TURNING TRIALS INTO TRIUMPH – 9

Romans 5:1-2—-Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

A blessed change takes place in the sinner’s state, when he becomes a true believer, whatever he has been before. Being justified by faith he has peace with God. The holy, righteous God cannot be at peace with a sinner, while under the guilt of sin. Justification takes away the guilt, and so makes way for peace. This is through our Lord Jesus Christ; through Him as the great Peace-maker, the Mediator between God and man.

Romans 5:3 — And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

St Paul in the above scripture instructs us to be “full of glory in our tribulations”. How can this be possible for a human? The answer is that we are standing in grace (Romans 5: 2). This is God’s omnipotent power to help us though we don’t deserve it. The power to rejoice and exult in tribulation comes from omnipotent grace that we receive by trusting in God’s promises.

How are we doing today when things go bad for us? Do we rest in the grace of God and experience joy in God and keep on loving people? Or do we forget the grace of God, overflow with complaining and become self-absorbed and critical instead of loving.

But grace does not work like magic. It works through truth. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) – Free from complaining and from paralyzing frustration and from a critical spirit. Grace opens the eyes of the heart to truth and inclines the heart to embrace it and live by it!

Tribulations help us develop patience. True Christians worship and praise God through good and bad times regardless of what they are going through.

For example if we are shopping for a knife there is available in the store an expensive one and a similar one that is cheaper. The cheaper one will lose its sharpness quickly whereas the expensive knife works for years. The difference is in the temper of the steel, the steel has been hardened by heating it. In the same way the tribulations that come our way strengthen our faith to such an extent that in the face of trials we go on experiencing the joy and peace of God irrespective of the trials.

When our faith has been tried in affliction, and persevered it is proven genuine and authentic. We know we are real and not fake Christians and that gives us hope that we really are children of God and will inherit His glory.

So God takes us through hard times to temper the steel of our faith and show us that we are real, authentic, genuine, proven, and in that way give us hope that we really will inherit the glory of God and not come into judgment.

And as you pray today, don’t count it strange when the afflictions come. They will come. But rejoice and exult in the love of God to use them to temper the steel of your faith and confirm in your heart that you are indeed the child of God through faith.

DO NOT COUNT YOUR AFFLICTIONS AND TRIALS ARE TESTS BUT ARE TO HELP YOU TO MAKE YOUR FAITH EVEN STRONGER.