Romans 5 - 11.16.23
SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:1-2a NIV
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
OBSERVATION:
In full disclosure, Romans happens to be the book of the Bible that I struggle with the most. There is so much “Meat” and “weight” throughout. It’s a Book that I could easily spend days researching and digging through commentaries on just one verse.
But—God kept leading me back to this—GRACE…
“….we have gained access by faith into this grace”
And it started me on a journey to ponder the many ways I have been blessed since God granted me access by Faith into this grace.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)
APPLICATION:
Spending Time Today being Thankful for the Blessings of HIS Grace
So many times, I Will remember to Thank God for my Salvation, but rarely have I stopped to consider just how many ways HIS Grace impacts my daily life. How has “this Grace” changed my Life?
1. Access to God THROUGH Jesus 24/7 every single day! Jesus Tore the Curtain!
Prior to Jesus-Jews were kept from God’s Presence by a Veil in the Temple. Gentiles were kept out of the Temple all together by a Wall with a warning sign that threatened death to anyone who dared to trespass beyond the wall. I have access THROUGH Jesus-anytime for prayers, praise, and communing with God!
2. Jesus speaks to me as a His believer and I hear His Voice and Follow Him. Wow! I have intimate conversations with God.
3. Forgiveness of ALL my Sins! Jesus Paid my debt! When I received Him as my Savior HE cleansed me of ALL my unrighteousness and Now God sees me through the lens of Christ’s righteousness!
4. God gave me His Holy Spirit! When I received Jesus as my Savior God gave me the Same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead! His Holy Spirit guides me, helps me understand scripture, equips me to be His Witness! AND is His seal as a Guarantee of my future in Heaven with Him! I’m going to SEE God face-to-face!
5. God’s LOVE is poured into my heart. This is personal. This plays out in many ways in my life. But Today I am thankful for how I experience God’s Love when I go through trials. Jesus says, “You WILL have tribulations in this world-but Take Courage!” Jesus is WITH us. His LOVE transforms every circumstance in my life to work for my Good! Trials work For believers not against them. Trials bring me closer to God and make me more like Him-building Christian Character.
Tribulation comes from the Latin word tribulum. A Tribulum was a heavy piece of timber with spikes in it used for threshing grain—it separated the wheat from the chaff.
As we go through tribulations—and depend on God’s Grace—the trials purify us and help to get rid of the chaff.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus,
There are so many blessings of your presence that comes from Your Grace THROUGH Faith. I could keep going… I can lay my head down and sleep because You Lord make me dwell in safety. You are a Father to the Fatherless. You are Jehovah Jireh. You never leave me or forsake me.
I never need fear no matter what is going on in this troubled world-for your word says that even before we were born All of our days were laid out before YOU. Nothing ever happens out or your sight or apart from YOUR Perfect Will. May I simply have the faith and trust of a child. May I always have Thankfulness in my heart for your unending Love and Grace.
In Jesus Name, amen.
Tina L Kudelka