And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NASB Causes – Oswald Chambers wrote, “The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance.”[1] The…
For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a person and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor follow other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you live in this place, in the land that I…
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 NASB Evil good – The history of Mankind, as the rabbis note, is a nightmare. Empire after empire followed the path falsely attributed to Alexander Tytler:…
They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Psalm 14:3 NASB Not even one – Psalm 14:3. The corruption of men. If you thought that things changed after the Messiah, well, you’d be wrong. In Paul’s last letter he cites the same Davidic idea. “as it…
God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 1:31 NASB All that He had made – Gutenberg destroyed the Bible. Oh, yes, he printed it in German, but in the process he forever changed that way we understand the…
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17 NASB Right thing – What is the right thing to do? Ah, doesn’t that depend entirely on your particular view, your culture, your environment? Is there such a thing as universal “right,” an ethical demand…
“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5 NASB Knowing good and evil – Read the text again. What does the serpent claim will happen? Sometimes we think that the serpent offers eternal life (“You will be like God”), but that…
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9 NIV Right and wrong – The translators of the NIV completely ignore the Hebrew connection between Solomon and Adam. I suspect it is deliberate. The Hebrew text…
How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men! Psalm 31:19 NASB Have stored up– Do you like treasure hunts? Does finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow appeal to you? Well, according…
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NASB Good – Now the hard part. Obviously, Paul doesn’t say that all things work together for your good. Your good is not the issue. What God does is what…
