I was thanking the Lord for choosing me before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him. Blameless. Irrefutable purity. Hating sin. Two verses came to mind. I had never coupled them together before.

Psalm 18:26 says, “With the pure You will show Yourself pure…” Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” 1 John 3:2-3 says, “…when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself, just as He is pure.”

Hebrews 6:19 says that hope anchors us. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Ephesians 1:18 says, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling…”

Psalm 19: 8 says, “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Our hope is in a Person who is pure.

Romans 12:9-21 is a template of how to walk in the Spirit. When we do, the Holy Spirit will resist our fleshly inclinations and reactions. Verse 16 says, “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.”

Verse 17-18 says, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” All means everyone without exception.

James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” We humble our hearts by walking in one accord. We may not agree with everyone’s way of life, but verse 12 says, “…Who are you to judge another?”

Matthew 7:1 says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Verses 3-4 were written about looking to our own hearts. We can never know what another is thinking unless they tell us. Beware of assuming you know ~ that is presumptuous sin. Our secret thoughts are known by the Lord.

2 Peter 1:1 says, “…to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Colossians 2:6 says, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

We are placed in the body of Christ at salvation. We all are on a journey of progressive sanctification. How do we walk in unity? Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

One accord from the Strong’s means: being unanimous, having mutual consent, being in agreement, having group unity, having one mind and one purpose. Walking in experiential truth together unites our spirits.

When I was in high school I read this definition of fellowship: two men in a boat rowing for the same shore. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 2:9-10 says, “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

We are the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:25 says, “That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.” Schism means division.

Philippians 2:2-3 says, “…having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Pride destroys relationships.

1 John 1:5 says, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” God is holy, therefore no darkness can come near Him.

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus gave a charge about being light. Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Verse 16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

John 3:19 says, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” They hate the darkness because it exposes their evil deeds.

Verse 21 says, “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” The Lord sees everything. Psalm 139:12 says, “…the darkness and the light are both alive to You.” Nothing is hidden.

Let’s go back and review Abraham’s questions for the Lord regarding Sodom and Gomorrah. He kept asking that if the Lord found 50 righteous, then 40, then 30, then 20, then 10, would He destroy the righteous with the wicked. Genesis 18:16-33.

Who escaped? Four: Lot, his wife, and his two daughters. Lot’s wife disobeyed the Lord’s instruction, and remained a pillar of salt because she looked back. Moab, the father of the Moabites,  and Amon, the father of the people of Amon were born out of incest. Genesis 19.

Jeremiah 49:1-6 was the judgement against Amon. Verse 5-6 says, “…you shall be driven out, everyone headlong, and no one will gather those who wander off. But afterward I will bring back the captives of the people of Ammon. Do you see His mercy?

God’s favor was on Lot because he was Abraham’s nephew. That favor remained on Moab and Amon.

So it is with every unbeliever. Ephesian 2:2-3 says that we were dead in trespasses and sins. We were enslaved to satan. Verse 4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy…”

I was asked a question about Lot’s daughters the other day. Apparently that was still on my mind as I read a few chapters in Jeremiah. I’ve read them before many times, but this time the Lord’s mercy was astoundingly clear.

He had pronounced judgement on Moab in chapter 48. Verse 11 says, “Moab has been at ease from his youth; he has settled on his dregs, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent has not changed.”

Verse 42 says, “And Moab shall be destroyed as a people, because he exalted himself against the Lord.” Verse 46-27 says, “Woe to you, O Moab!…Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab in the latter days, says the Lord….” Do you see His mercy?

Our fiery trials are a picture of God’s mercy. He strategically uses them to pour us from vessel to vessel, so we don’t settle on our dregs. Trials intensify our acknowledgment for our dependence on Him. Our taste changes and so does our scent.

I started to memorize Titus 2:7-8. The first words in verse 7 stopped me. “In all things.;..” All means no exception. I thought about all things in our lives. That includes all thoughts, words, actions, attitudes, interactions, verbal or written communications, what we wear, etc.

Think about your own life. Verse 7 says, “In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.” Though Paul wrote this to Titus, we can make a personal application. What pattern do you display for others to follow?

Think now about how your speech sounds to others. Verse 8 says, “Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”

Can you echo Paul’s words in Philippians 3:17? It says, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” Also in 2 Timothy 1:13? It says, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”

We are called to be a partaker of the Lord’s divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4. Longsuffering is a character quality of Christlikeness. He develops it in us as we go through our fiery trials. It will only be evident in our lives when we walk in the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of longsuffering to those who submit to His control.

Longsuffering is a language of love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love suffers long and is kind…” Are you kind to the unthankful? The Lord is. Luke 6:35 says, “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return…For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”

Walking in our calling is described for us in Ephesians 4:2. It says, “With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.” Colossians 1:11 says that when we walk worthy of the Lord, we will be, “Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” Joy is a watermark of an authentic believer.

In reading through Jeremiah, I noticed that many times it said that God spoke to them. He used the words, “…rising early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction.” The children of Israel greatly provoked Him.

Time after time He said that if they would turn back to Him, He would relent of the disaster He had planned for them. It reminded me of Isaiah 30:15. It says, “…In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength, but you would not.”

There is a great definition of rebellion in 1 Samuel 15:23. It says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord…”

Anytime that we act independent of the Lord, we are rejecting His word. Rebellion, stubbornness, and disobedience come from a heart, “…hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13.

James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.” A doer actively applies His word and walks in it.