April 11: Job 42:6; Psalm 51:5; Song of Solomon 1:5; Song of Solomon 4:1; Song of Solomon 4:7; Ezekiel 16:14; Matthew 9:2; Luke 5:8; Romans 7:18; Romans 7:21; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Colossians 1:28; Colossians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 10:35–36; John 15:18–20; John 17:14; 2 Timothy 3:12; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15–16 - a podcast by Crossway

I am very dark, but lovely.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.—“And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the LordGod.”—“I am a sinful man, O Lord.”—Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful!—“I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”—You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.”—When I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.—“Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”—For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.—And you have been filled in him.—Mature in Christ.

You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.—That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Job 42:6(Listen)

6   therefore I despise myself,
    and repent¹in dust and ashes.”

(ESV)

Psalm 51:5(Listen)

5   Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.

(ESV)

Song of Solomon 1:5(Listen)

She

(ESV)

Song of Solomon 4:1(Listen)

Solomon Admires His Bride’s Beauty

He

(ESV)

Song of Solomon 4:7(Listen)

7   You are altogether beautiful, my love;
    there is no flaw in you.

(ESV)

Ezekiel 16:14(Listen)

14 And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.

(ESV)

Matthew 9:2(Listen)

2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,“Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

(ESV)

Luke 5:8(Listen)

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

(ESV)

Romans 7:18(Listen)

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

(ESV)

Romans 7:21(Listen)

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 6:11(Listen)

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

(ESV)

Colossians 1:28(Listen)

28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

(ESV)

Colossians 2:10(Listen)

10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

(ESV)

1 Peter 2:9(Listen)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

(ESV)

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

“For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.”—Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.—Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.—“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you…. ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’”—“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

Matthew 10:35–36(Listen)

35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

(ESV)

John 15:18–20(Listen)

The Hatred of the World

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

(ESV)

John 17:14(Listen)

14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

(ESV)

2 Timothy 3:12(Listen)

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

(ESV)

James 4:4(Listen)

4 You adulterous people!¹Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

(ESV)

1 John 2:15–16(Listen)

Do Not Love the World

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life¹—is not from the Father but is from the world.

(ESV)