Believe Right!

Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 7:17-20 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition “ 16 I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love. 19 For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon].” Clearly this passage about a naive young man who is lured into bed by a wayward/brash/loud/rebellious and “ persuasive”  married woman of  “fair speech”  is a warning against immorality and adultery. But there is much more to these verses. Romans 15:4 says of the Old Testament: “Everything written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us strength to go on. They encourage us and give us hope.” There are layers of meaning to the entire Old Test

The Law condemns the best of us. But Grace saves the worst of us, even salvation from sins. The Law is God's word and it stands forever. Christ did not in any way come to diminish or discard the law. On the contrary, His death magnifies the law - only His sinless blood can fulfill its righteous requirements. All of our puny efforts at keeping the law (our own righteousnesses and attempts at being good people) are like a menstrual rag in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6.) Neither our law-keeping nor good works can make anyone righteous in God's sight (Romans 3:20.) One has to keep  all  of the law for his efforts to matter. See Galatians 3:10- " 10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under His curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is

“ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,… ” Romans 1:16. We often hear this verse used in the context of not being ashamed to preach from the Bible in public spaces or being bold enough to plaster posts about our Christian belief on social media. But let's take a closer look: in places where there is a level of religious freedom (like my country Nigeria,) preaching from the Bible and professing Christ isn't something that could make one ashamed. Not many preachers are being derided and persecuted for what they preach as Paul was. Many churchgoers even fear church leaders and and will give you extra respect the minute you tell them that you are a pastor. Bear in mind that it wasn't pagans/heathens and atheists that tried to make Paul ashamed of the gospel. It was the religious Pharisees whose lives were all about obeying the Ten Commandments in order to be godly. But what really is the gospel of Christ and how could it have the capacity to make Paul or anyone els