“Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism; but in every nation He who fears Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him. The word which He sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ — He is Lord of all — that spoken word you yourselves know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
—Acts 10:34-38
Category: Obedience
Husbands and Wives
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly and gave Himself up on its behalf, that He might sanctify it, cleansing it by the washing of the water in the Word, that He might present it to Himself as the glorious assembly, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such things, but that it be holy and without blemish. So, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies, he loving his wife loves himself, for then no one hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as also the Lord the assembly. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. “For this, a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24). The mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ and as to the assembly. However, you also, everyone, let each one love his wife as himself, and the wife, that she give deference to the husband.”
— Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul
It is right to obey God
“And the high priest asked them, saying,
Did we not command you by a command that you not teach in this name? And, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring on us the blood of this man.
But answering Peter and the apostles said,
It is right to obey God rather than man.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized, hanging Him on a tree. This One God has exalted as a Ruler and Savior to His right hand, to give to Israel repentance and remission of sins.
And we are His witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit, whom God gave to those obeying Him.”
— Acts 5.27-32
He has shown You, O man, what is good (video)
How can a young man cleanse his way?
“Wherewithal [how] shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” — Psalm 119.9
Here is…
1. A weighty question asked. By what means may the next generation be made better than this? Wherewithal [how] shall a young man cleanse his way? Cleansing implies that it is polluted. Besides the original corruption we all brought into the world with us (from which we are not cleansed unto this day), there are many particular sins which young people are subject to, by which they defile their way, youthful lusts (2 Tim. ii. 22); these render their way offensive to God and disgraceful to themselves. Young men are concerned to cleanse their way—to get their hearts renewed and their lives reformed, to make clean, and keep clean, from the corruption that is in the world through lust, that they may have both a good conscience and a good name. Few young people do themselves enquire by what means they may recover and preserve their purity; and therefore David asks the question for them.
2. A satisfactory answer given to this question. Young men may effectually cleanse their way by taking heed thereto according to the word of God; and it is the honour of the word of God that it has such power and is of such use both to particular persons and to communities, whose happiness lies much in the virtue of their youth. (1.) Young men must make the word of God their rule, must acquaint themselves with it and resolve to conform themselves to it; that will do more towards the cleansing of young men that the laws of princes or the morals of philosophers. (2.) They must carefully apply that rule and make use of it; they must take heed to their way, must examine it by the word of God, as a touchstone and standard, must rectify what is amiss in it by that regulator and steer by that chart and compass. God’s word will not do without our watchfulness, and a constant regard both to it and to our way, that we may compare them together. The ruin of young men is either living at large (or by no rule at all) or choosing to themselves false rules: let them ponder the path of their feet, and walk by scripture-rules; so their way shall be clean, and they shall have the comfort and credit of it here and for ever.
—Matthew Henry on Psalm 119