GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS 3

3 AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE ALSO GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS, knowing that TRIBULATION PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope."
Romans 5:3,4 (NKJV)

3 WE CAN REJOICE, TOO, WHEN WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS AND TRIALS, FOR WE KNOW THAT THEY HELP US DEVELOP ENDURANCE.
4 AND ENDURANCE DEVELOPS STRENGTH OF CHARACTER, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation."
Romans 5:3,4 (NLT)

• According to our text, the Bible says, we should glory in tribulations, because it would produce approved character that would give us hope (Romans 5:3,4).

• Tribulations -> Perseverance or Endurance -> approved Character -> Hope: "NOW HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, . . . " (Romans 5:5 NKJV).
• Approved character gives hope. Someone without godly character, approved character, may not have a living hope.
• If your hope is alive, you keep yourself for God. You will know that you are going somewhere after your journey on the earth (1 Peter 2:11,12)—thus you fix your eyes on things above:
  3 IF THEN YOU WERE RAISED WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS, SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. 2 SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH. 3 FOR YOU DIED, AND YOUR LIFE IS HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD. 4 WHEN CHRIST WHO IS OUR LIFE APPEARS, THEN YOU ALSO WILL APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY" (Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV).

"WHILE WE DO NOT LOOK AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN. FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN ARE TEMPORARY, BUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL."
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NKJV)

• Hope

• Hope becomes a reality through your faith. Hope cannot produce without the faith. It takes the union of hope and faith to have good testimonies.
• Faith gives realization or substance to things hope for; It gives evidence or conviction or confidence for things yet unseen.
• What you hope for cannot be a reality without faith. And also, there must be something you are hoping for before faith can work—produce results. The two are interdependent.
• In other words, If you did not have a hope, you are hoping for nothing, then faith would have nothing to make a reality—to actualize for you.
• What faith makes real is what you hope for. So, If you hope for nothing, you would have nothing.
• As faith cannot produce without hope, also, hope alone cannot deliver or produce without faith.
• You can be hoping from now till eternity without realizing your object of hope. Thus, for you to realize whatever you are hoping for, your faith must be active:
  1 NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN. 2 FOR BY IT THE ELDERS [in the Christian faith] OBTAINED A GOOD TESTIMONY" (Hebrews 11:1,2 NKJV).

1 FAITH SHOWS THE REALITY OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR; IT IS THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS WE CANNOT SEE. 2 THROUGH THEIR FAITH, THE PEOPLE IN Days OF OLD EARNED A GOOD REPUTATION."
Hebrews 11:1,2 (NLT)

"BUT WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM."
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

• You need the Word of God to develop or grow the approved character. Feeding on the Word of God and the practicing of it produce a transformation (Romans 12:2; James 1:21,22).

• Also, feeding on the Word of God, meditating or pondering on it, and the practicing of it, build a believer's faith.
• Approved character comes through the Word of God, and character, gives hope; however, It is Faith that makes hope a reality—faith gives substance, realization, and evidence to hope.

• The journey starts with Tribulations that would eventually give you an approved character, and character to hope; and with hope, you cannot be disappointed. For faith in the Word of God will give substance, realization and evidence to your hope—what you hope for.

• Let God work in you through tribulations, and make you what He wanted you to be.

• You will not be a waste in Jesus' name.

• Should there be any sickness in your body, receive life and a complete healing now in Jesus' name.
• The hold is completely broken and It will never be formed again in Jesus' name.
  Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace.