Practicing Christian Behavior

Transcript

GRM 602
11/29/1998
Practicing Christian Behavior
Romans 12:13-16
Gil Rugh

We’re in the section of the book of Romans that we sometimes call the practical section of the book. By that we mean he is talking about living out the doctrine that he has taught during the first part of the letter. Chapter 12 marks the transition to that emphasis more on characteristics of those who have experienced God’s salvation. The summary characteristic was given in the first two verses of chapter 12 where he exhorted us in verse 2 not to be “conformed to this world, but to be transformed” so that we would end up living our lives according to God’s will, doing that which is “good and acceptable and perfect” in God’s sight.

We jumped down to verse 9 and have looked at some of the characteristics and behavior that should be true of those who are God’s people. These are things that need to be developed. That we need to be working on by God’s grace by drawing upon the enabling power of the Spirit to have more and more of these characteristics of our lives as His children.

Really, verses 9-21 talk about some of the characteristics of God’s people. They’re given in rather short, concise statements without any real full elaboration, but they help us to look at ourselves and see how we are doing in the mirror of the word of God. We went down through verse 12 in our previous consideration. We were in the middle of the sentence, as you can see, but we can just pick up with these characteristics which somewhat overlap, but they’re not necessarily building on one another.

He says in verse 13 that we, who are God’s children, part of the family of God, related to one another spiritually in Christ, are to be contributing to the needs of the saints. It’s interesting how practical and down to earth some of the characteristics that are drawn to our attention really are. They are where we live. Some who have become members of the family of God, and he’s talking here about fellow believers, “the saints,” those who have been set apart by God’s grace in salvation for Himself. Sometimes they have physical needs, financial needs. In New Testament times it could be that some of these would be Jews who had gotten converted and been fired from their jobs because of their commitment to Christ. That kind of thing should characterize us as God’s people. That we are involved in contributing to the needs of the saints.

Turn back to the book of Acts, just before Romans. We see this characteristic manifested very early in the Church’s history. In Acts, chapter 2, the Church began in Jerusalem and persecution began almost immediately because you were in a Jewish city and the leadership of this nation had been involved in the execution of the Jewish Messiah. Now, Jews who had become converted to Him would experience the pressures that would come with that faith. Note verse 44, “And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all as anyone might have need.” That remarkable commitment here on the part of God’s people from the very beginning in the establishing of the Church. They didn’t hold their possessions as dear to themselves, but they were willingly selling what they had so they could help those who were in dire straits, if you will.

Over in chapter 4 of Acts, verse 35. Verse 34, “There was not a needy person among them for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet and they would be distributed to each as any had need.” Again, that’s a remarkable sacrifice, because when you’re selling your land and your house and giving that so that others can have their needs met, you have to be thinking in your mind, ‘What about tomorrow for me? Things could get very difficult for me and my family. I may be giving away my future security.’ Yet here you see an attitude of commitment to Christ and reliance upon Him. Their concern was to step forward and be used to meet the immediate need that was pressing and trust the future to their God.

In chapter 6, you have the account here of the disagreement, difficulty, conflict, that had to do with taking care of the widows. Some were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. Church also took it upon themselves to see that these kinds of needs were met for widows who were lacking. So they provided godly, spiritual men to take responsibility for this. Men who are of good reputation, verse 3, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to take charge of this task. The apostles will keep their focus on prayer and the ministry of the word. But you note, the early Church considered this a very important ministry. To be involved in seeing that widow’s needs were met and that food was properly distributed. That would take godly men of good reputation, Spirit-filled men who had wisdom. You see the priority given to this.

Jump over to Titus, chapter 3. Paul gives some closing instructions to Titus. He says in verse 14. Titus 3:14, “Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds, to meet pressing needs, so they will not be unfruitful.” Paul has that concern for the Church and the fellowship of believers that believers be involved in good deeds and be meeting the pressing needs of others. And that’s part of being fruitful as a believer.

One other passage on that in that vein, 1 John, chapter 3, verse 16. “We know love by this, that He lay down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Interestingly, John moves this to a very real situation saying, well, yes, if it came to that, I would die for you. Well, would you give up some of your material possessions for me or me for you? Because immediately in verse 17 he says, “But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him. Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth.” So the situation hasn’t changed. It was easy to say, yes, I would give me life for fellow believers. Well, we have some believers who have a need. Well, I don’t have anything, any resources available right now. Oh, you have a house. But if you go back to the book of Acts, that’s the way they handled it.

Now, it’s not a communistic system. We’re not saying that we have to try to be sure that everyone has the same amount. But it is a poor testimony, and it is not a mark of godly character, that there would be people struggling, going hand-to-mouth, so to speak, and yet there is an abundance in the body. It’s just that those who have an abundance may be jealous because it’s theirs. That’s a sign of being conformed to the world, not being transformed. It does indicate that there’s not going to be an even blessing. Some believers are going to have more, some believers are going to have less. He’ll come back to that subject in a little different way later in Romans 12.

Come back to Romans 12. Note something here he says in verse 13, “Contributing to the needs of the saints.” That word translated “contributing,” we talk about “koinonia,” Koinonia groups, fellowship groups. This is the word “contributing.” The basic word, “koinonia.” We’re familiar with that in English, that form of the word. It means “to participate in something, to share together, to have in common.” And here he is saying, “fellowshipping in the needs of the saints.” Sharing together, participating in the needs of the saints. We hear, people are concerned that we have more fellowship, more expressions of love. I have a good solution. Give more of your money. Is that what John said? How does the love of God abide in you if you see needs and don’t give to it? You’d like to experience more fellowship? Here’s a real way to do it by giving of our resources.

When you do give, particularly if you give sacrificially, you do find yourself, what? Feeling a part of them, and those you really care about. If you as a parent and your children are grown, maybe gotten married, but they’re really going through a difficult time. Maybe you know, lost a job, and the family’s struggling, and your grandchildren are hurt, you wouldn’t think anything of drawing on your resources and helping them. I mean, I would want to do whatever I could to help them. That’s the kind of attitude we’re talking about here. That we are the family of God, and we ought to have that kind of family concern and care, sharing in common with one another.

Turn back, to 2 Corinthians, chapter 8, and here Paul’s using the churches of Macedonia as an example. Churches in Macedonia would have been in, an, more northern part of Greece. And they had given. And they were churches going through extreme poverty, but somehow, and Paul was almost embarrassed, he was reluctant, to accept the offering from the Macedonians, because they were in such dire need themselves. But he says in verse 3, “I testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation.” There’s the word we have translated contributing, fellowship, koinonia. “In the support of the saints.” The Macedonians were saying you can’t deny us this blessing and privilege of sharing together with these other needy believers. You have to take what we want to give. They’re begging for that privilege. So, it’s not a reluctant thing that they undertook. It was the opportunity of fellowshipping with these believers.

While you’re here in 2 Corinthians 8, look at verse 7, “But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness,” these are high qualities. We’d say definite marks of a believer. “Faith, utterance, knowledge, and all earnestness.” “In the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.” So, this is a work of grace: giving. That’s what Paul’s talking to the Corinthians about. Don’t fall behind in this work of grace. Down in verse 13, “For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality – at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance may also become a supply for your need, that there may be equality.” And he quotes from the Old Testament, “‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.’” So, just taking the opportunity to be involved in meeting the needs.

Over in verse 24 of chapter 8, “Therefore openly before the churches show them the proof of your love.” Paul’s not asking for secret giving here. Now, it’s giving with the right motive and attitude. We’re not developing these chapters to get into that. But it’s something done openly. Openly before the churches show the proof of your love. Paul felt that their financial contribution should declare before the churches that they had a deep and abiding love for Christ and for other believers.

Down in chapter 9, verse 12, “For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.” It is important that we see this element of our financial resources and the meeting of needs in the context here. It causes thanksgiving to be given to God. It brings glory to God in verse 13. It’s part of our obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ. It’s evidence of the surpassing grace of God in you.

Some of you are aware from other studies that the word “grace” appears more often in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, two chapters devoted to a financial collection, than any other chapters in the Bible. So, the manifestation of the grace of God is pulled down to something very concrete and clear – my possessions. Here you see the work of God’s surpassing grace in my life and that stands in contrast to being conformed to the world.

Come back to Romans 12. Now, this doesn’t mean that you help people be lazy. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15 says any man doesn’t work doesn’t eat. So, it’s not that those who are lazy or foolish can just rely on handouts. But we need to be careful we don’t become hardhearted. We can always find a reason why somebody is having financial problems and those financial problems are their own fault. Obviously, if they had done differently and the circumstances of their life had worked out differently, they wouldn.t be where they are. We need to be careful that that does not become an excuse for being conformed to the world and thus stingy with my resources.

Back in Romans, chapter 12, verse 13, “Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” The word “practicing” is literally the word “to strive after something, to seek after something, to pursue something.” So, practicing hospitality could literally translated striving for hospitality, looking for opportunities to be hospitable.

Now in New Testament times there were opportunities provided in ways like traveling speakers. 3 John verse 5-8 talk about this, where those that taught the word would come into the area, you open your home to them if they’re teaching the truth, and so on. Any kind of hospitality involves some inconvenience. 1 Peter 4:9 says we are to be showing hospitality without complaint. Sometimes I can do this because, you know, you feel the pressure. If you don’t do it, you’re going to look bad. But, you know, when your wife and you go into the room and close the door, grumble, grumble, kind of thing. Well, we have to do it without complaint, according to Peter. This is a mark of godliness hospitableness. A friendliness, a willingness to be inconvenienced to help others, would be involved.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” In the context here you get the idea this was true in New Testament times, a lot of the difficulty, the poverty and so on, was a result of the pressure that came to them because they were believers. In this context they need to be reminded, “Bless those who persecute you,” and we don’t curse them. You know, some of those who would have lost their job because of their faith in Christ and testimony for Christ. Experiencing hard times, it is easy to become bitter and resentful, to lash out at them for their unfairness, their injustice and so on. So, it becomes a very important reminder.

Back in Matthew, chapter 5. Matthew, chapter 5, verse 44. Jesus is speaking in the Sermon on the Mount, “‘But I say to you, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’”

In other words, again, don’t be conformed to the world. Don’t be like the world. The world is nice and friendly and kind to those who treat them nice and friendly and kind. Unique thing about believers who are transformed by the power of God is they are nice and kind and loving to those who mistreat them, who persecute them. “Bless those who persecute you,” back in Romans, chapter 12, would involve asking God’s blessing upon them. Asking God to do good to them. “And do not curse them.” Bless and do not curse. Now we saw Paul calling the curse of God down upon those who were corrupting the word of God and teaching error. He does that, and in that context, that’s fitting. But it is not fitting to call the curse of God down on those who persecute us, who treat us unfairly.

Turn over to 1 Peter, chapter 2. Remember Jesus at His crucifixion in Luke, chapter 23, verse 34, “‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do.’” In 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 21, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to the One who judges rightly.” This is in the context how servants are to respond to unjust masters. Verse 18, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows while suffering unjustly.” Now note, “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.” Then the example of Christ because even unbelievers recognize, at least on occasion, when they’ve done wrong and they suffer for it. They say, “I deserve that.” But the unique thing about believers is that they do what is right and handle it with the proper attitude and the proper response even when what they are suffering is unfair and unjust. So, “Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.”

Verse 15 of Romans 12, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Now other words, there is to be a genuine involvement in one another’s lives as God’s people. You know we’re not just have to have a passing acquaintance with one another. But your joys are to be my joys. Your sorrows are to be my sorrows. I mean, how can we be the family of God, the body of Christ, and be otherwise.

That’s not the way it works in our families, is it? I mean, your husband or your wife goes through a painful situation, you don’t say, well, that’s your problem. Your children are suffering through something, what? You feel like, “I wish I could suffer for them.” Well, God expects that in His family.

Turn over to 1 Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 26. At the end of verse 25, he’s talked about that the members should have the same care for one another. The members of the body of Christ, using the picture of our physical body. Verse 26, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” So, just like the body is a unit and it all works to care for one another. So, I cut my finger, then this hand wants to reach over and help stop the bleeding, correct the problem. Why? Because it’s just one body, many parts. So, that’s the picture. So, somebody, something good happens to them, oh, resentment. Why them? Why did they get that? Why did they get hired? Why did they get this blessing? Or, well, you know, somebody’s going through a difficult time. Well, you know, it’s just not my problem. Well, you know, we have to see ourselves as God says we are. And I take it the reason that this is given as instructions, is so we can apply ourselves to it. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen naturally. You know, that grows over time as we are involved in one another’s lives, you develop that kind of attitude. And those you are close to, what? Somebody’s child grows up, you know, goes to college, ah, graduates, gets hired at a tremendous job at a great pay and the perks include a new car and a new house, boy they’re just beaming when they tell you what happened to their child! You know, they’re happy about that.

That happens to my kids, I say, “Oh, why did that happen to them? I’m older than they are. He’s making more money than I am! What kind of world is this?” No, I’m glad! Now, he can take care of me in my old age. You know, we’re glad for our family, aren’t we? And we’re a family here. The same thing. When things get difficult, weep with those who weep.

Galatians 5 verse 16. It’s characteristic of the flesh to feel jealousy and envy, which would be the other side of that. The works of the flesh in Galatians 5, jealousy, envy, those kinds of things. That’s what prevents me from rejoicing with those who rejoice, being glad for their good fortune, so on. So, that would be being conformed to the world, in contrast to being transformed.

Verse 16, “Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.” Be of the same mind. This exhortation is given several times through the New Testament to believers. We are to be of the same mind. That doesn’t mean uniformity. It doesn’t mean we all have to think exactly the same way, yet there is to be a oneness about us as the body of Christ. There’s only one body ruled by one head, Jesus Christ. So, we are to have the mind of Christ. Philippians 2 exhorts us on that. To have the mind of Christ and to think as He thought.

So, we are to be of the same mind toward one another. That means we are not to be haughty in mind. We’re not to be conceited and lifted up in our own thoughts about ourselves. I mean, we have a oneness of thought in the sense of an appreciation of God’s work in our lives. A recognition that Jesus Christ is our sovereign Lord, and our God is working His perfect purposes in our life [and] His perfect purposes in our life. The way He is working in my life at this time, may be different than He is working in your life. If I’m going through a difficult time and a hard time and suffering, and a time of lack, I can appreciate that we both love the same Lord. It may be that while I’m going through my most difficult time, you seem to be going through your most prosperous and blessed time. And I can rejoice with you for God’s goodness in your life. It means I won’t be haughty in mind. Ah, think of myself better than others. The contrast with that, “Do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.” That word lowly means lowly, menial, servile, base. You know, there’s no place in the Church for the thinking that we are better than someone else. e as believers have to battle such thinking. We don’t like to admit that we are shaped by those kinds of thoughts, but we are. And it’s easy for us to think of ourselves as better than others.

One of the Church growth things that I was taught when I took some classes on that, and I’ve read, is people like to be together with their own kind. You’re just more comfortable with people like yourself. So if you have things, you’ll probably be more comfortable with people who have things. Well, that doesn’t surprise me, because that’s the way the world is, is it not? But we’re not to be conformed to the world. We are to be transformed. So, here we are exhorted to associate with the lowly. Those who are of the lower strata. Those who are thought to be insignificant.

Turn over to the book of James. This is the chapter that we usually think of as an example of this. James, chapter 2. And it’s a reminder that it was a struggle in the early Church to function properly in this kind of area. James, chapter 2, “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” And example, “for if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed with fine clothes, and there comes also in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?”

What we have decided is this rich man is worth more, more valuable to us than this poor man. We don’t like to think that those things happen. We have concerts coming up. Some people of stature and standing in our city show up. We see them stuck over in the far corner in a bad seat and say, “Ah, that’s terrible. They should have been put over where the sound’s the best and the view’s the best.” But if a homeless person comes in and is sitting over there, we think, “Well, if we’ve got to let them in, that’s a good place for them.” We’ve made a decision. It really doesn’t matter where that person sits. I mean, his clothes are ragged and his hair’s not combed real well and you can tell he doesn’t have two nickels to rub together. Really, he’s probably just glad to be here. We don’t have to be concerned about where he sits. But, you know, if the Governor comes, or one of the richer people in our city come, why, they’re used to being treated well. They’re used to having the best seat. We want to be sure they get it. That’s what James is talking about. Nothing’s changed, that’s the way the world is. But it’s not the way the Church should be. We’re not to be conformed to the world. So, being transformed has to do with some pretty basic, practical things, and that is how do I function in a relationship with the people around me?

That’s why I think the healthiest thing is for there to be a mix in the Church and it is a struggle, I realize. But I would hope that we have as our goal that if people who come that have nothing, we say, I feel very comfortable. Many of those people, perhaps most of those people, seem to have a lot more than I do, but they seem to be just as excited to have me, they’ve invited me to come over to their home, they’ve been as friendly to me and as warm to me as if I was the richest person in the city. They just didn’t seem to care. That should be the attitude that is expressed, but it’s not. It doesn’t come naturally, let me put it that way. That’s why James has to remind them that they’ve been guilty of personal favoritism.

Come back to, Romans, chapter 12. Let me read you what John Murray wrote in commenting on this. “There is to be no aristocracy in the Church, no cliques of the wealthy as over against the poor, not pedestal of unapproachable dignity for those on the higher social and economic strata, or for those who are in office in the Church. How contradictory to all such pretension is the character of the Church’s Head, the One who said, ‘I am meek and lowly in heart.’”

It does not say that it’s wrong for the Church to have within its ranks, those who are wealthy, but that it’s wrong to give special attention to the wealthy as opposed to the poor. And it’s wrong for the wealthy to have an attitude of superiority in that. We are to be of the same mind. In this context, we’ve already covered the attitude of resentment that might exist on the part of those who may be poor in the body to those who might have more. We rejoice with those who rejoice. We are of the “same mind toward one another,” but there’re special dangers. We have to be careful of pride and be willing to associate with the lowly. “Do not be wise in your own estimation,” the end of verse 16 of Romans 12. That comes from Proverbs 3, verse 7 giving that admonition not to be wise in your own sight. It’s characteristic of the world – pride, self-sufficiency, self-centered, thinking a lot of yourself. We use the examples of the self-esteem and so on, but you just can’t read much of the world and the testimonies of the world, you watch people of the world be interviewed. I was watching a little bit of some sporting events this afternoon. You know, somebody does a good play, and he stands up and beats his chest. I think, what’s he gets paid $5,000,000 a year for? You’d think he’d done something exceptional. He'd missed three tackles before that! I didn’t see him repenting on his knees, but you know, there’s something there. “Look at me! Look what I did! I’m wonderful! Look what I’ve accomplished!”

That goes to the heart of what we are as sinful people. And I, even as a believer, need to be reminded not to be wise in my own estimation, not to think highly of myself, but to appreciate the work of God’s grace in my life. Whatever I have, whatever area, I realize as a redeemed sinner, that all that I am and all that I have is what? Grace! Paul said, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” “Every good and perfect gift comes down from our Heavenly Father.” The world doesn’t appreciate that. Remember what God told Israel: When you come into the land and you have an abundance, don’t forget the God who enabled you to work, to acquire and so on.

What room do they have to boast. Who gave you that healthy body? Who gave you that sound mind? Why were you born in a situation where you could take advantage of opportunities that someone else may not? Why were you given an intellect and enable you to think sharply and clearly, when you could have had someone who had hard time putting two sentences together? God’s grace. The world doesn’t appreciate that. They think it’s me! But how ugly is pride among those who are supposedly not conformed to world, but to be transformed. Isaiah, chapter 5, verse 21, says, “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” Proverbs 26:12, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” So, certain, just basic, simple characteristics. We look in the mirror of the word and say, “Lord do these things stand out in my life?”

Let me walk over them with you. Number 1, as those not conformed to the world, but transformed, we’re to become involved in meeting the needs of fellow believers. You know, people say, “He’s a generous person. Generous! He’s just a generous person.” A great testimony, is it not? Ought to mark us. Number 2, we are to be pursuing hospitality. They’re people that are open, they’re willing to be, go to trouble, be inconvenienced. They are a gracious, hospitable people. Number 3, we are to pray for God’s mercy on those who persecute us, in verse 14. I get concerned sometimes, in the public forum, about some of the bitterness that seems to be expressed by those who want to identify with Christianity. The lashing out and so on. There’s to be a gentleness and acceptance of, the abuse that is taken, the wrongs that are done. We’re to be jealous in our defense of the truth of God, but we can take personal loss, we can take personal insult, we can be treated unfairly and persecuted. And we still bless and manifest the meek and lowly character of our Savior. Number 4, Were to become involved in the joys and sorrows of others. We become involved in the joys and sorrows of others. And if that’s not the case, we’re not really experiencing the family relationships of the body of Christ that God intends for us. Number 5, we’re to be humble in mind and in relationships, verse 16. Humble in mind and in relationships.

You know, just these few characteristics we’ve looked over sure would mark us off and stark contrast to the world, wouldn’t it? More concerned with other’s than ourselves. More concerned with meeting the needs of others than having for myself. Thinking more of you than of myself. These kinds of things are indications that, what? We’re being “transformed by the renewing of our mind” and manifesting the beauty of the character of the God who loved us and had His Son die for us, who sacrificed all that we might enjoy the richness of His blessings in salvation.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the wonder of our salvation, the tremendous power of Your saving grace and, Lord, the simple beauty of that transforming work that You do in our lives. Lord, thank you for the growth and development that we see as we reflect upon our own lives, personally. We’re reminded that there’s much growing to do. It seems that the pressure of the world is relentless. It’s easy to find excuses and reasons for not manifesting the beauty of Your character in one area or another. Lord, I pray, that individually and as a church, we might be open and honest before You, to examine ourselves in the mirror of the word. Lord, we desire that Your work of transformation would continue and increase in our lives personally and in our life as Your people as a church. Lord, that the difference that You have brought about might become more evident and more clear as the contrast between what we were and what we are is evident before all. Again, thank you for such a wonderful salvation that brings about such a wonderful transformation. We give You praise in Christ’s name. Amen.