Trust the Lord and wait for his help.\par Don’t be upset\par when bad people succeed.\par Don’t be upset\par when bad people make evil plans\par and their plans succeed.\par
This message is about a special time in the future. This message is about the end, and it will come true! \{It may seem like that time will never come.\} But be patient and wait for it. That time will come. It will not be late.
Jesus looked at the man. Jesus felt love for him. Jesus said, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have. Give the money to the poor people. You will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
When Jesus heard this, he said to the leader, “But there is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give the money to the poor people. You will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me!”
And what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like the people that hear God’s teaching with a good, honest heart. They obey God’s teaching and patiently make good fruit.
I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me. And the world will know that you loved these people the same as you loved me.
We teach wisdom to people that are mature. But this wisdom we teach is not from this world. It is not the wisdom of the rulers of this world. Those rulers are losing their power.
Epaphras also says hello. He is a servant of Jesus Christ. And he is from your group. He always prays for you. He prays that you will grow to be spiritually mature (perfect) and have everything that God wants for you.
We pray that God himself, the God of peace, will make you pure—belonging only to him. We pray that your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—will be kept safe and be without wrong when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.
We all make many mistakes. If there were a person who never said anything wrong, then that person would be perfect. A person like that would be able to control their whole body, too.
Yes, you will suffer for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He will make you strong. He will support you and keep you from falling. He is the God that gives all grace (kindness). He called you to share in his glory in Christ. That glory will continue forever.
But if a person does not have these things, then he cannot see clearly. That person is blind. He has forgotten that he was cleansed (forgiven) from his past sins.