HIS LIFE THAT FLOWS

Pure Joy and His Peace

Article 4 of 4: Understanding Biblical Faith and Truth

The Journey We Have Taken

In Article 1, we discovered that faith is not human achievement but God's gift - the Father's own faithfulness given to us through Jesus Christ. We learned that we are saved by grace through faith, that both grace and faith are gifts from God, and that we live BY faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.

In Article 2, we saw that truth is not information but a Person - Jesus Christ Himself, who is the way, the truth, and the life. We explored the two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Truth where God reigns in self-giving love, and the kingdom of lies where Satan rules in self-taking death. We learned that light and darkness cannot coexist, and that truth sets free while lies enslave.

In Article 3, we faced the hardest teaching: Self must die. We learned to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus. We saw that we were crucified with Christ, that our old self died, and that we are now alive to God in Christ Jesus. We discovered that we are branches connected to the vine, having no life of our own, completely dependent on Christ for everything.

Now we come to the fruit. What flows from a life built on the Father's faith? What characterizes those who walk in the Kingdom of Truth? What happens when self dies and Christ lives? The answer is stunning in its simplicity and profound in its implications: Joy and peace flow like rivers. Not as goals to achieve, not as feelings to manufacture, but as natural fruit that grows when we abide in Christ.

Let us see what Scripture says about the life that flows from death to self.

Part One: The Fruit of the Spirit

When self dies and Christ lives, something grows that self could never produce. Paul calls it the fruit of the Spirit:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-24)

Fruit, Not Works - The Crucial Distinction

Notice the word: Fruit. Not works. Not achievements. Not accomplishments. Fruit. This distinction is everything. Works are what we produce by effort. Fruit is what grows naturally when we are connected to the source of life.

You cannot work to produce fruit. You cannot try harder to make fruit appear. You cannot force fruit into existence. Fruit grows. Fruit develops. Fruit ripens. All you can do is remain connected to the vine, and fruit will naturally appear.

This is why Paul says 'the fruit of the Spirit' - singular, not plural. Not fruits, as if there were nine different things to achieve. Fruit - one life expressing itself in nine ways. When the Spirit lives in you, His life produces His fruit. Love flows. Joy bubbles up. Peace guards your heart. Patience endures. Kindness reaches out. Goodness acts. Faithfulness remains. Gentleness touches. Self-control masters.

And notice what Paul says next: 'Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.' Past tense. Already done. The flesh has been crucified. The old self is dead. And now, because self is crucified, the Spirit produces His fruit. Death to self leads to fruit of the Spirit. This is the order. We do not produce fruit in order to crucify self. We crucify self, and fruit naturally follows.

This brings immediate joy and lasting peace. We are not striving to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. We are abiding in Christ, and His nature expresses through us. The pressure is off. The burden is lifted. We rest, and fruit grows.

Joy - Not Happiness, But Christ's Own Joy

Joy is second in Paul's list, right after love. And this is fitting, because joy flows directly from love. When we are loved by God, know we are loved by God, and rest in God's love - joy is the natural result.

But what is joy? It is not happiness. Happiness depends on happenings - good circumstances produce happiness, bad circumstances remove it. Happiness is external, temporary, fragile. Joy is internal, permanent, unshakable. Joy does not depend on what is happening to us. Joy depends on who is living in us.

Jesus spoke about this joy:

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11)

'My joy' - Jesus' own joy. Not joy like Jesus had. Not joy that resembles His joy. His actual joy, transferred to us, placed in us, becoming ours. And not partial joy, not incomplete joy, but full joy. Joy that fills us completely.

Jesus said this right after teaching about the vine and branches. He taught that we have no life apart from Him, that we can do nothing without Him, that we must abide in Him to bear fruit. And then He said this truth produces His joy in us, and that joy will be full. Complete dependence on Christ does not lead to misery - it leads to joy. Full, overflowing, Christ's-own joy.

Jesus prayed to the Father about this joy:

"But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves." (John 17:13)

Jesus wanted His disciples to have His joy fulfilled - completed, made full, brought to fruition - in themselves. Not joy about Jesus. Not joy from following Jesus' teaching. Jesus' own joy living in them, expressing through them, filling them completely.

This is what happens when self dies and Christ lives. Christ's joy becomes our joy. His gladness becomes our gladness. His delight becomes our delight. Not because circumstances are perfect, but because He who is perfect lives in us. Not because everything is going well, but because He who is our everything is with us always.

Peace - The Peace That Surpasses Understanding

Peace is third in Paul's list of fruit. And like joy, peace is not what the world gives. The world's peace depends on the absence of problems. Biblical peace exists in the presence of problems because it rests on the presence of God.

Jesus said:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27)

'My peace' - Jesus' own peace. The peace Jesus had even when facing the cross. The peace that remained steady when the disciples fled. The peace that endured through betrayal, arrest, torture, and crucifixion. That peace is given to us. Not peace like His peace. His actual peace, placed in our hearts, becoming our peace.

And this peace is not as the world gives. The world gives temporary calm when circumstances align. Jesus gives permanent peace regardless of circumstances. The world's peace says, 'Do not be troubled because nothing bad is happening.' Jesus' peace says, 'Do not be troubled even though hard things are happening, because I am with you.'

Paul describes this peace:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

The peace of God surpasses understanding. This means you cannot explain it. You cannot manufacture it. You cannot work it up. It surpasses - goes beyond, transcends, exceeds - all understanding. How can you have peace when circumstances are difficult? It surpasses understanding. How can you rest when everything is uncertain? It surpasses understanding. This peace is not rational - it is supernatural. It is God's own peace guarding your heart and mind.

And notice - this peace guards. It stands watch. It protects. It keeps your heart from being overwhelmed and your mind from being consumed by anxiety. Not because you are strong, but because God's peace is a guard stationed at your heart and mind.

How do we access this peace? Not by striving, but by praying. Not by working harder, but by bringing our requests to God with thanksgiving. We do not generate peace - we receive peace. We do not create peace - peace is given. We do not maintain peace - peace guards us.

This is the life that flows when self dies. Joy that does not depend on circumstances. Peace that surpasses understanding. Not because we are trying to be joyful and peaceful, but because Christ lives in us, and His joy and peace are His nature expressing through us.

Part Two: Joy and Peace in the Midst of Suffering

The most remarkable aspect of Biblical joy and peace is that they exist not in spite of suffering, but somehow through suffering. This is impossible to natural human experience. We can be happy when things are good. We can be calm when life is peaceful. But joy in trials? Peace in tribulation? This is supernatural. This is the fruit of the Spirit. This is what flows when Christ is our life.

Paul's Testimony of Joy in Affliction

Paul experienced this reality and wrote about it constantly:

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

We rejoice IN our sufferings. Not after sufferings are over. Not despite sufferings. IN them. While they are happening. In the midst of the difficulty, we rejoice. This is not masochism. This is not pretending pain does not hurt. This is seeing something beyond the pain that produces joy even while the pain is present.

Why can we rejoice? Because we know suffering produces endurance. We know endurance produces character. We know character produces hope. And we know hope does not disappoint because God's love has been poured into our hearts. The suffering is real. But the love is more real. The pain is present. But the hope is certain. We can rejoice not because suffering is good, but because God is working through suffering to produce something eternally valuable.

Paul says it even more strongly to the Corinthians:

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

We do not lose heart. Not because life is easy. Not because suffering is light. But because while our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed. While the body weakens, the spirit strengthens. While circumstances deteriorate, character develops. While visible things decay, invisible realities grow.

And Paul calls affliction 'light' and 'momentary.' Was Paul's suffering light? He was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, stoned, and eventually martyred. But compared to the eternal weight of glory, even Paul's severe suffering was light and momentary. This is perspective. This is seeing with the eyes of faith. This is joy that rests not on present circumstances but on future certainty.

How do we maintain this perspective? We look not to things that are seen but to things that are unseen. The seen things are transient - they are passing away. The unseen things are eternal - they last forever. Faith sees what is invisible and knows it is more real than what is visible. And when faith sees true reality, joy and peace flow regardless of visible circumstances.

James: Count It All Joy

James begins his letter with a stunning command:

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

Count it ALL joy. Not some joy. Not a little joy. All joy. When you meet trials - not if, but when. Trials of various kinds - different types, different severities, different durations. Count them all joy.

This is not naive optimism. This is not pretending trials are pleasant. This is seeing beyond the trial to what God is producing through the trial. The testing of our faith produces steadfastness. And steadfastness, when it has its full effect, produces perfection and completeness - we lack nothing. The trial is painful. But the result is precious. And because we know the result is certain, we can have joy even in the trial.

This is supernatural. SELF cannot do this. SELF hates suffering. SELF avoids pain. SELF demands comfort. But when SELF is dead and Christ lives, something changes. We do not seek suffering. We do not enjoy pain. But we can have joy in trials because we see what God is doing through them. We can have peace in difficulty because we trust the Father's goodness. We can endure hardship because Christ is our strength.

Peter: Rejoicing With Inexpressible Joy

Peter, writing to suffering believers, says:

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory." (1 Peter 1:6-8)

They are grieved by trials - the pain is real. But they rejoice - the joy is also real. Both exist simultaneously. Grief and joy. Suffering and rejoicing. Pain and praise. How? Because the tested genuineness of faith is more precious than gold. Because trials prove that faith is real. Because suffering purifies and strengthens.

And notice what Peter says about their joy: inexpressible and filled with glory. They cannot put it into words. They cannot fully explain it. But it is real, it is present, and it is filled with glory - the very glory of God shining through suffering believers.

They have not seen Jesus, but they love Him. They do not see Him now, but they believe in Him. And through faith - through connection to the unseen Christ - they have joy that cannot be expressed and peace that cannot be explained. This is supernatural life. This is the fruit of the Spirit. This is what flows when self dies and Christ lives.

Part Three: The Abundant Life Jesus Promised

Jesus made a promise that sounds too good to be true:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

Abundant life. Not barely-getting-by life. Not just-enough life. Not surviving-until-heaven life. Abundant life. Overflowing life. Life to the full. Life that is truly life. This is what Jesus came to give. This is what flows when we abide in Him. This is the life characterized by joy and peace.

What Abundant Life Is Not

Before we see what abundant life is, we must clear away false ideas. Abundant life is not material prosperity. Jesus did not promise that following Him would make you wealthy. In fact, Jesus warned that in this world we would have tribulation.

Abundant life is not the absence of problems. Paul had abundant life while facing constant persecution. Peter had abundant life while suffering for the gospel. James had abundant life before he was martyred. Abundant life exists in the midst of problems, not in their absence.

Abundant life is not continuous happiness based on favorable circumstances. Happiness comes and goes with circumstances. Joy remains constant regardless of circumstances. Abundant life includes joy that transcends situations, not happiness that depends on them.

Abundant life is not self-fulfillment. The world says abundant life means achieving your dreams, reaching your potential, becoming your best self. But Jesus says abundant life comes through dying to self, not fulfilling self. Through losing your life, not finding yourself. Through denying self, not actualizing self.

What Abundant Life Is

Abundant life is Christ Himself living in you and through you. Jesus said, 'I am the life.' He did not say He gives life or shows the way to life. He IS life. And when He lives in you, His life becomes your life. That life - eternal life, resurrection life, the life of the age to come - is abundant life.

Abundant life means having everything you need, not everything you want. Paul said:

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

Every need supplied. Not every desire, not every wish, but every genuine need met from God's inexhaustible riches. This is abundance - not having excess for yourself, but having sufficient for every situation because God supplies.

Abundant life means being content in all circumstances. Paul wrote from prison:

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11-13)

Paul learned contentment. Not just when he had plenty, but also when he was in need. Not just when he abounded, but also when he was brought low. His contentment did not depend on circumstances. His contentment depended on Christ who strengthened him. This is abundant life - having Christ regardless of what else you have or do not have.

Abundant life means experiencing love, joy, and peace that cannot be taken away. Jesus said:

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you... Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." (John 15:11-12; 14:27)

Jesus' joy in us, made full. Jesus' love flowing through us to others. Jesus' peace given to us. This is abundant life - not abundant activity, not abundant possessions, but abundant experience of God Himself. His joy. His love. His peace. Living in us, flowing through us, filling us completely.

The Source: Rivers of Living Water

Jesus described abundant life using the image of rivers:

"On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."' Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive." (John 7:37-39)

Rivers of living water flowing from within. Not a trickle. Not occasional drops. Rivers - constant, abundant, overflowing. And these rivers are the Holy Spirit Himself living in believers and flowing through them.

This is abundant life. Not drawing from a limited reservoir of your own resources, but having rivers flowing from an unlimited source. Not managing your small supply carefully, but receiving continual overflow from God's infinite supply. Not rationing joy and peace as if they might run out, but experiencing them as rivers that never stop flowing.

Where do these rivers come from? From the Spirit. And where is the Spirit? In those who believe in Jesus, who come to Him and drink. The source is not in us - the source is Christ. We do not generate the rivers - we receive them. We do not produce living water - it flows through us from the One who is the source of life.

This is why abundant life comes after the death of self. Self tries to generate its own life and runs dry. Self tries to produce its own joy and fails. Self tries to create its own peace and cannot. But when self dies and Christ lives, rivers flow. Not because we are working harder, but because we have stopped trying to be the source and have become the channel. Not because we are strong, but because we are connected to the source of all strength.

This brings overflowing joy. We never run dry. This brings perfect peace. The supply never ends. This is abundant life - Christ in us, the hope of glory, the source of rivers that never stop flowing.

Part Four: Eternal Life - Not Someday, But Now

The final truth we must understand about the life that flows is this: Eternal life is not something that begins after we die. Eternal life is something we possess now, experience now, live from now. Eternal life is not duration - it is quality. It is the life of the age to come breaking into the present age. It is resurrection life available now through union with Christ.

What Is Eternal Life?

Jesus defined eternal life in His prayer to the Father:
"And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3)

Eternal life is knowing God. Not knowing about God - knowing God Himself. Not intellectual knowledge but relational knowledge. Not distant awareness but intimate communion. Eternal life is relationship with the Father through the Son by the Spirit.

And this knowing is present tense. This knowing is now. We do not wait until heaven to know God. We know Him now. We experience Him now. We have eternal life now because we have relationship with the eternal God now.

John writes:

"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:12-13)

Present tense: has life. Not will have life. Has life. Now. Currently. Already. If you have the Son, you have life - eternal life - right now. And John writes so that believers may KNOW they have eternal life. Not hope they might have it. Not wonder if they will get it. Know they have it. Present possession. Current reality.

Eternal Life Produces Eternal Joy and Peace

When you have eternal life now, you have eternal joy and eternal peace now. Not joy that depends on temporary circumstances. Not peace that requires perfect conditions. Eternal joy and eternal peace flowing from eternal life that comes from the eternal God.

This is why believers can have joy in suffering - because the joy is eternal, not temporal. This is why believers can have peace in tribulation - because the peace is eternal, not circumstantial. Eternal realities are not shaken by temporal events. Eternal life does not fear physical death. Eternal joy does not depend on temporary happiness. Eternal peace does not require current comfort.

Jesus said:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24)

Has passed from death to life. Past tense. Already happened. We are not waiting to pass from death to life at some future resurrection. We have already passed from death to life. We were dead. We are now alive. We had no life. We now have eternal life. This is present reality, not future hope.

And because we have passed from death to life, we experience life's characteristics now. Life brings joy. Life brings peace. Life brings love. Life brings freedom. Life brings abundance. Life brings every good thing. And because our life is eternal life - Christ Himself - these gifts are eternal, unshakable, certain.

Living From Eternal Perspective

Having eternal life now means living from eternal perspective now. This changes everything. Paul wrote:

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3)

You have been raised with Christ. Present reality. Therefore, seek things above. Set your mind above. Not as escape from earth, but as proper orientation toward reality. The things above are eternal. The things on earth are temporal. We seek what is eternal because we have eternal life. We set our minds on eternal things because we are eternal people living temporarily on earth.

And our life - our real life, our true life, our eternal life - is hidden with Christ in God. The most secure location possible. Not visible to the world. Not subject to earthly circumstances. Hidden with Christ in God. This brings joy - our life is secure. This brings peace - our life is hidden in the safest place. This brings confidence - our life cannot be touched by anything earthly because it is heavenly.

Peter writes:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:3-4)

We have been born again to a living hope. Not dead hope, not fading hope, but living hope. And we have an inheritance - imperishable, undefiled, unfading. Everything on earth perishes, becomes defiled, fades away. But our inheritance is eternal. It cannot perish. It cannot be corrupted. It cannot fade. And it is kept in heaven for us - secure, certain, guaranteed.

This eternal perspective produces joy that earthly losses cannot touch. This eternal perspective produces peace that earthly storms cannot disturb. We live from eternity while living in time. We possess eternal life while inhabiting mortal bodies. We experience heavenly reality while walking on earth. This is the life that flows when self dies and Christ lives.

Conclusion: The Life That Flows Forever

We have journeyed through four articles exploring Biblical faith and truth. We began with faith - discovering that faith is not human achievement but God's gift, the Father's own faithfulness given to us through Jesus Christ. We learned that we are saved by grace through faith, and that both grace and faith are gifts from God.

We explored truth - seeing that truth is not information but a Person, Jesus Christ Himself, who is the way, the truth, and the life. We understood that there are only two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Truth where God reigns in self-giving love, and the kingdom of lies where Satan rules in self-taking death. We learned that light and darkness cannot coexist, and that truth sets free while lies enslave.

We faced the hardest teaching - that self must die. We learned to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus. We saw that we were crucified with Christ, that our old self died, and that we are now alive to God in Christ Jesus. We discovered that we are branches connected to the vine, having no life of our own, completely dependent on Christ for everything.

And in this final article, we have seen the life that flows from death to self. We have discovered that joy and peace are not goals to achieve but fruit that grows when we abide in Christ. We have learned that we can have joy in suffering because our joy is Christ's own joy placed in us. We have understood that we can have peace in tribulation because our peace is God's own peace guarding us. We have seen that abundant life is not material prosperity but Christ Himself living in us and through us. And we have grasped that eternal life is not someday but now - present possession, current reality, the life of the age to come breaking into this present age.

The Complete Picture

Now we can see the complete picture. Faith in the Father's faithfulness leads us to the Truth who is Christ. Truth requires the death of self. The death of self releases the flow of Christ's life. And Christ's life brings joy, peace, and abundance that the world cannot give and circumstances cannot take away.

This is not religion. This is not morality. This is not self-improvement. This is the gospel - the good news that God has made a way for dead people to live, for enslaved people to be free, for anxious people to have peace, for sorrowful people to have joy. And the way is through faith in Christ, death to self, and life in the Spirit.

This is not complicated. A child can understand it. You cannot save yourself. You cannot improve yourself enough. You cannot generate the life, joy, and peace you need. But God can. And God has. Through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, according to the purpose of the Father. All you must do is receive what God freely gives. Believe what God has said. Trust who God is. Abide in Christ. And life flows.

The Final Invitation

We close these four articles with the same invitation we began with: Come to Christ. Not to religion. Not to rules. Not to rituals. To Christ Himself. Come with your doubts. Come with your failures. Come with your emptiness. Come with your thirst. Come with your hunger. Come just as you are, because Christ receives all who come to Him.

Jesus said:

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." (John 6:37)

If you come to Jesus, He will never cast you out. Not because you are good enough. Not because you have done enough. But because the Father is drawing you, and Jesus receives all whom the Father gives. This is grace. This is love. This is the gospel.

And when you come to Jesus, when you receive His gift of faith, when you enter the Kingdom of Truth, when you die to self and live in Christ - then you will know joy. Not happiness that depends on circumstances, but Jesus' own joy made full in you. Then you will know peace. Not calm that requires perfect conditions, but God's own peace guarding your heart and mind. Then you will know life. Not existence, but abundant life, eternal life, the life that is truly life.

This is not too good to be true. This is the gospel. This is what Jesus came to give. This is why He died and rose again. This is the life that flows from the Father through the Son by the Spirit. This is available to you right now. Not someday. Not when you get better. Not when you figure everything out. Now. Today. This moment.

Will you come? Will you believe? Will you receive? Will you let self die so Christ can live? Will you stop striving and start abiding? Will you stop trying to generate life and start receiving life? Will you transfer your trust from yourself to Christ, from your faithfulness to the Father's faithfulness, from your strength to His grace?

The invitation stands. The door is open. The Father is calling. The Son is welcoming. The Spirit is drawing. Come and drink from the rivers of living water. Come and rest in the Father's love. Come and discover joy unspeakable and peace beyond understanding. Come and live - really, truly, abundantly, eternally live.

The Benediction

May you know the Father's faithfulness that never fails. May you walk in the Truth who is Jesus Christ. May you die daily to self and live daily in Christ. May you abide in the vine and bear much fruit. May rivers of living water flow from within you. May Christ's joy be made full in you. May God's peace guard your heart and mind. May you experience abundant life - not someday, but now. May you live from eternity while living in time. And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever.

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13)

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)