The Relational Church

Romans 5:1:5 and Romans 8:35-39

Any person who wins every time will probably never really mature.  And, if you learn to deal in a positive way when you are losing then you will never really be a loser.

Have you ever asked yourself why, if you are doing all the right things in God’s eyes, then why do bad things happen to you?  Or, why does it seem that bad people seem to get away with things while good people seem to take unjust punishment for other problems?

A partial answer to these questions can be found in Romans 5:1-5.  God sometimes uses difficult tests in life to strengthen our faith.  He knows that without adversity we cannot grow into the mature Christians He needs to do His will on earth.

To begin with, we who believe have been made right with God only through the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross.  His death brings us faith from which comes a great peace.  This undeserved kindness gives us a special privilege that we can with extreme confidence know that our future is with God in heaven for all time.

With this great gift of eternal paradise come both trials (where we are given choices of right or wrong that test our integrity) and tribulations (troubles of all kinds).  If we push on with the character of Christ through these difficult times we get three aspects of maturation which are:

1)  Endurance:  the ability to move past difficulties over time without giving

way to sin or breaking down emotionally or physically.

2)  Strength of character:  the ability remain a person of integrity, morally right in God’s eyes, and loving despite great hardships.

3)  Confidence in our hope of salvation:  the ability to rely totally (complete trust) in God being faithful to His promise of complete grace so that we can be made righteous.

It is with all three of these qualities (endurance, strength, and confidence) that allow us to no longer be controlled by sin.  By being controlled by the Holy Spirit He prays for us to the Father through the Son so that we will be on the right side of God.  In that way we are never losers but gain much joy in knowing God is with us in all things at all times.

- Michael Zerkich

Image by: foodistablog (flickr)