Previous Verses
December 2019
DECEMBER 6
Romans 13:8-9 - Use Credit Wisely, and Love One Another
While discussing debts in a letter to the born-again Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote:
Verse 8: "Owe no man [person] any thing, but to love one another [i.e., we shouldn't owe anyone anything but love, which means not only that all of our bills should be paid on time, but also that we should have an ongoing love (affection) for mankind; this includes treating others kindly (doing nice things for them, praying for them when necessary, never harming them in any way--physically or mentally, etc.)]: for he [or she] that loveth another [person, or other people,] hath [has] fulfilled [obeyed] the law [of God]."
Verse 9: "For this [thing (loving one another) covers what God said in the second part (or 'human-to-human' section) of the Ten Commandments], [which includes] Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness [give false testimony in court, spread gossip, lie about someone, etc.], Thou shalt not covet [want something very badly]; and if there be any other commandment [of God], it is briefly comprehended [contained, included, understood, summed up] in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
As you can see from the above list of commandments, love covers a multitude of sins. Also, as some Bible commentators have noted, love is an ongoing debt that can never be paid.
Concerning the first part of verse 8, Adam Clarke wrote this in his commentary:
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another - In the preceding verses the apostle has been showing the duty, reverence, and obedience, which all Christians, from the highest to the lowest, owe to the civil magistrate; whether he be emperor, king, proconsul, or other state officer; here [in verse 8] he shows them their duty to each other: but this is widely different from that which they owe to the civil government: to the first they owe subjection, reverence, obedience, and tribute; to the latter they owe nothing but mutual love, and those offices which necessarily spring from it. Therefore, the apostle says, Owe no man; as if he had said: Ye owe to your fellow brethren nothing but mutual love, and this is what the law of God requires, and in this the law is fulfilled. Ye are not bound in obedience to them [your fellow brethren] as to the civil magistrate; for to him ye must needs be subject, not merely for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake: but to these ye are bound by love; and by that love especially which utterly prevents you from doing any thing by which a brother may sustain any kind of injury."
(Source for above quote: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/romans/13-8.html, "Adam Clarke Commentary")
DECEMBER 4-5
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world [God loved everyone in the world so much], that he gave his only begotten Son [Jesus] [as a sacrifice for sin, meaning he allowed his only Son, Jesus (who was not adopted, like born-again Christians are--see note below*), to die on the cross to pay for all of the sins of mankind], [so] that whosoever believeth in him [whoever, through faith, trusts Jesus as Savior] should not perish [be tormented forever--first in hell and then in the lake of fire], but have everlasting life [in heaven]."
Have you trusted Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible.
Basically, if you believe that Jesus Christ (God's Son) died on the cross to pay for your sins and that he was buried and rose again, all you need to do is sincerely ask him, through prayer (either silently or out loud), to come into your heart and save you so you can go to heaven when you die.
For detailed instructions for the plan of salvation, visit the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website. Here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.
_________________________
*For an explanation of only begotten Son in the above verse, read the article entitled "What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?" Here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/only-begotten-son.html.
DECEMBER 2-3
Psalm 119:97-100 - A Prayer to God
Although the identity of this psalm's author is unknown, it was probably King David, according to many well-known and highly respected Bible commentators.
Verse 97: "O how love I thy law [referring to God's words, as recorded in the Bible]! it is my meditation [what I think about] all the day [at various times throughout the day and night]."
Verse 98: "Thou [you, Lord,] through thy [your] commandments hast [have] made me wiser than mine [my] enemies: for they [the commandments] are ever [forever, always] with me."
Verses 99-100: "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [the things that are written in the Bible] are my meditation [what I read about, study, memorize, and think about]. I understand more than the ancients [meaning wise old men], because I keep thy precepts [I try to follow God's rules of action for behavior and thought, especially in regard to moral conduct]."
I'm sure that this prayer greatly pleased God. Hopefully, many born-again Christians can pray a similar prayer.
DECEMBER 1
Luke 6:45: "A good man [or woman or child, referring to someone with good morals] out of the good treasure of his [or her] heart [or from the good things that are stored there] bringeth forth [from his (or her) mouth] that which is good; and an evil man [or woman or child--someone with bad morals] out of the evil treasure of his [or her] heart [or from the bad things that are stored there] bringeth forth [from his (or her) mouth] that which is evil: for [because] [out] of the abundance of the heart [from whatever fills a person's heart and mind] his [or her] mouth speaketh [speaks, or says]."
Good (or bad) thoughts usually result in good (or bad) words, speech, or conversation. In other words, we usually say what we think.
John Calvin says: "… For, though hypocrites express in words what is different from the feelings of their hearts, that is no reason why we may not justly and appropriately call the tongue the portrait of the mind." (Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/luke/6-45.html, "Calvin's Commentary on the Bible")
In his commentary on Luke 6, Matthew Henry summarizes the above verse as follows: "… what the mouth ordinarily speaks, speaks with relish and delight, generally agrees with what is innermost and uppermost in the heart …" (Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/luke/6.html, "Verses 37-49," "v. 45")
Romans 13:8-9 - Use Credit Wisely, and Love One Another
While discussing debts in a letter to the born-again Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote:
Verse 8: "Owe no man [person] any thing, but to love one another [i.e., we shouldn't owe anyone anything but love, which means not only that all of our bills should be paid on time, but also that we should have an ongoing love (affection) for mankind; this includes treating others kindly (doing nice things for them, praying for them when necessary, never harming them in any way--physically or mentally, etc.)]: for he [or she] that loveth another [person, or other people,] hath [has] fulfilled [obeyed] the law [of God]."
Verse 9: "For this [thing (loving one another) covers what God said in the second part (or 'human-to-human' section) of the Ten Commandments], [which includes] Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness [give false testimony in court, spread gossip, lie about someone, etc.], Thou shalt not covet [want something very badly]; and if there be any other commandment [of God], it is briefly comprehended [contained, included, understood, summed up] in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
As you can see from the above list of commandments, love covers a multitude of sins. Also, as some Bible commentators have noted, love is an ongoing debt that can never be paid.
Concerning the first part of verse 8, Adam Clarke wrote this in his commentary:
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another - In the preceding verses the apostle has been showing the duty, reverence, and obedience, which all Christians, from the highest to the lowest, owe to the civil magistrate; whether he be emperor, king, proconsul, or other state officer; here [in verse 8] he shows them their duty to each other: but this is widely different from that which they owe to the civil government: to the first they owe subjection, reverence, obedience, and tribute; to the latter they owe nothing but mutual love, and those offices which necessarily spring from it. Therefore, the apostle says, Owe no man; as if he had said: Ye owe to your fellow brethren nothing but mutual love, and this is what the law of God requires, and in this the law is fulfilled. Ye are not bound in obedience to them [your fellow brethren] as to the civil magistrate; for to him ye must needs be subject, not merely for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake: but to these ye are bound by love; and by that love especially which utterly prevents you from doing any thing by which a brother may sustain any kind of injury."
(Source for above quote: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/romans/13-8.html, "Adam Clarke Commentary")
DECEMBER 4-5
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world [God loved everyone in the world so much], that he gave his only begotten Son [Jesus] [as a sacrifice for sin, meaning he allowed his only Son, Jesus (who was not adopted, like born-again Christians are--see note below*), to die on the cross to pay for all of the sins of mankind], [so] that whosoever believeth in him [whoever, through faith, trusts Jesus as Savior] should not perish [be tormented forever--first in hell and then in the lake of fire], but have everlasting life [in heaven]."
Have you trusted Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible.
Basically, if you believe that Jesus Christ (God's Son) died on the cross to pay for your sins and that he was buried and rose again, all you need to do is sincerely ask him, through prayer (either silently or out loud), to come into your heart and save you so you can go to heaven when you die.
For detailed instructions for the plan of salvation, visit the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website. Here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.
_________________________
*For an explanation of only begotten Son in the above verse, read the article entitled "What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?" Here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/only-begotten-son.html.
DECEMBER 2-3
Psalm 119:97-100 - A Prayer to God
Although the identity of this psalm's author is unknown, it was probably King David, according to many well-known and highly respected Bible commentators.
Verse 97: "O how love I thy law [referring to God's words, as recorded in the Bible]! it is my meditation [what I think about] all the day [at various times throughout the day and night]."
Verse 98: "Thou [you, Lord,] through thy [your] commandments hast [have] made me wiser than mine [my] enemies: for they [the commandments] are ever [forever, always] with me."
Verses 99-100: "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [the things that are written in the Bible] are my meditation [what I read about, study, memorize, and think about]. I understand more than the ancients [meaning wise old men], because I keep thy precepts [I try to follow God's rules of action for behavior and thought, especially in regard to moral conduct]."
I'm sure that this prayer greatly pleased God. Hopefully, many born-again Christians can pray a similar prayer.
DECEMBER 1
Luke 6:45: "A good man [or woman or child, referring to someone with good morals] out of the good treasure of his [or her] heart [or from the good things that are stored there] bringeth forth [from his (or her) mouth] that which is good; and an evil man [or woman or child--someone with bad morals] out of the evil treasure of his [or her] heart [or from the bad things that are stored there] bringeth forth [from his (or her) mouth] that which is evil: for [because] [out] of the abundance of the heart [from whatever fills a person's heart and mind] his [or her] mouth speaketh [speaks, or says]."
Good (or bad) thoughts usually result in good (or bad) words, speech, or conversation. In other words, we usually say what we think.
John Calvin says: "… For, though hypocrites express in words what is different from the feelings of their hearts, that is no reason why we may not justly and appropriately call the tongue the portrait of the mind." (Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/luke/6-45.html, "Calvin's Commentary on the Bible")
In his commentary on Luke 6, Matthew Henry summarizes the above verse as follows: "… what the mouth ordinarily speaks, speaks with relish and delight, generally agrees with what is innermost and uppermost in the heart …" (Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/luke/6.html, "Verses 37-49," "v. 45")
DECEMBER 6
Romans 13:8-9 - Use Credit Wisely, and Love One Another
While discussing debts in a letter to the born-again Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote:
Verse 8: "Owe no man [person] any thing, but to love one another [i.e., we shouldn't owe anyone anything but love, which means not only that all of our bills should be paid on time, but also that we should have an ongoing love (affection) for mankind; this includes treating others kindly (doing nice things for them, praying for them when necessary, never harming them in any way--physically or mentally, etc.)]: for he [or she] that loveth another [person, or other people,] hath [has] fulfilled [obeyed] the law [of God]."
Verse 9: "For this [thing (loving one another) covers what God said in the second part (or 'human-to-human' section) of the Ten Commandments], [which includes] Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness [give false testimony in court, spread gossip, lie about someone, etc.], Thou shalt not covet [want something very badly]; and if there be any other commandment [of God], it is briefly comprehended [contained, included, understood, summed up] in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
As you can see from the above list of commandments, love covers a multitude of sins. Also, as some Bible commentators have noted, love is an ongoing debt that can never be paid.
Concerning the first part of verse 8, Adam Clarke wrote this in his commentary:
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another - In the preceding verses the apostle has been showing the duty, reverence, and obedience, which all Christians, from the highest to the lowest, owe to the civil magistrate; whether he be emperor, king, proconsul, or other state officer; here [in verse 8] he shows them their duty to each other: but this is widely different from that which they owe to the civil government: to the first they owe subjection, reverence, obedience, and tribute; to the latter they owe nothing but mutual love, and those offices which necessarily spring from it. Therefore, the apostle says, Owe no man; as if he had said: Ye owe to your fellow brethren nothing but mutual love, and this is what the law of God requires, and in this the law is fulfilled. Ye are not bound in obedience to them [your fellow brethren] as to the civil magistrate; for to him ye must needs be subject, not merely for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake: but to these ye are bound by love; and by that love especially which utterly prevents you from doing any thing by which a brother may sustain any kind of injury."
(Source for above quote: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/romans/13-8.html, "Adam Clarke Commentary")
DECEMBER 4-5
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world [God loved everyone in the world so much], that he gave his only begotten Son [Jesus] [as a sacrifice for sin, meaning he allowed his only Son, Jesus (who was not adopted, like born-again Christians are--see note below*), to die on the cross to pay for all of the sins of mankind], [so] that whosoever believeth in him [whoever, through faith, trusts Jesus as Savior] should not perish [be tormented forever--first in hell and then in the lake of fire], but have everlasting life [in heaven]."
Have you trusted Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible.
Basically, if you believe that Jesus Christ (God's Son) died on the cross to pay for your sins and that he was buried and rose again, all you need to do is sincerely ask him, through prayer (either silently or out loud), to come into your heart and save you so you can go to heaven when you die.
For detailed instructions for the plan of salvation, visit the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website. Here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.
_________________________
*For an explanation of only begotten Son in the above verse, read the article entitled "What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?" Here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/only-begotten-son.html.
DECEMBER 2-3
Psalm 119:97-100 - A Prayer to God
Although the identity of this psalm's author is unknown, it was probably King David, according to many well-known and highly respected Bible commentators.
Verse 97: "O how love I thy law [referring to God's words, as recorded in the Bible]! it is my meditation [what I think about] all the day [at various times throughout the day and night]."
Verse 98: "Thou [you, Lord,] through thy [your] commandments hast [have] made me wiser than mine [my] enemies: for they [the commandments] are ever [forever, always] with me."
Verses 99-100: "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [the things that are written in the Bible] are my meditation [what I read about, study, memorize, and think about]. I understand more than the ancients [meaning wise old men], because I keep thy precepts [I try to follow God's rules of action for behavior and thought, especially in regard to moral conduct]."
I'm sure that this prayer greatly pleased God. Hopefully, many born-again Christians can pray a similar prayer.
DECEMBER 1
Luke 6:45: "A good man [or woman or child, referring to someone with good morals] out of the good treasure of his [or her] heart [or from the good things that are stored there] bringeth forth [from his (or her) mouth] that which is good; and an evil man [or woman or child--someone with bad morals] out of the evil treasure of his [or her] heart [or from the bad things that are stored there] bringeth forth [from his (or her) mouth] that which is evil: for [because] [out] of the abundance of the heart [from whatever fills a person's heart and mind] his [or her] mouth speaketh [speaks, or says]."
Good (or bad) thoughts usually result in good (or bad) words, speech, or conversation. In other words, we usually say what we think.
John Calvin says: "… For, though hypocrites express in words what is different from the feelings of their hearts, that is no reason why we may not justly and appropriately call the tongue the portrait of the mind." (Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/luke/6-45.html, "Calvin's Commentary on the Bible")
In his commentary on Luke 6, Matthew Henry summarizes the above verse as follows: "… what the mouth ordinarily speaks, speaks with relish and delight, generally agrees with what is innermost and uppermost in the heart …" (Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/luke/6.html, "Verses 37-49," "v. 45")
Romans 13:8-9 - Use Credit Wisely, and Love One Another
While discussing debts in a letter to the born-again Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote:
Verse 8: "Owe no man [person] any thing, but to love one another [i.e., we shouldn't owe anyone anything but love, which means not only that all of our bills should be paid on time, but also that we should have an ongoing love (affection) for mankind; this includes treating others kindly (doing nice things for them, praying for them when necessary, never harming them in any way--physically or mentally, etc.)]: for he [or she] that loveth another [person, or other people,] hath [has] fulfilled [obeyed] the law [of God]."
Verse 9: "For this [thing (loving one another) covers what God said in the second part (or 'human-to-human' section) of the Ten Commandments], [which includes] Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness [give false testimony in court, spread gossip, lie about someone, etc.], Thou shalt not covet [want something very badly]; and if there be any other commandment [of God], it is briefly comprehended [contained, included, understood, summed up] in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
As you can see from the above list of commandments, love covers a multitude of sins. Also, as some Bible commentators have noted, love is an ongoing debt that can never be paid.
Concerning the first part of verse 8, Adam Clarke wrote this in his commentary:
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another - In the preceding verses the apostle has been showing the duty, reverence, and obedience, which all Christians, from the highest to the lowest, owe to the civil magistrate; whether he be emperor, king, proconsul, or other state officer; here [in verse 8] he shows them their duty to each other: but this is widely different from that which they owe to the civil government: to the first they owe subjection, reverence, obedience, and tribute; to the latter they owe nothing but mutual love, and those offices which necessarily spring from it. Therefore, the apostle says, Owe no man; as if he had said: Ye owe to your fellow brethren nothing but mutual love, and this is what the law of God requires, and in this the law is fulfilled. Ye are not bound in obedience to them [your fellow brethren] as to the civil magistrate; for to him ye must needs be subject, not merely for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake: but to these ye are bound by love; and by that love especially which utterly prevents you from doing any thing by which a brother may sustain any kind of injury."
(Source for above quote: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/romans/13-8.html, "Adam Clarke Commentary")
DECEMBER 4-5
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world [God loved everyone in the world so much], that he gave his only begotten Son [Jesus] [as a sacrifice for sin, meaning he allowed his only Son, Jesus (who was not adopted, like born-again Christians are--see note below*), to die on the cross to pay for all of the sins of mankind], [so] that whosoever believeth in him [whoever, through faith, trusts Jesus as Savior] should not perish [be tormented forever--first in hell and then in the lake of fire], but have everlasting life [in heaven]."
Have you trusted Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible.
Basically, if you believe that Jesus Christ (God's Son) died on the cross to pay for your sins and that he was buried and rose again, all you need to do is sincerely ask him, through prayer (either silently or out loud), to come into your heart and save you so you can go to heaven when you die.
For detailed instructions for the plan of salvation, visit the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website. Here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.
_________________________
*For an explanation of only begotten Son in the above verse, read the article entitled "What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?" Here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/only-begotten-son.html.
DECEMBER 2-3
Psalm 119:97-100 - A Prayer to God
Although the identity of this psalm's author is unknown, it was probably King David, according to many well-known and highly respected Bible commentators.
Verse 97: "O how love I thy law [referring to God's words, as recorded in the Bible]! it is my meditation [what I think about] all the day [at various times throughout the day and night]."
Verse 98: "Thou [you, Lord,] through thy [your] commandments hast [have] made me wiser than mine [my] enemies: for they [the commandments] are ever [forever, always] with me."
Verses 99-100: "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [the things that are written in the Bible] are my meditation [what I read about, study, memorize, and think about]. I understand more than the ancients [meaning wise old men], because I keep thy precepts [I try to follow God's rules of action for behavior and thought, especially in regard to moral conduct]."
I'm sure that this prayer greatly pleased God. Hopefully, many born-again Christians can pray a similar prayer.
DECEMBER 1
Luke 6:45: "A good man [or woman or child, referring to someone with good morals] out of the good treasure of his [or her] heart [or from the good things that are stored there] bringeth forth [from his (or her) mouth] that which is good; and an evil man [or woman or child--someone with bad morals] out of the evil treasure of his [or her] heart [or from the bad things that are stored there] bringeth forth [from his (or her) mouth] that which is evil: for [because] [out] of the abundance of the heart [from whatever fills a person's heart and mind] his [or her] mouth speaketh [speaks, or says]."
Good (or bad) thoughts usually result in good (or bad) words, speech, or conversation. In other words, we usually say what we think.
John Calvin says: "… For, though hypocrites express in words what is different from the feelings of their hearts, that is no reason why we may not justly and appropriately call the tongue the portrait of the mind." (Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/luke/6-45.html, "Calvin's Commentary on the Bible")
In his commentary on Luke 6, Matthew Henry summarizes the above verse as follows: "… what the mouth ordinarily speaks, speaks with relish and delight, generally agrees with what is innermost and uppermost in the heart …" (Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/luke/6.html, "Verses 37-49," "v. 45")
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