“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)

Love never fails

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:4-8 NIV)

Love covers all transgressions

“Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.” (Prov. 10:12 NASB)

Foster love

“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” (Prov. 17:9 NIV)

Clothe yourself with love

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” (Col. 3:14 NLT)

 Praise Him in His sanctuary

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary.” (Psalms 150:1a NIV)

Praise Him in His mighty heavens

Praise him in his mighty heavens!” (Psalms 150:1b NIV)

Praise Him for His mighty deeds

“Praise him for his mighty deeds.” (Psalms 150 2a NIV)

Praise Him for His excellent greatness 

“Praise him according to his excellent greatness!” (Psalms 150:2b NIV)

Praise Him with music and dance

“Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!” (Psalms 150:3-5 NIV)

Let everything that has breath praise Him

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” (Psalms 150:6a NIV)

Therefore…

“Praise the Lord.” (Psalms 150:6b NIV)

 “... be sure your sin will find you out.”

(Num. 32:23 KJV)

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:15 ESV)

Sin defiles a person

“And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 6:29-23 ESV)

God will give you a way of escape

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13 ESV)L

Submit yourself to God and resist the devil

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 ESV)

Do the right thing you know to do

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17 ESV)

He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we confess our sins

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (2 John 1:8-10 ESV)

Walk in the Spirit

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:16 ESV)

“Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11 NIV)

Avoid divisive people

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” (Rom. 16:17 ESV)

“A troublemaker plants seeds of strife.” (Prov. 16:28, NLT)

“A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. (Proverbs 26:21, NLT)

Watch out!

“If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Gal. 5:15, NIV)

Honor Christ, be prepared, be gentle be respectful

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV)

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8 ESV)

Pure versus corrupted

“To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.” (Titus 1:15 NIV)

Pure defined

Pure is unpolluted, uncontaminated, untainted; and wholesome.

“He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:4 ESV)

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27 ESV)

Corrupt defined

Corrupt is polluted, contaminated, unclean, unwholesome, dishonest, unscrupulous, dishonorable, unprincipled, unethical, amoral, untrustworthy, venal, underhanded, double-dealing, fraudulent, bribable, criminal, illegal, unlawful, nefarious. shady, dirty, sleazy.

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16 ESV)

Nothing is pure or good to the corrupt of heart

“...those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.”’ (Titus 1:15-16 NIV)

Draw near to God

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:22 ESV)

God creates the clean heart

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 ESV)

Keep your way pure with the Word of God

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” (Psalm 119:9 ESV)

Love issues from a pure heart and sincere faith

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Tim. 1:5 ESV)

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” (Prov. 19:20 ESV)

Fools do not take advice

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Prov. 12:15 ESV)

“By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.” (Prov. 13:10 ESV)

There is victory in the abundance of counselors

“For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Prov. 24:6 ESV)

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Prov. 11:14 ESV)

 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV)

Definition of freedom

1 : The quality or state of being free: such as. a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action. b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another: independence. c: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous.

Wherever the Lord is, there is freedom

“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17 NLT)

Use your freedom to live as servants of God

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16 ESV)

 “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12 ESV)

This is troubling

A headline I saw recently on a social media site about a well known television preacher - “Exposed! A shocking look at why he is a fraud!” I didn’t read the article. I’m sure it was meant to discredit and harm him. It seems the more famous you are, the more critics you will have to judge and attack you. Jesus not only had them, they crucified Him. I believe you should never attack others. Leave judgement to God because He will deal with these all things correctly.

Passing judgement

“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Rom. 14:4 ESV)

The truly spiritual restore with gentleness

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Gal. 6:1 ESV)

Don’t side with the devil, who is the accuser of the brethren, God will eventually cast him down

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” (Rev. 12:10 NKJV)

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4 ESV)

The big success secret

One of my favorite conference speakers was the late great Zig Ziglar. He was fun to listen to. He was animated, enthusiastic and passionate about everything he spoke about. He said the big secret to becoming a success at anything you do is to do everything you can to make others successful. He said if you did this, you would automatically become successful as a result. It is the biblical principle of sowing and reaping at work; you always get yourself exactly what you do to others. He was so right! The above verse makes it clear with the command, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Do to others what you wish they would do to you

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 7:12 ESV)

Bless others and be blessed yourself

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.” (Prov. 11:25-26 ESV)

Do as God would do

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Eph. 5:1