The old is dead and buried, and all that we receive is resurrection life. We must know the cross has changed your life. We can find hope and the ability to continue because He understands. All the effects of sin have been put to death and finished. The cross of Christ is the end of all the old. When tribulation comes, it is a time of need that is only met in Christ. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”‘” He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich) and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. How are we to persevere?įirstly, He knows exactly how you feel and what you are going through. Having looked to Jesus and knowing we can overcome, there is a hope that you can persevere. The love of God is being poured out in your heart. This begins the precious work of perseverance in our life which, if we can find cheerful endurance, will bring about a godly, proven character and hope that will not disappoint. Know that Jesus has overcome and, through Him, you can overcome. In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the midst of the anguish, we must turn our heart and mind to Jesus, so that we look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. As the verse above in Romans 5 says, tribulation works a joyful patience and true godly character and hope sees you through. But the two emotions that are usually missing are cheerful endurance and hope. Tribulation strikes like an unwanted, dark cloud of hopelessness and you cry out: “What now?” Many emotions overtake us at this point: pressure, anguish, fear, anxiety, anger, doubt. Tribulation can take many different forms: the joy of expecting your first child and then the news that your child has a disability the doctor says you have cancer your boss tells you your job is finished your teenage daughter tells you she’s pregnant the children you have raised to serve God turn their back on Christ your house burns down you have a car accident you miss out on a university course sickness strikes a loved one dies. Today, will we respond with perseverance, that it will work godly character and lead to hope that will anchor us sure and steadfast as we continue in perseverance? Our focus today is not on how, when or why - or what tribulation we are facing - but what our response is to tribulation. If we respond the way the Lord asks us, it can be glorious. Sometimes it comes as the result of our own bad choices, but many times it has no correlation with what we have done. Tribulation even comes to non-Christian people. Every one of us has known tribulation, and every one experiences tribulation in some shape or form, to a greater or lesser degree. The meaning of tribulation is pressure, affliction, anguish, burden, persecution and trouble. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance, character and character, hope.
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