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Established November
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15, 2020
For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
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Colossians
3:18-25 (L 22)
Welcome back to HBS
where the Light of truth is always on.
Let’s refresh our memories.
“And let the
peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in
one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians
3:15-17).
Every saint in Christ
Jesus has “peace with God” and therefore “have the peace of
God.” This is in regard to their
relationship to God the Father that is expressed elsewhere as “justification.”
Justification is the divine act
of making someone right with God; all their sins have been deleted. It’s just as though they had never
sinned. This takes place when God
declares those who place their faith in Christ to be righteous (2 Corinthians
5:21). In other words, the Lord Jesus
Christ became our substitute on the cross so that we could be made “just”
or right with God through Christ, through faith. Because of His righteousness before God the
Father we “have peace with God.”
“Therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God”
(Romans 5:1-2).
“But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by
his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not
only so,
but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we
have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:8-11).
Because of justification
we are no longer considered enemies of God; we are known instead as His beloved
children; co-heirs with Christ. We’re no
longer under divine judgment and wrath, as Believers positioned in Christ, we now
stand in the never ending flow of God’s Grace.
So then, it is “the peace of God” that is to “rule in our
hearts.” Since this is true, Paul is
saying it ought to affect every thought, word, and deed or how we interact with
one another and those currently outside of Christ.
Paul closed this
section of scripture with this summary statement:
“And whatsoever
ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (3:17)
He Paul presents the
recipe for Christ-like living. This
Bible verse ought to guide our every thought, word, and deed. This is one of the beneficial aspects produced
by “the word of Christ dwelling in you richly in all
wisdom;” That being the case,
Paul said if what you’re doing glorifies God, then it’s the right thing to
do. On the other hand, if what you’re
about to do dishonors God and your testimony, then flee from it:
“Whether therefore
ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Give none offence, neither to the
Jews, nor to the Gentiles (nations), nor to the church
of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit,
but the profit of
many (to what end), that they may be saved” (1
Corinthians 10:31-33; 2 Timothy 2:19).
Please know Satan, the
god of this world, would have you walk in darkness, fear and
uncertainty thereby preventing the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
from shining unto the hearts of all mankind:
“In whom the
god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
“Giving thanks
unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins:” (See Colossians 1:12-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; ).
God countered Satan’s
threat not with manmade traditions, religious rules and human philosophies, but
with the shed blood of His Beloved Son for the sins of the world. This knowledge is revealed to us in “the
truth of the gospel” and “the word of Christ” (printed in black ink not
red) in the writings of our apostle Paul.
These are directed to every saved, sanctified saint in Christ. Therefore, walk as His ambassadors here on
earth, in all knowledge and wisdom (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
********
Please
open your Bible at Colossians 3:18-25.
Pauline Doctrine Pertaining
To Human Relationships
“Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives,
and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all
things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest
they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according
to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of
heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily,
as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall
receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord
Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he
hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”
God’s
grace amazes me 24/7/365; because it never runs out on us and because there is
no list of do’s and don’ts attached to it.
In response to the lost sinner’s faith in Paul’s gospel, the Grace of
God takes the vilest sinner and gives them a place at His right hand in the
heavenlies in Christ (Colossians 3:1 Romans 2:16); “he hath made us
accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians
1:6),” and declared us complete in Christ” (Colossians 2:10), and
proclaimed us to be “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). But
there’s so much more. In chapter three
of Colossians we find the Lord Jesus Christ condescending further by
interceding in the lives of every saint and teaching them the proper way to
conduct themselves so as to live amicably with one another and glorifying the
Father in the process (3:17).
That’s
what should be, however, based on what I’m seeing and experiencing most people
are oblivious to these instructions in Colossians 3 and that’s directly attributed
to a lack of Bible knowledge and resulting in wisdom. Although the Bible is a best seller year
after year, it remains the most cherished, unread book of all time. Instead of looking to Christ Jesus for
answers people derive their knowledge from the world around them which
explains why their lives are chaotic resulting in cynicism and dismay. In almost every bookstore you’ll find a section
devoted to the humanities; that is, the study of all languages and literatures,
the arts, history, and philosophy and the like.
If that’s not enough on T.V. you’ll find reality programs such as Dr.
Phil at one end of the spectrum and Jerry Springer at the other. A great deal is written about human
relationships these days, but nothing compares with Paul’s letter to the Colossians
in its divine wisdom, and nothing that works as well, brings about such positive
results, and glorifies God.
In
Paul’s writings we find vastly different instructions from those which we read
in the world’s books on human relations, even religious books on the
subject. In the world, the cry is
constantly, “Give me what’s rightfully mine,” thinking if they get their wish, they’ll be
happier for it. In contrast to that
mindset, God said do what is right and you’ll be better for it. So, instead of demanding “your rights,”
seek “righteousness,” and its fruit, “peace” and “joy”
will certainly be yours.
So
then, in Colossians 3:18-25 Paul, who was inspired by God the Spirit when he put
his thoughts to paper, directs them to wives and husbands, first, then
to children and fathers, and finally to servants and their masters,
and please note he mentions the weaker vessel first, then the strongest. That thought brings to mind Paul’s
instructions in his second letter to young Timothy:
“But in
a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also
of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to
dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he
shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the
master’s use, and prepared unto every good work”
(2 Timothy 2:20-21).
Paul
is telling Timothy how to deal with what appears to be some difficult problems
resulting in conflict in the church at Ephesus where he was
ministering. In the verses just before,
he exhorted him to use the scriptures properly, not as Hymenaeus and Philetus,
whose false teaching had led some of the brethren astray. He reminds Timothy, “Nevertheless the
foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord
knoweth them that are his. And, Let
every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity”
(2 Timothy 2:19).
Now
he urges Timothy to be a cleansed man who flees sin and pursues
godliness, summed up under four qualities: righteousness, faith, love,
and peace with the Lord’s true people, for “the Lord knoweth them
that are his.” He accomplished this by
using the illustration of a large house that uses different kinds of
vessels. The gold and silver vessels are
kept clean so that they may be used for honorable purposes, such as celebratory
dinners and special occasions. The other
vessels made of wood and earthenware are used for dishonorable purpose, such
as in the performance of menial tasks in the kitchen and for carrying out the
garbage at day’s end. These often become
broken or blemished and are cheaply replaced.
The point Paul’s making is the large house represents the Body of
Christ, a.k.a. the Church. Some of it’s
members are truly new creatures walking in newness of life. Others, namely, Hymenaeus and Philetus
are described as being false teachers, and they therefore are the vessels of dishonor.
Paul’s saying this should not be said of
Timothy or of any one in the Body of Christ.
That
scripture text reveals the kind of person God uses. You may think God only uses people who have
impressive abilities and gifts, such as a winning smile, good looks, excels in
public speaking, and so forth. I’m not
saying certain spiritual gifts do not play a part in “the ministry of reconciliation,”
but that’s not the criteria God looks for or uses. The world pursues such notions but God
uses those who pursue righteousness and godliness. Case in point, almost every time I turn the
news on there’s a negative story about a pastor or youth minister caught up in
a scandal of some sort, so they obviously are not pursuing righteousness
and their iniquity does not glorify God.
They have disgraced the name of Christ, so these folks are dishonorable
vessels as well.
You
might also be thinking God only uses those who have graduated from
seminary. While institutes of higher
learning have a place, I can name several people who have been to seminary and
graduated but they’re preaching is so far removed from what God is doing with
His Church today that there’s zero resemblance to “the word of Christ.” They like Hymenaeus and Philetus are
leading people astray. Paul said Timothy
is not to be counted among them, and the same is true for every saved saint:
“For it
is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure. Do all things without murmurings
and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless,
the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked
and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”
(Philippians 2:13-15).
Verse
3:18-19.
Wives & Husbands
“Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives,
and be not bitter against them.
Before
we examine this passage let's review and remember what Paul wrote in 3:17:
“And
whatsoever ye do in word of deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Paul
continued his thought in 3:17 by telling the wives the first thing they
are to do “in the name of Christ Jesus,” that is, “submit yourselves
unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.” Among other things, this Bible verse discloses
the importance of the marital relationship in our society. Please note it’s the very first thing Paul thought
of when he reflected on what it meant to “do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus.”
Colossians
3 instructs the Believer in Colosse (and us) about how their union with Christ richly
benefits them in their relationships with others from all walks of life. The self-serving practices which
characterized their earthly nature are to be “put to death,” not
simply because they are injurious to others, but because they are fundamentally
inconsistent with who and what they are in Christ. Our Bible text then continues to speak of
practical sanctification. Paul is
showing the Colossians where “the rubber meets the road,” so to
speak. The three areas Paul mentioned are
where we have contact with opportunities to show the difference “the word of
Christ” has made in our lives. They
are areas almost all of us have dealings with, namely, the marriage
relationship, our homes, and the workplace.
You might wonder why Paul began with the marriage relationship and the
wives. To answer this question
properly we need to go now to the book of Genesis; a.k.a the book of beginnings
or origins.
There
are essentially two models of how life came to be on the earth. You either believe the biblical record of creation,
that God created all things (Colossians 1:15-16), or you believe the
theory of evolution. Both are basically
faith systems in that neither can be proven scientifically. Each of these systems of belief, however, has
a distinct effect on one’s worldview. If
you hold to evolution, for example, humanism will guide your life
and marriage. In the grand scheme of
things, it’s a philosophy that says there are no absolutes. Morals, justice, right and wrong are all
determined by human reason. On the other
hand, if you believe God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, then “the
Word of Christ” should govern all your relationships, including
marriage.
The
very first verse in Genesis is a profound declaration to all who will hear and
believe what God has said, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth” (Gen. 1:1). Interestingly, the
Hebrew name for God here is Elohim (El-o-heem), which expresses
the idea that God is supreme and all-powerful. He created all things in heaven and
earth without so much as lifting a hand; He merely spoke and worlds came into
being. God then shows His power is
limitless:
“And
the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
soul” (Genesis 2:7).
Here,
with the term “the Lord God,” we are introduced to a new name of God: Yahweh
or “Jehovah,” the self-existent One who now is about to make
Himself known to His creation. In short,
He becomes the divine Communicator between God and His creation. This clearly shows a change in purpose. As God, He desires to relate personally to His
creation. This is seen in His discourse
with Adam and Eve and then His long-standing relationship with Israel. We must bear in mind that Jehovah,
the Lord God of the Old Testament, is the Lord Jesus Christ in the N. T. As in time past, He desires to have a
personal relationship with all those who call on His name and believe His word.
He is interested in every detail of your
life including your marriage and your family. After all, God is the divine architect of
both. It has been correctly said that
there is a vast difference between a Christian home and a place where Christians
dwell. Simply because a number of family
members know the Lord does not mean they have “the peace of God,”
resulting in an harmonious climate in that particular home.
Unfortunately,
we are witnessing some very troubling trends today when it comes to the Christian
home. Many marriages are in trouble and
much of the secular counsel given by the world is unsound having omitted
or disregarded “the word of Christ.” Said differently, many couples have departed
from God’s original design and therein lies the problem. His blueprint for marriage has either been
changed or ignored altogether. I liken
this to the blueprint of a home. It
gives a detailed description of the structure. It shows the floor plan, the dimensions of the
rooms, and the materials that are to be used in constructing it, and so on. In like manner, “the word of Christ”
found in the writings of our apostle Paul gives us the blueprint for marriage. Since marriage and the home originated with
God, we can avert many problems by simply following His original design.
It
isn’t surprising that when a couple departs from the divine Architect’s
guidelines, their marriage fails to pass the test of time. It’s the equivalent of ignoring the blueprint
for a minefield. But there is hope! Paul’s writings are recognized as scripture. They provide the answers for us! That being said, we need to faithfully commit
to our children and grandchildren what God requires of them when they become adults
and enter into the marriage relationship. Who teaches this today? Exactly!
The solution is really quite simple: we must submit ourselves to
the Author and Finisher of our faith, who designed marriage in the beginning. Of course, the skeptic is quick to point out
that there are no easy answers to deeply rooted marital problems that are
related to: pride, stubbornness, carnality,
coveting, and failure to apply God’s roles consistently in the
marriage relationship. The Christian
home is far from being a perfect environment. Why? Imperfect
sinners live there; sinners who are saved by the grace of God. Thus, it should be a place where wives
and husbands desire to be conformed to the image of Christ, and when
problems arise (and they will) they go to “the word of Christ” together
to find a biblical solution.
Verse
3:18-19.
“Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives,
and be not bitter against them.
It’s
worth mentioning Paul issued a similar command to the Ephesians, but he added a
few details that are not found in the Colossian passage:
“Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the
church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church
is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” (5:22-25).
Problem Solving 101
Once
again, married couples in Colosse were experiencing marital problems, the
honeymoon was over, so to speak, and now they have to deal with reality. The reality is life is not fair and they are
still capable of sinning. But Paul’s
saying there’s a biblical solution. Permit me to illustrate: let’s suppose you own an old Chevy that has a
major electrical issue. You consult your
next door neighbor, who is a backyard mechanic, but he’s completely baffled. So you take it to your mechanic where most of
your repairs are done. But he is unable
to resolve the problem. Finally you go
the GM dealership where you purchased the vehicle. The dealership represents the company that
designed and built it. They diagnose the
problem and the matter is resolved, simply because they engineered and assembled
the electrical circuits that originally went into the vehicle, in short, they
know the car inside and out.
Similarly,
since the LORD God (Jehovah) designed the institution of
marriage, wouldn’t it be prudent to consult Him concerning the blueprint of the
marriage relationship instead of Dr. Phil or whomever? I pray you answered yes because Jehovah
a.k.a. the Lord Jesus Christ has established roles within the relationship
that, if obeyed, will ultimately bring harmony otherwise known as marital
bliss. I consistently hear the phrase, “A
happy wife means a happy life,” but I disagree. Happiness is often determined by “what is happening,”
therefore, it is fleeting. Although this
may seem rather simplistic, perhaps one should recognize it was meant to be. Fact of the matter is most marital problems
can be traced back to a failure to acknowledge and follow God’s original
blueprint or design for marriage.
The
addition of humanistic resolutions have proven they fall well-short of the
goal.
With
this in mind, wives and husbands must ask themselves if they are
fulfilling their God-given roles. Husbands
are to love their wives with agape (sacrificial) love and, in so
doing, they emulate the love of Christ for His Church. Wives, on the other hand, are to submit
themselves to their husbands in everything, which symbolizes the
Church’s submission to Christ’s divine authority alway. This does not mean that she is to obey his
every whim or grovel at his feet. She is
not his step-and-fetch, in other words. Many
husbands have confused their role with that of a tyrant in the home. Therefore, perhaps we should examine a few
general principles God has established re: marriage.
God’s Creative Genius
“And God said, Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God created he
him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God
said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue
it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the
air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Gen.
1:26-28).
That
man is created in the image of God is significant for a number of reasons. First and foremost, God is a Trinity: Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. When God molded
man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life, He created him a triune being as well, i.e., possessing a body, soul, and
spirit (I Thessalonians 5:23). Second,
God possesses the characteristics of personality; therefore, He created the man
with an intellect, emotions, and free will. In these two senses, it can be correctly said
that the man and the woman are created equal. The woman as well as the man is a triune
being, which means she too possesses a personality consisting of intellect,
emotions, and will. But here is where
equality gives way to diversity. In many
ways, men
and women are as different as fingerprints.
In
regard to the roles that God gave to the man and woman to uphold in marriage,
they are equally important, but they are not identical. We should carefully note from the above
passage that “in the image of God created He him; male and female created He
them.” In other words, the woman (the
weaker vessel) is also created in His image and, to abuse her in any way,
whether physically or emotionally, is to show contempt for the image of God. Peter wrote, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell
with them according
to knowledge, giving honour unto
the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being theirs together
of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7).
It
is the responsibility of the husband to know everything there is to know
about his wife. He should be
familiar with everything about her, such as her fears, her strengths and
weaknesses, and her likes and dislikes. A
husband should also be sensitive to his wife’s emotional makeup,
which is considerably different from his own. She often wears her emotions on her sleeve, as
they say, and can be brought to tears simply by reading a sad novel or by
watching a romantic movie. That’s how
God made her. Husbands who thoughtlessly
say, “You’re being ridiculous” are gluttons for punishment. Such insensitivity will usually leave a husband
searching for the right Hallmark card and flowers afterwards. So, a word to the wise as they say should be
sufficient.
Peter
adds husbands are to honor their wives “as unto the weaker vessel”
(verse 7b). I know this isn’t PC (politically
correct) today, but there are only two genders (men and women) and they are not designed
the same. They possess different
abilities and strengths. For example, men
and women think differently. You may
have heard of the secular book titled: “Men are from Mars; Women are from
Venus.” Although the jury is still out,
medical science has discovered that a man tends to think with only one
hemisphere of the brain at a time, whereas a woman uses both hemispheres at the
same time. Have you not heard of the
wife who is capable of “multi-tasking?” This
may help to explain why men are so focused. Case in point, ladies, have you noticed when
you attempt to communicate with your husband while he’s reading the newspaper
it’s as though you were talking to a tree?
Dialogs might resemble one or more of these, “Dear, how was your
day?” “Fine.” “Did you call the doctor for an
appointment?” “No.” You son drove your new car into the
lake. The car is totaled but he’s okay.” “That’s
nice.” Once again, ladies, he’s focused.
On
the other hand, the mind of a woman is similar to a scanner. She’s able to handle three or four things at
one time and that’s because she’s a multi-tasker. While planning a long-distance car adventure,
I could usually be found studying the road atlas and tuned out to everything
else going on around me. That’s because I’m
focused. In contrast to that my wife
(now ex-wife) could be found paying bills online, conversing with one of her
children on the speaker phone, while watching the weather report, and pointing
to the mailbox reminding me to get the mail before we head out. So then, if a wife understands her husband is
not necessarily ignoring her or being disrespectful, but merely being focused,
it will save both of them a tremendous amount of anxiety and frustration. Wives must learn the importance of getting their
husband’s attention and establishing eye-contact before addressing any issue. Next, the husband who helps his wife at home
with all the things she needs to accomplish will win her affection on a daily
basis. Aim to be thoughtful and not
thoughtless in this department. This may
seem like a small matter to some, but if husbands and wives are attentive to
the fact that they function on different wavelengths, it will greatly ease
tension within the marriage relationship and result in harmonious living
conditions, a.k.a. marital bliss.
“And
the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he
slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh
instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man,
made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone
of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she
was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his
father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be
one flesh” (Genesis 2:21-24).
Here
we have the first surgical procedure in history that required some form of
anesthesia, “the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam.” He then surgically removed a rib from Adam’s
side, “and the LORD God made he a woman.”
Interestingly,
the Hebrew word for “rib” here is plural and literally denotes “Adam’s
side chamber.” In short, the LORD God
removed both bone and flesh from the man’s side and created the woman. Whereupon Adam states, “This is now bone of
my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman.” Adam
recognized the woman was literally taken from him, and like him was a person
created in the image of God, possessing emotion, intellect, and free will. Thus, the woman was a suitable “help meet,”
that is, fit for the man, one who would not be the same as he but a perfect
complement to him. In the fullest sense
of the word, she completes the man physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We should also note here that by order of
creation the man is given the position of headship. In addition to God’s creative genius, He
ordained the institution of marriage. Marriage
was not a product of primitive man, often portrayed as dragging a woman by the
hair with one hand and carrying a club in the other. The evolutionist believes this to be the
beginning of a monogamous relationship. But not so much. Mankind has indeed established many
institutions; however, marriage isn’t one of them.
God
established the marriage relationship and gave us the regulations to govern it.
In fact, God Himself walked the first
bride down the aisle, so to speak, “and brought her unto the man.” Consequently, marriage is not to be entered
into or taken lightly by anyone; instead, it must be approached soberly and reverently,
and “in the fear of God.” The goal
of every married couple should be to understand their God-given roles, pursue righteousness,
and permit the Author and Finisher of our faith to instruct and guide them not
just in the marital relationship but in all our relationships.
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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