Believers with a Faith of High Mountains and Deep Valleys

Through the life of the apostle Paul, this passage deals with the spiritual crises and inner conflicts that people of faith go through. Before meeting Christ, Paul lived as a legalist, but after his conversion he gave up everything for the gospel and lived a life of bearing suffering. Yet he had to fight continually amid human weakness and the temptation of sin, acknowledging his shortcomings and depending on God's grace.

The sermon explains that in faith we experience both moments of fullness like a high mountain and moments of weakness like a deep valley. In particular, it emphasizes that we need the wisdom not to become proud when we are spiritually full, and to cry out to God when we fall into the valley of suffering. It also points out that to discern Satan's deception and false gospels, the leading of the Holy Spirit and an accurate understanding of the Bible are essential.

How should believers recognize the serious responsibility they bear, in that their words and actions can decide the life or death of a soul?