Through Our Lord Jesus Christ

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 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 5:1-5 ESV)

Rehash

The faith by which we are justified and have peace with God originated with God, it comes from God, it is persuaded of God, and it is gifted to us by God. It is NOT of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. So we don’t get to determine what that faith looks like. God does. His word does. And his word teaches that such faith results in us being crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness.

So, we are no longer to let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, that leads to righteousness and to sanctification and its end is eternal life with God. And Jesus said that if we would come after him that we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if we deny self, die to sin daily, and follow Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands, then we have the hope of eternal life in him.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23]

The grace in which we stand, by God-persuaded faith, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works,” “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

So, God’s grace to us is not just forgiveness of all sins so that when we die we get to go to heaven and so we escape hell. His grace, which sent Jesus Christ to that cross, was for the purpose that, by faith in him, we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might now walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, and that we might no longer walk in sin. So if we claim to be in fellowship with God, and that we know God, but we still walk in sin, and we don’t obey his commands, in practice, then we are liars.

[1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6,15-17; 1 John 3:4-10; cf. Romans 6:1-23]

Suffering

One of the biggest causes of our suffering is persecution. And we are persecuted when our walks of faith are genuine to where we are dying daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we are walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands, in practice, by God’s grace and in his power. For we are no longer living like the world, desiring the sinful passions of the flesh. And so the world will not love us as its own. And if we are sharing the truth of the gospel, we will be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

But our suffering is not limited to the subject of persecution, for there all sorts of trials and tribulations which we all face, as human beings, while we still live in these flesh bodies, and while we still live on the planet earth. Yet all that we suffer in this life falls under the sovereignty of God and is for our ultimate good to teach us perseverance and holy living and steadfastness of faith and to develop within us godly and moral character. And it is to draw us closer to our Lord in walks of faith and obedience to our Lord.

So, although suffering is definitely not pleasant as we are going through it, if we respond to the suffering as we ought, by the grace of God, it will help us to grow to maturity in our walks of faith in the Lord, and to make us more compassionate and caring toward others who are suffering. And the suffering will teach us to rely on God and not on ourselves, and it will make us stronger and more determined to stay focused on what God has purposed for us and to follow his will and purpose for our lives in obedience to him.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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