Romans 12:14-21 (#48.2026.05.24)

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:02

Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the Bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the Bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website@beholdingbibletruth.com and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:47

We watched the other night a movie by sight and sound. It's out on. Have you seen it? The Awakening. How many have seen the Awakening? Yeah, I thought it was really well done. Yes, really well done. George Whitfield and Ben Franklin and how they had a friendship and how that kind of worked in and through at the very beginning, as Whitefield's reading the scriptures, he goes for days in fasting, hoping to break sin in his life. And finally they grab him and they said, what? What are you doing? You cannot do this. You cannot do this by your own effort.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:28

And after that he, you know, he's baptized. And I'm not sure how the process is, but I know for everyone who's gone through that same thing, when grace opens your eyes and you realize it's not by works that you can do that. And remind me of Martin Luther who as he began to be convicted of his sin, even though he was a he, he was a monk for of many, many years, he would start to confess and rather than every day, he started to confess every hour. And then he started to confess every five minutes. And finally they said something, you know, stop, I can't, I can't take your confession all day long. But that was the recognition of how sinful he was. And then grace opened his eyes. And the amazing thing as you walk with the Lord is, is understanding that grace doesn't simply forgive us of our sin.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:27

Grace transforms us as individuals and as a people. Grace transforms us because the mystery of the gospel is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Who can figure that out? That the uncontainable stepped into a container, he became flesh and dwelt among us. But that then he would dwell in his people, that we would be literally the temple of God as individuals and as, as a collective unit. Right. We are each at a temple of God. That is just mind blowing. What are you doing in me, Lord? How can you be in me? And Romans is really about that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:13

How can we become the righteousness of God? Not just forgiven, but how can we become the righteousness of God? And that is a stunning revelation. And so we've looked at the doctrine, the foundation of the truth of that. And then he begins to show us in 12, what does it look like? What does it look like? And he said, it looks like surrender. It looks like you surrender, literally sacrifice yourself unto the Lord. And then he shows us, what should we see? What are the signs, right? What does it look like when you as an individual and we as a people surrender unto the Lord of grace, Right? He says it looks like, right? It looks like love. Looks like love. And it's grace filled love. It's grace filled love.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:12

As I said before, I grew up and the Beatles said all we need is love. But I'm not sure what they meant by love. And I'm not sure everybody's got a different picture of what does that mean. But Scripture tells us that God is love. Anything and everything that he does is love because that's who he is. And it's agape love. But he says our, our love, our grace filled love should be without hypocrisy. It should be sincere, right? It should be sincere and pure.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:42

So first he says, it transforms our worshipful service. Our worshipful service. One of my business coaches, the Mormon, and they have service two years. You have to go two years and serve, right? Serve. And the question is, why? What's it for? What are we earning? Well, it's duty, right? You carry out duty. But he's saying that's not the kind of service that being in Christ is. The picture is we literally surrender unto him as worship. So scripture says worship is not just what you do, right? And it's not only what you do.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:32

When you gather and sing and you gather or listen to scripture, fundamentally that's not worship. Worship is your I, I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies. You couldn't get another picture other than literally all of you, which is your spiritual service of worship. That's stunning, isn't it? And so worship together is only as filled as we are individually. And it, it, it's, it's, it's transforms what we do. And it's, I said it not only transforms our worshipful service, it transforms us, but it's a great reminder. It's the fruit of grace. It's the fruit of grace.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:20

That's how we're transformed. Otherwise, we think over this. There's a list of what we should do and be. That's not the case. We are to be transformed from the inside out. It is the fruit of grace. Jesus said, abide in me, for apart from me, you can do nothing if you abide me, right? You are. You are the branch, I'm the vine.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:48

Literally a picture of. Of life flowing in life, right? His life flowing in us. So he transforms us. That's the fruit of grace. And then next we're going to look at here. He transforms our relationships. Our relationships. Okay, well, now, here's where the rubber meets the road, right? Here's where the rubber meets the road.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:13

If only I didn't have to gather with other Christians, and if only I didn't have to go out into the world, it would be easier, right? The. The whole idea was, hey, if we build walls and then we gather inside the walls, that was the idea with monasteries, right? We go inside the walls. I'm guessing if you went inside the walls, you find the same thing you find outside the walls. Unless you, you know, you're literally by yourself and then you're battling with yourself the nature of a fallen world. So he's saying, here's what the fruit looks like in our relationships. First of all, he says, love. Let love be without hypocrisy. Then he says, bless those who persecute you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:58

Bless those who persecute you. Bless them. How about curse them? That's what you want to do, isn't it? That's in my nature. That's what I want to do. I want to curse them. What's it mean to curse them? What's it mean to curse them? You wish evil upon them, don't you? That doesn't mean it's a curse. Like, bring bad tidings upon them. Bring bad tidings upon them.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:32

Not so hard for most of us. Harder for the prisoners in North Africa. How would you. How do you bless those who persecute you? Literally. But he says, bless those. And so in Matthew, he says, you've heard. You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. That's hard enough.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:50

But he said, I say to you, love your enemies. What? Pray for those who persecute you. Why would I do that? So that. So that. Always pay attention. Purpose. So that. That's the arrow of purpose.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:10

So that you might be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he causes his son to rise on the evil and eat good. And he sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. So Then he says, for if you love those who love you, who. What reward do you have? Do you not. Do not even the tax collectors do the same. Thing about the Lord is he knows, doesn't he? He knows, he says, loving those who love you. What big deal.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:47

Where's Peter? Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead. What? That's fairly astounding, isn't it? I don't think there's anything in me would say we would be natural when somebody insults you to not insult them back. That there would be natural when somebody wants to hurt you is not want to hurt them back. But he's saying there is a. A nature of character, a part of God that makes him God. And it's. It's this. He says, do not return evil for evil, for you are called for this purpose.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:31

What? That you might inherit a blessing. You were called for this purpose to what? Not return evil for evil. Hard, isn't it? It's hard. You've never met my boss, Right? What's that? You are your boss. I am my boss. You've never met my boss. A hard man to work for, tell you that. No question about that, right? Not returning evil for evil.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:09

Crazy in a fallen world, isn't it? Crazy in a fallen world. But he's saying in Christ, grace filled love triumphs over persecution. Triumphs in persecution, triumphs through persecution. So that you can hoopoe stays, endure underneath, stand under, stand under, stand in, stand through persecution. That's astounding, isn't it? Who would do that? How can that be done? Grace filled love in Christ, it says also in the midst of that grace filled love produces humble unity and empathy. Unity and empathy. And so as you go through persecution from the outside world, as you operate together, he's saying we have the same, we have the same mind. Be unified.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:13

How, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. Right? He has this picture of blessing flowing down upon Aaron's robe. How good and unpleasant. How about how hard and how difficult it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. It's so hard. And of course today, today's world you could just. When you get hurt, you just pick up and go to another local congregation. Then you pick up and you go to another one.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:46

And then you pick up and you go to another one and you realize, oh, they're all broken. And you pick up and go to another one. Maybe you come back to the original one at some point you realize, oh, I met the enemy. And it be Me. It'd be me. He was. How long you been going to the chapel? How long have you been going to the chapel? 38. 38 years.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:12

And there's probably been about 50,000 reasons to leave, right? Of course. I mean, that's the reality. That's the reality. There's always reasons. Have you been hurt? Yeah. What do you mean, have I been hurt? How many times have you been hurt? Right. How many times have you been hurt? So dwelling together in unity. Dwelling together in unity is not easy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:36

So he's saying, enjoy, we should rejoice with one another. Enjoy. We should rejoice with one another. And I thought about, well, how is that? Why would that be difficult? Why. Why is he saying, that's the fruit. We're rejoicing when others rejoice. Then I thought, well, depending on where you are and the struggles that you're going through, it's hard to rejoice with others whose situations may not be as difficult as you. And so I thought, what is that? Well, that's envy, isn't it? What about their plot? Or what about over there? They're not having so bad.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:19

How come I'm going through this, right? It's easy to do that, isn't it? What about so and so? What about so and so? So he says, enjoy. And he reminds us that God has so composed the body. God has composed the body. He gives more abundant honor to some so that there's no division. One member suffers, all the members suffer with it. If one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. There's that sense that that's the importance. So you underlined God so composed the body.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:52

It's God's body. He lifts up one, he puts down another. He. So he's saying, enjoy, we should rejoice with one another. Same thing in sorrow. We should weep with those who weep. He's the God of all mercies. He's comforted you in any affliction so that we can comfort others.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:18

You've experienced the comfort of Almighty God. There's nothing like it. Because nobody can get into the place in your soul where you've been hurt, right? Nobody can bring the balm of comfort that God can over the wounds of life. People and situations have wounded us. We're all broken. We're all wounded, right? We all have past stuff, all been hurt deeply. God alone can bring comfort. God alone can bring comfort.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:49

And so we. We weep with one another. We encourage each other to go to the Lord for his peace and his comfort. He is The God of all comfort. What's that mean? There isn't any hurt that I can go through that he can't comfort me. He can't comfort me. So enjoy. We rejoice in sorrow.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:10

We weep. We seek by the power of God to slay pride. Six things which the Lord hates, yet seven which are an abomination to him. What's the first? Party eyes. Party eyes. Hands that shed innocent brother. The heart that devises wicked plan. Feet that run rapidly to evil.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:38

False witness who utters lies. And he who spreads strife among brothers. So it starts with pride, ends with division. Starts with pride, ends with division. Interestingly enough. And of course, over and over and over again in. In Proverbs, pride goes before destruction, right? Haughty spirit or destruction. The heart of man is haughty.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:06

Pride comes and dishonor. But with the humble is wisdom. A man's pride will bring him low. The boastful pride of life. Dang, that one's right. Pride in our. In the heart of man, isn't it in the heart of man? We see that picture of Satan in the Old Testament who sought to rise above the most high. Rise above the most high.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:39

So it's to. To see ourselves, to lift ourself. Starts with a heart. And then it's a look, a look down, a look down on others, right? So pride. Nebuchadnezzar had to learn pride seven years out in the backyard. And then it says, when his reason returned to him, he looked on high and he blessed most High, the King of heaven. He said, all his works are true and his ways are just, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride. And the first time I read that, I thought, oh, that's scary.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:16

Then I thought, wait a minute. That's a good thing. That's a promise from Almighty God. Because you can't overcome pride. You can't overcome your own pride. But he is able to overcome those who walk in pride. That's a great promise to me that God has his power. Can overcome the pride of my heart.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:36

Pride in my heart. That's Grace. That's Daniel 4:37. But he's saying, of course, pride is at the heart of disunity. Starts with boastful eyes. So he says, what does that look like? It's willingness to associate with those of lower status. Lower status. And at that time, it was.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:05

It was clearly marked by you were. You were a slave or you were slave or free. That was a demarcation, right? It's the nature of humans to demark what group am I in? What group are you in? And I'm not. You're not in my group. CS Lewis, in the Weight of Glory, wrote about the circle, the circle everybody wants to be in. Right? It's the circle you want to be in growing up. It's the circle you want to be in now. It's the circle you want to be a member of, included in.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:39

And then when you get in the circle, you don't want anybody else to get in the circle. We're free, Right? We're free for whom the sun sets. Free. We're free indeed. And we're. We're walking into that freedom. God's grace is setting us free. And these are all potential.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:59

We're all. We're all right. We're all former prisoners who've been set free. And now his grace is teaching us to walk into that freedom. Right? So James, Only James can do spirit of God through James. The man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes. There also comes a poor man in dirty clothes. You lay special attention to the one who's wearing the fine clothes.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:23

Really? Yeah. You say, sit here in a good place. You say the poor man stand over there. Sit down by my footstool. Have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? Boys. That one hit home, huh? That one hit home. And you. There are all sorts of ways.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:43

All sorts of ways within us where we do that, isn't it? We separate. You're. You're here. I'm here. Which meaning you're here. I'm here. You're here. I'm here.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:53

I am. You're not. Right? There's all of that going on. His grace, his overcoming. He who was rich became poor for our sakes. The Lord Jesus, who did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he emptied himself, taking on the form of a bond. Servant being made in the likeness of men being found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself by becoming obedient.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:25

Obedient to the point of death. Even death on the cross. So this is the Lord Jesus. This is God who stepped into flesh and took on our sin. That's the picture for us, isn't it? Grace is working out him in us is working out him in us. Aren't you glad he was willing to associate with those who are of lesser stature than him? He did not regard equality with God other than God's grace and kindness and mercy and favor and love and power and goodness. All of those things are Mind blowing. But the humility of God is mind blowing.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:10

The God of eternal power, eternally existent, right, creates creatures who reject him and in mercy he goes and rescues them. What is that? The humility. The humility of our God. It's, it's stunning. So he's saying his grace will allow us to willingly associate. So at the core of this, core of this, it comes back to what I talk about often and it's the essence of this study. It is, is sovereign rain tea, sovereignty overall. And the old time word is Providence.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:12

It's his sovereign rain tea overall and his providence. What does that mean? Well, I put down there providence. God is the sovereign and loving hand of God Almighty. God almighty as in there is none other and he is the almighty God. He actively governs every person, circumstance, suffering, injustice and event in life. This is stunningly difficult to embrace because there are the tabouts. What about, what about, what about these prisoners? What about. Right, all of that stuff? Right.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:57

But his governing is according to his perfect wisdom and his purpose, which is what for his glory and the ultimate good of his people. It's glory and ultimate good of his people. So is God sovereign overall? Is he sovereign over evil? Is he sovereign over Satan? Is he sovereign over man's will? Man's will? Is he sovereign over everything? If he's not, something is more sovereign than him. If he's not something more powerful than him. And if you have a hard time with his sovereignty and his providence, go to your mind and say, what if he's not ultimately sovereign, that means something or someone is more sovereign than he is. And go with that. Is that Satan? Satan is more sovereign than him. Man is more sovereign than him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:56

The weather is more sovereign than him. So I run to the core, run to the core, run to the core. When I don't understand, I don't understand his sovereignty. There are a lot of circumstances that are going to seem to counter that God is doing this with loving power and purpose. I don't get it, but I do trust it. So of course we had the great picture and the Old Testament where Joseph says, you meant it, you purposed it, planned it for evil. God, same word, by the way, same verb. You purpose, planned it for evil.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:42

God purpose, planned it for good. Who, who wins? Who wins? I mean that you just got to understand it. Were they actively with evil heart and evil intent toward Joseph working? Did they do evil against him? Yes. Was God sovereign over that? Does your mind say, I don't get it, I don't get it. But he said For a purpose. And he was able to see it. He said, I'm here for now. I'm here for now.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:16

We don't always see that. We do see. It worked out. Jesus said while being reviled, he did not revile in return. That's what we want to do. Right? Right. But. But he did not revile and return while suffering.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:33

Right. While suffering. He uttered no threats. I would have. Right. If I were the Son of God, I would have not only uttered threats, I'd have brought down the host of heaven. He uttered no threats. What did he do? He kept entrusting.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:55

He kept entrusting. That's an active, ongoing right design. And like he kept entrusting him, why the circumstances required he would need to keep entrusting himself. And Acts tells us it's by the sovereign predestined purpose and plan of God that the Lord Jesus was sacrificed by the hands of evil men who meant evil against him. So he shows us, entrust yourself to God. What's that mean? It's easy. No, it's impossible. It's impossible.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:40

It's literally impossible. So what do I do? I cry out to the One who did. I cry out to the One who did. He was tempted in all ways as you, yet without sin. But so he says, come boldly before the throne of grace that you may receive grace. Right? Mercy and grace to help in time of need. So I don't entrust myself by myself. I entrust myself to the One who entrusted himself, the Son who entrusted himself to the Father.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:21

Why is that important? Because we live in an evil world where evil's happening all the time. So if I'm not entrusting myself, it's God, it's not sovereign. If his providence doesn't rule over all, then how can I, how can I like, walk through injustice? How can I walk through injustice? So he says in Christ, as a result of this grace filled love triumphs over evil. Triumphs over evil. So he says, give careful thought. And the new American standard says, respect what is right. But it, it means be thoughtful, right? Be purposeful. And what does that mean? It says in First Peter, keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:19

I love when they say, the watching world is waiting for you. Yeah, it's waiting to do what? Slander you and what you do good. Right. That's what he says. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles. So that what's the purpose in the thing in which they slam to use evildoers? You're going to do good and be called evil. When the world. What is good is called evil, what is evil is called good, right? So on account of your good deeds.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:55

So he's saying, be thoughtful and be careful and think about what does that look like? What does that look like? So it would be walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. I have to remind myself in certain situations. I don't all of the time. I'm not here for me. I'm here as a representative, right? I'm here as a representative. I'm an ambassador. So they would observe them and they will glorify them when you do them. Is that what it says? As they observe them, they're going to say, good job, nice work.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:35

No, when are they going to glorify God in the. What's it say when the Lord shows up? When they, when they're standing before him or. So what does that mean along the way? Are they going to get a good job? No. So why do we have to trust in the sovereignty and providence of God? Because it's got to be right. His grace is the motivation to walk in a manner worthy of him in the midst of an evil world. And then he says, when you do this, you're going to be slandered. So he says, don't return evil for evil. It's always stunning to me and not there's anything wrong.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:21

I, I saw those bracing, you know, like, what would Jesus do? You wouldn't do what Jesus would do. He died for your sin, right? He would die for your sin. And when you. Everybody says, well, yeah, if you're, if you, if you be like Jesus, then people will. Well, they don't. They don't, do they? They didn't. The Lord lived perfectly. And what they do, they gratified him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:46

I mean, we understand that, right? It's not as if, oh, this is going to be great. And John Piper reminded me a number of years ago, we've lived in a bubble in America when it's positive to be a Christian, where it's positive in society to be a Christian, where it's positive to be a Christian. So now that's not so positive to be a Christian, right? And they write hard things about us and they say things about us. It's terrible persecution. But he said that was a bubble. Most of the world, it's not like that. And most of the time it's not like that either. For those, right? He said, if they persecuted me, though.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:28

Persecute you, if they hated me, they'll pay you same same way. So he said in that we need his grace because we're going to want to return evil free. He said, see that, see to it that no one repays another evil for evil because that's what you're going to want. So he's saying, okay, so what will it be like? He's saying, well, if possible. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live at peace. So far as it depends on you. Yes, so far it depends on me. What does that mean? That means you, you're gonna be.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:02

There are going to be situations where you can't be at peace so far as it depends on you. So we seek peace. We seek to be peacemakers. But fact is, it's not always going to be the case. That's. That's what he says. As if possible as so far as it depends on you. In other words, we're, we're, we're.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:26

It's not peace at all cost. In other words, it's not, it's not peace by, by us denying right the truth. It's not peace at all cost. And if you have a family, this one, you'll figure out it's hard to live, isn't it? It's very hard to live. So then he's saying, not evil for evil. Be a piece as kin. Then he says, oh, by the way, here's what you're going to want to do. You're going to want to get him back.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:58

So he says, do, do not avenge yourself. Do not avenge yourself. Those movies where they, they get them back. Doesn't that great? You just say like me think. Yeah, it's justice. No, not totally. Not totally. Not totally.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:23

Do not avenge yourself. Do not seek revenge and living gifts, it says, or bear a stretch. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh. I am Yahweh. Because it reminds us. It's not as if in, in some of those cases that vengeance, and this is think about righteous justice, that vengeance is not due. It's not that vengeance isn't due, it's just.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:50

It's not yours to do. See, vengeance is due. It's just not yours to do. Yes. Whose is it? Vengeance is the Lord's underline. Vengeance is the Lord. Vengeance. The Lord says, vengeance is mine.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:06

What does that mean? It's mine. Don't, don't, don't take my work. It's not your calling to avenge, which is righteous justice. And understand, in the end, everyone will get justice either at the cross or when they stand before the Lord, one or the other, either. They will. They will. Your every Offense. Every hurt against you will be paid for, will either be paid on the cross or it will be paid in eternity.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:44

So the Lord says, vengeance is mine. Leave it alone. Leave it alone. Think about righteous justice. He's saying, this is my bucket. Vengeance puts God's bucket. And then we want to wander in there. And so I have to take every hurt and put it into his bucket.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:10

Say, lord, this is yours. This is yours. Not easy, is it? That's why it requires grace. Grace. So he says, on the contrary. I love that phrase. He goes on there. He says, on the contrary.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:29

Well, of course, this is completely contrary. I love those Scriptures. So true. On the contrary. It's totally contrary. On the contrary. Christ is on the contrary. On the contrary to everything you feel.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:45

On the contrary to everything you think. On the contrary to what the world says, on the contrary. I love that. On the contrary. Jesus was saying, father, forgive them, but they know that what they're doing. I remember we were doing the choice, and I would say that line, and I thought, what? I mean, that's just what. While he's being crucified, he looks at them with mercy, says, father, forgive them, for they know not what they're doing. Stunning.

Scott Keffer [: 00:37:21

On the contrary. God is on the contrary, isn't he? He's on the contrary, does so. He says, you should meet their needs with God's grace. Meet their needs with God's grace. They're hungry. Feed them. They're thirsty. Give them water.

Scott Keffer [: 00:37:38

What he says, if you do, you will. What's the scripture say? You will keep burning coals upon their head, which give me one of two things that you will bring. Conviction leading to repentance. Conviction leading to repentance. That's one picture of burning coals upon the head. The other is there'll be greater judgment for them if they do not repent. There's two pictures when you respond with God's grace, either the kindness of the Lord will bring about repentance, or it will pile up the greater judgments when they are judged. So he finalizes this with a.

Scott Keffer [: 00:38:32

In case love would become too squishy, which is love without hypocrisy. This is graceful love. He finishes with military picture. A military picture. He says, do not be taken prisoner. Do not be subdued, do not be conquered. Do not be conquered by evil is literally the word. It's a military word.

Scott Keffer [: 00:39:00

It is to be victorious, to overcome, to prevail, to subdue. Well, it's just not the world. It's just not the evil right that's trying to Conquer us. We have an evil opponent. Evil opponent. And that evil opponent is there to do that stuff. To deceive, to accuse. I always forget that one.

Scott Keffer [: 00:39:33

That's the worst one. And to tempt. Satan has a world system. World system. He's the prince of the power of the air. He is not nicely opposing the Lord. He is literally, in military terms, in. In war against the Lord and his anointed.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:01

So he reminds us, greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world system. He was in the world system. And scripture reminds us that those who are deceived are being held captive by the evil one. They're in darkness. They're. They're deceived. They're being used by him and Jesus in. In the world.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:23

You're going to have tribulation, but take courage. I have overcome. I have conquered. This is a military term. I have conquered the world. I want a military Christianity. I kind of prefer the barca lounger or the lazy river. You know where we're now? We're cruising down the lazy river because I have all the benefits of Jesus.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:52

We're just cruising down the river. But the scripture reminds us, be strong in the Lord and strength of his might. Put on armor. Put on armor. So his grace allows us to armor up. He said, do. Don't be conquered. Don't be conquered by evil, but conquer evil.

Scott Keffer [: 00:41:18

Same same verb, conquer. Through Christ who loved us. Through Christ who loved us. The Old Testament says, lift up your heads, O gates. Think about. Think about the gates. Is. Is the symbol of power in a city, right? This is where the rulers says, lift up your heads, O gates.

Scott Keffer [: 00:41:42

Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in. Picture coming back from victory. The king of glory may come in. Who is the king of glory? The Lord. Yahweh, strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle. He says, lift up your gates. Be lifted up, O ancient doors.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:00

And then they ask, who is this king of glory? He says, yahweh of hosts is the king of glory. Yahweh of hosts, the commander of the mighty armies of heaven is the king of glory, the Lord of hosts, Yahweh of host. He is the king of glory. So we conquer. So conquer. We're in a. We're in a battle. So graceful.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:26

Love is to empower us to armor up. So he says, in all these things, we. We overwhelmingly conquer. Doesn't feel like that sometimes, does it? Doesn't feel like that. Doesn't feel strength. I don't feel right. But he's saying, right. Just remember, right.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:48

A broken reed, flickering flame. Christ brings strength. When I'm weak, then I am strong, right? Paul said, I'm going to boast about my weakness. I'm going to boast about my weakness in the grace shows up when you can't. The grace shows up when you're at the end of you. Otherwise you don't need grace. Grace shows up when there's nothing left. He said, through Christ we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us.

Scott Keffer [: 00:43:21

So he says, you have to be convinced, convinced for sure in my heart and depth that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to what? Separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. No separation. So we overwhelmingly conquer through Christ. We conquer through Christ. We endure and we conquer through Christ. Conquer. So he ends with this picture, starts with love, right? Love, love. But the love that is God's love without hypocrisy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:44:06

And he ends with this picture, this military picture of conquering. Do not let evil conquer you, but conquer evil through Christ who loved us all. Right. Grace filled. Love. What it looks like. Write down an insight. Question, Thought so.

Scott Keffer [: 00:44:27

Question, thought, insight, huh? So. May the Lord of hosts, sovereign providential God of all, may he bless you, may he keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance and grant you shalom. Deepen your soul to know that our God reigns every day, in all places, at all times. He reigns in power and authority and mercy and grace may sustain you and keep you always. Amen. Thanks for listening.

Scott Keffer [: 00:45:07

I hope you have greater hope, assurance and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ. Until next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time. May God bless you and keep you.