Verse of the Day 3/17

Verse of the Day 3/17

Romans 5:1-2Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² 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.   English Standard Version (ESV)

"Peace with God Through Faith", that is the heading for this passage, in this turbulent world, in our society, towns, churches and even our homes, isn't this what we long for is peace?  What these verses remind us is that if we are in Christ, the peace, hope and grace that we need is already ours.  We need to take hold of it.  Faith and hope are mentioned in the passage, at first glance you might think that the third part the trio, love is missing.  It may not be mentioned specifically, but it is written all over the passage as it is all over the Bible.  God's love for us is at the heart of the passage and it permeates every line.

His love starts it all, and He uses faith to accomplish what He wants for us, to "set us right for him, make us fit for him" (The Message).  We stand, we live our lives in and by His grace. Charles Spurgeon writes, "Thank him for little grace, and ask him for great grace. He has given you hope, ask for faith; and when he gives you faith, ask for assurance; and when you get assurance, ask for full assurance; and when you have obtained full assurance, ask for enjoyment; and when you have enjoyment, ask for glory itself; and he shall surely give it to you in his own appointed season."

1 John 3:24 Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.    New Living Translation (NLT)

His grace gives us the power to live for him, actually it is He who lives in us.  I read the following prayer this morning and felt that was the perfect conclusion, response to the passage.  Read the prayer and the passage  from Romans 5 below from The Message.

Loving Lord, you have called us to be born again to a living hope that comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You are preparing an inheritance for me that will never be corrupted and never fade away. And yet I confess that I often put my hope in other things. Deliver me from the futility of misplaced hopes. Teach me the wisdom of seeking you and finding security in your unchanging character. Only your promises will stand forever. It is folly to trust in people, possessions or position because all of these ultimately disappoint. Instead, I place my hope in you. I pray that I will grow in knowing, loving and trusting you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!  (Romans 5:5 The Message).

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Romans 5:1-5The Message (MSG)

Developing Patience

5 ^1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

^3-5 There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!