ch. 13

Daily duties.

v. 1 - "brotherly love" - the cement of a congregation -

v. 2 - Messengers of God's purposes - "he that

receiveth you receiveth me" - "Inasmuch as

ye have done it unto one of the least of these

my brethren, ye have done it unto me"

Hospitality - the stranger you receive may turn out to

be the messenger from God to your soul.

v. 3 - Sympathy with one another

Personal contact - strength is received from the glance

of a sympathizing eye, the grasp of a loving hand, or the

utterance of a tender word of comfort.

vs. 4-5 - exhortations to personal purity and

contentedness.

Covetousness and uncleanness coupled together

as cognate sins and alike, incompatible with the

kingdom of God

Eph. 3:5 Col. 3:5

Greediness or inordinate desire, may be for

sensual indulgence or for wealth, whatever its

object, is fatal to the spiritual life!

A warning against impurity comes with one

against covetousness also.

v. 4 - first clause is an injunction to appreciate

marriage - the second a warning against any

violation of that bond.

It is regarded as a holy bond - "What God hath joined

together, let NO MAN put asunder"

I Thess. 4:4

Though the kind of sin is spoken of is lightly regarded

among men, and may escape detection or punishment

now, (Prov. 30:19-20) yet certainly (placed last)

God will judge.

Prov. 6:32-33

I Thess. 4:6

In I Cor. 6:9 - fornicators and adulterers are included

among those about whom Christians are not to

deceive themselves, as though they would "inherit

the kingdom of God"

Christianity honors the family - guarding its rights -

proclaiming its duties - judgment is in reserve for

those who dishonor God's ordinance on the matter.

v. 5

The love of filthy lucre will drag a man down to perdition

as readily as the love of filthy lust.

How often we over-estimate riches as happiness and

an evidence of success in life.

To be content with present things is a very high

attainment!

"I will in no wise fail thee" - contain in the original

no fewer than five negatives - a fivefold assurance

of Divine support!

He gave the promise to Jacob, Joshua, Solomon and

thousands have rested on it and have exemplified the

rare and difficult grace of contentment!

v. 6 - quotation from Ps. 118:6

Greed has its root in lack of faith in God.

Contentment is a fragrant flower - covetousness is a

noxious weed!

v. 7

v. 8 - "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day and

for ever"

Generations come and go but Jesus Christ remains the

same!

He is God of the living and the departed -

Mark 12:26-27

Psalm 102:25-27

"But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end"

v. 9a - new teachings? faith remains unchanged as

Jesus Christ remains unchanged - why then

these new and strange doctrines?

Mr. Spurgeon says - There is nothing new in theology

except that which is FALSE. All that is true is old, though

I am not saying all that is old is true. Some speak of new

developments as though we had not discovered the whole

Christian religion yet."

vs. 10-14 -

v. 15 - Not occasionally but continually - bringing to God,

not fruits of the earth, but the "fruit of the lips" -

Hosea 14:2

A sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

v. 16 - Doing good to others

v. 17 - obey and submit just as they do to God -

Every minister of God will give account - "Where is

the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock" -

Jer. 13:20

vs. 20-21

It is not enough to practice only some of the virtues

of the Christian character - we are to be "perfect

in every good thing" in thought, in feeling, in body

and in spirit.

"The God of peace .....through Jesus Christ, to

whom be glory for ever and ever" - the desire that

the Divine glory should be universal and eternal!

v. 25 - "grace" - the sum of all blessing, temporal

and spiritual, both now and for ever!