Perseverance, character, hope

Perseverance, character, hope

FGB Jaya Chapter One/ 7Oct2011

Sharing by brother David Suresh

The joy of the Lord is your strength! God’s Word is for all of us. We are in the same boat, the boat of Jesus. He is able to make a mighty miracle in our midst. Our victory is in Jesus. It is for us to apply it, proclaim it.

Today’s text is from Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

What is suffering all about? It is something bad or unpleasant that we go through, sooner or later. However, the Scripture tells us that God allows suffering for a purpose, a reason. How difficult it is to rejoice in suffering. What does rejoice mean? To show or feel great joy! Now the passage today says that suffering produces perseverance, character and hope, which is the reason for suffering. Paul was a man full of experience in this, having undergone great trials, tribulation and temptation. Indeed, he was a man who knew about suffering, having experienced everything. Until we come to the experience level, we cannot really learn something. It is so important for us to be connected to the Holy Spirit, to have that relationship with Him. The more we sit at Jesus feet and wait in His presence, the more we will know Him. The Lord teaches us that in suffering, we need to seek Him even though it is painful, even when we want to give up. We still have to hold strong to the Lord.

Looking at the passage, there are three important things we can learn. Firstly, suffering produces perseverance. To produce means to cause to happen or exist, to birth out. Perseverance births out from suffering. Perseverance is all about continuing in a course of action in spite of suffering. Today, many Christians are not acting like born again believers. Its like they have been zapped into the currency of the world, with lives clouded with negativity and disappointment. However, we have hope in Christ. God spoke to Job out of the storm! God is greater than the storm! Today, the storm of many is a financial storm, and we have great financial needs. We have to penetrate the walls of suffering in the might and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus silenced the storm by His Word and authority. The one who is Living is living in us! Our assurance is in Jesus Christ, the rock of salvation, the rock of ages. Let us persevere and push through for the Lord is with us!

Secondly, perseverance produces character. Character is a person’s good reputation, the mental and moral qualities of an individual, his standards! After perseverance, our character is shaped into His image and likeness, His standards of living. We need to have a difference to make a difference. The character of Christ is what makes us different, the way He sees, the way He hears, the way He speaks, the way He walks, the way He lives. More important that anointing is character. Do we have the character of Christ inside us? When we have His character, anointing will come. So let us seek the character of Jesus Christ. We who are in Jesus are like a time bomb, able to explode at anytime to destroy the works of the enemy in the marketplace. God moulds our character but we have to yield to Him. It may bring death to certain things in our life but by the grace of God we can move on.

Thirdly, through perseverance, character develops, and it gives rise to hope. The more Christ works in us, the more hope births out of us. Hope is full of expectation. With perseverance and character, hope will rise up! The impossible will become possible. Jesus will make it all possible, whether it be hope of healing, of breakthrough, or of miracles. It is a mighty river that God gives us. Vs. 5 says that God has poured out His love by His Holy Spirit. His love is eternal, everlasting, unchanging. We are so thankful to God for His Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit enables us to take hold of life and be a conqueror. The Love of God is our hope. It makes us think and know all things are possible for us. God is able to do anything. He can revive a dull business.

Don’t despise suffering, do not neglect it. It will help us grow in the lord, and will make us a better person in the days to come. It produces perseverance, character and hope into us. No matter what, stand your ground. God will come through for us and bring us victory. Be courageous, be very courageous. I am with you, says the Lord. The enemy attacks with fear and disappointment, but God will destroy the works of the enemy. God is faithful, and He will mould an shape us to become more and more like Him.