1/14/2024
Turn with me to Proverbs 16:31-32. These are our verses to study and memorize this week.
Proverbs 16:31-33 A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness. 32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
Introduction
In the last 11 verses we have seen the contrasting ways that the mouth and words are used. We have seen the wisdom of God’s life-giving Word. We have also seen the deceptive, sinful words of the world that are a way of death. All of this has been given in the context of living life on the highway of the righteous and of dangers which would pull one off of it.
In our current verses we begin a new sub-section, but this overarching theme continues. Right away Proverbs 16:31 frames this next unit within the “way of righteousness.” Then 16:33, 17:3, and 17:5 all highlight God’s sovereignty and involvement in our lives. It is His way of righteousness which should guide our lives.
This next section of verses goes from Proverbs 16:31 to Proverbs 17:6. We can clearly see that these verses all go together by how they begin and end. They have very similarly themed bookend verses. Both Proverbs 16:31 and Proverbs 17:6 deal with old age, a crown, and glory. Within the verses of this section we will see the outcome of having stayed on that way of righteousness, along with further guidance to keep us on that track. Altogether Proverbs 16:31-17:6 guide us in finishing well on the way of righteousness.
So that is the big picture of where we are at and where we are going as we continue looking at “wisdom for living on the highway of the righteous.” Let’s take a look now at verses 31-32.
31 A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.
Signs of age are to be rejoiced over when they are indicators of having walked righteously before God.
In light of our context here in Proverbs 16:31, where we have just finished looking at a number of wicked ways of life which can seem right to people but in reality are ways of death, we now see that the way of righteousness preserves and helps one in living a full, rewarding, satisfied life. In contrast with wickedness leading to death, this verse tells us that having the gray head of old age is a crown of glory reflecting one who has been walking on the pathway of righteousness.
When we read this verse in the context and with the contrast in which it is written it makes perfect sense. This is not talking about the exceptions, nor is it to be taken as an unconditional promise here in this life. Yes, some wicked people do live into old age and seem to enjoy many pleasures and riches. Likewise, some righteous people do have their lives cut short—though their eternal life with God is of course untouched. But those exceptions are not the focus of this section. The focus is that old age is a crowning glory of having lived in the way of righteousness. Righteousness protects from many things that would cut short one’s life—just like wickedness does the opposite.
This matches the principles of what we saw back in Proverbs 10:27.
Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Because of this, we see that age is not something to be looked down upon. Rather, it should be viewed as a blessing from God and a crowning glory when we have walked in His way of righteousness. When we have walked that way we gain a wealth of wisdom that can be shared and used for the benefit of all. It is not a time to bemoan and complain about what we no longer have. It is a time to make the most of, to enjoy, and to share what we have learned. Our gray hair is a sign of the wisdom and experience that we have gotten through the length of time that we have faithfully persevered on God’s way of righteousness. It is a sign of our having avoided or learned from the dangerous, deceptive pitfalls that await on every side. Now we have the privilege of passing along God’s wisdom and sharing it with the next generations. It is much needed, and the lack of it being shared and accepted can be readily seen in the state of our current society. We need to get back to God’s wisdom here and see the glory of old age. We need to value and learn from the wisdom of those who have faithfully lived out their lives on the way of righteousness.
Our culture and world has a way of celebrating youth and beauty. But of what use is youth and beauty if it is wasted in the destructive ways of death of the world? Instead, we should celebrate the wisdom of those who have lived life well in God’s way of righteousness. They have the example and wisdom that is needed to be able to not squander the youth, beauty, strength, mind, and life that God is giving to us. They have the wisdom and experience of a lifetime of living for God to aid in helping us to apply the truth of God’s Word to our lives and situations. We do not need move stars, musicians, influencers, or politicians to be our role models. We need godly, wise old people!
Scriptural Example: In Scripture we see an example of this when Rehoboam became king after his father Solomon. The people of Israel came to him wanting a reprieve from the heavy taxes and burdens that Solomon had placed on them. Rehoboam was initially wise in seeking counsel from his father’s advisors. But then he also asked his peers and ended up following their foolish advice. He spoke harshly to the people and threatened to make their responsibilities to him much harder. Because of that he lost most of his kingdom. The northern ten tribes of Israel split off from Judah. (1 Kings 12:1-24)
If Rehoboam had but valued the wisdom in the gray hairs of those who had a lifetime of walking in the way of wisdom he would not have committed such a costly mistake. He would have followed their guidance and firmly established the whole kingdom under his authority. But it was not to be. Instead, we get to see the drastic consequences that can come from not appreciating and following the godly wisdom of those who have learned much from a lifetime of studying and living out the truths of God’s Word.
Proverb in Comparison: When we compare this proverb with the rest of Scripture we get to practically see what having this mindset should look like. Leviticus 19:32 gives us an interesting command that reinforces the honor and glory that the aged should receive from those younger than them.
Leviticus 19:32 ‘You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD.
In this chapter there are a lot of commands in the law of Moses that deal with how people were to relate to one another within society. It is in this chapter that the over-riding general command is given to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18). As part of that there was to be a respect, honor, and appreciation for the elderly. Within God’s design parents were to be diligently teaching their children God’s Word throughout the experiences of life (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Children were to honor their parents, as the ten commandments emphasized (Exodus 20:12). Beyond that, all of society was to stand up and honor the aged. Why? Because in the ideal reality they would have had the longest time to gain wisdom and to walk with God righteously. They would have had the most experience in life, in learning, and in leading. Without them the next generations would not even exist. With them the next generations could learn wisdom from both the mistakes and successes of the past.
Thus they were to be honored and respected in Israel. Ideally they would see the next generation’s need for their godly wisdom and would rejoice in sharing it.
Within the New Testament Scripture we see this pattern of honoring and teaching being commanded for us today. In 2 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul instructed Timothy on the future of God’s church.
2 Timothy 2:1-2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Faithful men are to entrust God’s Word and the ministry of God’s church to other faithful men who will continue that process to the succeeding generations. In many ways the health of the next generation of believers depends on how well this occurs. We are to value the wisdom of those who have gone before us faithfully walking in the way of righteousness. Then we are to teach the wisdom and righteousness of God’s Word to those coming after us. As the Great Commission lays out, we are to make disciples of all nations teaching them all that Jesus taught. It is to be an ongoing process, person to person and generation to generation. Peter also highlights this process in 1 Peter 5:1-5.
1 Peter 5:1-5 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
As we see in the earlier verses of this chapter God’s purpose in the church is to have multiple elders who carefully, lovingly, and faithfully shepherd the church. But that goes both ways. The command in verse 5 is for the younger men to be subject to the elders. The elders need to be good examples and lead faithfully, but the young also need to realize the wisdom that is present in those who have gained their gray hair in the way of righteousness. As Hebrews 5:14 puts it, “their senses” have been “trained to discern good and evil” through “practice.” Thus they should value learning from them.
This reality, though, does not stop with the official elders of the church or the young men. In Titus 2:1-8 we see a fuller picture of the church working together in these ways. Here the rest of the older men and all of the older women are also included in this ministry of teaching by example and personal instruction. Likewise, the younger women are pictured as needing this instruction.
Titus 2:1-8 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. 6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.
God’s design for the church includes this same perspective that we see here in Proverbs 16:31. We are not to dismiss those with gray hair as no longer productive in our society! No. We are to recognize the wealth of wisdom that their gray hair has brought them through years of walking in the way of righteousness. Because of that they are actually to be greatly prized. They have an exalted and essential role within the church and community that is needed. They are to be living as a continued example of godliness.
They are to be taking individuals under their wing and discipling them. They are to be teaching them what it means to live out the truth of God’s Word in the nitty-gritty reality of our culture and world situation. They are to be the real influencers and role models that we look up to and pursue.
Truth in Connection: So what does that mean practically for our lives now? It means we need to evaluate our own perspectives on age. If we are not highly valuing godly older people for the wisdom that they have from their lifetime of walking in the way of righteousness, then we need to change our perspective. God says that their age is a crown of glory to them. Thus they should be respected, appreciated, and sought after for the wisdom and benefit they have.
Additionally, if you find yourself getting into this category of having gray hairs with years of walking faithfully in the way of righteousness then do not discount what God’s Word says about you. You may be starting to go over the hill in aspects of your physical prime, but according to God’s Word you are gaining a crown of glory! You have the wisdom of life experience and the treasures of years of studying God’s Word. It is needed. So take a second look at your life. Do not ever let yourself start feeling useless and irrelevant to the church or society. Instead, look at the mission and purpose that God has for your life. Look for someone who is teachable. Make a disciple. Pass along your wisdom. Help them not repeat the mistakes that you did. Help them grow in faithfully following the Lord in the ways that you did and are doing it. Share the wisdom of what you have learned and what you are learning.
Beyond that, if you are younger—whether that is physically or spiritually—then work hard to seek out the wisdom of older men and women that you can learn from. Realize the importance that God places on this process. This is a big part of how He has planned for His church to continue, to grow, to be strong, and to faithfully accomplish His Great Commission purposes for us.
What does that look like? It will very from person to person with different personalities, jobs, and life situations. But the reality is we have to spend time with people to be discipled and to disciple them. Spend time with them at church. Ask them questions about the Bible and life. Seek their advice as things come up. Do things with them outside of church. Invite them to do things with you, or ask if you can do things with them—whether it is a hobby, or a ministry. By sharing life with one them you will be able to learn from them.
But it does not stop here. We very much need to benefit from the wisdom of those physically around us in our local church, but currently with books and technology we also have the blessing of being able to learn from others that we may never even meet. So be intentional to benefit from these opportunities as well. Listen to sermons and read the writings of other Christian believers who have lived out well the upcoming stages of life that you will be entering. Hear what they have to teach about God’s Word.
Another good idea is to read quality Christian biographies to learn wisdom from the lives of those who have lived faithfully in past generations. Sometimes the concrete examples of people’s lives can really help us in fleshing out what the Christian life looks like. We can learn from both their strengths and weaknesses. Read of people such as Robert Chapman, George Muller, Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, George Whitfield, William Wilberforce, John Newton, David Brainerd, Jim Elliot, Bruce Olsen, Zvi, Kaarlo Syvanto, John and Betty Stam, Susannah Wesley, Susannah Spurgeon, Fanny Crosby, Amy Carmichael, Isobel Kuhn, Corrie Ten Boom, etc.
As you read from them, learn from the wisdom that God gave to them over the many years of their faithful service to Him. See what they learned from lifetimes of serving, suffering and seeking the Lord. For truly indeed, A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness. None of them will be perfect. So we are not to idolize them, but we are to highly esteem them and learn from them. We should allow them and their lives to point us to growing more in our own following of Jesus faithfully.
As we do, they will teach us some lessons like the one that we see in the next proverb.
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
Restraint is better than being powerful. Internal self-control is better than external physical prowess and success.
With this verse we begin to look at what could be considered some examples of the wisdom that the wise are passing down to us. To end up having a crown of glory on our gray heads the first thing that we are told is that self-control is foundational to living on the way of righteousness. Being able to control our words, actions, and attitudes and to keep ourselves from responding in the emotions of the moment will affect everything else in life.
This character trait quality is the opposite of being a man of violence or of giving in to the enticements of the man of violence in verse 29. It is the opposite of the perverse man who is spreading strife and separating intimate friends in verse 28. It is the opposite of the man who gives vent to words of scorching fire in verse 27. It is the opposite of the man who is controlled by his physical desires and base appetites in verse 26. Being able to control ourselves from giving in to anger and other sinful desires of our natural flesh is absolutely essential to not walking in ways of life which may feel right, but which in reality are ways of death.
This proverb is the opposite of what our world tells us. To the world being mighty, capturing your goals, ruling over others, and having power is the apex of success. In Solomon’s day the reality of ever-present warfare between kingdoms would also have very much pushed back against this proverb. They would have celebrated the hero who won battles and captured cities—like David did. While there no doubt is much to be praised in the individual who could fight battles and conquer physical enemies when it was in the service of what was right and good our proverb tells us of something even better: self-control.
Scriptural Example: In one area of his life and reign Solomon exemplified this. With great self-control he was able to somehow avoid all out war with the surrounding countries while simultaneously expanding his control and influence to the greatest extent that Israel ever had. There was great peace and prosperity throughout his forty year reign which allowed the temple of God and his other building projects to all be safely completed. His great wisdom allowed him to make treaties, expand trade, and make alliances that prevented wars from occurring in his day. Indeed, the nations from around the world came to him for wisdom and advice (1 Kings 10:24).Truly that self-control and wisdom was much better than being physically mighty, fighting great wars, and capturing many cities. Unfortunately in other areas of his life he greatly lacked self-control and it became his spiritual downfall and failure.
Another set of examples of this proverb can be seen with Paul during his time in Philippi. Not very long into his ministry there we find Paul losing his temper and self-control with the demon-possessed slave girl who was hounding Paul and Silas. It is hard to know exactly what Paul should have done in that situation. In one sense it would be expected that casting out demons from people would be a good thing. And yet the text in Acts 16:18 specifically tells us that Paul only cast the demon out after he was greatly annoyed. Because of that he and Silas ended up being brought before the magistrates for losing the slave-girl’s masters the profit that they got from her spirit of divination. The crowd rose up against them and the magistrates had them brutally beaten with rods and thrown into jail.
What is interesting here is that it is at that point that Paul and Silas began showing great self-control. Maybe Paul learned a lesson from losing his temper and not doing things the best way! First, they did not protest their treatment. Oddly enough they did not proclaim their Roman citizenships and try to get out of the situation and get a fair trial. Then, when they were in prison they showed even more self-control. Even though they were bruised and bleeding they were singing and praising God in the prison. It takes great self-control to not let extreme pain and very hard circumstances to keep one from continuing to praise God and proclaim His Word! But that is exactly what they did.
After the earthquake their wise self-control continued as they did not rush to escape when the doors were sprung open. Instead, they reached out to help their enemy, the jailor. They kept him from hurting himself. Then they proclaimed the gospel to him and were used by God to save both his life and his eternal soul. Beyond that, they waited until the best time to exercise their prerogatives as Roman citizens. Before leaving they made the magistrates come and admit how they had unlawfully wronged them. In so doing they probably protected the fledgling church in Philippi from being bothered in the future by those magistrates. Any time they might have been tempted to harass Lydia, the jailer, or the other believers they would probably have remembered their past failure with those Christians which could have gotten them in great trouble with higher up Roman authorities if they heard about their lawless behavior. In the end it was indeed much better for Paul, Silas, and the rest of the believers when they exercised self-control. God used it to save and protect people.
An even greater example can be seen in Jesus. When He was in the garden of Gethsemane and the guards all came to arrest Him He could have called down those 12 legions of angels and decimated them. Yet, what did He do? Despite having just sweat great drops of blood in agony of the anticipated suffering He exercised the utmost self-control. He healed the ear of a wounded enemy. He protected His disciples so that they would not be arrested with Him. Then He willingly went as a lamb to the slaughter. In so doing He accomplished salvation for all of us down through history. How much better that was for us than Him simply being mighty or capturing a city!
His self-control, His power under control, brought eternal salvation to all those who believe in Him as their Lord and Savior. That is only possible because He willingly went to the cross, bore our sins upon Himself, went through everything on our behalf until God’s justice was satisfied, and died. Only after all of that, including the three days in the grave, did He rise from the dead. Even then He did not come back to the world with His fierce rod of iron to judge the nations. He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us and has been patient while all those that He is calling to Himself come to faith in Him. Only when every last one of His chosen people are saved from every nation, tribe, and tongue will He come back and exercise His full judgment. None that the Father has given to Him will be lost. What an amazing example of self-control each step of the way. With it everything was and is being accomplished in the right time and way. We should similarly trust God’s perfect plan and faithfully live for His purposes for our lives. We should not let our anger control us. We should live controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Proverb in Comparison: When we look to the rest of Scripture we see that self-control is emphasized time and again. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 highlights how Paul worked hard to have this kind of self-discipline in his life and ministry.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Paul saw his body, his very life, as a servant, as a slave, as a tool to accomplish a purpose. He was absolutely convinced that God’s purpose for His life was the perfect and right one. He was completely convinced that since God had saved him from his sin and the eternal damnation that he deserved in the lake of fire and then showered His unbelievable love, mercy, and grace on him that God deserved to be followed, served, praised, and loved with all his heart, soul, mind, and body.
So when God gave him a race to run, a ministry to complete, a service to render he took that seriously and dedicated himself to it wholeheartedly. He viewed his body and the way that he lived his life as a tool to accomplish that ministry. To best accomplish God’s purposes for his life he could not just give in to any desire, feeling, or whim that crossed his mind!
No, he needed to evaluate everything in light of his goal—yea, God’s goal—for his life. So he told himself “no!” when it would be better for the ministry to not do something. He did not let his bodily desires and feelings rule and run him. He worked hard against it knowing the powerful temptations of his flesh. He would not let his physical appetites control him. He would not let the fear of suffering make him run the other way. He would not let the fear and hardships of hard work and long hours and little sleep keep him from his purpose. No. He was dedicated to the cause of serving God in the ministry that God had laid out for him. Day by day he worked to keep his focus on Jesus. He disciplined himself to keep his mind on God’s commands to him and God’s purpose for his life. He was relentless in not giving his body room to drift away from that so that he would not ruin his testimony and fail in the ministry and service that God had set for him.
That is the essence of ruling over our spirits and having self-control on the way of righteousness. We must see God’s goal and purpose for our lives, God’s standards of right and wrong, God’s hatred of sin, and the breadth, length, depth, and height of the amazing, undeserved love of God for us personally in Jesus Christ. As we do, we will not live controlled by our misguided desires, our wrong fears, or sin. Rather, we will be controlled by our love of God, our fear of God, and righteousness.
This is what Paul prayed for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-21.
Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Paul prayed that they would be strengthened in the inner man through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. He wanted them to be trusting in Christ in their hearts, rooted and grounded in love, comprehending the utter extents of the love of God which is beyond full knowledge. As this happens they would be filled up to the fullness of God. They would be controlled, guided, helped by Him in everything. That is what happens when we know and trust Christ this way day by day. This is what happens when we are rooted and grounded in Him in love. We have this self-control, this Spirit control, this disciplined body which keeps us on the way of righteousness.
We can see this worked out in the church in Colosse in Colossians 2:1-5. Notice all of these same connections present. There Paul says:
Colossians 2:1-5 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
Paul prays and earnestly desires for them to have this love and knowledge of Christ. Why? Their stability of faith in Christ and good discipline is intimately connected to it. They had disciplined themselves to seeking, knowing, and walking with Christ. They knew His love, forgiveness, and purpose. As they kept their hearts and minds on Christ with His wisdom he knew they would continue firmly rooted and built up in Jesus as the following verses talk about.
This kind of self-control is also what Paul commanded Timothy to diligently teach and be an example of in 1 Timothy 4:7-16.
1 Timothy 4:7-16 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. 11 Prescribe and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. (cf. also 2 Timothy 1:6-10; 2 Peter 1:3-12)
Indeed, being slow to anger and ruling our spirits by the wisdom of God’s Word is of much more importance than physical might and the ability to capture a city. It protects our lives. It guides us in the way of righteousness. It leads others in the way of righteousness.
Truth in Connection: Given the priority of self-control on the path of righteousness, where are you at with it?
First of all, do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Unless you have trusted in Him for His payment of your sin then you are still a slave of sin. You will not be able to overcome it and walk in the way of righteousness. You will not be able to have this self-control. We need His forgiveness and life in us to be able to walk in His new way of life for us. If you find yourself continually failing, the reason may be that you do not know Him. You might know about Him, but not really know Him. You might not really have repented and surrendered to Him in faith for His love, forgiveness and salvation. Trust Him today.
The other possibility may be that you have not been walking in the reality of His love for you and in His wisdom, and in His power. We need to continue to set our eyes on Him and trust Him day by day for His promises and power. Are you seeing Christ as He really is? Are you seeing your sin and what He has saved you from and His love and His work on the cross for you as they really are? Are you daily taking up your cross and following Him? Are you seeing His infinite worth and the lies, dangers, and pitfalls of the pursuits and enticements of the world as they really are? Are you seeing God’s purpose for your life with the worth that it really is? Are you committed to pursuing that with every fiber of your being? View your body and life as a temple of God for Him to do with as is best. Get to know His love and purpose for you more clearly. Then you will be able to delight in serving Him and you will be motivated to discipline your body and be controlled by His Spirit rather than letting your anger and passions rule you.
Conclusion
If you have any questions on any of this or want help in coming to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior please come talk with us. We are available. Let’s pray.
© 2024, Kevin A. Dodge, All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
English (US) · 