Study Desk

This is not the kind of wisdom that comes from God. But this wisdom comes from the world and from that which is not Christian and from the devil.

You are as wives and husbands who are not faithful in marriage and do sex sins. Do you not know that to love the sinful things of the world and to be a friend to them is to be against God? Yes, I say it again, if you are a friend of the world, you are against God.

Do you think the Holy Writings mean nothing when they said, "The Holy Spirit Whom God has given to live in us has a strong desire for us to be faithful to Him"?

But He gives us more loving-favor. For the Holy Writings say, "God works against the proud but gives loving-favor to those who have no pride."

So give yourselves to God. Stand against the devil and he will run away from you.

Come close to God and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Clean up your hearts, you who want to follow the sinful ways of the world and God at the same time.

Only God can say what is right or wrong. He made the Law. He can save or put to death. How can we say if our brother is right or wrong?

You have killed men who are right with God who were not making it hard for you.

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone happy? He should sing songs of thanks to God.

Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power.

You were chosen by God the Father long ago. He knew you were to become His children. You were set apart for holy living by the Holy Spirit. May you obey Jesus Christ and be made clean by His blood. May you be full of His loving-favor and peace.

Let us thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was through His loving-kindness that we were born again to a new life and have a hope that never dies. This hope is ours because Jesus was raised from the dead.

You are being kept by the power of God because you put your trust in Him and you will be saved from the punishment of sin at the end of the world.

Long before the world was made, God chose Christ to be given to you in these last days.

Because of Christ, you have put your trust in God. He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great honor. So now your faith and hope are in God.

You have been given a new birth. It was from a seed that cannot die. This new life is from the Word of God which lives forever.

Come to Christ as to a living stone. Men have put Him aside, but He was chosen by God and is of great worth in the sight of God.

You are to be as living stones in the building God is making also. You are His religious leaders giving yourselves to God through Jesus Christ. This kind of gift pleases God.

The Holy Writings say, also, "Christ is the Stone that some men will trip over and the Rock over which they will fall." When they do not obey the Word of God, they trip over it. This is what happens to such men.

But you are a chosen group of people. You are the King's religious leaders. You are a holy nation. You belong to God. He has done this for you so you can tell others how God has called you out of darkness into His great light.