Romans 5: 1-8
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
A Thought
Faith is difficult to explain what it is unless you have it. Faith is what we hold on to until we actually receive what we have believed to be true. Example: When we go to sit down in a chair, we don’t consider if it will hold us up or not because we have faith that it will hold. This is the same faith that we should have in God and his Word. When we were ungodly and the enemy of God, God showed us his love for us by sending Jesus Christ to die the death that we deserved. Now we can rejoice even in sufferings because God is at work building our character so as to be reconciled to him. We can receive grace by faith to be the friend of God.
Our Prayer
Father thank you for your love, grace and compassion for us in that while we were in sin, disobedient to you, your sent your Son to die for us. Help us to stand in faith and rejoice in you and your love that you have poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Even through our sufferings, we can rejoice in you knowing that we will gain perservance, character and hope to be your obedient children made righteous by the blood of your Son. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
