17c), the young man had it all wrong. In the first place, you can’t do anything to save yourself. God is even the One Who grants us the ability to repent (Acts 5:31, 11:18, 16:14; 1 Tim 2:24-26), but we know for certain that our works won’t help us (Eph 2:8-9), but Jesus told the young man something very interesting. He asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). Wait! Isn’t Jesus God? Isn’t Jesus good!? Yes, but the young man apparently didn’t know that he was talking to the Lord because he called Jesus teacher. The point is, God is good…and He alone is always good. He is a “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land” (Psalm 68:5-6).

God is Unchangeable
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8). Aren’t you glad God is not like us and changes His mind about people? What if God withdrew His offer of salvation or changed His mind and decided not to save us because of something we did? Thankfully, God does not change. Malachi the Prophet wrote, “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (Micah 3:6). God never has a bad day and then takes it out on others like we sometimes do. God is the same today and He will be the same forever. The psalmist declares that even His Word is forever, writing, “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). His Word is as eternal as He is, since we know that “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8)

God is Glorified
If we read enough Scripture, we start to see that God desires to be glorified, and we can glorify Him too in our lives. For example, if we abstain from sexual immorality, we can glorify God in our bodies by remaining faithful (1 Cor 6:18; 1 Thess 4:3). The psalmist wrote, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1), so it is to you, “O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all” (1 Chron 19:11). Jesus revealed the glory of God, being God Himself. The Apostle John was an eyewitness of His glory; not only on the Mount of Transfiguration, but seeing in person how “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Conclusion
God has many attributes. Maybe you can share some with us in the comments section, but these attributes also reflect His character. God is holy; God is love; God is good; God is unchangeable; and God has great glory. God is also a saving God, and He desires that you be saved, and today is the best of days for you to trust in Christ (2 Cor 6:2), because the way life is, tomorrow might not even come.
 
Jesus Is the Messiah - God and Man in one person
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Colossians 1:13-16 NIV

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Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11 NASB
 
“And they follow me.”

John 10:27

We should follow our Lord as unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for he has a right to lead us wherever he pleases. We are not our own, we are bought with a price—let us recognize the rights of the redeeming blood. The soldier follows his captain, the servant obeys his master, much more must we follow our Redeemer, to whom we are a purchased possession. We are not true to our profession of being Christians, if we question the bidding of our Leader and Commander.

Submission is our duty, cavilling is our folly. Often might our Lord say to us as to Peter, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.” Wherever Jesus may lead us, he goes before us. If we know not where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a companion, who will dread the perils of the road? The journey may be long, but his everlasting arms will carry us to the end. The presence of Jesus is the assurance of eternal salvation, because he lives, we shall live also. We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith, because the paths in which he leads us all end in glory and immortality. It is true they may not be smooth paths — they may be covered with sharp flinty trials, but they lead to the “city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant.”

Let us put full trust in our Leader, since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, his purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy. We shall find it sweet to go up the bleak side of the hill with Christ; and when rain and snow blow into our faces, his dear love will make us far more blest than those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world's fire. To the top of Amana, to the dens of lions, or to the hills of leopards, we will follow our Beloved. Precious Jesus, draw us, and we will run after thee.
 
The Evolution of Romance: Spark to Commitment



There are two kinds of things we are talking about when we use the word “romance”. And since definitions matter, we need to differentiate between what we mean here.
Most often, we are talking about the warm, fuzzy feeling of newness. You’ll see a lot of blogs about how to keep the romance alive. It fades because it isn’t new forever. And we’ll talk about that more.


The other kind of romance is a truer definition. It is one based on affection. It starts out with the warm, fuzzy newness. But the warm, fuzzy newness does not contain it. And as the relationship grows, so does the romance (or, it can, if we are intentional about it).

Fuzzy
It is interesting that this word can mean both “soft” and “unclear” – because those are both good ways to describe the initial spark of being in love. It kind of slaps us upside the head, in the best way possible. Head over heels. It is a dizzying and exciting type of emotion.
We use this idea of romanticism in all kinds of things (not just relationships). Starting a new job or going on an adventure are “romantic” ideas. It is simply that the endeavor is new that elicits these emotions. It is the mystery, the hope, the excitement of what might be. Which, by the way, is not really indicative of what is. It is our expectations floating and twirling.


Your fuzzy feelings are awesome, but not sustainable. You’d never get any work done and make yourself sick. It’s fun in the beginning, but the reality is we cannot keep this kind of romance alive. This kind of romance is temporary. If we try to hold our relationship to it for too long, we will sabotage what otherwise might be a great thing.
People always lament the end of romance within relationships. It is why we bail. Why we break up and fight. It is not that the spark is gone that is the problem; it is that we are fighting to reignite a spark when a flame is already in progress.
Your relationship does not need the old kind of romance. It doesn’t need to be new again. In fact, it can’t be. The only way to “keep romance alive” is to allow it to evolve alongside you.

The Evolution of Romance
Consistency gets a bad wrap in relationships. It’s a bit boring. Yet, isn’t this exactly what we want deep down? The safety and security of commitment. Being known.
We spend most of our lives in “the ordinary”. And we summarily spend a good bit of time trying to escape normality. We want the rush of excitement. We want the miracle of newness. But even adventure gets boring eventually. Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and could walk on water. It would be thrilling and extraordinary tomorrow. But seventy years from now, it wouldn’t hold the same thrill. That’s hard to see today because we are focused on what tomorrow’s thrill would be like. The Israelites saw manna from Heaven. The disciples saw healings. For both, the awe gave way to a kind of normality.


When this happens, we have two choices. Lament or evolve. One of the reasons pursuing truth is so important is because it helps us figure out whether we should continue in a relationship or bail. Was the excitement fun for a time but it is now over? Or is it evolving into a new kind of romance?
When we were in the process of falling in love, the most striking thing about my (future) wife was how normal it felt to be around her. I don’t mean “Boring”. I mean “right”. Familiar. Consistent.

Romance is not meant to end. We are not meant to hold onto its superficial manifestation. Those butterflies at the beginning are a hint at the depths yet to come. When the butterflies have matured and flown the coup, it is something to be celebrated. They make way for choices, commitments, intentional affection. The day-to-day romance.
If our idea of romance doesn’t evolve with our relationship, we are going to hold on to unhealthy expectations. And how silly? To want the level one version when level fifty is in front of us. Anyone who thinks commitment is not as exciting as newness is not really paying attention. We need to awaken to the reality of romance within our relationships. And celebrate what is, rather than try to hold on to an obsolete and relatively immature version of what was.
 
He Died for You...Live for Him!
Jesus Chose To Take The Punishment of our Sin upon Himself
And Defeated Satan on our behalf that we might live unto Him!

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He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:2-6 NIV

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And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 3:5-9 KJV
 
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