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2:13You know, some of the greatest victories in human history happen in quiet places in the unseen realms. They happen there long before they are publicly manifested. For instance, think about Lord Cornwallis long before he surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown, basically guaranteeing the independent status of the United States of America. Before all that happened, a declaration of independence was quietly drawn up, and 56 men affirmed it with these words. Which I'm sure you all have heard.

3:04With a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. You see, without this victory of heart, without this victory of those who would come over, overcome the doubts, overcome the fears, and that resolve, that internal resolve, without this victory of the heart, there would be no United States. You know, and stewarding this freedom has been the subsequent history and challenge of the United States. I want to talk to you today about something far more important, an inheritance far greater than even the country that we have received. And that is that gift of God's grace in Christ Jesus. It is an inheritance. Now, how do you steward it? That becomes the subsequent history of your life. How do we live as heirs? How do we steward this inheritance? Last time we looked at the importance of receiving this inheritance by faith. Today I want to talk to you about the importance of stewarding it. You see, God's grace does something to a person. We saw this last time. It changed. A person from being the status of a slave to the elemental things of the world to the status of a son, an heir of all things.

4:44Look at verse 7. We'll pick it up there. Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God. Therefore, in light of everything that Paul has just been saying, therefore, you who are sons and have it, it's not about femininity or masculinity, it's about status. And if you are sons, then an heir through God. If you have the status of a son, that is heir, I mean, the status of a son, you also have the status of an heir of God's estate. So then the question becomes: what is this inheritance? And really, how do we steward it? What is this inheritance? Well, the inheritance is sonship. That's status.

5:39The promised blessing, you remember we've been going through this, is what Paul has been spending his time about, that promised blessing to Abraham. In you, all the nations will be blessed. In your seed, all of the nations will be blessed. It was in Abraham's seed, that is Christ. Whom all the nations would be blessed. There is no place of blessing outside of that. And you who are here today, who have put your faith in Jesus Christ, are part of that Abrahamic covenant. God made the promise to Abraham. God made the promise to his seed. That is Christ. And the whole constellation of all of those who would believe in him, Abraham was promised.

6:25It's sonship through him. He's just talked about adoption. There's two aspects of adoption that Paul's just been talking about. There's the present reality of adoption. Look back at verse 5, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons. First, present reality of being adopted into the family of Christ is redemption. He has redeemed us. Our sins have been taken care of. And look at verse 6. Because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7:10So there is the present reality. If you are in Christ, you have been adopted as a child. You have been redeemed, and the Spirit of His Son is in you. That's why we're constantly looking for Christ's likeness. Because if you've truly received Christ, You have received his spirit, and that spirit of sonship displays itself outwardly. But there is a future reality of adoption, and I won't spend much time on it, but I will read to you Romans 8:23 as Paul expands on this thought. Romans 8:23, and not only this, but we ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, awaiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. So there's a present reality of adoption. We have been redeemed. We have the Spirit. Our Spirit has been transformed. We are now children, heirs. But there is a future element and aspect, and that is the redemption of our body. When this body is transformed into a body that is ready for eternal habitation with God, that's the inheritance, the promised blessing to Abraham. In one word, sonship, heirship.

8:44How do we steward it? That's the second question. How do we steward this? Well, pretty simple. You live as an heir. If you are an heir of this grace, then you live as an heir. How do we live as an heir? Well, that's the topic of our message this morning. How do we live? In our text I read this morning, there are three characteristics of what living like an heir looks like. And that's what we're going to look at, these three characteristics, so that we will live as heirs. We want to steward this inheritance of grace by living as an heir, and so that is where we're going this morning. Three characteristics: an heir.

9:34First, an heir does not go back to the weak and worthless things. Look back at verse 8. However, at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no God. You know what? There was a time in your life when you didn't know God. And, of course, since you didn't know God, guess what? You lived a life ignorance of him. That's what Paul is reminding the Galatians. There was a time when you didn't know God, and so, of course, you lived in ignorance of him.

10:14You serve something other than God, but now, look what he says in verse 9. But now that you have come to know God, or rather be known by God, what he's saying is that at one Time you didn't know God, but now you have come to know God. Having met God calls for a whole different lifestyle than the one previously. Listen, your life never goes back to the way it was if you've truly met Christ. Having met God calls for a whole different life.

10:53And the word for no here, it's not just abstract knowledge. Like, okay, now you've heard some good theological statement about no. This is relational intimacy. And when he says that you have come to know, or rather, be known by God, it's almost like he's saying, or should I say, be known by God? He's talking about a relational intimacy. Now, now that you know God as Abba, Father, and God knows you through his Son by faith, there is an intimate relationship.

11:30He knows you as Son, and you know that He knows you as Son, and you know by faith that He delights in you as much as He delights in His Son. That changes a heart. I remember my time in Arkansas when I first realized this truth. I came to hear the word of the Lord really speak to my heart. In the winter, January or something like that, February. And I remember that spring. It's like everything just came alive to me in a fresh way. I remember walking to school and the sun shining, and walking from school, and the sun shining on my face, and I just felt the presence of God. I sensed His presence, that His favor was upon me in a way I had never realized before. That intimacy, like, God, I know you're my Father, and I know that you delight in me, and it has nothing to do with myself, but all in the goodness of who you are. And I remember that time, and you know what? It's been that way ever since. Even though, yes, there's ups and downs in the Christian life for sure, there is this sense.

12:50And then you can, my grades changed. I was on the honor roll from then out. I had a very different way of thinking about life and the way forward. That which previously held me in captivity to do wrong. I used to think it was cool to do wrong things. And then I met God, and then all of a sudden, that changed. I wanted to do what was right. And it was just a change in the heart.

13:20And that's what Paul is saying. Having met God, it calls for a whole different way of life. Look at, and that is not going back to your old. Life. Look back at verse 9. But now that you have come to know God, or rather be known by God, how is it that you turn back again? The Christian life isn't about going back to your way of life when you lived in ignorance of God. Having come to know God, it sets in your life a whole new agenda. And you don't go back. You don't want to go back.

13:57No, that ignorance isn't part of your new life. We are no longer children. We are no longer slaves. That's what Paul has been developing through all this section here. And in the context, a child. What is the child? There's a child and a slave, all under the air, under this inheritance. A son, while a child still is treated very much like a slave, even though he's heir of all things. But a child, who is a child in this context? Well, a child are those who think that all God wants out of you is legalistic conformity. That's childish thinking. To think that, yeah, what God wants is He just wants you to check a box. He wants something far more than that.

14:53A slave. What's a slave in context? Slave in this context are those who are still spooked by. The earthly superstitions, pagan paganism, who give into their fleshly indulgences, all that is slavery. And what Paul is saying: look, you are no longer slaves, you are no longer children, you're an heir. Now go and live like an heir, and an heir does not go back to the weak and worthless things of this world. I remember at that time when I came to Christ, I used to collect really horrible, awful music. I mean, head-banging, heavy metal, rock and roll. Could you picture Pastor Tom if you're that was me? Now I was a little younger then, but well, that just got me dizzy.

15:44But that was me. And something changed when I got saved. I mean, that desire was gone. I saw it for its weak, it's worthless at best. And quickly, things like that just changed. And I didn't know where they were. They were new impulses. They were something from above, that spirit of sonship that says, Abba, Father, ah, I know who you are, and I know that you know who I am. And it changed everything in my life. And I don't go back to that weak and worthless because I see them for what they are. Look at what he says. How is it that you? Go back, verse 9, again to the weak and worthless, to the elemental things to which you desire to be enslaved all over again. Why would you ever want to go back to the things that enslaved you in your state of ignorance? God calls you to know Him, and that is to change. Why would you want to serve the weak and worthless things of this life?

16:53And in context, the weak is probably a reference to that which it literally means lacks strength. The weak, in the context, shadows, types, rather than the substance and realities of truth. Maybe in the context to the law, there was never power in the ceremonies or rituals of the law in and of themselves, but to that to which they pointed to. And so the weak are the shadows and the types. We're to be done with the weak things because we have the reality in Jesus Christ and relationship with Him. The worthless. What is the worthless? Well, in context, the word literally means poor or valueless. It's superstitions, I would put it, as superstitions of God, superstitions of the spiritual realm. Look, you know God now. Now you are not to be spooked or brought into the superstitions.

18:00But he goes on in verse 10 and he gives an example of the weak and worthless. Verse 10, you observe days and months and seasons and years. You see, what Paul is doing here is he is warning the Galatians of a Jewish form of pagan bondage. In other words, there is something in the Galatian world. They were enslaved to those worthless things of pagan ceremonialism. But then these Judaizers come in and they change it all around and they put another veneer on the same kind of superstition. It had a Jewish veneer.

18:48Listen, friends, we need to beware of the new forms of the same bondage. And that's what Paul is warning them. Look, you can dress something up, but it can be the very same bondage. The Galatians had been enslaved to the elemental superstitions that were part of paganism, and now they were turning back again to the elemental superstitions this time associated with Judaism. And Paul is saying, beware of the same forms of the old bondage, of new forms of the old bondage.

19:31I'm going to tell a story about Miriam Johnson. She's not here, but I have this memory, and ordinarily I get permission for stuff like this. But since she's not here, I will go ahead. But I remember she came into my library. This is when I, by the way, Miriam Johnson, Pat's mother, one of the finest ladies that I've ever met. She is of the old school. I loved her. She was as fine of a woman. Well, she came into my library one day. If you go to the library, you see my bookshelves over there in our library for the seminary. Well, they have veneer on them. And I was happy to show her my library, and I take her in. I look at my library. You know what she said? All this veneer makes me sick.

20:29She loved wood. She was an antique. She loved solid wood. And the thought of chipboard or particle board or anything with a veneer on it, to use her terms, just made her sick. You were probably there that day, Pat. I don't know. But this is what Paul is saying. All this ritual superstition makes me sick. That's what he's saying. You can put the same You can create new forms of the same bondage, and we've done that throughout history.

21:07The law wasn't a tutor to another law or another set of circumstances, or another set of rituals. The law is a tutor to Christ. Paul is saying, How? By what reason would you ever do this? And then his mind goes, Look in verse 11: I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. All my labors have come up to no avail for nothing. My labors didn't produce God's desired effect of genuine conversion. That's what's going on in Paul's mind. I am fearing that your conversion is not real. That's the only explanation why anybody would go back to the weak and worthless things is because you never knew the true thing.

21:59You see, an heir does not go back to the weak and worthless. So, the first characteristic of living as an heir is not going back to the weak and worthless. Second, an heir does not shy away from proclaiming the truth. An heir of grace does not shy away from proclaiming the truth. The truth is our heritage. And in verses 12 through 16, 16, Paul describes this dramatic and, might I add, sad change in affections that the Galatians had for Paul. He went from a high to a low.

22:42And in the midst of this, I want you to see two reasons why an heir doesn't shy away from proclaiming the truth. First of all, look at verse 12. I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. That is the first reason that an heir does not shy away from proclaiming the truth. Because an heir is confident in the truth. An heir is confident in the truth. Listen to what Paul is saying. I beg of you. I am begging. I am pleading with you. Y'all become like me.

23:22What are you saying? You become like me because also I have become like y'all. And he's talking about in that faith alone category. Paul, if anybody had obeyed the law and knew what it was like to come under the law, he did. He's like, look, I have left that and I have become like you, Galatians, faith alone. And I'm calling you to be like me. I understand the thinking and rationale of the Judaizers. You need to become like me.

23:55You see, the Judaizers wanted the Galatians to become like them. Become Jewish proselytites. But here's the thing: God had purposed to save Gentiles as Gentiles, not make them become Jews. And so, notice what Paul says at the end of verse 12: You have done me no wrong. I beg of you to become like I am, for I have also become like you. You have done me no wrong. What's he saying there is that, look, what I am saying, the tone that I am speaking to you in, is not because you've done anything wrong to me.

24:40The tone is due to the dramatic affection change that you have had toward the truth, and I'm calling you on it because an heir loves the truth and proclaims the truth and is constantly calling people to the truth. That is what the heirs of grace do. Paul is a good example of such an heir of grace. But there's a second reason why an heir does not shy away from proclaiming the truth, and that is because an heir loves the truth more than personal glory. An heir loves the truth more than personal glory. Look at verse 13.

25:24But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time. And that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition, you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. You remember, we spent a good time early on looking at this verse. That's why I'm moving through it quickly here. You remember that Paul had, he arrived there in Galatia, or at the southern part of what is now modern-day Turkey, and he went into Galatia, probably because of some kind of bodily illness and a need to go up into Pisity and Antioch. Looked at all that on the map. But here's the point that Paul is making: I came to you with a bodily illness, and that's the reason the gospel first made its way into your realm. And that this trial in the body you didn't despise, you didn't treat with contempt, you didn't loathe, the word is spit out, you didn't spit me out, but you received me. And look at how he received them as an angel of God.

26:43Now, that's being welcomed to a very high degree as Christ himself. Look at that warm reception that Paul enjoyed, even though he was physically compromised. They welcomed him to the absolute highest degree. You know what all this is saying? Is that what happened in Galatia was a work of God. They loved the truth. They loved the beautiful truths that Paul was speaking, not the beautiful stature of the man. They loved the truth. It was a true work of God.

27:25And Paul, in verse 15, the second part, he goes on to give an example of that great affection they had for him. Look at verse 15. For I bear you witness that if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. This bodily illness that Paul had involved his eyes in some way. And they loved him so much that they would have gouged out their own eyes and given them to Paul. That's the kind of reception.

27:56What a high reception. And then, Paul, look at the beginning of verse 15. Where then is that sense of blessing you had? Where did that go? Where did this blessed relationship you have with the truth go? Where this joy? Where this happiness? Where has it gone? That's his question. Now, look at this discussion. Despised position that Paul comes into. Look at verse 16. So, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? Have I become your enemy now? Word for enemy, have I become the hated one?

28:46From an angel to a hated one, from being welcome as Jesus Christ Himself to being hated with passion. How does Paul go from one to the other? He says in verse 16, So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth. By telling you the truth. The reason this change had to do with Paul bringing the truth to bear on their lives. You see, telling the truth can be risky, can't it? Sometimes you have to risk things when you tell the truth. You see, many people shy away from declaring the truth because they love themselves more than the person who needs the truth.

29:40And friends, we're not called to live that way. What was happening is oftentimes people need to hear the truth of the gospel. They need to hear the disciplines of following Jesus. And sometimes we When you are called, you're the one called to proclaim that and declare it. Sometimes you can go from an esteemed position to an enemy. Welcome to gospel laboring. You see, the problem that many of us face is we want to be well thought of more than ministering the truth to somebody who needs it.

30:33An heir loves people, and an heir loves the truth, and an heir loves people by telling them the truth. Now, tact is important, of course. But Paul and his tact, I mean, he's calling them foolish. He is getting after it when the truth, it's truth, bringing to bear. They are going down a road that is taking away their joy, taking away their happiness, removing them from the truth, and returning them to that which is weak and worthless. And may the Lord give us more people who will stand and declare the truth, like Paul. Wow, these are the heirs of grace. And these are the ones who become the light for others, that they too may find hope in Jesus Christ, because the truth-bearers are not ashamed of the truth.

31:32An heir does not shy away from proclaiming the truth when it is needed. A third characteristic of living as an heir. An heir labors to see Christ's likeness formed in others. An heir labors to see Christ's likeness formed in others. In verses 17 through 20, Paul provides a look at what true gospel labor is all about. But first, he's going to contrast his motivations with those of the false teachers. Look at verse 17. They, speaking of the Judaizers, and the Judaizers as somebody who's trying to make Jews out of everyone, they eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

32:33Notice they are eagerly seeking. So this is a very aggressive group in outreach, but it's not for good. They're not seeking the Galatians commendably or for good purposes. Notice they want to shut you out. They want to exclude, cut off, that's the word. They want to shut you out. They want to act as The gatekeepers between you and God. I remember some days on the farm when I was really little, and my grandpa would come back, come home late in the evening, and sometimes he would bring a bag full of orange slices. Now, orange slices, those jelly things, you know, not like healthy food.

33:26And he would give it to my oldest brother to distribute. Kind of see a problem right there shaping up, right? And as my memory goes, which is my perception of reality, so I'm going with it. But my brother then would be the one who would give out those orange slices. And so I would make sure that I was close to him, following him around. He had the bag, and he controlled access to the orange slices. And so I was, until that bag was empty, I was making sure, that's not fair, you know, trying to get that access.

34:14He was kind of the gatekeeper to the orange slices. Well, that's what these Judaizers are wanting. And this is what all false teachers want. They want to be the gatekeepers between you and God so that you will seek them. That's the way. False religion. Always has been. A priesthood of some sort. That access you have to go through. They want to control, notice why, they want to shut you out so that you will seek them. They want to control access to God so that people will follow them around and make much out of them.

34:54This is what Jesus called the Pharisees on, saying, Look, you do all your deeds before people to be seen by men. Tying up heavy burdens, doing deeds to be noticed by men, loving the place of honor at banquets, chief seats in the synagogues, respectful greetings. This is all part of what Judaism was, and it's or the Judaism that Jesus dealt with, and certainly afterwards. You see, the false teachers were seeking to be sought. But a true heir, we're not about seeking to be sought.

35:47A true heir is interested in the well-being of others and the truth that bears and brings up this about. You see, for For Paul, the oracles of God were not given to create some sort of cast of gatekeepers. And so you're looking at Paul's life as an heir of blessing, as an heir of truth. What did he do? He doesn't seek to shut people out, but to connect them to the truth, connect them to the God of truth. That was the whole beautiful thing, element about the Abrahamic blessing. There was no priesthood, it was God meeting with Abraham, no mediators.

36:43Well, an heir freely gives what he or she has received. Well, we can learn something about gospel labor, and even here, gospel labor is not about making a name for yourself or anyone's. It's not about being sought after, as Paul goes on to show. Look at what he says in verse 18. But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you. So the Judaizers were seeking him, and Paul is saying it's not good to be, they're seeking you, but not for good. But then he says this, but I'm seeking you for your good. I am seeking you. It's good to be sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I'm present with you.

37:39See, Paul was genuinely devoted to them, genuinely devoted to their spiritual well-being, and not only when he was with them. They were very much still in his mind and heart, though he was not bodily present with them. And notice what he says in verse 20. But I could wish to be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. You see, he wanted to be with them so that they would understand his tone, that there wouldn't be problems with miscommunication. You know, sometimes it's hard to communicate thoughts and emotions and tones through email. Well, he had that problem a whole lot more by carrying letters. And so he wished he could be present with them, but couldn't. But all that is an indication of his seeking them. He loved them. He wanted them to connect with the truth. And he was laboring toward that end. And look at what he says in verse 19: My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.

38:51That's a mark of a true minister. That's a mark of an heir of grace. I am. I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you. In labor, I am once again in great birth pains, as in the throes of trying to bring something forward forth. And notice how he says, Again, again, I am going through this laboring among you. What is that again? What was the first time? Well, when he first preached the gospel, you remember all the things that they went through, the beatings, the effort. He was stoned, left for dead, and Lystra up there in Galatia. All that was his efforts to bring the truth to bear on their lives.

39:47But why was he, what was this labor? What was he bringing forth? Look at the phrase, until Christ is formed in you. Until Christ is shaped in you. Until you look like Christ. I'm going to keep laboring for you until Christ is formed in you. This is Paul's objective. This is what gospel labor is all about. It's about making disciples of all the nations. What is the goal of ministry? What is the goal of everything we're doing up here?

40:30Christ-likeness in you, in you, in you, in you, in you. That's what we're doing up here. Christ-likeness in you. That's the labor of ministry. Yes, we have to proclaim truth. Yes, we have to not shy away from proclaiming the truth. Christ's likeness begins by in those deep, quiet places of the heart, not going back to the weak and worthless things. But you yourself, choosing in those subtle moments to follow Christ and let God's Spirit form Christ's likeness in you. And that's what we labor for. That's what Paul is laboring for. It begins quietly.

41:18It is an effort that involves the truth. But it's what we do up here. Think about just the ministries we have up here. You can start listing them. I won't list them all, but think about those evangelistic labors. You might put pioneers, you might put First Fridays, you might put the Lighthouse, you might put various outreaches, you might even put PGM. You could put some that trying to bring the truth to those who don't know it. And that's labor. Why? So a person will come and put their faith in Jesus Christ. And many of those ministries go on to discipleship. Think about our services. Think about our Bible studies. Think about our home groups, our men's groups, our ladies' groups, our youth groups. Everything that is centered around to discipleship, which is aimed at Christ-likeness in you.

42:19And by the way, the world doesn't understand this about us. We're about Christ-likeness. And a lot of people that go to church don't really understand this either. We're about Christ-likeness, discipling, looking more and more like Christ, growing up. Some think we're a social society. Some think we're a political establishment. Some people think we're just a club. Some people think we're a humanitarian station. And maybe in some elements we interact with, but above all of that, we are a discipleship center. Christ-likeness. That's what we are about. The world doesn't understand it.

43:10Let me ask you, are you an heir of God's blessing today? If you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, I can tell you this much. There's not another time set on the calendar. There is not another event in history that will make you a son than faith in Jesus Christ. You do not enjoy the status of the son until you put your faith in Jesus Christ, and there isn't another event, there isn't another message you're going to hear. It's going to all center around Jesus Christ and calling you to put faith in him.

43:48What is the inheritance? Sonship. The benefits of such a status, redemption, now, the indwelling spirit of sonship, now, the future reality of the redemption of our bodies. He started out, Paul, in verse 7, therefore you are no longer a slave. The statement there is, you never are again, never again are you a slave, so you don't go back and live that way. You are to steward this heritage of grace. How? By living as an heir, by not going back to the weak and worthless things which were yours in your ignorance before you knew God.

44:39You do not shy away from proclaiming the truth, speaking the truth to your own soul. We're not afraid of the truth, and we're not afraid to share the truth. And we err. As an heir, we labor to see Christ's likeness formed in others and first in us. You see, the greatest victories in life happen in the unseen places in the heart. Long before there is victory seen on the battlefield that reshapes continents, there must be victory in the quiet recesses of your heart.

45:22Will you pledge your lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to following Christ no matter the cross? That's what he calls us for. See, the greatest victories that will show up later happen in the heart. And it happens, you know, in those times when your flesh seeks to indulge, and yet you choose to yield to Christ. That's where the victory happens. People aren't around to see that. When you're tempted to use people and you choose to serve them instead, that's where the quiet victory happens.

46:10When your guilt and shame compels you to blame others for your sin, to excuse yourself, or to deny God's standards, instead of that, you turn to Christ in humble repentance and faith. That's where victory happens. It happens when someone wrongs you. And you choose to love them. That's where victory happens. In the quiet recesses of the heart, and then it shows up. These are some of the greatest victories on planet Earth. And God is truly glorified when his people shine forth Christ's likeness in this sin-darkened world. And that's what gives hope.

47:04It's Christ's likeness in you that shows forth the hope of blessing of God's glory for others. And so I'm calling you today to walk in such victories. Win those victories in those quiet recesses of the heart. When you're tempted to hate and despise love and sacrifice, let Christ's likeness in you be your personal ambition. Settle that. I will follow Him. It's like saying, I pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ, to the glory of the Father for which He stands, so that all nations will come under His blessings.

47:56Let us pledge allegiance to Him and to His likeness, and let's Settle that in our hearts and then follow him and let God put on display whatever he chooses. But as for us, let our personal ambition be Christ-likeness. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for these truths. We thank you for a minister of grace such as Paul that so vividly embodies what it's like to be poured out for the gospel. Father, thank you for this testimony. Thank you for his example. Father, thank you for these truths. Thank you that you have warned us not to go back to the different forms of the old bondage, but you've really called us out of our ignorance into the realities, out of shadows into realities, out of superstitions into truth. So, Father, let all that shape us. We thank you for the work you've done in Christ. And may he be honored in our lives. In Jesus' name, amen.