Tag: good

Romans 14:21 – Good For Whom?

Posted on by Will

It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

Truth to Learn

Consider the good of others more important than your own.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “good” is a form of kalos, which means “good as to quality or character.”

“Stumbles” is translated from the Greek verb proskoptō, which we have seen a couple of times recently. It means to “to stub on” or “to trip up.”

The word “offended” is translated from the verb scandalidzō, the noun form of which we have also talked about recently. This word means, “to entrap” or “to entice to sin.”

“Is made weak” is from the Greek verb astheneo, which means “to be weak or sickly.”

 

Meaning Explained

Now Paul summarizes what he has been saying in the past few verses. Since it is a summary of his instruction, let’s look carefully at what he does and what he doesn’t say. First of all Paul says that “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything …” So what he is saying is that these things are not good for us to do.

Now, notice that there are qualifications to those things which are not good for us to do. The first qualification is, “by which your brother stumbles.” If your drinking wine or eating a certain kind of food causes your brother to stumble in his walk with God, then it is not a good thing for you to do.

The second qualification is, “or is offended.” We should not do anything that will lead a brother or sister to act contrary to his or her own convictions. If we know that other Christians are convicted that eating certain foods is wrong, we should not eat those types of food in their presence or try to convince them that it is OK for them. To them it is a spiritual conviction and it is up to God to convince them otherwise (if their conviction is wrong). Because of the translation of scandalidzō as “offended,” we may be inclined to read this verse as if it said, “it is good not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor anything that your brother takes offense at, or disagrees with.” Just because a brother or sister considers wrong something which our own conscience allows doesn’t mean we stop doing it. But by the same token we don’t argue with them about it, we don’t force them to do it, and we don’t flaunt it in front of them.

The third qualification is, “or is made weak.” Again, we see that our actions could cause the faith of a brother or sister to be negatively affected because of his or her convictions. So, how do we know what we should do and what we shouldn’t do when it comes to spiritual convictions that we hold different from our brother or sister in Christ? Paul will answer that question in the following two verses.

 

Application

There is a fine line between what Paul is teaching here and situational ethics. Situational ethics says that something may be wrong to do in one situation but not wrong in another. What Paul is teaching is that it is always wrong to consider your own needs more important than a fellow Christian. The bottom line is that we should do those things that build-up other Christians and we should avoid those things which will cause other Christians harm. If we always consider the good of others more important than our own, God will be pleased with our actions.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 14:16 – The Right Thing?

Posted on by Will

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

Truth to Learn

Sometimes doing “the right thing” can cause harm to others.

 

Behind the Words

“Good” is translated from agathos, meaning “benevolent, profitable, or useful.” There is another Greek word translated “good.” It is kalos, which refers to the intrinsic character or quality of goodness. Agathos, however, is often used to express the quality of actions or deeds.

The words “spoken of as evil” are translated from the verb blasphēmeō. The noun form, blasphēmia, is the source of our English word “blasphemy.” The verb is made up of a form of blaptō, meaning “to hinder” or “to injure” and phēmē, meaning “a saying” or “a rumor.” Hence, blasphēmeō means “to say something injurious about someone else.”

 

Meaning Explained

By “your good” in this verse Paul is referring to the things that your conscience and the Spirit of God allow you to do. Paul has already told us that nothing is unclean in and of itself. As long as it is not something specifically forbidden in the New Testament (like getting drunk or eating that which you know has been offered to idols) and you have a clear conscience toward God about doing it, then it is okay. But if that “right thing,” which your conscience and the Spirit of God allow you to do, causes your brother or sister to stumble in their own Christian walk, then you need to reconsider whether it is really “the right thing” after all.

The principle here is that the welfare of your brothers and sisters is more important than your own satisfaction. In fact, that’s exactly what Paul told the church at Philippi:

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility let each consider others better than himself. Let each of you consider not only his own interests, but also the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

The example that Paul used in this case was Jesus Christ. Even though He is divine, that is, part of the godhead (He is God), He lowered himself and took on the form of a man and offered up His perfect life and His righteousness so that we might be saved and be given the righteousness that He alone deserves. And Paul said a very similar thing to the Corinthians:

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of others. (1Corinthians 10:23-24)

If we are constantly striving to strengthen and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ and we are seeking to please God our Father, then we will not be very focused on what we want for ourselves. When we are focused only on ourselves, however, even the good things that we see as permissible can end up causing trouble for others.

 

Application

Let’s all consider how our actions can affect the spiritual lives of other Christians. Are we so determined to do “the right things,” that we don’t care if they cause other Christians to stumble? Wouldn’t it be better to abstain from a permissible practice than to cause harm to a brother or sister in Christ?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 12:21 – Good Versus Evil

Posted on by Will

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Truth to Learn

The proper way for a Christian to combat evil is with good.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “overcome” is nikaō, a verb form of the noun nikē, which refers to “a conquest or victory.” Hence, nikaō means “to subdue, conquer, or overcome.” In both instances in this verse it is expressed in the imperative mood indicating something all Christians are to do.

“Evil” is from the Greek word kakos, which refers to that which is worthless in and of itself. Thus, it is often translated as depraved, wicked, or evil. It is expressed here with the definite article, so it literally refers to “the evil thing” or “the evil one.”

The word “good” is translated from agathos, meaning “profitable or beneficial.” It refers to general goodness whereas the Greek word kalos, which we looked at in verse seventeen, refers to something that is inherently good but not necessarily benefitting others.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul started off this chapter by stating:

I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Throughout the remainder of this chapter, he has been showing us what it looks like when a person is a living sacrifice, totally submitted to God; for instance, someone who has presented his or her body as a living sacrifice to God will not repay evil for evil and will not avenge himself or herself.

In the past few verses Paul has not been giving us commandments so much as he has been showing us what the evidence of our submission as a living sacrifice looks like. And so, he wraps up this chapter with a final piece of evidence of a person who is totally submitted and committed to God. This person does not allow himself to be overcome with evil; instead, he overcomes evil with good. A literal translation of this verse could be:

Do not be conquered under the evil one, but conquer the evil one with goodness.

Some would say that “the evil one” refers to Satan, for he is sometimes referred to in that manner. In this case, however, I believe Paul is referring to anyone who does evil to you. If the result of an evil act on you causes you to do evil in return, then you have succumbed to the temptation of retaliation and you have demonstrated that you are not fully submitted to God. But, if evil is done to you and there is within you the ability to plan and carry out goodness toward the one doing evil, then you are showing that you are still lying on the alter, a living sacrifice to God, and He will use you when you live that way.

 

Application

It’s not easy to remain on the altar because we each have a sin nature that wants us to be in control and wants to get even with those who hurt us. However, by the power of the Holy Spirit we can remain submitted to our Lord and we can respond to the evil done to us with goodness. That’s sacrificial living. It’s pleasing to God because it allows Him to receive all the glory and all the praise.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 12:17 – Reactive or Proactive?

Posted on by Will

Repay no one evil for evil, giving thought to do what is good in the sight of all men.

Truth to Learn

We should be benevolently proactive, not selfishly reactive.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “repay” is apodidomi, which is a compound word made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and didōmi, meaning “to give.” Hence apodidōmi means “to give away” of “to deliver up.” In the current context it can certainly be interpreted as “repay,” although it does not imply repayment of something owed.

“Evil” is from the Greek word kakos, referring to “that which is worthless in and of itself.” It does not refer to a bad effect (that would be the word ponēros) but to an intrinsic worthlessness. Thus, kakos usually refers to an evil thing or an evil action.

The words “giving thought” are translated from pronoeō. This is made up of pro, meaning “before, in place or time” and noeō, which refers to “action of the mind (to think, perceive, or consider).” Thus, we see that pronoeō means “to consider in advance, to plan ahead, or to premeditate.”

“Good” is from kalos, which refers to “that which is good in quality or character.” It is often translated as “beautiful.”

 

Meaning Explained

In this verse Paul contrasts two thoughts. Do you see what they are? He says,

Don’t be reactive and respond with evil acts when evil acts are done to you. Instead, be proactive and consider ahead of time what good things you are going to do for others.

When someone does something to us that is unkind, offensive, hurtful, or just downright mean, our first reaction is to respond in kind and “get even.” I’m sure we’ve all heard the expression, “I don’t get mad – I get even.” That’s precisely what Paul is telling us not to do. Don’t allow your sin nature to control your actions. That’s the result of our “flesh” which Paul was talking about back in chapter 8 when he said:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity toward God; for it is not submitted to the law of God, indeed it can’t be. But those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. (Romans 8:5-8)

We should not behave like the unsaved do. They are slaves to their flesh and have no choice but to obey it because they are spiritually dead. But we have been set free from the bondage of our flesh and are now spiritually alive. We have a choice and that choice should always be to do good, not evil.

 

Application

Do you want to please God? If so, then you need to let His Spirit control your thoughts and actions, not your own flesh. Your choices are to please yourself or to please God. Which will it be?

“Ouch! That makes my own toes hurt!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 8:28 – Called for Goodness Sake

Posted on by Will

And we know that to the ones loving God all things work together for good, to those who are the called ones according to His purpose.

Truth to Learn

God is producing goodness in Christians because He has decided to do so.

 

Behind the Words

The words “all things” are from pas, meaning “all” or “every.” It is expressed here as a neuter plural noun, thus “all things.”

The Greek verb sunergeō is translated “work together.” It is made up of sun, meaning “together with” and ergō, meaning “to work.” It is expressed as a third person singular verb so it could be translated as “He (God) works all things together.”

“Good” is from agathos, meaning “good and benevolent” or “useful.” There is another Greek word translated “good.” It is the word kalos, meaning “inherently good without necessarily being benevolent” or “beauty as a harmonious completeness.” An easy way to distinguish the two is to think of kalos as specific goodness or beauty and agathos as general goodness.

The word translated “called” is from klētos, meaning “one who is called, invited, or appointed.” It is a noun, not a verb.

 

Meaning Explained

What does Paul mean by “all things work together for good?” The key is the word translated “good,” meaning “general goodness.” Paul is saying that even though some of the things that happen to us don’t necessarily seem very good, all things work together for our general goodness.

As we mentioned above, the verb “work together” is a singular, third-person verb. The subject for this verb is not “all things.” How do we know? The word translated “all things” is a plural subject. In Greek, as in English, the number of a verb (singular or plural) must always agree with the number of its subject, so the subject of this verb must be singular. As it turns out, the subject is not stated but simply implied. That’s why some translators render the first part of this verse as, “And we know that God works all things together for good.”

Who are those people for whom He works together all things? Paul says they are “those who love God.” Only we who have recognized our own sinfulness and need for salvation can fully appreciate the sacrifice that God made to have our sins paid for. And only we can really love God for having done it for us.

He also says it is “those who are the called ones according to His purpose.” As we noted above, the word “called” is not a passive verb, but a plural noun (as in, those who are the called ones). Those for whom God works all things together for good are those who are the called ones according to His (God’s) purpose. Paul is saying clearly that our being called to Christ and salvation is not of our own doing. It is wholly God’s doing and it is according to His purpose. We don’t know why God called us to salvation but we do know, according to Paul, that He is purposeful in calling us.

 

Application

When we are in the midst of trials we should be encouraged for two reasons. The first is that the Holy Spirit is our prayer partner and the second is that no matter how bad things seem, God is going to use whatever is happening to us ultimately to produce good in us, and that brings the glory back to Him.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 7:19 – Surrender to Him

Posted on by Will

For the good that I determine to do, I do not do; but the evil I determine to not do, that I practice.

Truth to Learn

Overcoming our enemy, our sin nature, is not ours to do.

 

Behind the Words

Back in verse sixteen we looked at the word “will.” There are two Greek words that are translated “will” or “wish:” thelō and boulomai. The difference is that thelō implies an active impulse whereas boulomai implies a passive acquiescence. Therefore, boulomai implies simply a wish or a desire whereas thelō implies a preference, a choosing, or a determination. To understand the difference, imagine that you give a child a dollar and let them go into a candy store to buy anything he or she wants. The child’s desire is to buy everything (desirous will) but the child determines to buy something specific for a dollar (determined will). The word in the current verse translated “determine” is thelō, determined will.

“Good” is from agathos, which refers to goodness in general. It is sometimes translated as benevolent, profitable, useful, or excellent.

“Evil” is from kakos, which refers to something that is worthless or wicked. It is believed to be derived from the verb chazō, meaning “to retreat.” It is a picture of a worthless soldier who, instead of standing up against the enemy, retreats.

 

Meaning Explained

At first glance this verse seems to say the same thing as verse fifteen did. But on closer inspection we can see that there is a slight difference between these verses. Verse fifteen says:

For the thing I do, I do not understand. For what I determine to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. (Romans 7:15)

In this earlier verse Paul is contrasting what he is determined to do versus what he hates. In the current verse (Romans 7:19) he is contrasting what he is determined to do versus evil. Paul is saying that his determined will is to do good but he doesn’t do it. His determined will is also not to do evil, but that’s exactly what he does do. This is another indication that Paul is truly saved. Only someone whose heart has been regenerated will truly desire to do good and truly desire not to do evil. Unfortunately for Paul, and for the rest of us as well, the sin nature that dwells in this flesh of ours continues to overpower us even against our desire.

The significant thing to take away from this verse is the fact that it is not the will of man that draws him away from God. Few people, if any, actually want to be evil, but none of us, left to our own devices, will avoid evil because of the powerful sin nature that has mastery over us.

Once again let me say that the only way to have victory over this sin nature is first to be genuinely saved and then to submit our will to God and obey Him as our master instead of obeying our sin nature. As we submit to Him and commit to His ways, we have victory and peace!

 

Application

It is far easier for us to do that which is evil than to stand and fight for that which is good. And, it is easier to stand and fight against evil in the face of incredible odds, than it is for us to stand against our sin nature. That’s why we need the power of the Holy Spirit. Only a committed Christian surrendered to the will of God can succeed in overcoming his or her sin nature.

And, who gets the praise when we submit to God’s will?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 7:12 – The Holy Law

Posted on by Will

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.

Truth to Learn

The Law and its commandments are holy, but we are sinful.

 

Behind the Words

“Law” is translated from the Greek word nomos, which we saw in the last chapter is the noun form of the verb nemō, meaning “to divide among” or “to parcel out.” Therefore nomos refers to that which has been parceled out, which someone has in his or her possession. It is also used to refer to a body of regulations that have been delivered or parceled out, such as the Law of Moses.

This word translated “holy” is hagios. Its fundamental meaning is “set apart from common use to the service of Deity” or “sharing in God's purity and abstaining from earth's defilement.” That which is separated unto God is free from any tainting of sin. It is pure and it is spotless. It is holy!

“Commandment” is from entolē, which comes from the verb entellomai, meaning “to give a charge or a command.” Therefore we see that entolē means “a charge, a precept, or commandment.”

The word translated “just” is dikaios, which means “that which is righteous” or “that which is just.”

“Good” is from the Greek word agathos, which means “good and benevolent, profitable, or useful.”

 

Meaning Explained

Back in verse seven Paul asked the rhetorical question, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin?” Since that verse he has been showing us why the law is not the culprit; rather it is our sin nature that is the cause of our sinfulness. The law simply causes our sin nature to be empowered. Paul now tells us very clearly that the Law is good but it was not provided to purify the heart of fallen man. Its tendency is to increase guilt, shame, and despair. In other words, man cannot obtain righteousness by obeying the law because the law, by exciting our fallen nature, actually increases our sinfulness.

The Law, says Paul, is holy. It is pure and it is spotless. Paul also says that the commandment is holy. So, what’s the difference between the law and the commandment? The easiest way to distinguish them is to recognize that the law is made up of many commandments. Paul’s point here is that not only is the law as a whole holy and good, but even down to the individual commandments it is holy and just and good.

We cannot blame the law or any one of the commandments for our sins, but the very presence of the law causes our sinfulness to be exceedingly sinful. In fact, we cannot blame anyone else for our sinfulness. We are guilty of our own sins and the Law does not remove that guilt, it increases it.

 

Application

Do you feel weighed down by guilt over the sins that you have committed? Do you feel guilty because you don’t keep the Law or obey God all the time, or act out of selfish motives? Remember, only the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, can take away the guilt! Confess your sins and lay them at the foot of the cross.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:7 – Unreasonable Sacrifice

Posted on by Will

For hardly for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

Truth to Learn

It’s not reasonable that anyone would die for us.

 

Behind the Words

The word “hardly” is translated from the Greek word molis. It is derived from mōlos, which refers to “the pain produced by hard labor.” Hence, molis refers to something that is painful or difficult. As used in this verse it is often translated as “hardly, or scarcely.”

“Righteous man” is translated from dikios, meaning “one who always does what is right in God’s eyes.”

“Perhaps” is from the Greek word tacha, meaning “probably, possibly, or perhaps.”

The word translated “good man” is the Greek word agathos, meaning “someone possessing general goodness or benevolence.” This word refers to someone who has a reputation for doing good things to and for others.

“Dare” is from the Greek talma, meaning “courage, boldness, or confidence to do something.” It is often used in a negative sense such as, “they did not dare oppose him.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we learned that it was while we were without the ability to do anything for our own justification that Christ died for us. I like the way Matthew Henry put it in his Commentary on the Whole Bible:

He died for the ungodly; not only helpless creatures, and therefore likely to perish, but guilty sinful creatures, and therefore deserving to perish

In this verse Paul is telling us why it is so amazing that Christ would die for us. The Jews made a three-fold division of mankind around the notions of goodness and righteousness:

  • A righteous person was one who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses and always did what was demanded of him or her; a person who was respected and looked up to.
  • A good person was someone who went beyond a strict adherence to the Law. In addition to being righteous, this person was liberal in giving to others, full of love and compassion. This type of person was not only respected but admired by all.
  • A sinner was one who was ungodly and wicked; one who had no regard for godliness or for others.

 Paul tells us that it is unlikely that anyone would be willing to give up his own life for someone else, even though that person might be outwardly religious. He goes on to say that it is possible that someone would be willing to give up his life for a good person; someone who in not only outwardly religious but kind, benevolent, and generous. The implication is that it is highly unlikely that anyone would be willing to die for sinful scumbags like you and me.

 

Application

Christ died for us when we were condemned and powerless to do anything about it. We were, in fact, neither good nor righteous. Do you realize how worthless, helpless, and condemned we are without Christ? Let’s all take a moment to thank God for His great love with which He loves us!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 2:10 – Peaceful Reward

Posted on by Will

but glory, honor, and peace to everyone working what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Truth to Learn

If we are working for God now, He will reward us later.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “working” is the Greek verb ergodzomai, based on the noun ergon, meaning “work.”  Ergodzomai means “to work or labor at something.” It implies putting effort into doing something. It is expressed here as a participle (working) which implies ongoing action.

The word translated “good” is to agathon, which literally means, “the good.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has just declared that the unrighteous will receive tribulation and anguish at the Judgment. In contrast, like in verses 7 and 8, he now declares what the righteous will receive.

Paul says, “to everyone working the good,” The implication is that this is someone who is continually laboring to do good. Doing what is right is not something that comes naturally to any of us because of the sin nature that we all inherited from Adam. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are even capable of doing anything truly good. And, as we all know, it takes work to continue to do good, especially when it seems that we only get taken advantage of when we do.

There is a beautiful promise to all Christians, however, in this verse. Paul tells us that those of us who continue to labor at doing good, in spite of what the world does to us, will receive glory, honor and peace from the great Judge when we stand face to face with Him.

We are not to go through this life seeking to gain glory for ourselves, and we are not to be seeking our own honor. But, if we are seeking to bring honor and glory to God through our good works, God will one day give us both honor and glory. And, on top of it all, He will give us peace. The unrighteous will not have peace. They will have tribulation and anguish, and they will be separated from the presence of God for all of eternity.

This is one of those verses that I think we all should have committed to memory for those times when we get tired of trying to do what God wants us to do; when we feel like it’s just no use; when life seems to be going downhill with no end in sight. Remember, this promise is not to just anyone! It only applies to those who have been declared righteous by God. That is, it only applies to those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And, according to Paul in the book of Ephesians, the whole reason for us being saved is so we can do good works for God:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

 

Application

We are not saved by our good works; we are saved only by the grace of God. But we are saved and commanded to do good works while we are here on this earth. And when we continuously labor to do those good works, He will reward us for it with glory, honor, and peace!

Do you want glory, honor, and peace? Then, get to work!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:11 – In Pursuit of Peace

Posted on by Will

Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Truth to Learn

Peter commands us to turn completely away from evil, doing good instead. He also admonishes us to pursue peace with a vengeance.

 

Behind the Words

The words “turn away” are from ekklinō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” and klinō meaning “turn aside” or “turn away.” If Peter had used klinō by itself it would indicate turning away from something but ekklinō implies turning completely out of the way of it. It is a picture of one who is walking down a path and they turn completely off the path.

In the Greek text this is followed by the preposition apo, meaning “from” or “away from.” The repetition serves to emphasize that we are to completely turn off the path of evil and move completely away from it. To add even more emphasis to the statement, Peter uses the imperative mood of ekklinō, implying a command, not a suggestion. Hence, we could translate the first part of this verse as, “He must turn completely away from evil …”

The words translated as “evil” and “good” are kakos and agathos which are polar opposites, the first meaning general badness or worthlessness and the second meaning general goodness.

“Seek” is translated from the Greek word dzēteō, meaning “to look for” or “to try to find.” This verb is also expressed in the imperative mood, indicating a command.

The word translated “pursue” is diōkō, meaning “to pursue” or “to persecute.” It implies much more than simply looking for something. It indicates determination and tenacity. This verb, like the others in this verse, is in the imperative mood.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we were told,

For the one determined to love life and to see good days, let him stop his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile

This verse is a continuation of that thought. If you have determined to love life and to see good days then not only must you be very careful about what you say and how you say it, you must do several other things as well.

Before we get to those things, though, let’s look at the expression, “Let him …” On the surface it appears that Peter is saying, “allow him …” but that is not what he is saying. In fact, in English the use of the word “let,” when used with verbs, is an expression of the imperative, or command, form of the Greek verb. So “Let him …” doesn’t mean “Allow him …”, rather it means “It is imperative for him to …” or “He must …”

If we have determined to love life and to see good days then we must control our language and we must turn completely away from evil. In their place we must do good and, not only seek peace, but pursue it diligently.

 

Application

It’s easy to talk about doing good and it’s easy to talk about peace. The real challenge is to pursue peace and good deeds with the same fervor that we pursue our favorite activities.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved