Galatians Words ~ Word 2: Gospel

Our first word showed us that grace is Paul’s focus in the book of Galatians. Why? Because grace is at the heart of the gospel.

Here is Paul’s gospel message: Jesus Christ “gave himself for our sins to rescue [or deliver] us from this present evil age” (1:3). Paul tells us that Jesus did this “according to the will of God the Father” (1:3). We are “justified [made righteous, right with God] through faith in Christ alone” Not by rules or the law or anything we could do. Paul’s gospel is that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

In Galatians 1:6-7, Paul shares with us the problem the Galatians churches were facing and the reason why he wrote this letter.

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Let’s look a little deeper at what this problem consisted of. We will, of course, come across it again in more detail as we go through the book and our list of words.

I’m struck first by Paul saying the Galatians are ‘turning’ to a different gospel. The gospel Paul taught them is fully dependent on the grace of God. Paul is passionate about grace, and it is because of his own dramatic conversion from being a Jewish Pharisee to being a fully devoted follower of Christ. In Paul’s previous life he was dogmatic about observing the many laws of the Jewish code and traditions. So dogmatic that he persecuted those who claimed faith in Christ. But when he himself met Christ face-to-face and he experienced the grace of God through Christ, Paul completely turned from his old way of life to embrace fully the new creation he is in Christ.

Last Sunday we had a baptism service at our church. 3 adults and 10 kids publicly proclaimed their faith in Christ in the baptismal pool. As a part of our baptism practice, each person physically is turned around as they affirm that they have turned from their own way and from sin and have turned to God’s way and a life devoted to Christ. This is a physical, visual way of expressing our faith in Christ.  To Paul, when the Galatians believe what these false teachers are telling them, it is very much like turning away form Christ and the gospel of grace.

These false teachers are believed to be Jews who most likely traveled from Jerusalem. They are often known as Judaizers, because they tried to impose Jewish law and practices on the Gentile believers. They were seeking to subvert Paul’s authority and his teaching.

Their ‘different gospel’ was a mix of salvation by faith in Christ and by observance of Jewish ceremonies and practices. In other words, grace plus works in order to be justified before God. They taught that the Gentile believers must become Jewish (undergo circumcision) and practice their ceremonies (Sabbath and other holy days) and observe the rules of the law to fully follow God. The Galatian believers were Greek Gentiles who would not have known much about the Jewish laws and traditions, and thus were easily swayed by these Judaizers who sounded spiritual and knowledgeable. So, Paul writes to the Galatian churches to get them back on track with the gospel of grace alone. This will all play out throughout the letter. This problem in the Galatian churches with the Judaizers also will lead to the Jerusalem Council, which you can read about in Acts 15. The Jerusalem Council will settle for all the churches that salvation is by grace alone and Gentile believers do not need to be circumcised when they follow Christ.

Because of Paul’s own transformation and his passion for the gospel of grace, he is passionate in this letter to the Galatians, sharing his despair and frustration intensely with them. Yet also reminding them of how they came to believe in Jesus Christ as a result of the gospel of Grace. The gospel is the good news for all, and Paul calls the Judaizers message “a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all” – it has no good news in it! And this is the danger then and now when we try to add anything to the gospel of grace: It holds no good news, it sets aside the grace of God and makes a mockery of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (2:21), and it results in falling away from grace and alienating Christ (5:4). The gospel of grace helps us have a correct view of ourselves and of God. Justification is fully the grace of God. We belong to God’s family because of what Jesus did for us, not because of anything we do.

If you add anything to the gospel, you lose the gospel. The gospel is Jesus Christ alone – solus Christus.

If you would like to spend some time preparing for our next word, justified, which will be presented on Monday. I suggest reading Chapter 2. Our next five words actually come up in chapter two. Color code those words and circle them in your Scripture Journal or on the copy of Galatians you made. We are going to dive into  lots of theology with these words found in chapter 2, especially in 2:15-21. We are going to slowly go through this passage so that we fully understand Paul's use of the next five words.

If you really want to dig in, here's an idea: Using Galatians 2:15-21, try 'walking' through the passage. I have a quick tutorial explaining what that means here. This is a great passage, but Paul has filled it with so much deep truth that it can be difficult to figure out exactly what he is saying. See if following the steps to 'walk' through the passage helps you understand it better.

Share how you respond in the Words Challenge Facebook group. You can also share on social media using #galatianswords. 

Exploring Your Word in God's Word

 

Exploring Your Word in God's Word

For me, having a word of the year and living out intentions must be grounded in God's Word. That requires exploring my word and intentions in the Word of God. I do that in a number of ways:

• Doing a word study of my selected word. If my chosen word is one that is repeated throughout the Bible, such as peace or love, then doing a word study will produce a lot of verses to select from and my task is to narrow it down to those that support my reason for selecting that word. However, if my word is more of a concept then it will require more digging. This is the case for my word this year, RHYTHM.
• Another way to explore my word in God's Word is to study areas that support the intentions I have set for living out my word.
• I also will select a theme verse or passage to serve as a guide through the year with my word. So an in-depth study of that verse or passage will be an on-going practice through the year.
• Then there are spiritual practices that I can use to me grow spiritually through the year. The word I choose for a particular year can help determine which practices (also know as spiritual disciplines or sacred rhythms) to engage in and explore that year. For example if I've chosen a word, such as love, which by its nature biblically calls for action to others, I may want to engage in serving practices through the year and focus on active ways  of loving others. But I will also want to engage in practices that connect me with the love of God, like Bible study, prayer and meditation.

So this will serve as our guide this month:

• Today we will look at word studies in the Bible.
• 2/12 Creating Bible studies for our intentions.
• 2/19 Our theme verse or passage Bible study.
• 2/26 Determining spiritual practices to accompany our word.

Doing A Word Study With Your Word

I am a huge fan of word studies. In fact, the Words Challenges I do are basically devotions that come out of word studies. Every year I will do a number of word studies with my word of the year. This past summer when we did the Thessalonians Words Challenge I created a document to walk people through the steps of a word study. You can click on the picture of the document below to open the full three page document as a PDF. Feel free to print it out. Also visit the Bible Study Tips & Techniques page here on my blog for other study tutorials. You can also find it in the menu at the top of my site.

Having said all that I have about my enjoyment of word studies and doing them with my word of the year, I find it is not as easy for me this year. My word, rhythm, is not actually found in the Bible, rather it is a concept. It's not as easy to do a word study with a concept. But there are ways to accomplish the same thing.

1.  A search of modern translations and paraphrases may reveal your word. For example, my word is used in The Message Bible, which is a modern paraphrase, rather than a translation. In fact, my word is found in my theme verse in The Message. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

2.  You can use the synonyms of your word to see if any of those words  reveal verses that will help you live out your word. Some of the synonyms for my word are flow, movement, pulse, pace, routine, balance. They didn't really produce much either. Although when I did a search on 'movement' the following verse came up for the word 'move' and I feel it fits my word well.

"For in him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28. This verse has a sense of our life flowing with the rhythms of Christ. I may do more with that as the year progresses.

3. If searching for words does not result in much then it's time to search for concepts. We will get into this deeper next week when we explore creating Bible studies for our intentions, but let me give you a quick example of how I have started doing this. One of the ways I keep spiritually, emotionally and physically healthy is by maintaining a healthy rhythm of work and rest. Rest, for me, includes treating my body well, being creative, making space for downtime, and practicing Sabbath rest - dedicated time spent with the Lord. All of this is an on-going process that requires being intentional. The word 'rest' is also in my theme verse. While looking up the synonym words for my word I came upon the Greek word 'sunanapauomai'. It includes part of the word for rest used in Matthew 11:28 (anapauo). Sunanapauomai is a word made from the words 'sun' which means together and 'anapauo' which means to refresh or to rest. So, it is to refresh or take rest with someone. I ran across the following verses where Paul speaks of being refreshed by being with other people:

"[Pray]so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company." Romans 15:32

"...for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours." 1 Corinthians 16:18

"And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all." 2 Corinthians 7:13

"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people." Philemon verse 7

It would appear that Paul is telling us that part of the Lord's refreshing for us comes about through other Christ-followers. I was not looking for this. In fact, if I'm really honest, I usually am refreshed the most by solitude. But I sense in this that God may be calling me to embrace something different this year - to include others in some way in my time of rest. I did something this past summer that turned out to be quite fruitful. As I began preparing for the Thessalonians Words Challenge I also began a Zoom Bible study with a few other ladies going through the Thessalonian letters. It was very beneficial. So this year I want to go through another book and have asked a friend to journey through it with me. I need the accountability of another to keep going through the book to the end. And I need the companionship of another as we dig into the book and talk through its meaning and pray together. I often do so much study by myself, and I like being by myself, maybe too much sometimes - and maybe I have overdone being by myself throughout this pandemic. Now, this doesn't appear on my intentions list that I made last month, but maybe it should. It felt like a clear directive from the Lord. It can also give me more to study in the months ahead, looking at what the Bible says about being in community together, being encouraged by one another, etc.

Last year I made a video that walks through how to use the websites I use when doing a word study.

So, now we have a few ways to get us started in exploring our word of the year through God's Word: Do a word study, study synonyms of your word, study a concept. Again, we will explore studying concepts more next week when we explore creating Bible studies from our intentions.

If you have a word that you are struggling to find in the Bible or if you have any questions about any of the steps to doing a word study, please feel free to email me, marybrack@gmail.com. Or start a conversation in the Words Art & Faith Group on Facebook.

I hope you'll try doing a word study this week and see where God leads you!

Thessalonians Words ~ Day 31: Stand Firm

Day 31: Stand Firm

Today we end our words challenge through the books of Thessalonians with, not a word, but a phrase: Stand firm. These two words are a phrase that sums up Paul's hope for these young believers facing severe trials and sufferings, as well as his encouragement to them.

"For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 3:8

"So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." 2 Thessalonians 2:15

To stand firm is a metaphor Paul uses for perseverance. When he says to stand firm he means to be constant, to persevere, to remain steadfast, to continue on. This phrase is always connected with our faith in Christ. For it is only in the Lord that we have the ability to stand firm, to carry on despite our present circumstances. So often we witness or hear stories of people who have faced trials and ended up walking away from their faith in God as a result. Paul's concern for those who face trials is heard in his encouragement to stand firm, remain steadfast, grounded in your faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord will carry you through, if you just stand firm. Look at his use of this phrase in a few other passages.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come...because it is by faith you stand firm." 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 24.

Then in the book of Ephesians Paul gives insight into some of resources we have in Christ for standing firm:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Ephesians 6:10-18

I'm so glad you have joined me as we have journeyed through 1 & 2 Thessalonians these past 31 days. I have found studying these two books to be so refreshing and also encouraging. We have been facing such a great trial during this pandemic -  one that has caused great sorrow and loss of life. One that has, unfortunately, deepened the division in our nation, when it should have brought us closer together. One that continues on with full deadly force. Hopefully for you, as it has done for me, these letters of encouragement have helped you find the path to standing firm in the Lord.

I pray that your faith and hope in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, fueled by the Holy Spirit, have allowed Paul's words in these letters to be a model for you as we face trials and suffering, awaiting His Second Coming. May you believe in the love and joy He produces in you, by the presence and power of His Spirit, as you face suffering and trials. He has called you to be sanctified in Him, because to live a holy life pleases God. Use Paul's instructions for the return of Christ, that those in Him - asleep or awake- will be secure in Him on the Day of the Lord, to encourage each other to Christ's perseverance in the trying days we ourselves face. Christ died for us, so we can pray day and night, and thank God the Father for His indescribable gift of grace, enabling us in power with the hope of glory promised by Him who is worthy of all honor and glory and praise. His peace is at work in our hearts enabling us to stand firm in the strength of the Lord.

Thanks again for joining me in 31 Words of Thessalonians!

Thessalonians Words ~ Day 30: Peace

Day 30: Peace

Today's word is found in both of the ending prayers in Paul's letters to the Thessalonians.

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16 

Peace that the Bible speaks of is much more than the absence of war or conflict, as we often think of it.  It's more than calm and quiet, and deeper than the restoration of what is broken and painful - although it does include all of those things as well. In Hebrew the word for peace is Shalom. Shalom is a sense of well-being and fulfillment that comes from God and is dependent on His presence. Shalom is wholeness, prosperity, security and fullness of life that only comes as a result of a restored relationship with God. In Greek, the Hebrew word is translated eirene, it means to join or bind together that which has been separated, making it one again. We see this biblical peace of binding together that which was separated in the work of God the Father through His Son.

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus Christ}, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Colossians 1:19-20

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

God is the source and the giver of peace. Peace is God's nature. Paul's prayer for our sanctification in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 reflects God's desire for our ultimate wholeness and encourages us in our journey of sanctification - the process of becoming holy - whole. This is one of my favorite prayers in the New Testament. It gives a picture of God at work in our whole self, drawing every part of us to live out the holiness He desires in us. Yet reminding us that, ultimately, it is He who is faithful in accomplishing this, reminding us to remain connected and dependent on the God of Peace.

In the midst of any trials and suffering that come our way, we can have peace because the God of Peace will, at all times, bring us the peace of God. He is with us always and in all ways. We can approach Him and speak to Him at any time. In this we have the "peace that surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).

May the God of Peace enable you to know His peace in your heart today.

Thessalonians Words ~ Day 28: Hearts

Day 28: Hearts

"But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ." 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5

In the previous verses of this passage Paul had asked the Thessalonians to pray for his ministry of preaching the message of the Lord, that is would be fruitful, and that he and his disciples would be protected from those without faith who are intent on evil actions toward them. He now shifts his focus back to the Thessalonians and their obedience to the message of the Lord.

Paul now goes into showing the Thessalonians the "both/and" of sanctification - the on-going process  of becoming holy, of living out the salvation we have received from God.  I call it "both/and" because, as Paul will point out to us in this passage, becoming holy is a process that requires both the sovereign work of God and the human responsibility of obedience, will, and action.  Paul points to God's sovereignty in verse 3 saying, "The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." God is at work both in us and around us to enable us by His power to become the holy people He desires. Paul then points out in verse 4 that he is confident that "they are doing and will continue to do the things we command". It is our responsibility to live out the commands of Scripture that show us to be God's holy people. We exercise free-will and must choose obedience and action.

There is another passage from Paul in his letter to the Philippians that shows us this same "both/and" principle:

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Philippians 2:12-13

The 'therefore' at the beginning of the passage refers back to Philippians 2:5-11, where Paul has told us to have the same attitude as Christ and then went on to describe Christ's attitude of servant-hood, humility and obedience. As a result of Christ's example then we are to imitate Him and obey. How? By continuing to "work out" our salvation with reverence. We have received salvation from God as a free gift of His grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. So we don't have to work for that initial salvation. But our complete salvation is an on-going process of growing in holiness that is lived out by us in humility, obedience and reverence as we obey God's commands for holy living. Yet even in our obedience and action we are not left on our own to strive in our own power, "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.". God is at work in us, enabling us to have the will for obedience and to respond with action. So, Paul then, can say in verse 4 above, that it is "in the Lord" that he has confidence that they will obey.

Paul's confidence in the faithfulness of God and the obedient response he has witnessed in the Thessalonians, and his faith that they will continue in obedience leads him into a brief and spontaneous prayer in verse 5. "May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ." Let's walk through this verse to grasp its full meaning.

"May the Lord direct": The Greek word used here was a military term used of removing obstacles or clearing away the obstacles to make a direct route. It brings to mind Proverbs 3:5-6:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight."

What is it Paul is praying for the Lord to direct? Their hearts. The heart in biblical terms is not simply our emotions, as we often consider it today. It encompasses the emotions, the intellect, the feelings, and the will. It speaks of our whole inner being. Leon Morris says, "The prayer is that Christ will open up the way for the whole of the inner life...". So when we read verses about trusting the Lord with all your heart or loving the Lord with all your heart, remember that it is a call to do so with your whole being, with all that you are. 

What is Paul praying that God will direct their hearts toward? "God's love and Christ's perseverance". Again we must think in terms of "both/and". Paul's prayer is that God's love and Christ's perseverance, or endurance, would be produced in us. AND that God's love and Christ's perseverance would inspire us to love and persevere as well. 

The Lord will remove obstacles creating a straight path for His work in our hearts that we may know know His love and Christ's perseverance, that these would be produced in us so that we can then live them out. Ironically, for the Thessalonians and for us, the obstacles God does not often remove are trials and suffering. Instead those trials and suffering help us depend even more on God's loving faithfulness, motivated by Christ's example of obedience and perseverance, and inspired by the hope of the glory that is to come when He returns. 

Thessalonians Words ~ Day 27: Encourage

Day 27: Encourage

Although the theme of Paul's letters to the Thessalonians is often seen as teachings about the Second Coming of Christ, it appears that the underlying theme of encouragement may actually be the greater theme. Paul, throughout both letters, expresses his concern for how these young Christ followers are holding up under the pressure of severe trials and suffering. He sends Timothy to find out about them and to "strengthen and encourage" them in their faith (1 TH 3:2). Even in his teachings about the Second Coming of Christ or about how to live in the midst of suffering, Paul's words have less of a doctrinal sound and more of one of encouragement. He encourages them often in these letters to live holy lives with the hope of eternal glory as their motivation and encouragement. He urges them to use his letters to encourage them (1 TH 4:18) and implores them to make encouraging and building up each other a central part of their life together (1 TH 5:11).

Perhaps, though, one of the best ways I see Paul encouraging them is in His prayers for them:

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." 1 TH 3:12-13

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." 1 TH 5:23-24

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 TH 2:16-17

It was obvious that Paul had a deep affection for the Thessalonian believers, referring to himself in parental terms in his letters. He saw his role with them as gentle, encouraging and comforting. His prayers reflect his love and devotion to them, and his feelings of responsibility for nurturing, teaching and leading them. In his prayers we find it is God who will strengthen hearts, He will sanctify us and move in us to live out His goodness, and He is faithful in all that He promises to do. Repeatedly Paul's prayers are reminders to take encouragement that God is just and loving and His people will be found holy and blameless when Jesus comes again.

Thessalonians Words ~ Day 26: Glory

 Day 26: Glory

Throughout this passage we have looked at over the past few days, 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12, the word glory/glorified has appeared a number of times. The Bible tells us throughout, that the ultimate glory belongs to God. It is the call of His Holy people to bring Him glory through His Son Jesus Christ. And, by His grace, we share in His glory.

In our daily lives God's people are called to live holy lives that are expressed by attitudes and deeds prompted by their faith in God and revealing a goodness that reflects Christ. Those in the world see the lives that have been changed as a result of Christ's redemptive work and power in them, and this results in exalting God, giving Him glory. 

We have been created to bring glory to God.

"Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;

    no deeds can compare with yours.

All the nations you have made

    will come and worship before you, Lord;

    they will bring glory to your name.

For you are great and do marvelous deeds;

    you alone are God." Psalm 86:8-10

We are called to live holy lives as His holy people, that by our holy living Jesus will be revealed  in us and through us, bringing glory to God. Everything we do is to bring God glory.

"...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:10-11

On the day of the Lord, when He returns "from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels" (2 TH 1:7), all people, those who know God and those who don't, will see the greatness of His glory. On that day God will make all things right, bringing retribution and relief to those who have faced trouble in His name (2  Th 1:5-7), and He will be fully glorified in His holy people (2 TH 1:10). And we will glorified in Him. In the next chapter Paul will reiterate this and say that God called us through the gospel so that we "might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 TH 2:14).

"So when Jesus is revealed in His glory, He will be glorified in His people. We will not only see, but share, His glory...We will be radically and permanently changed, being transformed into His likeness. And in our transformation His glory will be seen in us, for we will glow forever with the glory of Christ, as indeed He glowed with the glory of His Father (John 14:13)." ~John Stott

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

    How unsearchable his judgments,

    and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

    Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God,

    that God should repay them?”

For from him and through him and for him are all things.

    To him be the glory forever! Amen."

Romans 11:33-36