When someone uses the word
"however" what comes to your mind?
Do you think of something
unexpected happening?
Do you think of something that
should not have happened but did?
Do you think of a bad decision
that was made that had negative consequences?
Do you think of something
beneficial happening or something that was a surprise?
Throughout the Scriptures the
word "however" is used to
indicate a variety of things happening, good, bad, unexpected, surprising, shocking
and consequential.
However: Departure from the faith
38 And the
covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear
other gods. 39 But the Lord
your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40 However they did
not obey, but they followed their former rituals.
The
New King James Version. (1982). (2 Ki 17:38–40). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Israel was taken captive by
Assyria yet even in their captivity they did not return to the Lord but
completely disobeyed and defied his covenant.
The served the pagan gods,
offering sacrifices and even their own children to the gods of the other
nations. They turned their back on God
and as a result he turned away from them because of their unrepentant hearts
and lack of response to the prophetic warnings he had issued.
Statistics I have read regarding
Christian students in universities who leave the faith are startling.
Decline in Student Spirituality
(Summit Ministries) http://www.summit.org/resources/essays/students-abandoning-the-faith/
When it comes to the spiritual
life of teenagers, the statistics are not very encouraging. According to a
recent study by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, the number of
students who frequently attend religious services drops by 23 percent after
three years in college.[1] The research also confirms that 36 percent rated their
spirituality lower after three years in college.
Another study, the "College
Student Survey," asked students to indicate their current religious
commitment. Comparing the responses of freshmen who checked the "born
again" category with the answers they gave four years later, we find that
on some campuses as high as 59 percent no longer describe themselves as
"born again."[2] That’s a fallout rate of almost two-thirds!
Recently, the Barna Group
reported on the spiritual involvement of twenty-somethings. The findings: only
20 percent of students who were highly churched as teens remained spiritually
active by age 29.[3]
The reality of the departure of
so many is related to the level understanding of Christianity and personal
relationship they had before and during their university education. When you know God for who is truly is and
experience his love in your daily life, there is nothing that can compare to
it. If your faith in God is not grounded
firmly in the Truth of the Word of God you can fall away just as the Israelis did and serve your own man made gods. For too many students their relationship
with God is based on emotions, how they feel about God and how God makes them
feel. When adversity or challenges arise
their emotions make decisions rather than their knowledge of the truth. Our relationship with God has to be based on unshakable knowledge of the truth that will carry us through times of difficulty. You must know what you
believe and why you believe it. Your
worldview, how you view everything in life, must be based on the Truth of God’s
Word. Christianity is not just
spirituality, it involves every aspect of life.
There is no Spiritual/Secular divide.
Being a believer is not always easy, comfortable or a feel good
experience. God does place demands on us
that are always for our good.
However: accommodation and incomplete obedience
When Israel was sent into the
Promised Land, they were given instructions to completely destroy the people
dwelling there because of the corruption of their sinful practices. God waiting
over 400 years before he released Israel from their bondage in Egypt in part to
allow time for the nations dwelling in the Promised Land to repent or reach the
level of sinfulness that demanded judgment to fall on them. Israel was to carry out God's judgment on the
nations and eliminate them from the land.
HOWEVER the tribes did
not do what they were commanded to do.
however, Manasseh did not drive
out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and
its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its
villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of
Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that
land.
The
New King James Version. (1982). (Jdg 1:27). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
It was not just the tribe of
Mannaseh but the tribes of Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher and Naphtali who did not
eliminate them. They chose to make them
subject to them and make them do forced labor.
Their decision seemed to make life easier for them but in the end it had
a very negative effect because the people intermarried and began to serve the
gods of these heathen nations. They
compromised their beliefs which led to including their religious practices of
offering sacrifices to their gods and then led to completely abandoning God to
worship the false gods of these nations.
The Canaanites were determined
to live in the land, they were not going to roll over or give up quickly. It was going to take effort on the part of
the tribes to conquer them, but God had promised to be with them and give them
the victory. He would not have commanded
them to do it if he was not going to make it possible for them to do it.
In our own lives we are faced
with the same "however" when we make choices to not completely obey
what God has called us to do. We would
rather accommodate than annihilate destructive habits, thoughts or
relationships in our lives. We give up,
then give in, then give over rather than fight against until we gain the
victory.
Often we struggle with a
besetting sin, a sin that has taken deep root in our lives perhaps from our
past life before we came to Christ. We
find ourselves falling into this sin too often and we reach the point where we
allow it to be a part of our life when it should be eliminated.
Many struggle with forbidden
relationships with the same sex and the opposite sex.
I see this happening in the
confusion of gender identity in our culture.
The world wants complete freedom to be whatever sexual orientation you
want to be, heterosexual, homosexual, transsexual, bisexual etc. Whatever gender you choose to be should be
accepted and no one should be able to say one is better than the other. This attitude has had great impact on the culture
and it is leading many to a life of bondage and deception. Several main line denominations have now
given approval to same sex marriages.
If we truly believe that God
created male and female and that any other deviation from this is a distortion
of the truth then we must fight to hold on to the standards God has set. The easiest thing to do is to accept and
accommodate sexual practices instead of fighting for the truth. People still need to be treated with respect
and love but it does not mean that we have to agree with what is happening.
Because of sin there is great corruption in the mind of man. There certainly is disorientation in the
thoughts of fallen man but that does not mean that we should give up fighting
against practices that are clearly defined as wrong by the Scriptures.
Gender is not something we
choose, it is wired into our DNA.
Studies of babies that were born without complete male genitalia who
were raised as females have produced results that clearly defy the idea gender
is a choice. John Hopkins University
conducted a follow up study of a man whose sexual identity was changed shortly
after he was born. "Brenda" was operated on to make him look female
and went through treatments to change his physical makeup.
Even with the injection of
female hormones, the absence of male hormones coming from testicles, and being
raised as a female, Brenda did not turn out as Brenda. In the early 1990’s, a
team of researchers caught up with the boy who had been turned into a girl to
see how “she” was doing.
They found that “she” was
no longer Brenda. “She” was now David – working in a slaughterhouse, married to
a woman, and the adoptive father of three children.
At the age of 14, Brenda
decided to start living as a male, and at 15, was told that was indeed what
“she” had been born as. She then announced that “she” had always felt like a
male and wanted to become one again. Brenda was given a mastectomy, male
hormones, and constructed genitalia.
When researchers dug
further, they found that the first time Brenda had been put in a dress, he
pulled it off.
When given a jump rope, he
wanted to tie people up with it or whip them with it.
At nine, he bought a toy
machine gun when he was supposed to buy an umbrella.
His toy sewing machine
went untouched because he preferred to build forts and play with dump-trucks.
He was never interested in
make-up, but instead wanted to shave with his father.
On a trip to New York, he
found himself attracted to the Rockettes.
He even felt the urge to
urinate standing up.
From this, researchers at
Johns Hopkins felt they should go back and study other children who had
undergone similar operations; boys who, for whatever reason, were born without
full male organs, had then been fully castrated, and raised as girls. Of the
twenty-five they were able to locate, ranging in age from five to 16, every
single one exhibited the rough-and-tumble play more characteristic of boys than
girls. (James White: Church and Culture)
Once we abandon the Word of God
as Truth and walk in disobedience and defiance of it, we find ourselves living
lives of confusion, degradation and disorientation. We must defend the truth and continue to live
in obedience to it. Our culture rejects truth and is paying a severe price. The city council of Houston recently voted
that transgender people can enter whatever bathroom they want depending on what
sex they are identifying with that day.
Where is the privacy of the 99% of people who are not transgender?
We
should never put a question mark where God has placed a period.
When man is determined to have
his way and is not opposed or confronted with the truth of God's standard of righteousness,
the downhill slide will happen very quickly.
However: Conformity to the world
Another "however" in
the OT came from God through the prophet Samuel. The Israelites wanted a king to rule over
them and lead them into battle like the neighboring nations. This was not God's plan and he warned the
people what the consequences would be if they had their king.
9 Now therefore,
heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the
behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
The
New King James Version. (1982). (1 Sa 8:9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
It would be very costly for the
people to have a king and God clearly stated the burdens that would be placed
upon them if they chose to be ruled by a king.
The reality of the burden was clearly evident in the reign of
Solomon. The taxation placed upon the
people was more than they could bear and when Solomon died, the people begged
his son, Rehoboam, to lighten the burden that had been placed on them.
The 'however' warning was not
heeded and the consequences of the decision were just as God had told
them.
Israel wanted to be like the
nations around them. They wanted to be
like the world, allow people to rule over them rather than God. It speaks of the power of worldly influences
in our lives.
The ways of the world are a
constant pull on us to keep us from living according to what God has deemed
best for our lives. Our desire to blend
in, be like others, be accepted, popular, possess what others have are strong
forces that will pull us away from God's best for our lives. Our identity must
be based on our relationship with God, how God sees us and how we see God.
He is our Father who loves us
and desires only the best for our lives.
Anything the world has to offer is not going to bring satisfaction.
Bigger, better, faster, more convenient, less hassle are all attractions that
can consume our lives and cause us to go after the things of the world rather
than pursue the pathway God has placed before us.
We find ourselves saying God's
way is okay for some, but we prefer to be like everyone else. We are not to be a part of the world's
system.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the
world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it;
but he who does the will of God abides forever.
The
New King James Version. (1982). (1 Jn 2:15–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
God has called us to be a people
separated from the world. We are called
to be priest who represent God to man and man to God. We are in the world to be salt and light by choosing
God's ways over the world's way.
Taking a stand for purity,
simplicity and humility are God's antidote for the ways of the world. We are called to respond in the opposite
spirit of the world and not conform to its standards.
38 “You have heard
that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and
a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an
evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him
also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic,
let him have your cloak also. 41 And
whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to
him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.[1]
43 “You have heard
that it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love
your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and
pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that
you may be sons of your Father in heaven;[2]
Paul gave more instructions
about responding in the opposite spirit
17 Repay no one
evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If
it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved,
do not avenge yourselves, but rather
give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance
is Mine, I will repay,” says the
Lord. 20 Therefore
“If
your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If
he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For
in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.[3]
We must examine ourselves to
determine if our values, beliefs and behaviors are in alignment with the Word
of God or with the ways of the world. It
boils down to who we will allow to rule over our lives. Who is on the throne of our lives? Whose lordship are we subjecting ourselves to
each day? Are we following God's will or our own?
The consequences of choosing the
world over God's ways always lead to bondage, dissatisfaction, guilt,
depression and an ineffective witness to the world.
However: God's patience and merciful intervention
The 'howevers" are not all
negative and one person who was very grateful for his 'however' was Paul. Prior to his conversion experience, Paul was
the primary persecutor of the early church.
His behavior was blinded by his ignorance of the knowledge of the
truth. When he looked back on his life
he labeled himself as the "chief (foremost) of all sinners." He was continually grateful for God's
patience and merciful intervention in his life.
12 And I thank
Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful,
putting me into the ministry, 13 although
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained
mercy because I did it ignorantly in
unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly
abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 15 This
is a faithful saying and worthy of
all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom
I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained
mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern
to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now
to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever.
Amen.
The
New King James Version. (1982). (1 Ti 1:12–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
His life before becoming a Christ
follower Paul was a "Go Getter and a Go Getem" person. He was very zealous in his beliefs but very
wrong in what he believed. His solution
was for those who opposed his beliefs was beatings, murder and
imprisonment. His B.C. life is an
example of God’s patience with him. Patience is the restraint God imposes on
himself. Paul was doing a lot of damage to the early church and God restrained
himself from taking him out and showed mercy to him by getting his attention
and sending Ananias to help him after he was confronted by Jesus.
If God could be merciful to him,
the chief of sinners, he could be merciful to others. No one was beyond the reach of God's mercy,
grace and forgiveness. It is a great
encouragement to everyone to know that God is so patient. He withholds his judgment that we so deserve
in order to give us time to repent and be reconciled to him. He would be justified in condemning us yet he
continues to work with us, to show us his goodness and kindness that was
demonstrated in Christ in order that we will believe in him and choose his
ways.
Paul was grateful for the call
to ministry he received in spite of his background. God did not hold it against him and restrict
him from what he could do in his kingdom work.
God took the chief sinner and made him the chief apostle. This was all part of the "however"
Paul experienced in his life. God is not
limited by our past life or our perceived inabilities. He takes the foolish to confound the wise,
the uneducated to silence the learned, the humble to exalt over the proud, and
the poor to teach the rich.
All who come to Christ have a
testimony of God's mercy in their lives.
Often when we are distributing Bibles and we find a believer in Christ,
I ask the person, "What was your life like before you met Christ?" Many recount how horrible their life was, the
pain they experienced because of their sins and the misery they suffered. They are so grateful to not be living the
life before they met Christ. One man we
talked to has been transformed by the power of God's Word. He only had NT and he said he reads has been
reading it each day for the past three years. His life as well as the life of
his family have been radically changed.
Whenever he has problems he goes to the Word and finds out what it says
about his situation and what he should do.
I have never met a person who was so thrilled about reading the Bible
and so thankful for the changes Christ has made in his life.
The change Christ has made in
our lives is a great tool in our witness to others. People want to hear about the difference
Christ has made in your life. Many are
living miserable lives and are seeking for answers. I met a man while doing Soul Patrol one night
who told me he had been asking himself for the past 2 weeks, how he could
change his life. He was miserable and
had been running with friends who were not doing what was right. He was seeking for answers and for help to
change his life. I had the opportunity
to share what God had done in my life to bring changes and how he could have
the same experience by giving his life to Christ and allowing him to make him a
new creation. I prayed for him and he was impacted in a profound way.
Some people who have grown up in
the church and have had a godly upbringing feel that they have no testimony to
share with others. The greatest
testimony is God's preserving power, how he has kept you from experiencing evil
that has devastating effects on our lives.
Prevention is better than having to be cured. I would much rather never get cancer than
have to go through the treatments to cure it.
Living in sin and suffering its effects only bring regret for the
past. We regret the wasted time, energy
and negative effects of our sins and we wish we would have never experienced
them. The scars and bad memories of the
past life are things we wish we did not have to deal with.
However: No Orphans
The final "however"
was a statement Jesus made to his disciple as he was preparing them for his
departure.
13 However, when
He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He
will not speak on His own authority,
but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
The
New King James Version. (1982). (Jn 16:13). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
The disciples had not really
understood completely Jesus' statements about his coming death and
resurrection. The thought of him not
being with them was very disconcerting.
They had grown to love him, rely upon him, marvel at his teachings and
miracles he performed. He was young, how
could he be talking about his life coming to an end? How could anyone replace him?
Jesus brought these words of
promise to them of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who would
be performing the very same things Jesus had done for them. The Spirit who had been with them would later
be in them to guide them, teach them, work miracles through them and
communicate the Father's wisdom and plans to them.
We have this same Spirit in us
to work in and through us to carry out the plan of God. The working of the Holy Spirit in our lives
sets us apart from the world. We have
something, someone working in us supernaturally that that the lost do not
have. We have access all the gifts of
the Spirit and we have the Spirit working in us to produce fruit that can only
come through him. The Holy Spirit
communicates the mind and thoughts of God to us. He speaks to us and imparts God's
wisdom. How blessed we are to have the
Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
When the disciples received the
Holy Spirit on Pentecost they were filled with power to be witnesses to the
Jewish nation and the Gentile world.
They experienced God's power to heal, deliver, raise from the dead,
fearlessly proclaim the gospel in face of great opposition, be transported from
one area to another instantly, be given visions to guide them and many other
supernatural things that propelled them in their ministry.
Necessary
to carry out the work of the Gospel
31 And when they
had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with
boldness. Acts 4.31
The same Spirit that filled the
early believers and empowered them to be strong witnesses has been given to
us. We need to continually be filled
with the Holy Spirit to be bold witness for Jesus.
Sharing the gospel is our
privilege and work of the ministry. When
we are filled with the Spirit, he flows out of us to touch people’s lives when
we share the gospel. As you share the
gospel you will sense the Holy Spirit working in you to give you the words to
say and the way to say them.
Necessary
for Supernatural Ministry
We have residing within us this
same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead,
11 But if the
Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised
Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His
Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8.11
The gifts of the Spirit are
still in operation today. 1 Corinthians
12 lists the supernatural gifts of the Spirit that God will use in our lives.
Study them, know them and ask God to use them in your life to minister to
others.
Necessary
for guidance
And they went through the region of Phrygia and
Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the
Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Acts 16:6,7
The Holy Spirit is our internal guidance
system. Everyone who is born from above
has the Holy Spirit in them to guide.
The Spirit can speak to us in a variety of ways to communicate what we
should do. Learning to wait upon him and
recognize his leading is something we all need and we will grow in as we
practice listening and obeying.
Necessary
to produce the character of Christ in us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against
such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22,23
Our character must be conformed
to Christ’s and the Holy Spirit is at work in us to make us like him. As we study the Word and apply it to our
lives a transforming work of the Holy Spirit takes place. The Holy Spirit exchanges our old selfish
nature with the nature of Christ. It is
a process over time but it will happen as we yield our wills to the mind of the
Spirit. What we do flows out of who we
are.
However: Experiencing the Unexpected or Miraculous
The
"however" also comes when God does something no one expected to
happen.
Paul after being shipwrecked on
the island of Malta while in transit to Rome was bitten by a snake that jumped
out of the fire. It evidently was a
poisonous snake recognized by the islanders who expected the worst.
28 Now when they
had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. 2 And
the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all
welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. 3 But
when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and
fastened on his hand. 4 So when the natives saw the creature
hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a
murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to
live.” 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and
suffered no harm. 6 However, they were expecting that he would
swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time
and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a
god. (Ac 28:1–6).
What an incredible testimony to
all the people of the power of God at work in the life of Paul.
When the odds are against us and
the circumstances seem overbearing the God of the "however" shows up
and changes the situation.
Another testimony I heard while
distributing bibles came from a family whose daughter had crossed eyes. She was scheduled for surgery to correct them
and the family gathered for prayer at the time the operation was to take
place. When the doctor examined her, he
stated that she did not need the operation, her eyes were healed!
Many of you have testimonies of
God's miraculous provision for your needs.
You were down to nothing or almost nothing in the account and God showed
up through the gift of another person he moved upon to give to meet the
need. Or an unexpected gift arrived that
was exactly what you needed.
I received an email from the
base leader of YWAM Chennai in which she told of a miraculous answer to prayer.
"God did some amazing
things on the outreach since it is summer out here our teams worked a lot with
the VBS's all over. They had amazing times. They reached over 3000
children. One of the slums where the team worked over the summer doing a
VBS with good Shepherd church saw a real transformation in the children a 9th
grader girl witnessed her neighbor commit suicide while the neighbors were
deciding what to tell the police she slipped inside the house and prayed to
Jesus to heal him and the guy started breathing they took him to hospital and
he was well. The girl who was a H shared this as a testimony about how
Jesus answered prayer. "
When we look to him and depend
upon him, he will always have the final say.
His intervention in our lives at times at the last moment can stretch
our faith but also strengthen it as we see him come through to meet our need.
However: integrity and trust
Another encouraging
"however" is found in the story of the men who were in charge of the
money for the reconstruction of the temple during Josiah's reign.
3 Now it came to
pass, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah, the son
of Meshullam, to the house of the Lord,
saying: 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count
the money which has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. 5 And
let them deliver it into the hand of those doing the work, who are the
overseers in the house of the Lord;
let them give it to those who are in
the house of the Lord doing the
work, to repair the damages of the house—6 to carpenters and
builders and masons—and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7 However there need be no accounting
made with them of the money delivered into their hand, because they deal
faithfully.”
The
New King James Version. (1982). (2 Ki 22:3–7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
No accounting was necessary because of the
integrity of the workers. They did not
have to wonder if the money was going to be misspent or stolen. It is a far cry from what we witness today
among many workers from people of high positions, men and women in ministry
down to the common laborer.
Guatemala like many nations has
a history of corruption among elected and appointed officials. Many have used
their position and access to money for their own benefit as well as the benefit
of family members and friend. The mayor
of Antigua is serving a 7 year prison term for stealing 25,000,000 Quetzales
($3 million) for overpaying for the purchase of goods and services from family
members and receiving a kick back from them. It is not only the business world
and government that have been guilty of greediness.
I recently read of a pastor in
Korea who had a huge church was convicted of embezzling 15 million dollars from
the church that went to the benefit of his son. It brings shame and
disappointment and discouragement to those who have faithfully given money
because they trust the leaders to have integrity. It also leaves a horrible testimony to non-believers
who now have more reason to not want to associate with Christians.
How we handle other people's
money or possessions is a true test of our character. One of the highest rated character traits of
anyone in leadership is integrity.
Integrity welcomes accountability because there is nothing to hide. Accountability is needed in our present day
because of the greed of man but those who walk in integrity never have to worry
about the inspectors finding errors in the accounting. In a world that looks for easy money,
dishonest money and bogus accounting, we need to be known as the same kind of
people that Josiah could count on in handling the money entrusted to them to do
what was expected of them. God will
honor those who are faithful and wise stewards of his resources. I think all of us look forward to the day
when he will say "Well done, good and faithful servant..." Matthew
25.21
Our lives are shaped by the
However moments we experience. Some of
these experiences result in negative, regretful things happening in our lives
that do not draw us near to God or others.
We have to learn from these experiences as well as the experiences of
others to avoid them or never repeat them.
But the However experiences can
also be a testimony of God’s gracious work in our lives in bring salvation,
giving us His Holy Spirit with all the benefits of his indwelling, We are able
to experience his supernatural power to protect us as well as flow through us
to see miraculous things happen. He is
at work in us to make us more like the character of Jesus[BA1] and people who
are marked by integrity and trust.
[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt
5:38–42). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt
5:43–45). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[3] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ro
12:17–21). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
