The Way Of LifeSample

A Permissional Culture        

Jesus modeled the ultimate culture of confrontation. That culture was matched and surpassed by the honor He gave to those around Him. Jesus was known for trusting people long before they deserved it. The examples are so many that it would be rather tiring to list them all. But one very notable example is with the demoniac referred to as the man of the Gadarenes (see Matt. 8:28-34). This man had so many demons that when Jesus cast them out into the pigs, 2,000 pigs committed suicide by drowning in the sea.       

You can tell how much God trusts you by considering what He has entrusted to you. In this case, the destinies of the cities in this region were placed under the responsibility of a man who had just been set free. How long has this man been delivered? An hour? Two? Long enough to put on clothes, which tells us in part the measure of his torment (see Mark 5:15).    

Apply

What has God entrusted to you for the purposes of transforming culture?

BIBLE 

• Matt. 8:28-34
• Mark 5:15