There are three courts before which we must all be tried sooner or later. These are the court of public opinion, the court of conscience, and the court of God. None of these judgments should be taken lightly.
The court of public opinion convenes daily in our town. Sometimes it meets in the cafe, sometimes on the street corner, and sometimes over the telephone. There peo...
The motto for every Christian’s life should be, “Thy will, O God, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.” Behind this motto is the assumption that God has a will for every life. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul lived their lives under the conviction that God had a will for them, and they died with the satisfaction that they had accomplished it. As God had a will for Jesus and Paul, so he has...
The apostle Peter urges husbands and wives to live in harmony with one another in their marriage relationship so that their prayer would not be “hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).
The word hinder means “to cut” or “to interrupt.” Strife in the home is like static on the radio or television. It interferes with clear reception and good communication. An arguing, pouting couple will hardly...
Joe Louis complained to his manager, Mike Jacobs, when he lost the world’s heavyweight boxing title: “You can’t do it when you don’t got it.” It’s as true in living the Christian life as it is in boxing—you’ve got to have power to be successful.
God never intended you to live the Christian life in your own strength. I might as well expect a light to burn without being attached to electr...
The Christian life is difficult. The person who says otherwise hasn’t tried it. As difficult as it is, it can be much easier if you follow some simple rules. It is virtually impossible if you neglect them. Here are four of the most important rules for Christian living.
1. Read your Bible daily. Your spiritual life needs food—spiritual food. Where do you find this spirit...
During the Bobby Baker hearing in Washington in 1963, charges were made that a certain witness was a “character assassin.” A character assassin is a person who attempts to demolish the character of someone else by slander, lies, gossip, or half-truths. The chief weapon of the character assassin is his tongue. With it he injures innocent people.
The tongue is a powerful weapon. The Bible...
Occasionally one hears the complimentary statement, “He is a Christian and a gentleman.” The expression throws a shadow across our modern brand of Christianity.
The implication is that a Christian is not necessarily a gentle person. In all likelihood all of us could relate a case or two to bear out the point.
Most of us have to work for years to wear off some of the rough edges...
There is a lot of fuzzy thinking about guilt. It is a favorite theme of the playwrights, novelists, and poets, and even a popular conversation piece at cocktail parties.
What is guilt? It should be noted that there is a difference between guilt and a “sense of guilt.” A sense of guilt ordinarily accompanies guilt, but not necessarily. It is possible to commit a crime and be guilty witho...
Jeff Ray, longtime professor at Southwestern Seminary, used to say to his students, “Young men, be kind to everyone because everyone is having a hard time.” He was right. Some burdens are seen. But some of the deepest and most powerful ones aren’t. If we but knew the battles people were fighting, we would be more understanding of them.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “If we could read...