Thematic Bible: Spiritual Development


Thematic Bible




In fact, you are showing love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to keep on doing this even more.





We have much to say about this, but it is difficult to explain because you have become too lazy to understand. In fact, though by now you should be teachers, you still need someone to teach you the basic truths of God's word. You have become people who need milk instead of solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is still a baby and does not yet know the difference between right and wrong. read more.
But solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.

Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teachings about the Messiah, let us continue to be carried along to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead actions, faith toward God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. read more.
For it is impossible to keep on restoring to repentance time and again people who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have become partners with the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of God's word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away, as long as they continue to crucify the Son of God to their own detriment by exposing him to public ridicule. For when the ground soaks up rain that often falls on it and continues producing vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated, it receives a blessing from God. However, if it continues to produce thorns and thistles, it is worthless and in danger of being cursed, and in the end will be burned. Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case, things that point to salvation. For God is not so unjust as to forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have ministered to the saints and continue to minister to them. But we want each of you to continue to be diligent to the very end, in order to give full assurance to your hope. Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are inheriting the promises through faith and patience. For when God made his promise to Abraham, he swore an oath by himself, since he had no one greater to swear by. He said, "I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants." And so he obtained what he had been promised, because he patiently waited for it. For people swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all argument.









For this very reason, you must make every effort to supplement your faith with moral character, your moral character with knowledge, your knowledge with self-control, your self-control with endurance, your endurance with godliness,


But they would not follow the advice of their father; for the LORD wanted to put them to death. But the boy Samuel continued to grow both physically and in favor with the LORD and the people.










But Saul grew more and more persuasive, and continued to confound the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this man was the Messiah.


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