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The Sum of the Christian Life: The Denial of Ourselves | John Calvin · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking, and this is the Deep Dive.
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We're the show where we take a stack of information, sift
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through it, and try to pull out the most helpful insights for
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you. You bring the sources, we bring
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the discussion, and hopefully together we get a clearer look
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at some fascinating concepts. Today we're really getting into
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a foundational idea within Christian thought.
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It's this concept of self denial.
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Our sources for this deep dive come from a classic work of
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Reformed theology. And for those maybe newer to
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this Reformed theology really emphasizes God's sovereignty,
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his ultimate control, and the authority of Scripture.
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So this work gives us a pretty robust view of what it means to,
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well, live the Christian life. Yes, it really does this
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material. It lays out a path you could say
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for ordering one's life according to God's design.
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It's quite comprehensive. So our mission today is to
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unpack these sources. We want to highlight the main
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points, consider what they mean for, you know, our understanding
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of faith, but also our daily conduct.
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We'll look at how this idea shapes our actions, certainly,
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but also our relationships and even how we view things like
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adversity and hardships. It's a whole framework, OK.
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Let's start right at the core. Then the source is open by
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stating that the initial principle, the starting point
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for Christian living, is this understanding that we are not
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our own masters but belong to God.
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That sounds simple, but what does it really unpack for us?
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Yeah, it does sound simple, but it's packed with meaning.
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This concept isn't just like an opening thought.
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It really serves as the very beginning of God's plan for how
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a person should order their entire life.
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It sets the stage for absolutely everything else that follows in
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the Christian walk. Think of it as the cornerstone
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upon which all genuine faith and practice are built.
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The source is actually a quote from Romans 12.1.
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It instructs believers to present their bodies to God as a
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living sacrifice, wholly and acceptable to Him.
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And notice it's a living sacrifice, not something dead or
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just ritualistic, but a living, active, daily surrender of
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oneself. This act is described as our
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lawful, our true worship. A living sacrifice.
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So not just Sunday morning, but every moment.
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Exactly. And what this means practically
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is that our entire being, every hidden thought, every word we
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speak, you know, our quiet meditations and every single
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action should be directed solely to God's glory.
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There's also a caution the sources give here.
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It's subtle but significant, a consecrated thing, something set
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apart for God like a believer. Well, it cannot be applied to
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common or worldly uses without causing injury to God Himself.
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Injury to God? How so?
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Well, think of it like taking something sacred from the
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temple, maybe a cup set aside for worship, and using it for
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just everyday stuff. It dishonors the one it was set
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apart for. It's a misuse of something
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dedicated. So when we unpack we are not our
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own. What does that really entail?
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It means our personal reason, our intellect, our own will.
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They shouldn't be the main forces swaying our plans or
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dictating our deeds. It's a real challenge to that
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modern idea of just being completely autonomous.
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You're right, sort of. I'm the captain of my soul idea.
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Precisely. We aren't supposed to just seek
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what seems convenient or pleasurable for ourselves
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according to our fleshly desires.
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Instead, the call is to strive to forget ourselves, to put
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aside our own agendas and everything we might think of as
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ours in terms of self-interest. Now, this isn't self hatred,
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it's a reorientation away from being self-centered.
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OK, so that's the not our own part.
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What about the other side? We are gods, right?
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Conversely, we are gods means our existence isn't primarily
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for us anymore. We are to live for Him,
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dedicating our life to His purposes, and even if necessary,
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die for Him if that's His call. His wisdom and His will should
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rule all our actions. Every part of our life should
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strive toward Him as the sole lawful goal.
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And there's a real liberation in understanding this deeply.
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It means taking dominion away from our own frankly flawed
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reason and yielding it entirely to God's perfect guidance.
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self-interest in this light isn't just a minor flaw.
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The sources call it a pestilence.
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A pestilence that's strong language.
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It is. It implies something
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destructive, something that leads to spiritual ruin.
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So salvation then is understood as being wise and nothing
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through oneself, willing nothing by one's own power, but instead
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simply following the leading of the Lord alone.
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That's the bedrock, according to these sources.
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That's a really powerful reorientation of, well,
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everything. If we grasp that that we're not
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our own, how does that translate into the first practical step?
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The sources talk about a departure from self.
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It's like more than just thinking about it.
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Oh, it's absolutely practical. The initial step on this path is
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indeed for a person to actively depart from himself.
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This means consciously moving away from a self-centered
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existence. Not just agreeing with the idea,
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but applying your entire ability, your strength, your
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capacity in the service of the Lord.
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And this service, it's broad, It's deeply internal.
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It's not just, you know, outward rule following.
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It involves the very turning of the mind itself, emptying of its
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carnal sense. That's its natural worldly way
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of thinking. It's default setting towards
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self preservation and getting ahead and turning it wholly to
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follow the leading of God's Spirit.
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And that's what Paul calls the renewal of the mind.
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Exactly that in Ephesians 4.23. It's like a spiritual
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reprogramming, you could say. And what's really insightful
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here is the clear distinction the sources draw between this
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Christian philosophy, this way of life, and say, the approaches
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of ancient philosophers, thinkers like the Stoics, for
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instance, they set up human reason alone as the ruling
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principle. They really trusted human reason
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to guide life, morality, ethics. Believing reason was enough on
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its own. Right.
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Sufficient for virtue, for tranquility.
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In stark contrast, Christian wisdom tells human reason to,
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well, give way, to submit itself, subject itself to the
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Holy Spirit. Now this isn't rejecting reason
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altogether, it's recognizing that human reason by itself is
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fallen, it's limited. It places a higher authority,
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the Holy Spirit, as the true guide.
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The goal is that the person themselves may no longer live,
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you know, according to that old self-centered nature, but rather
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that they hear Christ living and reigning within them.
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That's Galatians 2.20. It's a total reordering of
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internal authority from self reliant reason to Christ indwelt
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spirit LED living. It's quite radical compared to
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any human centered approach. OK, this shift from living by
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our own reason to living for Christ, it seems to naturally
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lead us to the next point. Once we get it, we belong to
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God, the things we want, the object of our desires starts to
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change. We move away from just pursuing
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our own stuff towards something else.
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How does that look? That's exactly the next logical
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step. The second point following from
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belonging to God is this seeking not the things that are ours,
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but those which are of the Lord's will and will serve to
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advance his glory. The sources actually describe
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this as a sign of great progress in the Christian life.
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When someone becomes almost forgetful of themselves,
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genuinely putting self concern 2nd and faithfully dedicating
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their energy, their zeal to God and his commands.
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It's a huge shift from that me first default.
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Leaving off self concern, that sounds like more than just a
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minor tweak in priorities. Oh, much more Scripture.
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When it bids us to do this, it's aiming to erase from our minds
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that constant yearning to possess the desire for power or
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authority, ambition for its own sake, and any craving for human
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glory or applause. These things the sources call
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themselves secret plagues. Secret plagues.
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Why Secret? Because they're often hidden,
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right? They can subtly undermine
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genuine devotion. They redirect our efforts back
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towards self even when we think we're doing good things.
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I mean, think about how often even today, acts of charity or,
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you know, social good can still be tainted by want to
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recognition or personal gain or just boosting our own image.
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These sources are calling that out.
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So a Christian therefore needs to be so disposed, so minded,
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that they feel deep down that it's with God they are dealing
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throughout their life in every situation, every decision.
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This means referring everything they have, all their
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circumstances, successes, failures, plans, struggles,
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referring it all to God's decision and judgement.
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They consciously align their entire intention of mind with
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Him. This helps, the sources say, to
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avoid vain thoughts, thoughts that are ultimately
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unproductive, self-serving or just contrary to God's purposes.
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And this denial of self, the kind Christ calls for, it
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tackles pride in those other things head on.
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Absolutely. It leaves no room for pride, for
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arrogance, showing off greed, or those other evils that spring
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from self love. The sources are very clear where
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this self denial is absent. One of two things happens.
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Either really foul vices just rage without shame, or even if
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there's some appearance of virtue, it's corrupted by a
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hidden desire for praise. And God is not pleased with
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that. He's displeased with those who
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just court popular opinion or are puffed up with pride.
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He declares they've already received their reward in this
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world, that superficial praise is all they'll get.
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And remember, Jesus said that harlots and publicans, those
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considered the worst sinners, are nearer to the Kingdom of
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heaven than the outwardly righteous but inwardly proud.
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We see that in Matthew. Wow.
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So the internal motivation is absolutely key.
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It's not just about looking good on the outside.
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Not at all. It's about the true source of
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the action. This reorientation seems like it
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would even change how we view very basic things like
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prosperity or just getting through daily life.
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Yeah. What does this look like when we
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think about our own convenience or seeking peace and quiet?
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It seems to flip our usual ideas of success upside down.
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It really does flip them. When seeking convenience or
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tranquility, believers are called to resign themselves and
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everything they possess completely to the Lord's will.
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This means allowing their desires to be well tamed,
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subjugated by Him. Their desires for comfort or
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ease or material gain aren't the ultimate goal.
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They're held loosely subject to God's design.
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They shouldn't desire or hope for, or even consider any way of
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prospering other than by the Lord's blessing.
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That's the key. And upon that divine blessing,
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they're to throw themselves safely and confidently without
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holding back. So total reliance on His
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blessing, not our own schemes. Exactly.
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And this deep trust, it prevents them from resorting to
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wickedness, or clever stratagems or evil arts, or just plain
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greed to get things. Instead, they pursue only
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innocent ways of doing things, knowing that God's blessing
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alone is what brings things to a happy outcome, even when there
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are obstacles. Without His blessing, any
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apparent success, any gain achieved through self-serving,
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means ultimately turns to misfortune.
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Why? Because God's curse rests on it.
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So true success from this viewpoint isn't measured by what
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you accumulate outwardly. It's measured by being aligned
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with God's will and receiving his blessing, which brings a
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kind of contentment that worldly success just can't replicate.
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But what about when things don't go well?
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When plans fall apart. Well, what's really compelling
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here is that even if things don't go as wished, if
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circumstances are tough or plans unravel, believers are
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restrained from impatience. Why?
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Because they know that everything riches, poverty,
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being despised, being honored, it's all dispensed by God's
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will. There's a deep peace that comes
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from recognizing God's sovereignty over all
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circumstances, even the unwelcome ones.
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So it prevents that bitterness or anger at circumstances.
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It should, yes. And when things do go well, the
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credit goes solely to God as the author, not to oneself, not to
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one's hard work or cleverness, or even what some call good luck
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or fortune. It shifts the source of praise
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completely away from self. Even in a lowest state, in
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difficult times, they bear it with greater calmness, greater
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equanimity than a worldly person might bear, even moderate
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success. They find solace, peace in
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knowing their affairs are ordained by the Lord.
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We see this beautifully in David's example in Psalm 131.
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He describes himself like a weaned child resting quietly in
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the Lord. His soul is quieted, at peace,
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not striving, not anxious, because he's placed his trust
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holy in God's ordering of his life.
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And that's a direct result of the self denial we're talking
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about. That brings us to Paul.
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The sources mention his letters, specifically Titus, for more
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detailed picture of what this self denial looks like in
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everyday practical life. Sounds like Paul gives us a kind
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of blueprint. He really does.
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Paul in Titus chapter 2 verses 11 to 14.
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He clarifies the practical shape of a well ordered life that
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flows from self renunciation. He says the grace of God has
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appeared, bringing salvation to all men, training us to renounce
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irreligion and worldly passions. Now let's unpack those terms a
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bit. The grace of God isn't just an
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idea. It's presented as an active
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force that teaches us, trains us.
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This grace brings salvation, and then it instructs us how to
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live. So grace isn't just forgiveness,
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it's also instruction. Right.
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It's transformative instruction, and it trains us to renounce
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ungodliness or irreligion. This isn't just about obvious
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superstition or extreme wickedness.
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It covers anything that fights against a genuine reverent fear
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of God. It could be apathy, irreverence,
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prioritizing anything above God. It's a lack of proper reverence.
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And then worldly passions. These are described as being
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similar to the passions of the flesh we read about elsewhere,
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first John Ephesians Sup and Peter Galatians.
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These are basically the desires, the cravings, the impulses that
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come from our unredeemed human nature, That carnal sense we
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talked about earlier. So renouncing them means putting
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off our old nature, denying what our natural reason and
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self-centered will dictate. It's that internal rewiring
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again leading to external change.
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OK, so after calling us to renounce those things, Paul lays
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out three key parts for this well ordered life.
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What are they and how do they connect?
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Yes, Paul boils down all the actions of life into three main
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categories. Soberness, righteousness, and
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godliness. Each is distinct, but they're
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all woven together. They create a holistic picture.
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Soberness, righteousness, godliness.
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Let's take them one by one. What's soberness?
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OK, soberness. It's broader than just avoiding
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alcohol. It includes chastity, temperance
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in all things, a pure and interestingly frugal use of
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temporal goods, meaning we're not driven by excess or
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consumerism. It also includes patients when
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facing poverty or difficult times times.
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Essentially, it's about self-control, moderation in
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every area of our physical and material life, resisting urges
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for indulgence or instant gratification, exercising sound
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judgement, all. Right, That's soberness.
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What about righteousness? Righteousness embraces all the
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duties of equity, making sure each person receives what's due
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to them. Romans 13.7 hints at this.
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This is really about our horizontal relationships, how we
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treat our neighbors, colleagues, even strangers.
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It involves honesty in business, fairness and how we judge
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situations, generosity in our interactions.
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It's about living justly within society, upholding what's fair
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and right, not just for ourselves but for everyone.
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And the third one, godliness. Godliness.
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This is the quality that connects believers in true
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holiness with God. It separates them from the
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world's ways, the world's iniquities, and aligns them with
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God's character and His will. This is our vertical
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relationship. It involves reverence, devotion,
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living life, consciously aware of His presence.
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It's about spiritual purity, prayer, worship, actively
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seeking to please Him in everything.
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Soberness, righteousness, godliness.
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And you said they're linked? Yes, by an inseparable bond, the
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sources say. Together they bring about a kind
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of complete perfection in the Christian life.
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You can't really have one without the others working
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properly. I mean, can you truly be godly
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if you're not righteous towards your neighbor?
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Probably not, because true godliness should overflow into
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just and loving actions. Can you be consistently
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righteous without soberness? Without self-control?
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Maybe outwardly for a bit, but that inner self-control often
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underpins consistent outward fairness.
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They really do depend on each other and.
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We'll keep someone going in this frankly demanding way of life.
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Ah, the motivation that comes from the hope of blessed
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immortality and looking forward to the future appearance of
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Christ. Our gaze isn't fixed on earthly
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rewards, but on the eternal reality, Christ himself, who
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gave himself to purify a people zealous for good deeds.
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He is the ultimate motivation, this future hope, looking
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forward to his return and our eternal destiny with Him.
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This is what helps believers persevere through trials.
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It helps them see themselves as pilgrims in this world, just
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passing through a really aspiring to heavenly glory,
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rather than getting consumed by earthly concerns.
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This hope allows them to untangle their minds from all
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the snares that might otherwise lead them off God's path.
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This sounds incredibly powerful for how we live personally,
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aligning ourselves with God's will.
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But what happens when this self denial bumps up against the,
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well, the messiness of human relationships, especially with
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people who might challenge our ability to love?
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How does self denial reshape those interactions?
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That's a critical area, isn't it?
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Because self denial isn't lived out in a vacuum.
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It absolutely impacts every relationship we have.
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Self denial directly attacks that natural human tendency
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towards self love, which remember the source, is called a
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deadly pestilence within us. This self love is identified as
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the root cause of so much conflict between people.
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It makes individuals proud. It leads them to despise others.
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It makes them meticulously hide their own flaws while at the
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same time exaggerating everyone else's faults.
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You're naturally blind to our own stuff, are we?
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Terribly so. Our minds naturally rush into
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self love, making each of us feel deep down maybe a bit
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superior, looking down on others.
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And the sources point out, when God gives us gifts, maybe
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intelligence, talent, resources, even just a pleasant
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personality, we can so easily become proud and ungrateful,
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acting as if these things came from us.
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Paul asks that really piercing question.
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First Corinthians 4.7. Who causes you to excel?
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If you've received all things, why do you boast as if they were
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not given to you? This is such a stark reminder.
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Everything good we have is a gift, so boasting just makes no
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sense. So what's the antidote to this
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pride, this self love in our relationships?
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The remedy proposed is to unremittingly examine our own
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faults, constantly, relentlessly.
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This fosters genuine humility. This process, this honest
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self-assessment, it leaves nothing to puff us up.
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Instead, it gives us plenty of reason to be brought low, to
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recognize our own limits, our own sinfulness.
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But conversely, it also teaches us to esteem and honor the gifts
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of God we see in other people, to give honor to those in whom
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God's gifts reside. We're also taught to overlook
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their faults. Now, this doesn't mean
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flattering them or pretending isn't sin, but it certainly
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means not reveling in their shortcomings or tearing down
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people we ought to cherish. So focus on my own flaws.
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I appreciate God's grace and others.
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Exactly. And this practice, this
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discipline perspective, leads us to treat everyone moderately,
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modestly, cordially, like a friend.
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True gentleness, the sources say, comes only from a heart
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imbued with lowliness and with reverence for others.
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It flows from that realistic view of self and a respectful
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view of others as fellow image bearers of God.
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That makes a lot of sense. And this mindset, this humility,
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recognizing God's gifts and others, it sounds like it
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prepares the ground for a very different kind of generosity, a
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really genuine way of helping people, maybe one that goes
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against our natural grain. Oh.
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Absolutely. It makes it possible to perform
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the genuine works of love precisely because you're
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renouncing yourself and giving yourself wholly to others.
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The sources put it quite bluntly.
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Quote, unless you give up all thought of self and so to speak,
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get out of yourself, you will accomplish nothing here.
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This means moving beyond just calculated acts of kindness or
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help that secretly serves your own reputation or makes you feel
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good about yourself. They point to 1st Corinthians
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13, the famous love chapter. Love is patient and kind, not
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jealous or boastful, is not envious or puffed up, does not
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seek its own, is not irritable. That core idea right there does
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not seek its own. That's what self denial makes
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possible. It's the real test of genuine
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love and generosity. And how does this view
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stewardship, the things God has given us?
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Well, Scripture warns that all the benefits we receive from God
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are time, talents, money, influence, whatever they're
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entrusted to us on the condition that they be applied to the
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common good of the church, the community of believers.
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So the lawful, the proper use of these benefits is in liberally
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and kindly sharing them with others.
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That's from first Peter 4.0. Christians are seen as stewards
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of God's gifts, not owners. We're accountable for how we use
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them to help our neighbor, and love is the only proper way to
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manage that stewardship. This means consciously
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subordinating your own advantage for the benefit of others, even
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when it's inconvenient or costly.
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The source is used an analogy for this right the human body.
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Yes, from First Corinthians 12, no member of the body acts just
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for its own private use. It pours itself out for the
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other members. The eye sees for the whole body.
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The hand works for the whole body.
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So whatever a godly person possesses or can do, they ought
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to use it for their brothers and sisters, with their mind focused
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on the common upbuilding of the church.
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This perspective also means that just because you've done 1 task,
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you don't feel free from other burdens or needs.
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Instead, each person considers themselves a debtor to their
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neighbors, limited only by their resources and by the rule of
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love, always looking for ways to serve.
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That's a profound view. Community of mutual
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responsibility. But let's face it, what about
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those those who seem, well, undeserving?
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People who actively provoke us, maybe treat us unjustly, curse
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us? How can self denial possibly
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shape those interactions? That feels like the toughest
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challenge. It is incredibly challenging,
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perhaps where self denial takes on an almost supernatural
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quality, because a Christian's love for their neighbors should
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not depend on that neighbors merit or perceived worthiness.
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Instead, it depends on looking upon the image of God in all
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men, the imago day. To that image, honor and love
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are due. It means every single human
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being, regardless of their actions, holds an inherent
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dignity and value because they bear some resemblance to their
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Creator. Now this image is noted even
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more carefully, the sources say, in members of the household of
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faith, where Christ's spirit has begun to renew it.
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That's Galatians 6.10. So the image of God is the key,
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even in someone who is acting horribly.
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Yes. Therefore, whatever person you
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meet who needs your help, you have no fundamental reason to
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refuse them. It's a universal call to
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compassion, grounded in creation.
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Even if someone has provoked you with unjust acts, with curses,
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this is no reason to stop embracing them in love and
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performing duties on their behalf.
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The sources point back to Jesus teachings in Matthew 6, Matthew
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18, Luke 17, reminding us of that radical call to forgiveness
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and persistent love, even towards enemies.
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But how? How do you look past the hurt,
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the injustice? The crucial point here is this.
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Instead of dwelling on the person's evil intention or their
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past wrongs against you, you are consciously to look upon the
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image of God in them. This divine image, the sources
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explain it, sort of cancels and effaces their transgressions in
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your sight. It changes your perspective,
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your response. It doesn't excuse their sin, but
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it alters your disposition towards them.
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This perspective is what draws believers to love and embrace
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them. It's presented as the only way
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to achieve what seems humanly difficult, maybe impossible.
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Loving those who hate us, repaying evil deeds with
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benefits, as Matthew 5 commands. It requires a strength that can
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only come from a self that has been denied and reoriented
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towards God's ways. It lets you see beyond the
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immediate offense to the deeper reality of shared humanity and
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respond out of divine love, not personal hurt.
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So there's a really important distinction here, isn't there?
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Not just what we do for others, but the heart behind it, how we
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do it. Sincerity seems paramount.
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Precisely right. True Christian love and
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helpfulness are absolutely distinguished from just going
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through the motions for mere outward acts, by their
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sincerity, their underlying intention.
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It's not enough to simply perform all the duties of love,
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you must do so from a sincere feeling of love.
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Why? Because outwardly generous acts
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can easily be corrupted by arrogance, maybe by subtly
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upgrading the person receiving help, or by an inner feeling of
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contempt or superiority. Like giving generously but
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making the person feel small or indebted.
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Exactly. Or boasting about your charity
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afterwards. That's not true love as
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described here. True help requires putting
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yourself in the place of the needy person, pitying their
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misfortune as if you were experiencing it yourself.
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True empathy. This empathy then leads to aid
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that's motivated by genuine mercy and humaneness, given
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without pride, without making the recipient feel like they now
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owe you something huge. It implies a recognition that
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helping others is almost like a payment of that which do.
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By the law of nature, it would be monstrous to refuse.
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It's seen as an inherent obligation, a natural act of
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human connection rooted in how we were made, not just a favor
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that creates a debt or establishes superiority.
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This makes the ACT flow naturally from a self denying
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heart, not just a grudging duty. OK, lastly, this deep dive shows
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how self denial really changes our response to life's
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difficulties, to suffering and adversity.
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It seems to offer different kind of inner stability amidst the
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storms, something the world maybe doesn't offer in the same
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way. Yes, and this is perhaps one of
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the most practical and comforting aspects of self
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denial. It leads believers to totally
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resign themselves to the Lord, to permit every part of their
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life to be governed by God's will, even the parts that feel
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harsh or painful. A mind composed like this, one
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that truly accepts God's sovereignty in its own place as
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his servant, it won't consider itself miserable in the ultimate
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sense. It won't complain about its law
24:48
with bitterness towards God no matter what happens.
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And this includes facing all sorts of adversity, serious
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illness, the disasters of war, natural calamities, the
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heartbreak of losing loved ones or sudden financial ruin.
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So instead of anger or despair. Instead of cursing life or
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reeling against God or accusing Him of being unjust, believers
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are called to look to God's kindness, His truly fatherly
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indulgence, trusting His larger plan even when it's completely
25:14
hidden from view. For instance, if family is lost,
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they won't cease to bless the Lord, trusting his grace remains
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and that He is still good somehow.
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If crops fail, they won't despair, but remain firm in
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trust, knowing they are under God's protection and He will
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provide what's needed. If afflicted by disease, they'll
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recall themselves to patience, to forbearance, by considering
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God's righteousness and even his gentleness and chastening
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understanding that suffering can strangely be part of His loving
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discipline. It offers a really
25:43
counterintuitive response rooted in deep trust.
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This. Perspective seems radically
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different from how many people might view hardship.
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What's the contrast of sources draw between this Christian
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approach and other ways of thinking about adversity?
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It's a powerful distinction they make.
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Whatever happens, those committed to self denial undergo
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it with a peaceful and, ideally, a grateful mind.
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Knowing it is ordained of God. They refused to stubbornly
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resist the command of him to whom they've surrendered
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everything. Now contrast this sharply with,
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say, Pagan philosophies that often attributed adversity to
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blind, unthinking fortune or fate.
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Just bad luck essentially. Right.
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For many Pagans like the Stoics, perhaps the best you could do is
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rationally accept what was beyond your control, because
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there wasn't really a moral agent behind it.
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Fortune was seen as blind, unthinking, wounding the good
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and the bad alike without reason or purpose.
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Their peace came from resignation to an impersonal,
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maybe indifferent fate. Christians, however, through the
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piety that comes from self denial, understand that God's
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hand alone is the judge and governor of Fortune.
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He deals out both good and I'll with most orderly justice, not
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with heedless random force. This means that even in what
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looks like chaos, there is an underlying divine order and
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purpose. And this understanding provides
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a much deeper peace, a deeper repose than any worldly success
27:02
or power could ever offer, because it's rooted in the
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character of a good and sovereign God, not just in a
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blind and different universe. This whole deep dive into self
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denial, starting from that bedrock truth, we belong to God.
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It really does offer a comprehensive framework for
27:16
living, doesn't it seems to reshape everything.
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Our minds, our desires, how we treat others, how we face
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hardship. It turns our usual understanding
27:23
of life inside out. Yes, it really does.
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It paints a very cohesive picture of a life centered not
27:29
on self, but focus squarely on God's glory and the genuine good
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of our neighbor. It gives clear principles for
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our conduct, yes, but also for finding real, substantial peace
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in all circumstances by recognizing God's hand in
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absolutely all of it. So here's something for you, our
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listener, to consider. If every single area of a
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believer's life is meant to be governed by God's will flowing
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from this principle of belonging to Him, how might a fuller grasp
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of this self denial reshape even the simplest daily choices you
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make? Think about how you spend your
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time, what you prioritize, even the quietest thoughts you allow
28:05
yourself to entertain. How might they change?
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Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into reformed
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thinking. We really hope this discussion
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has given you much to consider. Until next time, keep seeking to
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know and apply truth in every part of your living.