Biblical Messages

Biblical Commentary

Psalm 119:1-2

Study by Russ Yeager

1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the Lord.

2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.

It is only through the blood of Christ that we can be seen as blameless in the sight of God (1 John 1:7). It should be our desire to walk in obedience and live our lives in a way that is pleasing to our heavenly Father. We will inevitably fall short in our efforts to obey God’s word, and that is why we need to continually ask for forgiveness (Romans 3:23). In this way, we can always have a clear conscience and be cleansed from the defilement of our sins.

We should have a deep desire to observe the testimonies of God, and we should do it with our whole heart. It is only through our obedience to the scriptures that our love for God becomes a reality (1 John 5:3).

Encouragement

Study by Russ Yeager

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 1, Paul says “that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.” So the Thessalonian church is a model church and a church that we can learn from. Verse 5:1 says “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another,…” And that is what I would like to talk about today.

When we are joined together as the body of Christ, it should cause us to be looking for opportunities where we can encourage one another and build each other up. We should use what we learn from our own study and experience to encourage others. “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)” One of the great joys that comes from these conversations is that the encouragement is mutual, and we learn and grow from each other’s knowledge, wisdom, and experience.

If God has entrusted us with a family; We need to encourage them to grow in their relationship with the Lord, pouring into them the truth of God’s word, and praying for them (Deuteronomy 6:7). We need to make an effort to set aside some time to worship the Lord together as a family, and we should be dedicated to guiding and directing them in the ways of the Lord.

We need to be praying for opportunities where we can strengthen and encourage others with the word of God. When we dedicate our lives to doing the Lord’s work, it becomes a labor of love that brings us great joy and makes our lives complete (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).

Walking in Obedience

Study by Russ Yeager

1 John 5:3

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

We all struggle with sin to some degree, but God is always faithful to forgive us if we ask Him (1 John 1:8-9). When we first give our lives to Christ, we are called to repent of our sins. Repentance is to change our way of life, as a result of a complete change in our thought and attitude toward sin (Louw-Nida, Acts 26:20).

If we are going to turn from sin and walk in obedience, we need to feed the spirit and starve the flesh (Galatians 5:16). This means we need to have our minds focused on living for the Lord. If we are spending most of our time being entertained with the filth that Satan offers us, we will be more prone to give in to the desires of the flesh (Luke 6:46).

Jesus was beaten to the point of death, humiliated, ridiculed, and spat upon, then He was nailed to a cross and left to die. This is how serious God takes sin, and if we love Him, we will look at sin the same way He does (John 14:15). God wants us to do our best to walk in obedience and go to war against the very thing that put our Savior on the cross (John 14:23, 1 John 5:3).

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Study by Russ Yeager

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

The original Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew texts recorded for both the Old and New Testaments are God’s spoken word or God-breathed. Holy men of God were given divine inspiration to accurately and without error write down the very words of God. We can really see this in the Old Testament, when God speaks to His people in the first person, through the words of the prophets (2 Peter 1:21, Joel 3:17).

The word of God is divine authority and can be used for instruction concerning everything that we are to obey and learn from God’s word. As a light shining in the darkness, it is fully able to reveal our sinful behavior and guide us in the right direction so that we will turn toward God and flee from the sinful desires of our flesh (Romans 6:12). The holy scriptures are sufficient for training us in the ways of righteousness so that the lives we live will resemble the righteousness of Christ (Ephesians 6:14).

All this instruction and training that we go through enables us to be proficient in the ways of the Lord and well-equipped to carry out the good work that He desires us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

James 1:25

Study by Russ Yeager

25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

We should examine deeply and thoroughly God’s perfect law, which is the entirety of scripture that we are to obey. We are liberated from the demands of the Old Testament law through Christ’s sacrifice (Romans 8:3-4). He fulfilled the requirement of the law for us, and now we are free to obey God’s law without being condemned for not obeying it perfectly.

We need to be doers of the word and not merely hearers (James 1:22). This doesn’t happen all on its own; it is something that we have to work on daily. We are constantly experiencing situations in our lives where we fall short in our obedience to God’s word. We should be constantly seeking God in prayer, asking Him to give us the desire and the power to overcome the sins that we struggle with (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

When we obey God’s word, we experience blessings in our lives. We are blessed with the pure joy that comes from obeying God and knowing that He is pleased with us (Hebrews 13:20-21). We are also blessed in every aspect of the work that we do for Him, for it is God who is working through us to carry out His will and fulfill His purpose (Ephesians 2:10).

The Work of the Lord

Study by Russ Yeager

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

The Lord’s work is not only meant to be carried out by pastors and teachers. They are here to train us and equip us in the ways of the Lord, so that we, too, can become useful instruments in the Lord’s hands (Ephesians 4:11-13). It is a great honor, a great privilege, and a great joy, to be considered worthy to carry out the Lord’s work (Ephesians 4:1).

If we want to grow in our ability to share the gospel and encourage others, we need to diligently study our bible and listen to sound teaching. Over time we will feel more confident in our ability to share God’s word, and we will begin to speak forth biblical truths with clarity and sound speech. This is the power of God, at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).

If we want to be effective in our service to the Lord, we need to make every effort to have our lives, line up with the word of God. This means we need to have a strong prayer life and ask God to help us to overcome the sins that we struggle with. We can pray that the same qualities and strengths that we read about in the bible would be formed in our own lives and we can ask God to give us opportunities where we can put our faith into action and carry out the Lord’s work (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

Sacrificial Love

Study by Russ Yeager

John 13:34

34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).

We love God by obeying His commands and, in all things, making an effort to have our lives line up with the word of God (1 John 5:3). Our love for God is also demonstrated in our devotion to Him. Are we seeking Him in prayer, studying His word, encouraging other believers, and sharing the good news of Jesus with the lost? These are things we should be working on daily to strengthen our relationship with the Lord. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

The command to love your neighbor as yourself comes from Leviticus 19:18, but Jesus says that He is giving us a new commandment; it is a new commandment in that we are to love others as Christ loved us, and this elevates love to a much higher level.

There should be a Christ-like love exhibited between believers, because we are joined together in unity as the body of Christ. This means we need to put away our pride and love others with unconditional, sacrificial love. We are supposed to love others regardless of whether they love us in return or whether they deserve it or not. We are even supposed to love our enemies, which can be very difficult to do depending on how much harm they cause us (Matthew 5:44). It really takes an effort on our part to love others as Christ loves us, but it is something we must be determined to do.

Romans 7:13-25

Study by Russ Yeager

13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,

23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand, I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

The law is good because it is the representation of the righteousness of God even though it is the standard that reveals and judges our sin (Romans 6:23). It is only through the law that we see the seriousness and severity of sin; it is because of our sin and God’s great love for us that Jesus went to the cross, purchasing our forgiveness and paying our sin debt in full (John3:16). Also, restoring our relationship with God, and delivering us from the penalty of eternal judgment.

When we put our faith in Christ, we are guaranteed to encounter a battle against the flesh. There is opposition between the Spirit and the flesh that goes on within us, making it difficult for us to do the good that we want to do (Galatians 5:17). That is why we should walk under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit and make an effort to obey God’s word in every area of our life (Galatians 5:16).

We are all at different levels in the sanctification process, and this is seen in the degree and frequency of sin in our lives. Sometimes we can get a handle on some of the more serious sins that we struggle with, and in our minds have the desire to walk in full obedience. But even with our best intentions, we still sin daily, whether in thought, word, or action (Romans 7:23). This is because of the sin nature that dwells within us, hindering us from attaining full Christ likeness.

Some commentators believe Paul is referring to unbelievers in this passage. This view partly comes from what might look like a contradiction in verse 14 where Paul says he is “sold into bondage to sin” and the previous chapter that talks about us being freed from sin and transformed into slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18). It is seen throughout the bible that all believers struggle with sin to some degree and unbelievers have no desire to serve the law of God (1 John 1:8, Romans 7:25).

Romans 6:19-23

Study by Russ Yeager

19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.

22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are all born with a sinful nature as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin, when they were deceived by Satan, and disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-19). Because of this inherited sinful nature, we are all slaves of sin, held captive by Satan to do his will, and “free in regard to righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:26, Romans 6:20).

This type of freedom is no freedom at all; it only corrupts our spirit, separates us from God, and keeps us in a state of spiritual death (2 Peter 2:19, Colossians 2:13). It is only when we are born again that we will be able to escape this slavery to sin and be transformed into slaves of righteousness.

Being enslaved to God is true freedom, giving us the desire to walk in obedience and compelling us to do what is pleasing in His sight (Galatians 5:13, Philippians 2:13). We will still have to fight against the sinful desires of the flesh, but through the process of sanctification, a healthy relationship with the Lord, and spiritual discipline, we will make progress in overcoming this battle against our flesh and walk more and more in line with the word of God (Galatians 5:17).

Wages are something that we earn for doing some type of work. In most cases, wages are good, but if the work that we are doing is sinful, we will receive a wage of punishment (Romans 6:23). Thanks be to God that He made a way for us to be spared from this spiritual and eternal death. Salvation is a free gift that is received through faith in God’s Son, who suffered the full wrath of God and died on a cross, paying the penalty for our sins and purchasing our eternal freedom (Ephesians 2:8-9).