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Barbs …. With A Point

The following barbs of wisdom come from The Sword and Staff Publication, 2004, Volume 42, Number 4; pg. 13 (appropriate Scriptures and related articles have been added):

• If you are afraid that you will rock the boat, you won’t get much rowing done.

• A person cannot willfully make a practice of sin and be right with God (1 John 5:18; Hebrews 10:26), but at the same time, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

• Sound doctrine without sound living is like a “sounding brass, or a tinkling symbol” (1 Corinthians 13:1 KJV).

• There is a saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” but Paul in writing to the Christians in Rome said, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2 KJV).

• Too many preachers upon finding it is a hard job to change the world, change their message to accommodate the world (and unconverted “church members” who are actually a part of the world).

• What some call “contending for the faith” is really being “contentious about the faith” (it’s more like sectarian wrangling and a work of the flesh – 1 Timothy 6:3-4).

• Many, whose hearts have been warmed by the gospel, get on fire for God only to experience burnout when they are unable to pass this fire on to others (2 Timothy 4:10).

• True worship is not determined by how much sound and noise is made (John 4:24).

• Churches growing in number is of no significance unless there is the corresponding growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18).

• The god of this world is worshipped in the form of that which is seen (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

• If you live too “high on the hog,” you will probably end up eating fatback (or what the prodigal son ate – nothing – Luke 15:12-16).

• The relationship of the wife to the husband, according to the New Testament, is one of submission, not subjugation (Ephesians 5:22 KJV).

• New Christians, given time to grow, but not taught, only grow older and more worldly.

• If you are truly conservative in your religious convictions, it should make you liberal in your giving (for this is what is taught in the Scriptures – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; cf. Luke 21:1-4).

• A faithless faith is seen when “religious” people do not believe and accept what the Bible says about baptism (Romans 10:17; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:26; Romans 6:1-6; Gal. 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21).

• To be angry at nothing but sin, is the surest way not to sin while being angry (Ephesians 4:26; cf. Psalm 37:8).

• God wants us to clean up our act, not act like (pretend) we are clean (Matthew 23:27).

• If you look back, you will fall behind (Luke 9:62; cf. Genesis 19:26).