“Love the Lord your God…with all your soul.” Mark 12:30 Religion of the heart is more than having the right understanding of religious things. One may be Orthodox in every point, holding only those opinions in harmony with scripture, even defending them zealously on all sides; one may think justly concerning the incarnation of our…

“The kingdom of God is… righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 NIV The nature of religion is so far from consisting in forms of worship or rites and ceremonies that it does not properly consist in any outward actions of any kind. It is true, a person cannot have true religion…

“The Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking.” Romans 14:17 In the above scripture and others, the apostle Paul declares that true religion does not consistent food and drink: not in any ritual observance – no outward thing, nothing exterior to the heart. The whole substance of true religion lives in…

Those who keep the good word have avoided the deceitfulness of riches. Deceitful indeed, for they smile and betray, put out the eyes, harden the heart, and steal away the life of God in the soul, filling it with pride, anger, and love of the world. It makes men and women enemies to the whole…

“They withered because they had no root.” Matthew 13:6 A preacher of the gospel cast the seed into the hearts of the hearers. The greatest philosophers cannot explain how the earth produces food from the seed sown. Neither can a preacher of the gospel explain how the soul of the person brings forth first weak…

“A farmer went out to sow his seed” Matthew 13:3 The parable signify is not only a comparison but, sometimes, a proverb. It is any kind of constructive speech in which spiritual things are explained in illustrated by natural. The story is the literal sense; interpretation (explanation) is the spiritual. Resting in the literal sense…

“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 3:2 The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are two phrases for the same thing. They mean not merely a future happy state in heaven, but a state to be enjoyed on earth—the proper disposition for the glory of heaven rather than the possession…

In this devotional, John Wesley describes how God’s righteousness can not be earned through human works. “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 9:33 Simple faith is to “hard” for many people They make this objection: “If a person cannot be saved be all he or she can do, it will…

In today’s devotion, John Wesley talks about the relationship between our sin and the loving grace of God. Take a moment to read his thoughts. “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” Romans 6:1-2 It may be that some do not speak of the mercy of God saving or justifying…