In our Summer Refresher, getting ready to study the last half of the Book of Romans with Pastor Lincoln soon, I am encouraging you to read a few chapters weekly in the first half of that good Book! So this week let’s read Romans Chapters 4, 5, and 6.
Chapter 4 gives us such a meaningful reminder that God the Father’s plan was always to bring into eternity with Him people who were not of the Hebrew nation (the Jews). The author of this Book of Romans is the Apostle Paul and though he was formerly a zealous Jew, he is now wanting to be sure that everyone knows being a Christian is not about being Jewish first in order to become a follower of Jesus!
Chapter 5 offers one of my most cherished pieces of Scripture.
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. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly …God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5.1-6, 8
A believer is justified by faith – made right with God by faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This is our only way to salvation. Salvation is not something we earn by our works or deeds; it is God’s gift of love.
Peace with God through Jesus Christ – Jesus is the one and only Way to God! Resulting in peace, that certain settled assurance that you can have about your eternity.
Here’s the stepping stones …
Rejoice in our sufferings? Really? Suffering is a stepping stone? Yep! Think about when the Lord has been most real to you, when you most relied on Him in a hard thing. When you “just knew” others were praying for you. When you were surprised by your calmness of heart in the midst of the storm. Yes, the first step is the one that takes the most courage and it is to rejoice in our suffering.
The next stepping stone is trusting that suffering develops endurance. Stick-with-it-ness. Not side-stepping, not going back. Enduring the hard thing. Trusting God is making a way and refining you in the process for His glory and your good.
From endurance we step into character-building. We can’t not be changed by this journey through and beyond suffering. To not move through is to be mired in regret, disappointment, resentment, and despair. The Lord is strengthening you and giving you a testimony to share with others about God’s nearness in your season of adversity.
Character-building brings about hope. Not disappointment, but a confident expectation for our future glory because we have come to know of God’s love for us! My husband used to say “I don’t know what is next but I do know God did not bring us this far to drop us like a hot potato!” Confident expectation … hope!
Chapter 6 is about being dead to sin and alive to God. I remember feeling challenged a few years back when I was studying Romans with other women. As we wrestled with the weighty but oh-so-worthy idea that we are all slaves to whomever we obey, whether that is our sinful nature or our merciful Savior, one of the women gave us this meaningful description. She said it is like we each are slaves at the marketplace being sold to the highest bidder. Sin has a hold on us and begins to lead us away, but … Jesus!
Jesus pays the full price to purchase my freedom from sin. He paid with His blood because of His love. Jesus is the Master to whom I owe my allegiance and obedience. Dead to sin and alive to Christ!
Trusting the Lord with you, Colleen