Faith Filled Family Magazine September 2016 | Page 62

14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: God never said your time here would be free from consequences or that he would protect you from all things bad. If God removed you from evil as a choice, you would not be making a choice, he would be making the choice. God would never force you to choose him. It is his plan for you to see both good and bad, to recognize the difference, and to trust in him. Psalms 37:39-40 ~ 39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Trust God through all of the encounters with good, and we shall be happy in those days; through all of the encounters with bad, and we shall fall upon our knees and pray for God to comfort us. For in this world, the Lord wants you to know there will be dark times, but during those times, you will never be alone. Once you accept him as your Lord and Savior, he will bring you comfort while you make the choices to get through these dark times. After the darkness passes and joy returns once again, the sun will once again shine and the warmth of it will remind you of our Father near and close. His mercy and grace will support you as you stream back into life. The darkness will return, as long as Satan feels a foothold. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. offer us the choice of salvation at such a sacrifice. John 3:15-21 ~ 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. SPIRITUAL FREEDOM We will see the Lord one day, or some of us will. It’s not for me to determine who will or who will not. There are some things in the Bible we have talked about that tell us what we need to know. It goes back to God’s plan. The Don’t wait until the bad choices plan which speaks of salvaarise. Ask for forgiveness every tion, being saved, avoiding sin, day. Seek out the word of God and receiving spiritual freedom. and lean heavy on him in prayer Why should we avoid sin, if sin for those other than yourself as has been removed? Valid queswell, and pray for strength to be tion, but why not? After all Christ the person God wants you to be. went through to have our sins Most of all, praise God for his forgiven, why not realize what gifts and for loving us so much to sin is, and just turn away from it?