Building on the Foundation

Before reading this post, I highly recommend you read The Scary Truth and Approved Conclusions . It provides necessary context. Next to the Holy Spirit, context is one of the most important aids to understanding the Bible. A lack of context is one of the primary reasons most of the false teachings in the world have come about, and it's vital if we actually want to know the truth about what God is telling us through His word. For proper context, you generally have to read the verses around the verse and sometimes the chapters around it (In the case of Paul, the entire letter, the words of Jesus, and the Old Testament. I'm only half kidding.). Without getting the context, you can come to some pretty wild conclusions, like sin is good and we should sin more so that the grace of God can abound more in our lives. So the context around a particular verse is important, but also the subject (who or what is being talked about), and who the recipient of the verbal or written instruction...

  We live in a world driven by pride, greed, and envy. A world focused on self and advancing oneself. “You need more!” society exclaims. More money, more power, more toys, more fame… whatever someone else might have that you don’t. Power, wealth, and fame are status symbols in this society. The more of them you have, the more important you are. If you have these things, other people will look up to you and think you’re someone special. But this isn’t the view of Almighty God! In the eyes of our Creator, one’s wealth, power, and social status have no bearing on his or her value. All are equal under God’s law, from the President of the United States to the homeless woman sleeping on the park bench. No one’s social status will matter when standing before the judgment seat of God. True Value Speaking through Moses, God commanded the Israelite judges, “You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence,...