Romans 5:
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).
2 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.
3 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 patientand unswerving endurance.
4 And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] [e]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.
Priscilla Shirer, in a message last night taught us the 5 P’s of Bible Study and I want to try it out on all of you.
So the first is 1. Position ourselves to hear from God. Approach time with God with expectancy. Privileged to hear the voice of God. Profound thought…
So how would I do that? She said something I have given much thought to..approach your time with God with your elbows on your knees, leaning forward, anxious to hear what He has to say to you, cupping your chin in your hands. So Lord, I come before you, asking for a time with you. Lord please, you do the teaching.
2. Pour over the passage. Paraphrase the major points. Not scan, but meditate. Context! Read a couple of times. Settle into that passage. Quality, not quantity…
So let’s try with Romans 5 passage. Let’s go.
We are declared righteous. It’s a faith thing. Grasp that we have the peace with God cuz of Precious Jesus. We’ve got an entrance by faith into the state of God’s favor..we can stand. Rejoice! Exult! We have hope. be full of joy and triumph in our troubles, sufferings cuz all of this gives us patience and endurance. This then develops maturity of approved faith and tried integrity which produces joy and hope in our deliverance, eternal. This hope never will shame or delude us cuz God’s love is poured out through His Spirit. A generous gift to us.
3. Pull out the spiritual principles. prayerfully seek the Lord. Would you spiritualize these point for me, Lord? A promise to heed? An attribute of You that I need to learn?
4. Pose the question. Divine dialogue begins to happen. Personally directed question..you pull out an attribute of God…do I believe God is as faithful as this Scripture says? (I did both in the following paragraph…:)
Am I standing in faith that I am declared righteous? Peace is a gift, am I claiming that gift? There isn’t any mention of me here. It isn’t because of anything I’ve done. It’s all because of Jesus that I can stand and I have God’s favor! I can sing, I can rejoice, I am free! Do I live as a person with hope? When I am struggling with pain, am I full of joy and triumph? God is working out His good purposes and giving me more patience and more endurance. Not only that, look at what else this precious gift gives me? I am developing maturity of approved faith! So in maturity of faith, I then have a natural production of joy and hope. I fix my eyes on the prize of heaven. My salvation eternal. Do I live like one whom God’s love is poured out? Do I quench the Spirit in my life now?
Look at all the gifts He has given me. given you. peace. entrance by faith into God’s grace. hope. joy. patience. endurance. maturity. joy again! (never miss when God repeats a word..) the absolute prize of heaven. of Jesus. of Holy Spirit’s presence. LOVE poured out.
5. Plan obedience and pin down a date to obey.
Having this in front of me..printing this out and deciding my obedience is life changing. My faith brings HIM glory. My worship in times of trial and heartache. As I get hit with pain, I choose to have joy. Triumph in the fact that this is not the end.
Not complaining. Not thinking thoughts that are pitying, sorrowful. No, that doesn’t result in more patience, endurance, maturity, joy and hope. Lord, I have pain and dizziness. I make my stand and choose joy. I choose to have joy when my children act like human beings. I choose to fix my eyes on the hope that is before me.
So I choose.
Pray on. Pray on.
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