Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
The more you study the commands of Christ, the more you realize what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. In this verse Christ commands us to not judge. Christ goes on to explain that we have an obligation to first judge our own life and […]

Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
In the Ten Commandments, we were taught that one should not commit adultery. However, when Christ came to this earth, HE did not destroy the law, but called us to […]

Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
You have heard that God desires obedience over sacrifice. In this […]

Proverbs 31:12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
This passage is discussing the benefits to a husband who takes the time to find a virtuous wife. One of the benefits is that a virtuous woman will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
You […]

2 Kings 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
Gehazi the servant of Elisha committed a great sin when he ran after Naaman and obtained silver and garments for his personal use for the […]

Proverbs 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
Isaac inherited all the riches of his father Abraham. Isaac did not have to work to obtain that which his father had already earned. Abraham had other children whom he gave a small inheritance to, but to Isaac, […]

Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the LORD.
What is it about marriage that causes God to bestow HIS favor upon it? Jesus taught that from the beginning of time, God made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, […]

1 Corinthians 13:7 hopeth all things,
Love trusts. The word hope used in this passage means to expect or confide, hope for, and to trust. If you love someone, it means that you can confide in them and you trust that they will not violate that trust. In Proverbs 31, we are told that one of […]

Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
In Proverbs 31, Solomon was instructed to find a virtuous woman for a wife. In that passage, we are shown the character traits that are found in a virtuous woman. This passage demonstrates one […]

Hosea 3:2-3 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley: And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt to play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also […]

Proverbs 8:12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
The Hebrew word prudence here could also be translated as discretion or subtilty. In Websters 1828 dictionary, he states that prudence differs from wisdom in that prudence implies more caution and reserve than wisdom, or is exercised more in foreseeing and avoiding […]

Proverbs 6:19 and he that soweth discord among brethren.
The seventh item in the list of seven abominations unto the Lord is one who stirs up strife among those who should be at peace. The word brethren is a broad term; its meaning would safely stretch anywhere between a physical brother all the way to two […]

1 Corinthians 13:5 is not easily provoked,
Love is not easily provoked. The Greek word translated in this passage as provoked means to irritate, to arouse with anger. Think of a young couple that is in love. While they are in love, the other can do no wrong. Each party is willing to trivialize the mistakes […]

Ephesians 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
In 1 Corinthians 13:5 we learn that love seeketh not her own. How easy is it for us to naturally be looking after our own needs that we fail to look after the needs of others. […]

1 Corinthians 13:5 seeketh not her own
Love seeketh not her own. This principle is best understood when we study Ephesians 5:28-29, when he wrote “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth […]

Proverbs 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
In the previous verse, we were told that we were supposed to obtain wisdom and understanding. The understanding that we are supposed to obtain is the knowledge of the ways of God. Once we obtain wisdom and knowledge, it […]

1 Corinthians 13:4 is not puffed up,
Love is not proud. In this passage we see another attribute of love in that it is not love to think more highly of yourself then you ought. We all have heard the verse that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. If we are to […]

Acts 27:11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
Paul was a prisoner heading to Italy with a centurion named Julius. However, at one point in this trip, Paul told Julius that they needed to stop because otherwise there was going to […]

1 Corinthians 13:4 … and is kind;
Love is kind. The principle of love being kind is demonstrated in the story of Ruth and Boaz. At the direction of Naomi, Ruth went to the threshing floor of Boaz and let him know that she was willing to be his wife. Boaz replied by saying Blessed be […]

Acts 21:5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
Paul had just spent seven days with the believers in Tyre. It was […]

Acts 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
Paul left Athens and went to minister in Corinth. Silas and Timothy were still in Berea ministering to the people there. Because he did not have the accountability and help of Silas and […]

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Paul was in Berea sharing with them the truth of the scripture. In Thessalonica, Paul had been driven out of the city because many of the […]

Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Lydia was a religious woman. If you had asked her if there was a God, she would have […]

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
After the death of Stephen, because of the persecution of the church, the believers were […]

Psalms 92:4 For thou hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
God is still alive. God is not dead. God is still working in this world today. As you look around you, do you see God working? Do you recognize the hand of God? Too many Christians […]

Psalms 70:4 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
Do you seek the Lord? Do you understand what you seek? God is great. HE has done many wondrous things for you. If you really understood who you […]

Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Virtue is allowing God to have control of your thoughts, feelings and actions. Virtue is the moral power to do that which is right in God�s eyes. Virtue is the power and strength to pursue that which is praiseworthy.

In this passage during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us that it is not only important to give alms, but that we give alms with the right attitude towards God. Giving alms is the right thing to do. Giving alms is right in God�s eyes. Giving alms is praiseworthy. Nonetheless, giving alms so that you receive the praises of man is not pleasing in God�s eyes. God desires that you give alms not for your own praise but so that HE receives the praise for your actions.

Ruth 3:11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

Ruth had just obeyed her mother-in-law by going to the threshing floor by night to let Boaz know that she was willing for him to do his duty as the next of kin. Boaz was willing to perform the duties of the next of kin even though Ruth was a foreigner because he had seen Ruth demonstrate the inward character of virtue. Boaz not only had seen Ruth�s virtue but he knew that the community also had recognized Ruth as a woman of virtue. Boaz knew that where Ruth was from was not the most important ingredient to a good marriage but the content of her heart is what he needed to examine.

Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Your life does affect those whom God places around you. The decisions you make whether they are right or wrong will be either a blessing or a curse to those whom God has placed in your life. You do not live on an island where your choices only have a consequence to you and your life. Instead, even that which is done in secret, God will reveal to the world. If you choose to do that which is right in the eyes of God, then God will be able to bless you and bless those around you. However, should you choose to do that which is right in your own eyes, not only will God have to punish you but the choices that you make may have severe consequences on those who are near to you.

Proverbs 31:31b and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Virtue is not something you add to your life that does not make a difference. Virtue is not a decoration that causes others to look at you but has no eternal impact. Instead, when you take the time to add virtue to your life, it is more like a total remodeling of a house. You change who you are so that the results of your life will make a difference upon those around you. Adding virtue to your life is not a simple one step process but instead it is a life-changing event that you must constantly examine to ensure that you are living your life so that your Creator is well pleased.