SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTER
Monday, March 22, 2004
Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. 22 That is why his [Abraham’s] faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). 23 But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone, 24 But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God]. Romans 4:21-25 AMP
Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness - right standing with God. These words were not written just for his sake, but for yours as well, because through every generation, with or without the law, faith was required in order to be counted righteous, Works alone, no matter how good, cannot purchase righteousness. Righteousness comes only by faith – it is a free gift. Jesus was betrayed and put to death because of your misdeeds and mine. God raised Jesus from the dead to secure your justification (your acquittal) making your account balance (He paid the debt you could not pay) and absolving you from all guilt before God. You can come boldly and confidently into the throne-room of grace to find mercy in your time of need.
Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one). Romans 5:1 AMP
You are justified through faith and you have peace, and can enjoy peace, with God through your Lord, Jesus Christ, but it doesn’t completely benefit you unless you become aware of it and understand it
Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. Romans 5:2 AMP
Through Jesus, you have access by faith into grace – God's favor. This grace and favor is secure – as long as you believe in Him - it will always be yours. You can relax and know that God’s grace and favor rests upon you now and you can rejoice as you look forward to experiencing and enjoying the glory of God, in a measure here, and in it’s fullness in eternity.
Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. Romans 5:3 AMP
When you know how much the Father, Son and Holy Spirit love you, how much favor you have with them and how wonderful heaven is going to be - there is not much left that can scare you. For you to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:29)! You are so full of Jesus and so full of joy that you are not afraid of trouble or hardship. When you go through something hard you have two choices – you can let it take you out or you can take it out! When you decide to fight the good fight of faith, place your confidence in God, and bear up under the pressure, you are going to come out better than when you went in. You are going to come out the other side with more patience than you had before and an ability to endure much more than you could before. The devil is not going to be able to push you around so easily the next time! You will be toughened up!
And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. 5 Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. Romans 5:4-5 AMP
When patient endurance is developed in your life, it also develops maturity of character. This kind of character produces the habit of joyful and confident hope - a hope that will never disappoint you. Some people are afraid to hope in case things don’t work out and they are disappointed, but when you have gone through some hard things and you have trusted in God and He has come through for you, you are encouraged to develop the habit of a hopeful attitude. This hopeful attitude will always serve you well and will not disappoint you. Hope is the foundation for your faith and you know that it is only your faith in God that causes Him to pour out His grace, mercy and favor on you when you ask for it. Therefore, when you face your next challenge – and you will – you can face it with confidence, remembering that God came through for you last time and knowing that He is sure to come through for you again this time, as you put your trust in Him.
Recent:
Righteous Now
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
“Therefore if any man be in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You are baptized into Christ when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The moment
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the