Therefore, since we have been made right in
God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our
Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this
place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and
joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice,
too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us
develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character
strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will
not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has
given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. Romans 5:1-5
(underlining mine)
Undeserved privilege. What an understatement!
Not only are we standing where we don’t deserve to be—ready to approach God’s
Throne…but there is no way for us to earn that honor. We’ve been given that
benefit as a gift…a gift from God the Father…and a gift from Jesus, His Son—who
gave His life as a sacrifice for our sin…our mistakes…our judgment errors in
life. This is the season for gift giving. We’ve been gifted with forgiveness
and eternal life—a forever blessing. Have you “received” those gifts? This
passage in Romans tells us that we can have confidence, joy—blissful happiness—and
hope because God has given us yet one more gift…the Holy Spirit—who provides
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,
comfort, as well as love and joy. Our lives are complete. Forgiveness, love,
joy and eternal life—forever with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Bask in His love.
Feel the warmth of just knowing how much God cares about you on this cold
winter day. Do you have this hope, this joy, this peace?
Prayer
~ Thank You, Jesus, for being willing to come down from Heaven—to be our
sacrifice. For giving up the security and peace of Heaven for a humble life as
a human, facing temptation, rejection, scorn and a brutal death on a cross so
that we can experience a blessed life forever with You. Hope without
disappointment…and Love—abundant and consistent. So blessed. May we be a
blessing to You and others as we joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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