COMFORT. v.7 God is close to guide and guard those who serve in Jesus' name. He is near to those who pray at home and in fellowship, sharing the same response to grace by thanking our Lord for the victories won and giving Him all the glory for the love He has shown. Love and faith exist in harmony, for through love, we can see all that genuine faith produces through intercessory prayers. Hearts are opened, and joy unfolds in lives that daily demonstrate the blessings God has given us for Jesus' sake.
Sharing faith must be accompanied by knowledge and a proper perspective on all we have in Christ. This can help believers feel refreshed, encouraged, and energized to move forward in faith without doubt. Acts of generosity and self-sacrificing love stir our emotions and intellect, which provide comfort. When our affections are touched by another person's love, care, and joy, our actions, attitudes, and influence can significantly impact others. The potential for good is limitless.
Joy. A person is happy because he or she is in the kingdom, not necessarily in the environment where he or she is found or where he or she is called to serve. How blessed is the assurance that someone with that characteristic is in the kingdom of heaven! The Spirit of God comforts us through His servants and provides a sense of relief that God’s grace is sufficient for our needs. We experience God’s blessings through them, allowing them to serve the Lord in ways that support us. The positive impact they have on others may prevail and benefit many. Such individuals will be discontented with everything that displeases God and is unlike Him. By His grace, God will satisfy that longing desire so that we can find contentment, even though nothing around us may change as far as we can see.
Kindness and forgiveness, even when undeserved, reflect Christ-like attitudes and demonstrate His mercy to the undeserving. When we extend mercy, He reveals more of His mercy to us by withholding what we deserve and instead blessing us. Someone who has undergone genuine divine cleansing develops a wholeness and loyalty toward God. When this is authentic, it leads to holiness, integrity, honesty, and spiritual insight to perceive the Lord by faith in our daily lives. People who promote peace, pray for peace, and, when possible, make peace between those who need to be reconciled are like our Lord Jesus Christ. He arranged for peace between us and God through the blood of His cross. Making peace may have a significant personal cost to the peacemaker.
Our joy becomes genuine when we keep and obey God's word and maintain devotional communication with Him. The joy that the Father and Son share due to their mutual love can also be ours when we love God and His people. There is true joy in extending sacrificial love and blessing others. When we choose to demonstrate unreserved love, our relationships transform from casual interactions to deep friendships. True joy transcends circumstances by fostering a consistent relationship and fellowship with the Lord. The joy of that daily communion forms a sacred connection that helps us maintain a balanced mind. Our thoughts will rise above our typical reactions to challenges, allowing us to perceive the hand of God at work in and through us. Ways to show practical love for others include listening to them, helping them, encouraging them, and providing assistance with whatever they need that we can offer. Jesus is our Lord, and as our Master, we serve Him as grateful servants who owe our very lives to Him. He is the supreme example of love and friendship because He chose to love us, die for us, and take us to live with Him forever. Consolation. A good servant of Jesus Christ lives with grace before his family members and fellow workplace workers and does "random acts of kindness" wherever possible. He also encourages others to do the same by affirming what they do with a smile, a spoken word, a pat on the shoulder, or a handshake. He may even write a note or send an email consistent with the principles of encouragement. Begin with encouragement: that makes people happy to work with you. Only expect others to do what you are willing to do yourself.
Authority in Christian leaders depends more on character than age. A leader is expected to be a model in what he says, does, has patience, and loves by showing the right spirit and attitude toward other people and demonstrating his faith, moral purity, and integrity. Respect has to be earned and comes through exemplary conduct and an exemplary attitude. To live Christ in our daily lives and be consistent involves preserving the whole person—body, soul, and spirit—as blameless. Godliness has to be worked at. It doesn't come by chance or wishful thinking. A godly servant of the Lord practices the word he preaches. The godly minister is not afraid to work and knows that suffering goes with godly living. His life is to be lived as a pattern for others in his manner of life and behavior. In spirit and love, he would show the love of God. What would I expect to see if I knew someone who lived near me claimed to be a Christian? I would watch to see if he lived consistently, not one who said one thing and did another, and considered me a bother to him. When I was outside, he would come over, and we could be friendly with one another as we passed the time of day. Then, I would pay attention to what he said and observe the kind of life he led. I would look for why he did what he did, and maybe learn that I should be looking ahead. His manner of life would assure me he had experienced this; there was in him a calmness and peace he would want me to have. When he told me forgiveness was God’s work, not his, that put value much higher than what we have. He appreciates God and all He gave, and tells me God loves me and wants to save me. He trusts his God with genuine faith; what he has is the real thing – he is not a fake. He conducts himself with a simple grace that crosses the fence and comes into my thoughts. It is up to one who encourages others to do the right things for the right reasons. Encouragement is never out of order. Many people must be encouraged daily to "keep on keeping on." Opportunities to do good should be taken advantage of each day. Saints are people who have been saved by God’s grace and set apart from sinful humanity to live their lives in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. When a lost soul awakened by God recognizes their need for deliverance from sin, and through the words of the Gospel comes to repent to God and places their faith in Christ alone for salvation, a genuine relief washes over the soul – this relief accompanies salvation. When a person has tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and has experienced the deliverance from sin linked to God’s saving grace, they no longer look back to see what the sinful world has to offer – they possess a satisfaction that comes with salvation.
When the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned as the Savior and Lord of a believer who has recently come to faith in Him, that person's heart is filled with gratitude for the One who gave Himself on the cross in their place. This appreciation for the Lord Jesus is evidence of the reality accompanying salvation. When the conversation shifts to discussing the Lord Jesus Christ, what He has done, and who He is, one does not attempt to change the subject but rather is eager to hear more about the Savior—such interest is a hallmark of salvation. Heartfelt. When someone hears about another person expressing interest in the Gospel and wishing to learn more about salvation, they feel glad and strive to lead the seeker to the Savior or find someone who can. This concern for others accompanies salvation. Whenever a new subject arises and interest grows in a believer who has come to faith in Christ, that person desires to learn more and better understand the ways of God. This desire to learn also accompanies salvation. When a concern arises that seems hard to understand or a problem comes with a question that is hard to answer, the Holy Spirit leads a believer to pray and seek answers from God; that longing for God accompanies salvation. When one hears of an acquaintance who is going through a hard time, perhaps in a hospital and in danger of dying, the hearer wants to help if possible and meet any needs they can. That love for others accompanies salvation. When a need is made known to a person and it is within their power to rise to the occasion and meet that need, there is a willingness to find out more information in order to assist – that involvement accompanies salvation. When discouragement sets in due to disappointments in a situation or with a person, and there is really no clear answer to the problem, the believer turns to the Lord and presents the situation to God, reinforcing that trust in God accompanies salvation. Even when it seems there is no answer to a prayerful request, and the concern continues indefinitely, there is a recognition that God knows, cares, and will respond in His own time, confirming that faith accompanies salvation.