Romans 5:3–5; James 1:2–4; 2 Peter 1:3–9
It is easy to understand the above portions as means of building up the church. All the three passages state that either through suffering or by act of disciple the believers are called to be steadfast, or to endure or have patience in all things.
Looking at Romans 5:3-5, we see that suffering brings about endurance, that inturn develops in us a charector and this charestor builds in us hope. Now James 1:2-4 says that there are ways the faith will be tested or we undergo presecution and that we need to be steadfast in our belief. in 2 Peter 1:3-9 it is said that while we believe that we have been saved through faith, we are to add to this faith an active surplus amount of virtuem knowledge and selfcontrol that couases us to endure all things. This will lead us into a charector that will mold us into the people of God.
Remember the purpose of creation, Psalm 86; Isaiah 60:21; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 6:20, 10:31; Revelation 4:11; Psalm 16:5-11; Psalm 144:15; Isaiah 12:2; Luke 2:10; Philippians 4:4; Revelation 21:3-4, that is to enjoy God and to be with him. See Ephasian 1:4 : to be a holy nation. Exodus 19:5–6 Jeremiah 32:38
How do we be holy?
We are made holy Hebrews 10:10 by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is sometimes called as santification. Santify, means make to set apart. This is the purpose of men according to God.
What is next?
We are made Holy by Christ . This is also called justification. This means when the judge looks at me, he sees that i am delared rightours or sinless - it is not that we became sineless, but rather we got the sinless nature of Christ.
Then why should we worry about what Peter says? it is because of vs 3: His divine power has granted to us all things that result in life and obedience to God because we know him -- and Jesus calls us into that nature of His to his glory.
This is through adoption.
An so living this Christian life means that we pursue these things because our walk is not over. I am not saying that there is another way to be saved. but saying that
look at a simple example: the snake in the desert and Peter in the water ...
Do not be lazy! Read, exercise and practice your faith.
How then should we live?
Look at a very blessed church - the corithians . They were puffed up saying, i know all about Jesus and I am fully satisfied. Any now they were having silly theological fights among them. The Kingdom of God is not mere words and faith statements, it is aout power. God is the king here and He is the father too.
Look at suffering again. What about regualar suffering?
(exampleds from https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/acting-the-miracle-together-corporate-dynamics-in-christian-sanctification)
So when a congregation receives into membership the man who says, “I broke up my family; I abandoned my children, and I am haunted every day by their screams when I walked out the door,” and speaks to that repentant soul with the authority of the risen Jesus saying, “Your sins have been forgiven you,” we are speaking also right back to ourselves. The same blood that cleanses the swindler cleanses the idolater. The same blood that cleanses the fornicator cleanses the thief and the self-righteous legalist. Why? Because the gathering of the church together is a sign to the principalities and powers not that the assembly is a group of sinless people but is instead a group of people who will no longer bear accusation — because the reign of Jesus through his crucifixion and resurrection of the dead cancels the power of Satan’s accusations.
Guilty — but Forgiven
Because this is the case, when the woman in our congregation cries when she hears the words of a certain hymn because she remembers having an abortion, what we say to her is not, “It’s okay.” Neither do we say, “Actually, those who practice bloodshed will inherit the kingdom of God.” Instead, we teach her that if she is in Christ, she can sing out these songs, and sing right at the Devil, saying, “You are exactly right in every accusation that you bring against me, but you are accusing the brothers and sisters who conquer you ‘by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony’” (see Revelation 12:11).
As guilty but forgiven sinners, what the powers and principalities of this age say to us is true. But we’ve already been accused; we’ve already been indicted; we’ve been arrested; we’ve been dressed in purple and beaten; we’ve been stapled to a Roman cross; we’ve had the wrath of God poured out upon us; we’ve been left in a tomb as a bloated, abandoned, cursed corpse; and on a Sunday morning in Jerusalem, we were resurrected.
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