BEFORE AND AFTER

James 1:4-5 “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

The Scene: A roughly-hewn block of wood appearing next to the smooth, round wooden ball-shaped figure.

“They are the same block of wood. The before block of wood represents the fleshly person (unsaved) before that person’s life has been touched by the Lord,” said the Holy Spirit.

“The after ball-shaped wood is the former block that has been refined by the Master. The ball represents a person who has accepted Jesus the Christ of Nazareth as Lord and Savior,” said the Holy Spirit.

Each saved person, through the reading and studying of God’s Holy Word and listening to His voice has the opportunity to be transformed into a mature Christian.  Then, with the help of God in his/her life, is able to roll through life more easily than the immature or doubters, who must clunk along through life, having to overcome the roughness of their own lives and worldly trials.  Of course, believers in Jesus Christ are the only ones who have the assurance of eternal salvation; unbelievers do not have this.

Titus 3:5-6 “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Copyright: Larry Helms & Kathy Helms; hsvisions.wordpress.com 2018; Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors and/or owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full clear credit is given to Larry & Kathy Helms; hsvisions.wordpress.com, with appropriate and specific direction to original content.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures quoted are NIV

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