Gail B.

By spending time in the presence of God, reading his word and getting to know him, I believe the fruit will radiate from a believer. The trials of life will have a dramatic effect on one's character molding it into the likeness of Christ and developing as the Holy Spirit leads that person. The goodness of God leads all men to repentance. The Holy Spirit working through a wife with a good and godly character will draw that unsaved husband to Christ for salvation.

A Christian woman should dress with modesty and be that representative of God on this earth. If too much time, however, is spent pursuing clothing, jewelry and makeup, and this area is out of balance in a woman's life, other things will suffer. I believe that pursuing God will show forth God's glory from the inside, and we can still be attentive to the way we look keeping our spiritual and physical lives in balance.

Given that I have a lot to learn in this area, I believe submission is extremely difficult for those who were raised in a domineering and abusive family environment where a choice was not given. Now that my life is my own, or rather that my life is Christ's, I must live making choices in a Christlike manner. Christ has set the husband as head of the family whether or not he is a Christian or living a Christian life. Wisdom and knowledge of the word as well as yielding to the Holy Spirit will give the wife the ability to submit by choice to those things which are in line with righteousness and speak up in love and respect when they are not. There have been a few times when my refusal to submit have caused problems with my husband when I knew submitting would go against the check in my spirit. But I must admit that althoug during these times it was the will of God that I not submit, I also believe that I did not handle my choice in a very loving, respectful or kind manner. This is one of the areas where I know there is room for much improvement. And, there have been times when I have submitted not knowing the will of God and in the end God has blessed that submission and shown me a good end or result. I do believe that all wives should be very sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit when it comes to this area.

The word says that the power of sin over our lives has been broken. By renewal of our mind with the word, prayer and time in the presence of God, we will eventually see the fruit and evidence of that word come to pass in our lives. By the power of the Holy Spirit as we yield to the will of God as he works in our lives, we will crucify our carnal natures submitting to Him in all areas as we are sensitive to his leadings living righteously before Him.

Because my sins were laid on him at the cross/"tree" I cannot only come into the presence of a holy God but the sin that disconnected me from the life of God is now flowing. He has opened the prison doors and I all I had to do is walk out, walking in the newness of life. Adam may have sinned eating of the fruit of the "Tree" of Knowledge of Good and Evil, but through Jesus each of us can eat now of the fruit of the "Tree" of Life.

Adam's sin resulted in loss that only a spotless sacrifice could atone for. Jesus, the lamb, sent to suffer and die, paid the price for us to come back to the Father. I believe that my own sin which in fact weighs me down at times, caused much suffering to a pure and spotless savior as the separation from our Father caused him to be disconnected from the only source he had ever known. I believe that Jesus suffered and died because of his great love for the Father and love for us, knowing that this was the purpose for which he was sent and willingly surrendering to do the Father's will.

Since I have been saved I have believed that Jesus DIED personally for me, but I had never really contemplated that he SUFFERED personally for me before last week. As I watched the movie The Passion of the Christ and saw Jesus unmercifully beaten trying to walk the path to the cross and still being beaten, I sat in numbness of what my Lord had gone through and how they would not stop, and felt him speaking into my spirit "I did this for you." Only then did I realize and there are no words that can express.

As I read this passage again and the previous replies, I came to understand that I have been placing blame on a company for something that resulted in my circumstances and therefore suffering--but not in silence. When the circumstances occurred I had given over to the trust of my Father but as the weeks have passed, have placed blame. God is calling us to a higher level now. After seeing the movie The Passion last week and realizing that Christ did not ever complain, I turn aside from the ways I have had over the last few weeks, ask for forgiveness and go forward in silence trusting God for any suffering I may have. Thank you annk for the previous reply. I cried as I read your answer. I am a few weeks behind in this study, but I realize now, that is God's timetable that I should be here now. Isn't He wonderful? He never sleeps and his timing is perfect.

Being a housewife, I have not worked in over 22 years so I was not working when I was saved. However, injustice does not only occur in the workforce. Now that I am a Christian I realize that anytime we react to anything anyone does or says, we must evaluate our own heart and apply biblical principles-part of dying to the fleshly or carnal nature. Complaining only got the Israelites many years in the wilderness and I have learned this the hard way. I believe that the more you walk with Christ, the more you learn about what to allow in silence and what to say something about without a complaining or critical spirit.

We should be a people of excellence giving our all to any job God has given us while we are in this world. The respect we give to our employers and the good job we do will reflect the glory of God. God will honor us if we are respectful because of him to unkind and unsaved people.

God has placed all those in authority over us including those in government. We are to willingly and freely submit to their leadership as head because of that, obeying laws and living good lives. We are representatives of Him on this earth and when we are rebellious, we hurt his cause and are following the enemy thus giving the unsaved a cause for criticism.

How can the good deeds we commit by living openly as Christians increase God's praise. How does our "blending in" detract from God's praise? Living righteous lives and staying connected to the Vine allow our bodies to show forth the glory of God. Since we are now the light of the world, we should live our lives so that others may turn to the light that is in us. Blending in is part of the carnal nature which does not magnify Christ.

Peter is here warning us that we must be watchful of our own flesh which will bring death to our souls. If we fight temptation for the fleshly attitudes and actions, we will have life and peace. Anything carnal has no part in God.

One of the things Jesus prayed for in the gospel of John was for his body to be in unity, one with him and with the Father. Staying connected to our Lord and to other members and walking in unity with them means being in agreement, in one mind, so that our prayers will be answered and have power against the kingdom of darkness. Let there be no division and strife in the church. A love for others in the body of believers is an outpouring of the love God has placed in our hearts.

A heart full of thanksgiving, eyes focused on Him, ever seeking to know Him more, because He is all, resulting in living a life to bring glory to Him.