True Joy Comes Only From God And

Because Peace Is A Fruit Of The Spirit, We Are Dependent Upon The Spirit's Work In Our Lives To Produce The Desire And The Means To Pursue Peace. But We Are Also Responsible To Use The Means He Has Given Us And To Take All Practical Steps To Attain Both Peace Within And Peace With Others.

The Assurance Of His Total Forgiveness Of Our Sins Through The Blood Of Christ Means We Don't Have To Play Defensive Games Anymore. We Don't Have To Rationalize And Excuse Our Sins. We Can Call Sin Exactly What It Is, Regardless Of How Ugly And Shameful It May Be, Because We Know That Jesus Bore That Sin In His Body On The Cross.

We Might Say God's Wrath Is His Justice In Action, Rendering To Everyone His Just Due, Which, Because Of Our Sin Is Always Judgment.

In His Infinite Wisdom, God Allows Trials In Order To Develop Perseverance In Us And To Cause Us To Fix Our Hopes On The Glory That Is Yet To Be Revealed... Our Faith And Perseverance Can Grow Only Under The Pain Of Trial.

Both Gentleness And Meekness Are Born Of Power, Not Weakness. There Is A Pseudo-gentlene Ss That Is Effeminate, And There Is A Pseudo-meekness That Is Cowardly. But A Christian Is To Be Gentle And Meek Because Those Are Godlike Virtues... We Should Never Be Afraid, Therefore, That The Gentleness Of The Spirit Means Weakness Of Character. It Takes Strength, God's Strength, To Be Truly Gentle.