How Much More {Part 3}

Because Believers have been justified by faith, they will receive the fulness of life. We have special benefits as Children of God. Praise Jesus for delivering us into this blessed inheritance! Here is a third "how much more" statement of Romans. 

Since God counted us righteous while we were still sinners, how much more then will we be loved and blessed by God, not punished?

"Since, therefore we have now been justified by [Christ's] blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." Romans 5:9-10

Since we have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ we have:

Peace with God

Access into His grace (heaven)

Hope of God's glory

Joy in every season

Wow! Pretty good list! Now, someone who is not a child of God may look at that list in utter confusion. But, those who have experienced even a taste of God's supernatural peace in times of stress, God's hope of salvation in times of discouragement, and God's overwhelming joy in times of sorrow, know that this list does not even begin to cover the blissful benefits of God's grace.

Life in Christ is not easy. But even in the midst of pain, believers are better off than those do not know the Lord living in the midst of great fortune. Tribulations and disappointments are used by God in doses He knows, with Him, we can handle. God uses our suffering to grow our Jesus-like attributes, producing beautiful things within us.

"Whatever virtues tribulation finds us in, it develops more fully." Luther

Trials still produce those four benefits of God's grace. God's fountain of blessing does not suddenly run dry once we hit a rough patch. 
Suffering produces hope. We are confident that He who began a good work in us will complete it. How can we be confident? Because God has poured out His love into our hearts. We comprehend this love through the Holy Spirit. 
The Spirit ensures our access into heaven. No matter what we face, we undoubtedly have a happy ending. 
Trials produce peace. A gentle and quiet spirit is not dependent on outward circumstances but on the temperature of our heart, how we respond to our circumstances. Trials produce joy. God is near to the broken-hearted. He promises that, at His right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. 

God's grace leads us on this earth and God's grace will lead us home. His love is so powerful that it brought us all the way from sin to glory. Trust that the same God who loved you enough to remove your shackles of sin is the same God who loves you enough to pour blessing upon blessing into your life. 

 "It is a greater work of God to bring men to grace, then, being the state of grace, to bring them to glory; because sin is far more distant from grace than grace is from glory." Trapp 

 Lord, Thank you for giving me proof of your love: the Holy Spirit. I know I can count on you to deliver me through my suffering. Open my eyes to your intangible blessings even when I am hurting. You are faithful. Amen. 

☎︎

The Girl Next Door