A Telling Testimony
When our inner being relies on God’s sole divine authority and His singular sufficiency, our outward actions manifest honourable conduct in every area of our lives.
Grace of God
Transgressions big and small must be confessed daily to maintain sweet fellowship:- that thoughtless word; that selfish thought; that mean streak; that proud attitude; that faithless action.
The Father’s Guarantee
In Romans 8 the Father predestinates, calls, justifies and glorifies us, and note, that this is written in the perfect ‘tense,” which means a past action guaranteed its fulfilment in the future.
Spiritual Behaviour
To watch in every season and pray without ceasing seems an unrealistic request, and yet we find both Christ and Paul giving believers a seemingly impossible task, but the physical action must be transliterated into a spiritual behaviour.
His very actions and attitude were filled with grace and truth. He would not destroy a bruised reed nor snuff out a flickering candle, and He humbled Himself before God and man as an example for us to follow.
He gave us an example of righteous living; of gracious actions; of a worthy life.
Christ-Like
It is not that we copy Him by doing what He did but to live life in the way He lived - not to mimic His actions or parrot what He said but to live a life that is pleasing to God - not to try to become Christ but to be Christ-like by walking in spirit and truth.
Yet similarly, foolish disagreements can result in the split of a congregation, or can even result in the beginning of a new denomination. Correspondence may be terminated through one foolish action.
An incautious action can mean the severance of a blessed union – how very sad.
They are heated seven times hotter… where not only life’s little actions and the words of your mouth are scrutinised by Purity’s eyes of refining flame, but thoughts of the mind and motives of the heart are squeezed through His mangle of purification.
Watching in prayer is keeping wakeful ‘in’ the strength of the holy exercise of prayer against sin and for God – but in THANKSGIVING: Letting the spirit and action of gratitude, (as it were)…surround your watching and praying lives.
You have all this here in the Word, and it all bears down upon this, that people who are related in Divine foreknowledge and Divine sovereign action come into situations like that, but in the end that sovereignty has been shown to relate to something unusually precious to the Lord, and they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, even Mine own possession, in the day that I do make (Malachi 3:17).
or how shall we who were separated to sin live any longer therein?” This verb is: 1) the aorist tense 2) the passive voice and 3) the indicative mood which means: 1) it is an action and not a process. 2) it was done to you and nothing you did and 3) it is a literal state of reality – now.
Have you ever interpreted another’s actions or thoughts without really knowing – just because you think you understand what they’re saying, meaning, or thinking?
or are you unable to accept His Truth? Can you proclaim the wondrous things that the Lord has done for you.. or are you racked by past actions and attitudes, that sear your soul with self-condemnation?
But once spiritually cleansed… once purified by the blood of the Lamb and born again Jesus, at the last supper, exemplified – in action, the ongoing need for purity.
And even my emotions are God-given spices to enhance my life, and others, but the pains, wounds, and disappointments of life, so often distort rational thought, and we flood our conversations and bury our actions in false imaginings that we consider as truth.
God will not compromise His Word just so that our reason can be satisfied, and if God has stated in Scripture that this is how it is, then we have no option but to listen to what God tells us in Scripture and put it into action.
By means of His established actions and His immutable Word, He will realise all He purposed.
He uses not only the circumstances of our lives and the actions of ourselves and others, but He also works His preordained purposes and the laws of the universe together..
Action or attitude in a believer, stemming from the old sin nature needs correction – like Job’s self-righteousness; his wife’s defeat; his friends critical religiosity.
Right Standing
All characters were saved, but not one was in complete, right-standing with God. And God corrects all such wrong attitudes and actions, that are influenced by the old sin nature. Job is instructed by the Spirit of God, in chapter 5 verse 17, of a truth of God, behold, happy is the man whom God corrects, therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.
Even he was rebuked by our Lord to Get thee behind me, Satan. Matthew 16:23 In all honesty, have we not also allowed our own words or actions to condemn us? Haven’t each of us permitted the devil a foothold as we confront our own traumas?
Pride and condemnation fragment into a multiplicity of attitudes and actions – a multiplicity of attitudes and actions, used by Leviathan in his deceptive attacks.
God’s Leading
All our movements, meeting and motives should be under the direction of God. All our risings and sleepings – all our actions and attitudes.
But if necessary, He will push us, like Israel, to the last gasp or our extremity… to teach us to trust Him in all our movements, meetings, and motives… to train us to submit in our risings and sleepings – our actions and attitudes – until in all things, He alone is our guard and guide.
When the Lord Jesus gets the complete mastery as Head in our lives, then all independence of action, and life, and all self-will, self-direction, self-seeking, self-glory and self-vindication will go.
God sets us free from the dominion of sin, not by strengthening our old man but by crucifying him; not by helping him to do anything but by removing him….by removing him from the scene of action.”
The first action of the Spirit in the soul for growth is to assure you of the Father's love for you, and then you are not thinking about yourself or your own state, but of Him; though no doubt you will be greatly exercised as to how you are answering to that love.
We have the Spirit of fullness, making all our life spiritual:- don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit.
Ministering Service
He exhorts us to put no obstruction; no occasion for stumbling, in anyone’s way - to eschew the actions of Job’s friends, who all were a grave cause for stumbling.
Bond-Servant of God
Not only in; in action; in attitude; in thought; in word; in deed and in character, But in everything, commending ourselves as Servants of God 2 Corinthians 6:4.
A man must not be a double-minded man, for you cannot love God and the world, and the language construction here, is a single act requiring two distinct actions.
Man of God
Nehemiah was a man of resolve – a man of action – a man of God – a man of prayer. Nehemiah was a man who loved his God – obeyed His word and trusted His promises, and so God used this man of Israel to be an instrument in His purposes for His people.
Man of Action
Nehemiah had spent his life in Persian captivity- far away from his homeland in Israel, but he had proved himself trustworthy- having been appointed cupbearer to the king. He was also a man of action.
Paul talks of the renewing of our mind – our thinking process is to be made new, for it is out of the heart that actions are conceived – out from thoughts of our heart. The old has gone and we are to be new – made new in Christ.
Weare not speaking merely of such things as are sinfully personal,positively personal, but simply of independent action, actiontaken for the best ends, for a good motive, with quite a properintention.
Action, as it were, nerves us to the conflict; but quiet endurance of wrong, or suffering of any kind, which neither friend nor foe sees, but only God, this indeed needs divine power, and without God's support none would bear the strain.
Some people add works of the flesh, works of the Law – self-imposed rules or Church regulations and a variety of ‘add-ons’ to the basic gospel of salvation by grace – through faith in Christ Jesus, while others insist on actions relating to eating or drinking – places of worship or times and seasons – spiritual fruit or gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We must remember that the Holy Spirit can never have free course in us and through us if we harbor unloving thoughts concerning other of God's children, let alone put those thoughts into actions.
But the Spirit leads according to Scriptural directions; hence that which is called the leading of the Spirit, and which has not the truth of the Word for its line of thought and action, is necessarily false. -H.F.W.
“So that your lives may be worthy of the Lord and perfectly pleasing to Him while you manifest the results of right action of every sort and grow into a fuller knowledge of God” (Col 1:10, Wey.).
Is this the action the Almighty God having sport with His children?
Rev.22:12 Had Satan and his hosts understood the consequences of their actions: they would not have killed Him: they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, 1Cor.2:8 for His death brought life to you and me.
But He tells us if we seek Him and His kingdom and live righteously before Him. He will supply all things needful and all essential things will be added to us. He will better provide for His children than for lilies and sparrows! He will ensure the daily necessities of life will be added and poured into our lap. If God’s promises are sure, then no circumstances can displace His assurances. If God’s Word is true, then no action or governmental law can overthrow His oath.
Christian Testimony
Qualities of character that reflect a true Christian testimony – not only in word alone but in disposition and in deed; in mind and in motive; in action and in attitude; in conscious thought and unconscious thinking; in gentleness of spirit and long-suffering of heart.
As we cry out, “seek out all the hidden depths in me that are displeasing to You”, and as we give Him permission to root out wrong attitudes, actions, and perspectives, He will search out the depths of our hearts for things that grieve His Spirit – for our whole Christian life is a process of being conformed into His image..
Doctrine and practice, theology and morality, knowledge and action are inseparably connected, being related to one another as foundation to superstructure, as center to circumference, as cause to effect.
Exemplary Life
He lived a sinless life and so there was no requirement for Him to confess His sins. His words were always seasoned with salt and His actions were full of gracious truth.
STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD
God’s Nature
God’s actions are always determined by His will.
And God’s actions are always determined by His whole nature.
If we have an understanding of God’s nature, we will understand His actions.
God’s Character
Understanding God’s Nature provides an understanding of His actions, for God’s actions are always determined by His perfect nature..
and God’s actions are always determined by His perfect will.. and God will never violate His holy character..
God’s Will
Understanding God’s nature – provides an understanding of His actions, for God’s actions are always determined by His whole nature.. and God’s actions are always determined by His will.. and God will never violate His character – and God will never violate His will.
And alongside that, many are looking to the organization, the society, the mission, the church connection to which they are related, and expecting a new day for themselves to originate there, and that when the institution, whatever it may be, takes action, then the work of their life will begin.
How meticulously careful He was not tomove, or be moved by any consideration but thedirective of the Father!Many motives were put to Him for action andmovement, but He abided in the Father, and, oftenat great cost, refused other considerations.
Though all the disciples left Him and fled the actions of this one – the actions of Peter, surpassed the others in thought, word and deed – and he was overwhelmed with grief at the death of Him Whom he loved so very dearly.
The only safe place is where the Cross is still at work, touching all that is ourselves, touching all our independence of action.
Is it an acknowledgment that Peter felt his need of cooperation and fellowship, that he had seen the perils and disasters into which independent action led him, even when his intentions and motives were of the best?
Christ’s Humility
Only once did Jesus refer to His own deep humility of heart and poverty of spirit, when He said: “I am meek and lowly in heart” Matt.11:29 But throughout His earthly journey, in action and attitude, humility streamed forth.
A Demonstrated Reality
Every step that He made, every action, reaction and decision that He took, every word He spoke and each thought of His heart, was carried out as a man and was carried out for man, for He had laid aside His deity for a season, in order to demonstrate all that God had intended for us, but which man had lost through sin.
His perfect attributes are often distorted by the emotional damage we have sustained – or His character is all too often superimposed over the destructive actions of others.
What must the obedient disciple do in a season of such anxiety of heart? What actions should the faithful believers do in such moments of nagging concerns? What should you do if you’re groping your way through a fear that the Lord delays?
Jesus went on to explain that a man's heart is defiled by what comes out through his thoughts, motives, words, and imaginations, Sin is conceived in the human heart, it takes root in the human mind, and is finally put into practice through human action: For from within the human heart come evil thoughts, which are translated into sexual immoralities; thefts; murders; adulteries; greed; evil actions; deceit; promiscuity; stinginess; blasphemy; pride, and foolishness.
In fact, God was using the evil actions of wicked men to chasten and train His own people and forward His own perfect plans and purposes.
When the painful circumstances of our lives are not removed or when God permits evil actions of wicked men to seemingly succeed in our world, we should immediately turn our focus on the unchanging character of God, and trust Him.
As we travel through life, we experience many occasions of difficulty and pain, often a product of our own actions, attitudes, or foolish indifference towards God or others.
Some seasons of difficulty and pain we all experience are self-induced through our sinful actions, careless attitude, or foolish indifference, and may need the chastening of the Lord.
Some difficult seasons are the result of the actions, attitudes, and indifference of others beyond our control, and may need the comfort of the Lord.
It is the misguided love of money that is rooted in all sorts of evil attitudes and ungodly actions, and so we are instructed by the Lord Jesus Himself not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
He came to His own nation and was despised and rejected by His own people, and His actions in the Temple together with the cursing of the fig tree the following day, demonstrated a nescessary judgement that had to fall on the nation of Israel at this time.
The godly character of this dear man of faith was manifested in his actions, attitude, and commendable ministry.May we, like Tychicus, walk in wisdom, pray in spirit and truth, redeem the time, and give godly comfort and encouragement to our Christian brothers and sisters in Christ.
He knows our waking and sleeping moments and the motives that guide our actions and attitudes. There is nothing hidden with Him.
God knows the thoughts and exploits of every man, sinner and saved alike, but He is deeply interested in the reasonings, actions, and attitudes of His own, blood-bought children in a special way.
They are the dry, lifeless bones of Ezekiel 37, which will only live again by the power of the Holy Spirit of God when they acknowledge their sin and receive Jesus as their Messiah-King.In this verse early in Exodus, we discover: All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt The twelve tribes that make up the whole nation of Israel, are all descended from those twelve sons of Jacob.Reuben and Simeon were the two eldest children who shamed their father by their ungodly actions.
Indeed, their speech, their actions, their attitudes, and even their motives were to accord to godliness and to reflect sound doctrine and wholesome teachings, both of which are firmly anchored to scriptural facts in the Word of God.
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, while an allegory draws a comparison between one thing and another for the purpose of greater explanation or clarification.
May the words of our mouth, the actions in our lives, our conscious attitudes, and even the unconscious motives of our heart be so attuned to the will of the Lord that we do only those things that are pleasing in His sight, to His praise and glory.
True worship can only flow from a heart of faith and does not consist of the actions we undertake, the outward behaviours we exhibit, or strict adherence to certain prescribed laws or imposed practices.
We are not under Law but under grace, so let us make sure that the motives that govern our thoughts and the actions that are carried out in lives that honour Him.
Indeed, even when we do exhibit 'caring concern', how often our choices are rooted in selfish pride, knowing that our 'thoughtful' actions will excite the applause of others and feed our ego, which will only result in a selfish smugness or a self-absorbed pride.
His teaching in those early days was only addressed to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, especially those who had repented of the nation's past sin of apostasy, through John's 'baptism of repentance'.Knowing that the message of salvation is: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, indicates that this 'Sermon on the Mount' is not addressed to unbelievers, but a message to those who are already believers in God. Christ's 'Sermon on the Mount' points out that sinful actions are conceived in the heart, and that a false 'righteousness' is hidden within man's fallen nature.
As soon as the king's officers arrived, Rahab carried out a very controversial action; she lied to the guards to protect the men.
Her action was recorded as righteousness in James 2, which shows that her motivation was based on a living faith in the God of Israel and not simply a desire for self-preservation: Wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, the apostle wrote, when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route?
This is not normal human behaviour, but is unmistakably the conduct the Lord expects from a Christian who is honouring Him in their action towards others.
Instead of getting up and setting off towards Nineveh to carry out the Word of the Lord, we see that his actions caused Jonah to dig himself deeper and deeper into sin, selfishness, and defiance against God's clear call.
Every action and every attitude, every word and every work, each thought of the heart, each decision of the mind and even the motives that influence the choices we make, need to be bathed in the purifying gaze of the Holy Spirit, washed in the fountain of God's divine love and covered with the unconditional grace of Christ Who for love of His Church went to the cross willingly so that like Him, everything we do may be done through HIM - in LOVE.
He details in sober terms the inner thoughts of man's mind and he records in stark language what God thinks of man's actions, man's attitudes, man's words, and fallen man's sinful state: As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not even one.
On the one hand, we should not be critical of those who choose to worship and behave in a certain way, but on the other hand we should also be careful that neither our actions nor our abstinences place us back under law!
In this age or grace, we are to be sensitive to the fact that actions which we know to be permissible before God, may become a stumbling-block to a Christian brother or sister whose conscience dictates otherwise, causing them to falter in their faith.
Despite him deceiving Eve and cunningly wrestling man's God-ordained dominion over the earth from Adam's hand, Satan ultimately remains under the authority of his Almighty Creator - and is required to report his activities and actions before the throne of God.
But though he instructs young men to be subject to those that are older in years and spiritual maturity, he calls ALL believers to clothe themselves with humility towards one another, explaining that God resists those that are proud but gives grace to those that are humble in action and attitude.
Satan's questioning of God's Word was the catalyst that incited the fall of man and yet, God in His grace used this catastrophic fall of mankind to be the very trigger whereby His amazing plan for the redemption of humanity in particular, and the redemption of creation in general, was called into action.
Too often, ungodly actions are accepted or ignored, while spiritual gifts are abused when certain groups or individuals use their God-given gifts and talents for self-glorification or self-centred motives.
There should be unity in the essentials of our faith, liberty and Christian courtesy surrounding any non-essential doctrinal issues, and godly love and graciousness should be demonstrated in the actions and attitudes we show towards our brothers and sisters in Christ - knowing that God is not a God of confusion but the God of peace.
Many had adopted the prevailing behaviours, beliefs, and attitudes of the world, indulging in fleshly actions, becoming carnal believers, and not spiritual men and women that were maturing in the faith.
So Paul also picks up the same instruction to this group of worldly Christians, for although we are to be salt and light to all who we meet, we are not to become infected by the world and all that makes up the world systems, world politics, world religions, worldly actions, and worldly attitudes.
Let us come out from among them and become a people separated in mind and motive, separated in action and attitude - separated unto God.
Because Abraham demonstrated His utter trust in the Lord through the actions he took and the inner resolve of his heart, God, in His grace, prevented Abraham from slaying Isaac by providing an alternative sacrifice.
We also read that these actions of Christ caused His disciples to remember the verse David wrote in Psalm 69 and Luke records: Then His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Your house will consume me.'
However, it goes deeper than this, for knowingly causing a brother to stumble through an action that may be lawful, becomes a sin in the eyes of God if it causes that brother to stumble: Take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to a weaker brother, we are warned, for if someone sees you, who have knowledge of the truth, dining in an idol's temple and sinning like this, will it not wound his weak conscience? It may even cause him to eat something, against his conscience!
This would be the time when Christ's actions would also bring glory to His Father in heaven.
But it was revealed to all who were present, that because of Mary's humble action, the body of Christ had been anointed for His burial - for the hour had come for the world to be judged.
The verse in question, not only deals with the immense power of speech, for good or ill, but also touches on the issue of ones controlled actions or unguarded reactions to the words, behaviour, language, and speech of others.
The deceitful heart of man delights to judge his own 'goodness' against the 'evil' actions of his fellow men, but God remains true to His immovable standard of truth and righteousness, rendering man's judgement of others to become man's own accuser.
The book of Proverbs is filled with examples of both godly living (behaviour we should seek to emulate) and unwise actions (things we should eschew and avoid).
But we are reminded not to fret or to become perturbed by the actions and attitudes of the wicked who seem to prosper in their wicked ways, for they shall receive their just desserts.
It is dying to our own self-interest and letting the beauty and love of the Lord Jesus be seen in us – so that it flows out to others in our actions and attitude.Loving in word, is contrasted with loving in deed.
The former is to talk about caring, while the latter is to express unconditional love, in action.Loving in tongue is contrasted with loving in spirit and in truth.
Peter concludes that their actions not only prevent many from coming to a knowledge of the truth, but they would have been better off without any knowledge of the way of righteousness.
Throughout His entire ministry, Christ's words, deeds, actions, and attitude bore witness to the truth that Jesus was one with the Father, which is why He was filled with amazement when He heard His followers question the truth and ask Him to show us the Father.
From his youth, David found God was faithful and true, and despite his own foolish actions, some irresponsible decisions, and sinful behaviours, David maintained a holy faith in the Lord and found Him to be the only Rock on which he could stand and his only secure Tower of Refuge.
We cannot straddle the fence between sin and righteousness, nor can we construct an alternative course of action that is outside of God's established laws.
It was John, the beloved apostle who spent over three years living with the Lord, walking in His gracious footsteps, watching His godly actions, and observing His dependent prayer-life, who told us: God is love.
Any good actions or kindly deeds that are carried out in our original, fleshly sin nature which we received from the first Adam, will never, ever be acknowledged or accepted by the Lord.
It should be a deliberate choice and not an action performed for the praise of men, but rather to glorify our Father Who is in heaven, for God loves a cheerful giver: And He is able to make every grace overflow to you so that in every way, always having everything you need so that you may excel in every good work.
We are in the world, but we are not of it, and so our attitude and actions must show compassion toward those that are dying in their sins, while not being influenced by the prevailing gloom of this dark world-system.
And whether we find ourselves to be alone or in the company of others, whether we are thrust into the business of every-day life or quietly confined to the isolation of a sick-bed, our attitudes and actions should be such that they are a positive reflection of God's glory.
Firstly, does my conduct or choice glorify the Lord and secondly, could my action or attitude negativity impact my Christian testimony or have a detrimental effect on my fellow man.
Do my actions and attitude bring glory to God or am I tarnishing His holy name?'
And as His children, the Word of God should become our plumb-line for truth, the standard for living, and the non-negotiable criterion that not only influences our words and actions but the motives of our heart.
May we be in the world (loving others, working with diligence, and glorifying God in our actions), while not being of the world (caught up in the things of the world).
As we journey through this life of pain and sorrow, we are to proclaim to the world, in thought, word, action, attitude, and motive, the excellent glories of our Heavenly Father Who redeemed us from the darkness of sin and death into the glories of His life and light, in Christ.
Abraham was justified in Ur of the Chaldees, because he believed God and His faith was translated into action when he set out on his journey to the promised land.
David was a man after God's own heart because he believed God's Word, and we see his faith in action when he used his sling to protect the sheep from a lion, and a bear, and when he defied Goliath.
He did not have to carry out some penance or legalistic action to atone for his sin, for all his sins, past, present, and future were forgiven because of his faith in God's sacrifice for sin; Jesus Christ the righteous.
May the mind of Christ direct all our actions and attitudes, our thoughts and the motives of our hearts, and may His gracious attitude be reflected in us as we seek to live lives that are pleasing in His sight, for His praise and glory.
The relationship between a husband and his wife should be one of mutual love and respect, where gender roles and responsibilities complement one another – in line with God’s perfect plan for mankind.James compares the fleshly carnality of a worldly Christian, with the attitude and action of an unfaithful wife who is having an illicit love affair with the world and breaking her sacred marriage vow.
Whatever flows from our new life in Christ is pleasing to the Lord, but if we choose to allow our actions, attitudes, and the words that come from our lips to be influenced by our old sin nature, we may fool other people, but we can never deceive the Lord for He alone knows the intent of our heart.
Neither the multiplied wealth of humanity nor the proliferation of man's exemplary actions are sufficient payment to gain eternal life, for the heart of humanity is incapable of ridding itself of fleshly desires and love of the world.
May we each take to heart the need to be above reproach in our words and actions, faithful in all of our relationships and interactions with others and temperate, prudent, respectable, and hospitable, at home and in the wider community.
Nicodemus did not understand that Jesus was talking of a spiritual birth, an immediate and irreversible action that is carried out in the human heart by the Holy Spirit, on everyone who believes in Christ Jesus.
Nicodemus could only relate to our physical birth, our natural birth where when a human baby is born through the action, will, and work of man.
But the new birth is not something that can be implemented by the action, will, or work of man.
We are to pay attention to our actions and attitude, and Paul encouraged the believers at Philippi to live humbly before God and to do nothing out of selfish ambition or opportunism.
A profound love for the Lord and benevolence towards brothers and sisters in Christ is not a warm, fuzzy feeling or some romantic, emotional sensation, but an unselfish action that is quietly carried out in sprit, in truth, in reality, and in action.
This section makes it very clear that when we are children of God, our actions and attitudes should reflect those of our Saviour.
May we examine our own actions, attitudes, moods, and motives, lest we fall into Christian carnality and unloving responses to others.
However, we are subject to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which is laid out in the New Testament epistles, and as blood-bought children of God, our conduct, behaviour, actions, attitudes, and motive is equally important if we are to walk in His ways and honour His name - and should be wholeheartedly embraced.
This verse is a simple, yet timely reminder, that we are to live by faith in the Word of Truth, and to trust God's judgement in all things, for He sends blessings on the just and unjust alike, and He takes the foolish schemes and rebellious actions of men and turns them to His greater glory, in order to fulfil His ultimate plan and purpose, which is that Christ is all in all.
Such people will bring on themselves swift destruction, for God knows the thoughts of the heart and the motives behind our words and actions.
It is a very serious thing to challenge God and speak carelessly about the truth of the gospel and the things of God, and in the light of this warning we should all be careful of the thoughts we think, the words we say, and the motives that manipulate our speech and actions.
But we can only do this as we allow the Word of Christ to dwell in us richly and the mind of Christ to inform our actions, attitudes, thoughts, and motives.
Let us seek to live in total dependence on our Heavenly Father and in godly unity with our brothers in Christ, and let us pay heed to Paul's earnest entreaty: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, so that our words, deeds, actions, and attitudes may be a true reflection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Paul appears to be saying that before he was converted he viewed things, including the Lord Jesus, from a human perspective; paying attention to things like family, education, position, popularity, the things He said and did, and the chronicled records of His actions and performance.
He puts his body under subjection, harnesses his time, employs his talents, and fine-tunes his actions and attitude for the glory of God.Such a man keeps his eye on the goal of his calling as he runs the race of life through its many pitfalls and problems.
Having laid out some important teaching on post-Cross Christianity, the final chapter of Hebrews gives an important overview of the actions and attitudes that believers should foster in everyday life.
If as born again believers we have indeed tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we should be motivated to live as unto the Lord, to thirst after the pure milk of the Word, to abstain for ungodly actions and attitudes, and to walk godly in Christ Jesus.
He went throughout the Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing all that were sick, and continued to authenticate his Person and work to priests and people alike, through His sermons, speeches, actions, and attitudes.
This healing was highly significant, not only because the leper was cleansed, but because of the man's demonstrable faith and Christ's compassionate actions.
The actions of this leper demonstrated the reverence he afforded Christ as he bowed down before Him and said: Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.
By His action, Jesus demonstrated a fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
In this healing, Christ's Messianic claims were translated into action.
But we can grieve the Spirit of God by our words and actions and we can quench the work He desires to carry out in our lives, when we are not looking to Jesus, and walking in humbleness of spirit and dependence on our Father in heaven.
Just as God manifested His love through His actions, we too are to demonstrate the love that we have received from above by the things that we do for others and the way that we act towards them.
Divine love demands that we do what is best for other people in the light of eternity, no matter what may be the cost to us - for divine love is an action that flows from an attitude that seeks to consider what is best for another - to the honour of God - as prompted by the Spirit of God.
James had been calling believers to zealously guard their words and actions.
James is encouraging us to live a life that is so in tune with Christ that His gracious Spirit shines through our life, and His actions and attitudes are reflected in all we do, until Christ is seen in and through our lives.
Her name was Jezebel, a self-appointed prophetess whose actions were reminiscent of the wicked wife of king Ahab who corrupted the children of Israel with her satanic practices and worship of Baal.
What a great encouragement it is to all the people of God - to know that the Lord is aware of the thoughts of our hearts, the words that we speak, and the actions that we carry out in love - for His praise and glory.
The Christian Church has been waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus for two thousand years, and as we draw ever closer to that promised return, we are increasingly reminded that the day of His coming is very near, even at the very door, and we are warned to prepare our hearts, to put aside all sinful actions and worldly deeds, to clothe ourselves in the armour of light, and to put on the Lord Christ.
How vital that we do not carry out our kind actions and considerate deeds from the source of our old sin nature, for when we do good works that are produced by ME, rather than by God working through me, they are works of the law - works of the flesh - works of the old sin nature - works that God will not accept, for God will not share His glory with ME.
There are certain characteristics and identifying marks of the believer who is walking in spirit and truth, and a changed life that is exercising the gifts of the Spirit and producing the fruit of holiness, is a testimony of the inner workings of the Holy Spirit of Christ which is transferred into the outward actions of the individual life.
There are certain principles that a spiritual believer is exhorted to put into action, and of all God's holy attributes, the one we are commanded to engage in and develop is love.
To do no wrong to one's neighbour covers every word we say, every action we undertake, every attitude we express, and every motive in the secret depths of our heart, that God alone can see.
BUT we can only love as Jesus loves when we are walking in spirit and truth and allowing HIM to lead and guide every word we say, every action we undertake, every attitude we express and every motive of our heart.
To transparently bestow kindness and love on one's enemies or to show grace towards those who exploit or exasperate us, is not an action that can be whipped up in the blackened heart of fallen humanity.
Whether we are asking for prayer or responding to a call to pray for others, may our outward actions reflect an inward dependence upon God, knowing that the effective, fervent prayer of a trusting child of God avails much.
When first introduced to the believers at Corinth, we find a group of Christians that despite their boasting, their diverse spiritual gifts were devoid of love and wallowed in a divergent range of ungodly actions and attitudes including: quarrelling, envying, anger, bitterness, back-biting, carnal intrigues, and gross spiritual immaturity.
He uses the great patriarch, Abraham and the Gentile prostitute, Rahab to illustrate the importance of faith in action, and contrasts a wealthy man, dressed in fine clothes and wearing a golden ring with a poor man, clad in dirty clothes, to emphasise the evils of prejudice and the need for impartiality.
May we recognise the action that Nehemiah took as the only option, if we are to swim against the treasonous tide of false teaching in many Churches today and pay careful heed to the Word of God, by trusting Him in this day of trouble.
Jotham courageously challenged the leaders of Shechem to examine their actions and motives in supporting Abimelech's grab for power by telling them 'a parable of the trees'.
Jotham finished his parable by saying that IF they had acted honestly and done righteously in going along with Abimelech's plan to make him their king, and rewarded him appropriately, THEN their actions would have honoured his father Gideon, and they would have been able to rejoice and it would be well for them.
However, IF that were not the case and their actions were dishonourable, THEN they would be cut down and destroy one another in a civil war.
When Jotham escaped the massacre and stood on the mountain and shouted, Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you, he was calling them to account before the Lord for their actions.
Earlier in the psalm, it appears that all David wanted was to be avenged for the wrong these wicked men had done to him, but as he listed their evil actions, it caused him to remember that he served a God Who is full of loving kindness and has promised to protect the needy and save them from those that would judge, accuse, and abuse them.
The people of God were to rend their hearts in sincerity and truth and not to simply tear their clothes in an outward show of mock remorse and other hypocritical actions.
Before our salvation, we were among those that exhibited the evil works of the flesh, some of which are listed in verses 19-21 and include sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and other ungodly actions.
He explains that good works, kind actions, and generous gestures, should be the identifying mark of every child of God - and no believer would argue with this position.
They were incensed by His actions, indignant that He was being hailed as the Messiah, and furious that He had exposed their crooked commercialism, ungodly trafficking, and lack of respect for the things of God.
He called for a sacred assembly, where the whole nation would humbly cry out to the Lord for grace and mercy so that their outward submissive actions would reflect an inward repentant heart.
We should not allow our attitude, actions, comments, or clothing to be adversely influenced by the pagan culture of our day, lest we are tempted do develop a careless attitude towards godly behaviour and neglect our spiritual development - or lest we leave our first Love, the Lord Jesus, and adopt the profane values of the society in which we live.
All children are born with a propensity towards evil, and training infants and young people in godly conduct, wise choices, and appropriate accountability for their actions and attitudes is a God-given, tool to help set a child in the right direction for their life.
It was not because of David's exemplary life or military successes that this great honour was conferred upon him, for during his life he was embroiled in many indiscretions, ungodly actions, and sinful acts against the Lord.
The actions and attitude of this man towards his fellow believers as well as strangers that crossed his path, reflected the lovely Lord Jesus, causing John to write to this brother in Christ with these words: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Not only are we to explore the inner motive of our heart with regard to our personal words and actions, but we are to consider our conduct towards others and appraise our attitude towards our neighbour.
The staggering consequences of this poignant event was veiled from the eyes of the bewildered disciples, yet the eternal significance of this amazing, sacrificial action will reverberate down through the corridors of time, and throughout the eternal ages that are to come.
The outward action of Ananias and Sapphira, may have appeared to other church members to have been benevolent and generous, but God is omniscient and reads the intents of the heart and inner motives of the mind.
He can read the inner motivating force behind the outward actions of every man and woman, no matter how deceptive their behaviour may be and irrespective of their smooth-sounding words.
As believers, our hearts and motives should be pure before God... for although we may be able to deceive others with deceptive words and deceitful actions... we can never deceive the indwelling Holy Spirit!
Every act and action, every temptation and trial, every pain, and every prayer, was preparing Him for this ultimate hour, without which the sins of the world could never have been forgiven and salvation could never have been procured.
Rahab was a lost sinner, but she heard God's Word, believed in her heart, and was saved by grace through faith; and her conduct in helping the spies demonstrated faith in action.
She informed them of the kingdom's defence strategies, planned their escape, and believed their promise to protect herself and her family if she agreed to their terms and did not expose their plans to the authorities; thus putting her heart faith in tangible action.
Should we not make sure that we put our heart-faith into tangible actions?
It not only caused him to recognise his own sinfulness and admit to his own foul speech and impure actions, but caused him to identify with his own people; a sinful nation with blackened hearts and unclean lips.
Later, when Abraham set off to Mount Moriah and laid his beloved son on the altar, his inward faith in God's Word was demonstrated outwardly and openly by his actions.
It is doubtful that Abraham was aware of the enormous and eternal significance of his actions, when he obeyed God and set out to Mount Moriah to offer his beloved son as a sacrificial offering to the Lord.
Should we not develop an inward faith in God's Word and demonstrate it outwardly and openly by our actions, knowing that this is precious to the Father-heart of God?
During that pre-salvation time, we were spiritually dead and without God which means that both the noble deeds we carried out in the flesh, and our evil works, selfish actions, and undisciplined behaviours, were ALL considered by God as unacceptable and only fit to be consumed by the fire of His righteous judgement.
This verse is not dealing with sinning which is clearly laid out in Scripture for our learning - but is explaining that if legitimate actions or activities cause us, or another Christian, to backslide or stumble, we should recognise the problem and quickly turn from it, for although all things are lawful unto me, not everything is expedient - and although all things may be lawful - I must never be brought under the power of anything.
He warns Titus to avoid the worldly habits of unkindly actions and deceitful words, but encourages him to live a life that reflects the beauty of Christ's gentleness and the glory of His grace and kindness.
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions. We see how God had ordained that his servant, Moses, would receive all the training he needed to perform the work that God had prepared for him to do.
Such people will bring on themselves swift destruction, for God knows the thoughts of the heart and the motives behind our words and actions.
It is a very serious thing to challenge God and speak carelessly about the truth of the gospel and the things of God, and in the light of this warning we should all be careful of the thoughts we think, the words we say, and the motives that manipulate our speech and actions.
Christian children and grandchildren should not only consider it a responsibility and a privilege to take care of their aging mother and grandparents, but should also welcome it as an opportunity to put faith into action, because it is the right thing to do, and it greatly honours the Lord.
John argues that the closer we are in spirit to Christ the more we reflect the love of God in our words and actions, our attitude and behaviour, our motive and mind, for how can someone say, I love God, and hate his brother?
Truth is not a movable point on a fluctuating line of man's reasoning, nor is it discovered on a relative continuum which changes with society's attitudes or actions.
Israel was used to demonstrate that our actions and attitudes play an important role in our spiritual walk, but like Israel's relationship with God, our position in Christ in no way permits Church-age believers to sin with impunity.
We need to examine where our loyalties lie and what motivates our actions and attitudes, and we need to check to see if we have turned away from our first love towards the fluff and flitter of this filthy world system.
May we all take to heart this touching picture of the incredible love of the Lord towards His people, and if we have in any way indulged in ungodly actions or attitudes towards the Lord or simply left our first love, may we turn from our sinful way and return to the Lord.
None of us have the right to 'play God' in the lives of other believers, and should the actions or behaviours of another not meet with our local tradition or personal practice, we have no right to inflict on others our own set standards.
The world too often equates wisdom with knowledge, but godly wisdom is given from above, as the Spirit of God directs the steps of a man and guides him in his actions and attitude.
And may we all with our action and attitude reflect the same resounding reply, which was identified by James in his singular epistle so that by God's grace we reflect the beauty and wisdom of the Lord Jesus, both by our good behaviour and through the gentleness of spirit, which alone comes from the Lord Himself.
As we trust in His Word and seek His face, He guides us into all truth, prompts us in our actions and attitudes, and corrects and trains us as we submit to His leading and guidance.
A girded mind is one that is ready for action and is not easily influenced by the ungodly mind-set of those around us, nor is unsettled by any unbiblical and hostile worldview.
Let us be careful to take to heart the whole council of God in every area of doctrine and church life so that our homes and churches become places where God's Word is followed and the Lord is glorified through our actions and attitudes.
The ungodly actions and unbridled lust of such people was so gross that they even denied and disowned the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; challenging His right to rule, denying His eternal deity, discrediting His vicarious death, and rejecting His glorious Resurrection.
The king's sincere lament and deep contrition for his ungodly actions against Bathsheba, Uriah, and the entire nation of Israel, is often used by believers as a model prayer for confession.
They will be shockingly deceived into thinking the Saviour has already arrived, believing his smooth sounding words - until a significant event takes place in the middle of the final 'week' (or 3 1/2 years into this 7-year period) when this evil imposter completes the abominable action described in this verse, in the middle of the week, he will go into the Temple of God and put a stop to the daily sacrifices. This counterfeit Christ will claim that he is God and will desecrate God's holy Temple with, what Jesus calls, the abomination that causes desolation.
As believers we have the indwelling Holy Spirit who is a Listener to every conversation, an Observer to our every action, a Guest at every mealtime, and a Guide and Comforter for every eventuality that life may throw at us.
There are those that argue that it was presumptuous of Peter to have taken this action to replace Judas, suggesting that the apostle Paul should have been named as Christ's 12th apostle.
The severity of the scene must have intensified as the voice a mighty angel thundered the question that was on everyone's heart: Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals? Who is entitled to carry out the vital action of breaking each successive seals, and revealing the content of this parchment? - was the question that burned on his lips.
The Lord is not only interested in us during the first flush of youth, our years of vigorous actions, or our blushing adult activities when we are motoring through the prime of life.
May we, by God's grace, become so Christ-like in our actions and attitude, minds and motive, words and walk, that we, like the apostle Paul, become an exemplary life to others and a pattern upon which they are able to model their own lives - for His greater praise and eternal glory.
But whether they heed the promptings of their conscience to do what is right, or go against the persuasion of their conscience and do what is wrong, they are taking heed to a God-given moral code such that their actions either approve their right choice or condemn their wrong choice.
But either way it is their conscience which influences their actions and the choices they make, which either defends or accuses them.
But we live in a fallen world and are subject to the enticing lusts of the flesh, whether they be sinful actions of the body, prideful thoughts of the mind, or ungodly motives of the heart.
And so Paul uses three relational connections as examples of how to walk in spirit and truth, and in wisdom and grace - so that our actions and attitudes render a service to the Lord, honour His name, and demonstrate the godly walk of a spiritual believer.
In this passage, we are reminded that since everything will one day be destroyed, we need to consider our attitude, actions, and what sort of people we ought to be, in holy conduct and godliness.
He knows the day when: The heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But God, Who is omniscient, has graciously chosen to allow the prayers, praises, actions, and attitude of His people, to influence His heavenly time-clock.
Since the Cross, ALL who believe, both Jew and Gentile, are redeemed by Christ's shed blood as a completed action - and today we are living in the last days which is why Paul said, NOW is the day of salvation, and reminded the Corinthian Christians that God had said, 'At the right time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.' Listen - NOW is really the 'right time'! NOW is the day of salvation.
The intimacy between the Father and the Son is an unfathomable mystery and a magnificent truth that we cannot explain in human terms, but God's full and final revelation to mankind came in the Person of the incarnate Son of God, the Word made flesh Who is one with the Father in thought and mind, word and will, action and essence.
The Bible, however, does not sweep sin under the carpet, and there are many indiscretions and much carelessness, foolishness, ungodliness, and rebellious actions that are given centre stage, as we read through the pages of Scripture.
Although it was evident to Naomi that the actions of Boaz towards Ruth were noble, and that he would fulfil his intentions towards her and make her his bride, nevertheless, Ruth had to wait for the matter to be settled - and she was not to be present when the marriage arrangements were being finalised.
His signs, His wonders, His message, and His ministry, were foretold by prophets of old, and His heavenly mission and Messianic claims were authenticated through His words and actions, and Peter reminded the crowd of these things: Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, was a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs, which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know.
Although a fleshly Christian life and a legalistic leaning does not necessarily mean gross indulgence in sexual immorality and other unseemly practices, it does mean that our actions are in opposition to the will of God for our life - for the appetites of the flesh are not necessarily sinful, but they do refer to any works of the flesh that emanate from the old sin nature (our fleshly heritage before we were born-again) rather than the new-life-in-Christ which we received as a result of our faith in His finished work on the Cross.
It is a prayer that asks God to do a good work, deep within our core-being, as well as Him working through our outward actions and mental attitudes so that we are pleasing to the Father, in all that we are and all that we do.
To know the truth of Who God is and what He has done in our lives without there being a significant change in our actions, attitudes, words, and witness, identifies one that has taken a superficial glance into God's Word, BUT: Once he has looked at himself and gone away, has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
Paul gave us many faithful sayings and offered some wise instructions in his epistles, and as this short but masterful letter to Titus is drawing to its close, Paul exhorts him to make sure that those that have put their faith in God, devote themselves to good actions, and are eager to do good and help other people.
Spiritual pride had become pervasive as each boasted of the merits of their favoured apostle or preferred teacher, not recognising that such attitudes and actions demonstrated their foolish carnality, fleshly worldliness, and lack of true spirituality.
The action to pursue righteousness, faith, and love, is a definite decision of the will which can only be achieved as one purposes in one's own heart to turn away from every kind of fleshly pursuit and craving for self-recognition - and follow after righteousness, faith, and love.
Faithfulness towards our Father and fidelity towards our fellow men, is reflected in a sincere and energetic confidence in the Lord and an unswerving trust in His Word - while the divine love of Christ is manifested through the words we speak and the actions we carry out.
But Christ continued to emphasise... in His actions and attitude, that He was Lord of the Sabbath with divine power to both heal the body and forgive sins.
His words and actions, decisions, temperament, and the very motives of his heart should honour the Lord Jesus and demonstrate godly consideration and concern for the spiritual well-being of others.
He is the one who works the works of God through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and whose words, actions, attitudes, and motives, are grounded on God's Word and honour His holy name.
We should recognise that the way we live our lives, the words we speak with our lips, the thoughts we imagine in our hearts, the acts we carry out in our lives, and the motive behind our actions will reflect our relationship with Him, which either honours His name or dishonours His Word.
The outward actions of our life should be the transparent reflection of an inner soul and is submitted to His Word and His Will, a life that only says and does those things that are honouring and pleasing to His holy name.
It takes effort on the part of the parent to ensure that discipline is never imparted in anger or from a hasty reaction, but given as a consistent, loving, firm, but fair consequence to a child's actions or attitude.
This results in interpersonal problems, financial hardship, health problems, daily disasters, and unavoidable conflicts which result from the foolish mistakes or premeditated actions of other people, or ourselves.
We all have a responsibility to check our own religious distinctives and biases, and should not be fearful of examining ourselves to see if we are walking in spirit and truth by asking this simple question: Do I dishonour God by disobeying His Word and are the criticisms that I have of others reflected in my own attitude and actions towards them?
David had spared the king's life, and he hoped that his action would caused Saul to repent of his bitter hatred for David.
And although it caused Saul to tearfully acknowledge that his own vindictive hatred for David was unjust and that the actions of the future king demonstrated kindness and righteousness, Saul's change of heart was short-lived, and he pursued David for the rest of his life.
However, throughout the entire episode, David honoured the Lord in his actions and attitude, and no doubt he learned a valuable lesson which was to abide by God's timing, to allow the Lord fight for him and vindicate him, and to act justly and show mercy to his bitterest enemies.
Some consider that God was unjust to condemn the whole human race because of one man's sin - but in reality this is the most gracious and loving action imaginable, for as through the one man's disobedience (ADAM's sin) the manywere made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One Man (JESUS CHRST and His sacrifice for sin) many will be made righteous.
Jesus demonstrated His zeal for the House of God as exemplified in His life and actions, when He overthrew the tables of the money changers and cried out in fury: You have made My Father's House into a den of thieves.
These good tidings of great joy was the gospel that God promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, and were the gracious thoughts and actions that God had willed towards fallen humanity.
The writer to the Hebrews demonstrates this through the person and actions of an enigmatic person called Melchizedek, which means 'righteous king'.
He did this through the actions of Abraham, when he encountered this revered Person after rescuing of Lot from his adversaries: For this Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham and blessed him, and Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything, whose name means king of righteousness.
Before he finished praying, Rebekah arrived at the well and her actions showed... that before Eliezer called on the Lord, his prayer was being answered.
We also discover that the first girl who arrived at the well, not only gave this stranger a drink of water, willingly... and offered to water his camels, but she was the daughter of Abraham's own brother, Nahor, and her actions and attitude indicated that she was as kind-hearted and industrious as she was beautiful.
There are many more lessons we can learn from the actions and attitudes of every character in this beautiful story, but like every person in this narrative, faith in God is the key to success.
May we cultivate the sort of faith demonstrated in the words and actions of this Roman centurion and cultivate a faith that believes in the authority of God's Word and the knowledge that His Word is TRUE.
But water baptism, church attendance, penance and piety, eating certain foods, avoiding certain actions, or participation in holy ordinances, can never atone for one's sin.
Their behaviour and unbelief dishonoured the Lord, as it caused the Gentiles to judge the character of God based on the ungodly actions on His chosen people.
However, the old sin nature is still there, and the believer has the free-will to plug himself back under the power of the old sin nature which causes our thoughts and actions to be influenced by the world, the flesh, and the devil, instead of the new life in Christ.
It is also a reminder that God has not, and will not reject His nation and is able to accomplish His sovereign plans and purposes through the actions of pagan rulers and ungodly men, irrespective of circumstances, and whether or not they acknowledge Him as God.
Adam's action has inputed a sin nature on all who were born IN Adam (including you and me), whereas the righteousness of God is imputed to all who are born again IN Christ.
The conduct and integrity displayed by church leaders, in word and in action, can speak volumes to those under their guidance, including young men who are sitting under their tutelage.
Indeed, young people in general are more likely to respect and respond to a pastor who lives out his Christian life with probity at home and in the wider community, rather than the one whose daily actions do not correspond with his Sunday teachings.
Paul may have been instructing Titus on his pastoral role and the importance of sound teaching and a sanctified life, but his wise words need to resonate in the ears of all of God's people, and be translated into daily action if we are to be used in His service and bring praise to His name.
May we carry out righteous deeds for God's glory and remain pure in doctrine, dignified in sound speech, and beyond reproach in actions and attitude so that those who oppose us will be shamed into silence, and have nothing bad to say about us.
These actions and works cannot be performed by the old putrefying person we were before salvation (the old man which was governed by the old sin nature).
These actions and works can only be carried out through our new abundant life in Christ, which is to be governed and guided by the Holy Spirit working in and through us, so that the works that I do are not of me (my old self), but my new nature in Him.
He gives a general reminder of our position and privileges in Christ, and then continues by instructing us on how to live godly lives and what worldly actions and attitudes need to be avoided.
Malice in this verse suggests a violent temperament designed to do harm to others and can often be spawned from the build-up of anger or hatred, and it can often explode into a myriad of ungodly thoughts or actions, while slander is connected with malicious lies, speaking evil of others, or even participating in gossip or spreading cruel rumours.
Like Onesimus, we are all sinners, saved by grace, and we should be ready and prepared to face up to our wrong-doing, rather than running away from the consequences of our actions - and everything that we do should be done as unto the Lord.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, let us give Him the glory due to His name in our words, our actions, our attitude and our behaviour.
There is nothing we can add to God's wonderful plan of salvation; no meritorious work, no good deed, no kindly action, no financial contribution, no painful penance, nothing.
They presented their daily requests to Him, and honoured Him in their actions and attitudes.
Daniel's calm and wise action, when faced with this life threatening situation and the wise way he dealt with this serious crisis in Babylon was a demonstration of his character, and a testimony to his unwavering faith in God.
This practical outworking of his faith demonstrated Christian love in action, as he 'gossiped' the gospel of grace with all he met... and sent travelling preachers on their journey, in a way that honoured the Lord.
Anyone who claims such a thing is deluding themselves, for an honest, self-assessment of one's own actions and attitudes would quickly collapse this unfounded assessment.
He is the all-knowing God Who can interpret the imaginations of our mind and read the secret motives behind our choices, before they germinate into thoughts, or develop into actions or a habit.God is not expecting a reply from the lips of sinful man when asking... Who can say, 'I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?'... for every mouth is silenced before our holy and righteous God.
The actions and attitude of Jacob's two sons in the pre-meditated murder of an entire city, caused great grief to their father and brought dishonour to the name of the Lord.
Each member of Christ's Body is accountable to the Lord for the way we live, but we also are responsible for the attitudes we adopt, and the actions we take towards our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
It was because of this action that we read elsewhere: Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. It did not take long to travel from Haran to the Promised Land and when he arrived in Canaan, we discover God graciously expanding His original promise.
The convicting power of the Holy Spirit was so mighty on that day, that 3000 people were cut to the heart when they realised the severity of their sinful actions; so much so that many cried out to Peter and the rest of the Apostles: Brethren, what are we to do?
Let us not serve sin or indulge in lawlessness by our actions, attitudes, words, and imaginations, but rather let us show grateful thanks for His unspeakable mercy and amazing grace.
They love to quote: To the pure all things are pure, in an effort to condone their ungodly practices, but although they profess to know the Lord, their actions and attitudes deny Him.
In word and deed, action and attitude, they were to become a worthy witness to a wicked world, of the glorious gospel of Christ that transforms a doomed sinner in the clutches of Satan into a saved saint; redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, transferred into the kingdom of God's dear Son, and living a life that is being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ.
The life of Jesus is characterised, in conduct, conversation, attitude, and action by an outflow of loving grace, and compassionate mercy towards those with Whom He came in contact.
Because we are in union with Christ and identified with Him, we are exhorted to follow Him in our attitudes and actions, and even the motives of our hearts that are known only to God.
The only way to grow in grace and mature in the Christian faith is to put away all the influences and characteristics of the old sin nature that are exhibited in a wide range of outward actions, inward attitudes, and secret motives that are acceptable to God.
We are not to take part in actions, attitudes, and motives that are unacceptable to God.
As his treatise unfolds, James uses Abraham's offering of Isaac and Rahab's actions in protecting the Israelite spies, to prove we are justified by works.
A corpse does not have the breath of life within its frame and cannot perform any actions.
How important, therefore, that we daily examine our walk, our ways, our words, our actions, our attitudes, and our motives, to be sure that we do not fall from grace but live godly in Christ Jesus, being careful not to be tempted ourselves.
He was unaware that the life he lived, the actions he took, or the decision he made to trust in God would be used to encourage countless saints that were to come after him.
Thank GOD that our salvation and heavenly privileges, as well as Israel's restoration, redemption, reunification, and earthly kingdom, stands fast on the Word of God and not on our actions or attitudes.
While people who do not know the Lord are crying out, 'peace and safety' and probably cheering for the first horseman on his white horse - who will deceive the world with his peace plans... sudden destruction will come upon them all as the next three horsemen gallop onto the world stage - the red horseman of war and conflict - military action and bloodshed, the black horseman of plague and famine - scarcity, and inequality... and finally the fourth, terrifying horseman of death, on his pale green steed.
In much of his writing, we see Solomon discussing inanimate objects and abstract concepts as if they were real people, whose actions, attitudes, and behaviours, need to be pursued or avoided - and often they are identified in the feminine gender.
In this verse, we discover a contrast between the benefits that can be gained through the application of wisdom, in both the physical and spiritual realms, and the destruction that is perpetrated by the foolish actions of a single sinner.
The thoughtless actions, careless decisions, or deliberate deceitfulness of one person, can frustrate the best-laid plans of the wise, squander vital resources, and can even cause the total downfall of a once-great nation, through folly and foolishness.
Our inner resolve and heart-determination should be to consider the needs of our Christian family before our own personal needs, in order to provoke others unto love and good works by the gracious example we set in our own actions, attitude, words, and motives.
The life of faith filters our thoughts, actions, attitudes, and words, through the holy Scriptures, as we listen to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit, follow His directions, and trust in the Lord with all our heart.
Godly action and attitudes should demonstrate that we are already His children.
God examines the thoughts of the hearts and the hidden motive behind our actions, and we are warned that if the motive behind what we say and do is to be seen and applauded by other people rather than carried out for the honour and glory of God, it is the wrong motivation and will not be rewarded by our Father in heaven.
We need to reflect on the motive behind all that we say and do, so that we do not fall into the temptation of trying to carrying out hypocritical actions in our own fleshly power in order to impress God or others of our piety in order to receive their warm applause.
God sees the secret motive behind all our actions and attitudes and knows whether they are done for self-glorification or for the praise and glory of our heavenly Father.
The lawless attitude and rebellious actions of this 'son-of-perdition' will not only oppose the true and living God and all He stands for, but exalt himself above every religion, including Christianity, and every other form of worship... worldwide.
In verse 9 of 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul tells us about the demonic actions of the Antichrist, which will be empowered by Satan.
Although they were gifted with the tongues of men and of angels, prophetic utterances, knowledge, and many benevolent actions, they lacked godly love and did not exhibit spiritual fruit.
It is not our role to adjudicate the actions of others and criticise them if their behaviour does not line up with our own, personal standards.
But pointing the finger of blame, over-stating a brother's fault, participating in unfounded gossip, censorious speech, or condemning the legitimate, freewill choices of another Christian when their actions conflict with the freewill standards we have chosen, is considered by James to be evil speech.
However, we are not instructed to judge the thoughts, hearts, motives, and behaviour of others, as it degrades our own testimony and dishonours the Lord Who is the only one worthy to judge the thoughts of the heart and the actions of a man.
To judge the motives of a fellow believer's actions equates to judging the law.
Only God understands the motives behind a man's actions and attitude.
But God is so gracious and His mercy is without limits, which is why He planned in advance to save us all from all our sin by implementing the only possible way to forgive every sin we ever commit – past, present, and future sins; overt and covert sins; action and attitude sins.
In Christ we receive the power to turn from our former worldly ways, our fleshly actions, and our ungodly pursuits that came from our old sin nature (but it is a free-will choice).
However, by God's amazing grace, we have the opportunity to identify with the actions, consequences, and outcome of another Man - a PERFECT MAN, a GOOD Man, the Man Christ Jesus!!
He came so that by grace through faith, ALL who believe on His name might be set free from the actions, consequences, and outcomes of our sin-filled lives!!
Many years later, he demonstrated his faith through his actions (Genesis chapter 22) when he obeyed God's instruction to offer his only son to the Lord on Mount Moriah. In Genesis 22, he demonstrated his faith in God and it was counted as a righteous act by man - as James records.
Let us get our minds ready for action, and not be diverted by the strange and difficult circumstances that encompass our lives so that we may hope perfectly upon the grace that is ours in the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We also read of the Tabernacle and its articles of furniture, the various Feasts of the Lord, sacrificial offerings, Sabbath day regulations, and other ceremonial dos and don'ts, all of which point to certain aspects or actions of Christ's character and life.
He rejoiced to know that in recognising and responding to the material needs of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, they were demonstrating obedience to Christ and their actions and attitude would glorify the Father in heaven.
It helps us grasp what the Lord desires from His people and gives us a greater appreciation of the spiritual benefits of suffering in our lives, even when His actions seem to contradict His character.
God's attributes speak for themselves and God needs no human witness to defend His cause or character, His words or His actions.
God's attributes speak for themselves and God needs no human witness to defend His cause or character, His words or His actions, nor is God obliged to answer our petulant and foolish questions as to why and how and when and what and who…
Underpinning our attitude, our actions, our mind, and our motive towards one another should be a deep reverence for the Lord Jesus Who is the Head of the body and Master of all.
May we examine our actions and attitudes to see if we fall short of God's best in our lives, and learn to be gracious and hospitable, appreciative of that which is good and turning away from that which is evil.
Hannah's song of praise affirms the holiness of God, exults the character of God, rejoices in the uniqueness of God, and attests to His gracious wisdom: For the Lord is a God of knowledge and with Him our actions are weighed.
And how necessary that the meditation of our heart is always honouring to the Lord and that the thoughts of our mind are always acceptable in His sight: For the Lord is a God of wisdom and understanding and with Him all our actions are considered.
When we stray from the path of righteousness, we cause our carnal craving to give birth to sinful actions, evil attitudes, and a covetous heart.James picks up this human trait of covetousness which all too often can manifest itself in the life of a believer.
Indeed, James points out that the sin of covetousness is so powerful that he allies its fruit with murder, which is rooted in anger, envy, bitterness, malice, cruelty, savagery, inhumanity, and greed.When the covetous self is determined to have its own way, it often translates into hidden manipulations and blatantly evil actions which can even pour forth in the form of pious praying.
Although the book of Acts is often described as the acts or actions of the apostles in the fledgling Christian church, this volume of Scripture would more accurately be called the continuing acts or undertakings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Luke's Gospel, the Lord Jesus was seen to wear His own humanity in a human body, while in the book of the Acts, the Lord Jesus clothed His activity and actions with the humanity of forgiven sinners who were redeemed by His blood and indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God.
God alone knows a man's heart and can read the secret thoughts in the inner depths of his soul, but it is the outworking of those concealed attributes which are demonstrated through words, actions, and attitudes, that manifests a man's true identity to his fellow-man.
It does not withhold man's responsibility for the choices he takes nor does it deny man's accountability for the actions he undertakes and the words he speaks.
No doubt this man was witness to the reviling actions of the Jews and the distress of the women, as Christ was led as a lamb to the slaughter.
This man had no doubt been present at the cruel beating of Christ and witnessed the point when the sun was darkened for three hours and a great and mighty earthquake announced heaven's verdict on the sinful actions of sinful man, as the wrath of God was poured out on the sinless Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.
God's plans and purposes for man were not to be thwarted by the sinful rebellion and foolish action of the first man Adam, for God had a greater plan and an eternal purpose for the Son of Man, the last Adam: That through Him all who are made a new creation in Christ will bear God's likeness and receive God's nature, as day by day, by grace through faith in Him, we are being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ our Saviour, the Man from heaven.
It was from this one action that a sin nature has been imputed to all men, from conception.
The actions of Adam and Eve demonstrate that sin is rooted in self: self-determination; self-will; self-governance; self-satisfaction; self-righteousness.
The actions of this couple demonstrate the serious and irreversible fruit that is produced when sin has overtaken the heart of man, for it breaks man's fellowship with the Lord Who made him.
Paul often writes about the Jewish religion and warns against the religion of angels as well as self-made religion and he reminds the Church that we should put our religion into action.
Our words and actions should become a living testimony of a pure heart that is clothed with Christ no matter where we are or who we are with, so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.
It can differentiate between words, actions, thoughts, and motives that are looking to Jesus and words, actions, thoughts, and motives that have placed self on the throne of their life.
The action of the Word of God on the spirit and soul of every believer is a life-long process that continues to cut away all that is of the old man and conform the new life we received at salvation into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We sometimes look at the foolish actions and attitudes of the disciples and the many selfish comments they made, and, with an air of superiority, we think to ourselves: I would never say such unspiritual remarks or engage in such carnal actions and attitudes.
The Church of God, individually and corporately, should rather stand fast on the firm foundation of Christ Jesus our Lord and should shun every kind of evil thought, unkind word, ungracious action, or selfish motive.
Indeed, we are encouraged to be quick to hear, for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, but we should also be wise in our actions and circumspect in our reactions by being slow to speak and slow to anger, for angry men do not achieve the righteousness of God.
We learn that this evil enemy influences the actions of the wicked against the righteous, but the devil's actions are always subject to God's permissive will Who, in His goodness and grace, uses all things, including our own personal suffering, to work together for the good to those that love and trust Him and for His eternal glory.
He did not delay or prevaricate, He did not question or argue, but his action demonstrated a trust in God that has caused Abraham to be called the father of faith.
Many times in life, we discover the folly of opening our mouth and responding in careless haste to the words and actions of others, and too often we react in annoyance or anger only to discover that we had misunderstood the facts of the matter, causing us to regret that we spoke so quickly and reacted so hastily.