What Must We Do To Be Saved?

[foundthelight]

Hi FoundTheLight,

Are you saying that God does not call all to His saving grace? The Bible is quite clear that God does call all and wants all to accept Him through Jesus Christ.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

All men are called to Gods saving grace. It is but for us to accept His love for us or to reject it.

I have already stated that I intend to defend reformed theology.  

My question is; Why won't you, or Blackeyedpeas, in a spirit of Christian love, directly address the verses and questions I have raised?  Please show me my error on these verses.

[nChrist]

FoundTheLight Said:

I have already stated that I intend to defend reformed theology.

My question is; Why won't you, or Blackeyedpeas, in a spirit of Christian love, directly address the verses and questions I have raised?  Please show me my error on these verses.

Hello FoundTheLight,

First, you are very vague about which theology you are talking about. "Reformed Theology" is an extremely broad term used by tons of folks, some Biblical and some NOT.

Second, there are numerous replies with considerable detail and Christian love. I, for one, still don't know what you are agreeing or disagreeing with. Maybe we would understand what you are trying to defend if you answer the easy questions in our posts.

Love in Christ,
Tom

Romans 8:1-2 NASB  Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

[foundthelight]

FoundTheLight Said:

I have already stated that I intend to defend reformed theology.

My question is; Why won't you, or Blackeyedpeas, in a spirit of Christian love, directly address the verses and questions I have raised?  Please show me my error on these verses.

Hello FoundTheLight,

First, you are very vague about which theology you are talking about. "Reformed Theology" is an extremely broad term used by tons of folks, some Biblical and some NOT.

Second, there are numerous replies with considerable detail and Christian love. I, for one, still don't know what you are agreeing or disagreeing with. Maybe we would understand what you are trying to defend if you answer the easy questions in our posts.

Love in Christ,
Tom

Romans 8:1-2 NASB  Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

What I mean by Reformed Theology is the theology which came directly out of the Reformation in response to the false teachings of the Roman Church.  That is where the term Reformed Theology came from, as it was an attempt to reform the faith and put it back in line with what the Bible taught.  This was defined by such men as Luther, Melanchthon, and Calvin.  Later came Knox, Owens, Spurgeon and others.  These men sought to express their faith in terms of what the Bible taught, not in what the Church taught.  Remember that the Roman church placed the teachings of the Church on a higher plane than the Bible.  Whereas the Refomers believed and taught "Sola Scriptura" where the Bible is the final judge of the teachings of the church.  If the teachings contradict the Bible they are wrong.  The Roman church would not accept this.

From this comes such things as the Canons of Dort, the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, The Scots Confession, and the Westminster Confession all of which sought to express the main concepts of of Reformed theology in a condensed form.


Rather that argue needlessly, what if I were to create a new topic, Reformed Theology, where I could post a series of essays on the major points?  I am no theologian and as questions come in I may not be able to answer instantly.

What to you think?

[Jemidon2004]

I think there's been a bit of a miscommunication error around here...lol. I don't think he's disagreeing with ya BEP's...not from the way i read his posts. I happen to agree with quite a bit of the things he's saying. It seems to me that you (foundthelight) have taken a very historical approach. I don't fault you for defending Reformed Theology. I think in common terms wouldn't that be also known as Protestantism? Could ya clarify on that one? I don't think there's much disagreement as there is miscommunication of words. I could be seeing this wrong or something, but I'd like to read more of what you have to say found...your idea of starting a thread simply for Reformed Theology is a good idea...i'd like to see it. Grace and peace to you brother.

In Christ,
Joshua

[foundthelight]

I think there's been a bit of a miscommunication error around here...lol. I don't think he's disagreeing with ya BEP's...not from the way i read his posts. I happen to agree with quite a bit of the things he's saying. It seems to me that you (foundthelight) have taken a very historical approach. I don't fault you for defending Reformed Theology. I think in common terms wouldn't that be also known as Protestantism? Could ya clarify on that one? I don't think there's much disagreement as there is miscommunication of words. I could be seeing this wrong or something, but I'd like to read more of what you have to say found...your idea of starting a thread simply for Reformed Theology is a good idea...i'd like to see it. Grace and peace to you brother.

In Christ,
Joshua

Thank you Joshua,

The Reformation is what started Protestantism.  However, whith the freedom from the rule of the Roman church, Protestantism split into many branches with differing opinions on what the Bible tells us.  

[Jemidon2004]

I thought that is what happened...I wasn't quite sure...but thanks for the clarification.Reformed Theology isn't a bad thing at all...i just simply think that there wasn't much clarification...lol. Easy to do with text, considering we cannot hear tone of voice. Anywho, I must zip and head to the food place here on campus.

Coram Deo
Joshua

[nChrist]

Hello FoundTheLight,

We don't use man's tags, labels, and denominations here very much because they cause such confusion and mean so many different things to different people. So, I'm personally not interested in a discussion that requires so much guessing. Some terms cause less confusion than others, but I find that the Holy Bible and plain English are more than sufficient.

Maybe someone else would be interested in such a discussion.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 4:20-21 NASB  yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

[foundthelight]

Hello FoundTheLight,

We don't use man's tags, labels, and denominations here very much because they cause such confusion and mean so many different things to different people. So, I'm personally not interested in a discussion that requires so much guessing. Some terms cause less confusion than others, but I find that the Holy Bible and plain English are more than sufficient.

Maybe someone else would be interested in such a discussion.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 4:20-21 NASB  yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

I don't understand the comment about guessing.  Everything I have said has been backed up with plain scripture.

Reformed theology has been called "evil" and "exclusionary" in this thread.

I find that attitude to be un-Christian and exclusionary.

If you want me to say that I believe that the Bible teaches that the Bible teaches Pre-destination and not Free-Will.  It does and I do.  I have made that plain.  

I have given many verses in defense of that position.  Verses that you have studiously ignored.

Yes God would like all men to be saved.  Do you honestly believe that if that was His definite Will that all would not be saved?

I like the way John Owen the 17th century Puritan Pastor put it:

The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son underwent punishment for, either:

1.   All the sins of all men.
2.   All the sins of some men, or
3.   Some of the sins of all men.

In which case it may be said:

1.   That if the last be true, all men have some sins to answer for, and so, none are saved.
2.   That if the second be true, then Christ, in their stead suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world, and this is the truth.
3.   But if the first be the case, why are not all men free from the punishment due unto their sins?

You answer, "Because of unbelief."

I ask, Is this unbelief a sin, or is it not? If it be, then Christ suffered the punishment due unto it, or He did not. If He did, why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which He died? If He did not, He did not die for all their sins!"

[nChrist]

Hello FoundTheLight,

Now I understand completely, and I guessed right. You are here to defend the Calvinist position and T.U.L.I.P. So, you have been given more than adequate Scripture. I don't view that as a bar to fellowship, but I do view that as false teaching. JESUS was and is the LIGHT of the World, and ANY man or woman can come to the LIGHT because JESUS died on the Cross for ALL mankind. To say that JESUS died only for SOME would be false and exclusionary. When I witness to people about JESUS, I don't include the disclaimer, "But only if your name is on the list."

I have no desire to debate this topic with you. I will spend my time in sharing the Gospel of the Grace of God, God's Love, God's Grace, and God's GIFT that is offered to ALL.

You and I can simply agree to disagree. I can still have fellowship with you, but I know that will be up to you.

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable GIFT, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour Forever!

Love in Christ,
Tom

1 Peter 1:3 NASB  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

[nChrist]

SALVATION - HOW TO BE SAVED - "BORN AGAIN"
Page 1 - by Tom Rightmer

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRST:

Your life in this mortal body will be short, but your soul will live for eternity either in heaven or hell. Those who have received Salvation and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour will live forever with Jesus in Heaven. Those who reject Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Hell. Almighty God, the Creator of all, is real and He Lives. Almighty God is three Holy Deities in ONE GOD: God, the Father; God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God, containing the only true account of all creation, both past and future. God does love you, regardless of how many bad things you have done in your life. Because of his Love for you, God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified and die on a cross for your sins. Jesus Christ lived on this earth in the form of a man, but He was very God. Jesus Christ was righteous and without sin, yet he was convicted and sentenced to death. Jesus died and was buried, but he arose on the third day. Some might question whether this event happened, but the world's time is set by this event recorded in history: (B.C.) Before Christ; (A.D.) After Death. Jesus Christ ascended back to Heaven and HE LIVES, very God. God wants you to accept Him, return His love, and become one of His children. God wants to adopt you and give you an inheritance, but you must believe to accept this Gift. This Gift is given by God's Grace and love for you. The Gift is free, and you did nothing to deserve it or earn it.


HOW CAN I BE SAVED AND RECEIVE SALVATION?

If you are unsaved, please read this carefully. Do you many times feel alone in this world and helpless because of the evil you see and experience? Do you feel bad when you do wrong and wonder if there must be something other than this world to enjoy? Do you feel empty and unhappy about yourself and what the future may bring? Answering these and other questions may give you the reasons why you should accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Would you like to experience and enjoy peace, joy, and love this world can't offer? It isn't hard to become a believer and Saved: you can receive Salvation right now, this minute.

   1. I AM A SINNER: You must understand that you are a sinner. Sin is wrong, as commanded by Almighty God in his Word, the Holy Bible. All men sin and do wrong in the sight of Almighty God. Regardless of how large or small your sins are, you can be forgiven and accepted as a Child of God. (See Scripture Notes 1 below)

   2. I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS AND AROSE FROM THE DEAD AS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR: Almighty God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you, in payment for your sins. The Blood of Jesus Christ will wash away your sins as if they had never happened. Jesus Christ bore suffering and pain on the cross for you, that you can be saved and be forgiven. Jesus Christ arose from the dead and LIVES as the Lord and Saviour to all who will believe and accept him. This is a Gift by God's Grace, a free gift that you didn't earn or deserve. (See Scripture Notes 2 below)

   3. I ASK JESUS CHRIST TO COME INTO MY HEART AS MY PERSONAL SAVIOUR AND FORGIVE MY SINS: You must trust Jesus Christ and ask him to come into your heart as your personal Lord and Saviour. Ask Jesus Christ to be first in your life and forgive your sins. (See Scripture Notes 3 below)

   4. If you are sincere and believe the above three statements with your heart, you will be: saved, born again, baptized with the Holy Spirit, forgiven, indwelt by God, adopted into the family of God, made an heir of God, set apart for God, and much more that you will learn as you grow in Christ.

   5. I hope this doesn't sound difficult. The words and thoughts must be your words and thoughts from your heart. You must believe in your heart and ask Jesus for Salvation from your heart. Your prayer can be very simple, but your prayer must be from your heart.

   6. A simple prayer, maybe something like this: "Lord Jesus, I am a sinner not worthy of your Love. Lord Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for me and I ask you to come into my heart as my Lord and Saviour. Lord Jesus, I ask forgiveness for my sins and ask to follow you as the Lord of my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen."

===============See Page 2

[nChrist]

SALVATION - HOW TO BE SAVED - "BORN AGAIN"
Page 2 - by Tom Rightmer

SCRIPTURE NOTES 1:

    * Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
    * Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
    * 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
    * Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
    * Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;


SCRIPTURE NOTES 2:

    * John 19:16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
    * John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
    * John 19:18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
    * John 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
    * 1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
    * Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
    * Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.


SCRIPTURE NOTES 3:

    * John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
    * John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
    * John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
    * Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
    * Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
    * Romans 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
    * Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
    * Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.


MY PRAYER:

I pray that God will soften your heart and guide you to accept Jesus Christ as your Personal Saviour RIGHT NOW. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen Brother Tom, that is indeed the beautiful words of God.



Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

[Malcolmite]

Greetings and Salutations All,

The Question is "What Must We Do To Be Saved?"

It would seem to me that the simple answer is clearly laid down by our Lord Jesus, at the very beginnig of His Ministry to the World.

" Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mat 3:2)

"Now after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel." (Mark !: 14-15)

Blessings to All, Malcolm.

[Shammu]

Four steps to God

1. GOD LOVES YOU AND IS SEEKING TO HAVE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to remove the barrier of sin." 1 John 4:10

God loves you and planned a wonderful, full life for you.  He wants to enter a personal and intimate relationship with you that includes fellowship, inner peace, happiness, guidance in life and power to fulfill His special plan for your life.

2. SIN HAS CREATED A BARRIER BETWEEN MAN AND GOD

“All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” Romans 3:23

GOD is Holy, and cannot have a relationship with anyone who falls short of His righteous character.  Sin began when man went his own independent way and rejected his relationship with God.  At that point, man became unacceptable to God’s Holy character.

The Ten Commandments were given to show us how good we would have to be if we try to come to God in our own merit.  But God doesn’t grade our law-keeping on the curve.  He said, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” James 2:10

No matter how sincere we are, or how hard we try, or how religious we are, we can never produce a righteousness that God can accept.  Even our good deeds are not acceptable in God’s sight, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags …” Isaiah 64:6

So our sin has created a barrier that we cannot remove.  Even though God loves you, He cannot compromise His holy character to receive you.  Only God can remove this barrier.

3. JESUS CHRIST CAME TO REMOVE THE BARRIER BETWEEN GOD AND MAN

Jesus said of Himself, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

You see, God so loved us that He stepped out of eternity into time and became a man in the person of Jesus Christ.  He lived a perfect life as a man and thus qualified to die for the sins of the world.  He then willingly died in our place to purchase a pardon for sins and satisfy the demands of His own perfect justice.   When He did, He tore down the barrier of sin that separated us.

4. NOW THERE IS ONLY ONE BARRIER BETWEEN YOU AND GOD YOU MUST RECEIVE THE PARDON JESUS PURCHASED FOR YOU

Jesus Christ has removed every barrier that stood between you and God except one -- you must receive the pardon He purchased for you by an act of your will. You see, a pardon is not a pardon until it is received. There is a pardon with your name on it in heaven, but you must receive it to make it valid.

It is not a matter of how good you are -- or even how bad you are. The issue is, will you talk to God and tell him you receive the pardon he purchased for you.  He wants you to come just as you are and confess you can never be good enough for Him to accept.

YOU can change your eternal destiny right now.  Wherever you are, just bow your head and tell God you receive His pardon for your sins.  Ask Jesus Christ to come into your life and begin to give you a new heart with new desires.  He will come into your life and bring a new power and motivation for living you never dreamed possible.

Jesus gave us this invitation, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”  Revelation 3:20  The door represents your will.

The Lord Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of your will right now.  Just invite Him in and receive the gift of pardon He gave His life to give you.  Then thank Him for the pardon and that He must keep His Word.

Don’t expect feelings right away.  Some have them, some don’t.  The important thing is to simply believe God keeps His Word and He now has come to live in you.  Seek out a Church that is true to the Bible and seek to learn about your new life.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Resting in the hands, of Jesus.
Bob

Romans 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

[Shammu]

Salvation through Jesus Christ

Trouble In This Ole World
2 Corinthians 11
Our world is awash with trouble. It comes in a seemingly endless stream. Peoples of all faiths, irrespective of colour, class and intelligence are experiencing trouble of one kind or an other. After all these years mankind is still incapable of eradicating trouble. Indeed our troubles appear to be on the increase. And so we have: wars, famines, disease, persecution, unemployment, violence, greed and a host of other problems too numerous to mention. The root problem of course is sin. Sin is an attitude of mind which manifests itself in rebellion against Jesus's commandments.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:
for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin committeth also iniquity. And sin is iniquity.

In the beginning mankind was offered a choice between life on the one hand and knowledge on the other Genesis 2:16-17 And he commanded him, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death. Our first parents rejected the Tree of Life (which represented Jesus Christ) and chose Satan: the one who had the knowledge and personal experience of good and evil. Their decision plunged the whole world into troubles so great that they now threaten to engulf us. Our first parents wanted to know about good and evil, by personal experience. Mankind's present plight some 6000 years later is simply the result of their tragic decision to see for themselves. Problems are the evil part, the part of which the whole human race now has full knowledge. Bear in mind that the root cause of all our problems is sin, the rejection of Yahweh's (Jesus's) directions and the violation of His commands. The sin may be in ourselves, in others, in society at large or may even go back several generations to our ancestors. But you can be sure that at the root of every problem is sin. Somebody, somewhere along the line has transgressed the law of the Most High and human suffering is the result.

Is there any salvation from this sad state of affairs, this roundabout of rebellion, this treadmill of trouble? I am happy to say, there is.

Worst of Sinners
Many sinners suppose that they are worse than all others. This is an understandable reaction to strong conviction, but it is wrong in every case. In any event Jesus Christ came to save all sinners, irrespective of whether they think they are the worst or not - for "all have sinned" Rom.3:23 Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the shewing of his justice, for the remission of former sins.
1 Timothy 1:15 A faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Therefore no matter what the problem is, and it may not be your fault, for its root cause may go back a hundred years or more, Jesus Christ can help you. He is 'God in human flesh' and he can save you from problems of every kind. As Abraham Lincoln once said to a friend in great trouble: "Go to Him and pray, for He alone can save you."

What must you do to be saved?
By far the most important piece of information ever to be transmitted to the sons and daughters of men is the answer to the question: What must you do to be saved? Please note, not just from one's temporal problems which come to believer and unbeliever alike - but from the end result of sin - condemnation and everlasting death!
Acts 16:30,31  ... Sirs What must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
John 3:16-18  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

From these passages you can see that faith in Yeshua (the Saviour's Hebrew name) is the way to salvation. In short, the sinner, no matter how bad he/she may think he/she is, must have faith in Christ Jesus. They must believe what Yahweh has categorically promised. And he must rest assured that what the Almighty has promised, He will do. The whole universe would descend into absolute chaos if Jesus failed to keep this single promise. So we can have absolute confidence in Him that He will not break His word. Trust Him. He will do what He says.

The Value of Trouble
Salvation from sin and its consequence is guaranteed to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. But what about the present problems (physical ills, persecution, poverty, starvation, homelessness, unemployment, loneliness etc) which are not automatically removed when a person believes? Let us consider some examples.
Righteous Job
Job 1:3    His enormous wealth: 10 children, 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 she asses and many servants.
Job chapters 1-37   His terrible troubles: Job lost practically everything, wealth, possessions, family, health and friends. Few men or women have suffered as Job did.
His faith:
Job 13:15    ... Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him...
Job 19:25,26    For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

Job's experience proves that even a godly person can have troubles. And they may not be speedily removed even after prayer. But faith can win through every trouble no matter how bad it may be. When you fell that your troubles are too much, think of Job.

The Apostles
All the Apostles suffered enormously; far more than is generally known. And in the end almost all suffered a martyr's death. They had troubles, no one will dispute that fact. But Yahweh allowed them to experience trouble for a very good reason. He was with them throughout their trials. He did not remove trials; but provided the strength to bear them. Note Paul's attitude in time of trial.
Romans 5:3-5 But we glory in tribulation: knowing that tribulation worketh patience,  and patience experience, and experience hope.  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.


A few facts, I have learned.

A believer's faith or greatness does not exempt him/her from suffering.
And the reason is that Christ's power to overcome evil is best demonstrated in the midst of trouble. The greater the darkness the more effective is His shining grace and glory.
Yeshua's (Jesus) grace is all you need. His power comes to its full strength when we are helpless.
2Cor:12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

How can you beat a deal like this, and it's free.

Resting in the hands,  of Jesus.
Bob

Nahum 1:3 "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet."