Hope

Rom 5:9-10

“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him form the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

What a hope we have. What a promise we are able to rest in. Life can get very difficult. We can get stuck in our churning through the mud of life and Satan and the flesh will use such opportunities to keep the wheels spinning. They do not mind if the wheels spin faster or slower, so long as they dig into the mud more deeply. God though does not tell us to press the gas harder, or to shake the vehicle loose as He cheers us on. No. He graciously pulls us from the muck, washes us to a shimmer, and restores us completely to ride with him in safety and security knowing we are free from the sticky mud forevermore.

This comes from a heart of struggle. My struggles are no more intense than most nor are they more unique, yet they are my own. They are those trials and that suffering that God has given to me to endure with Him as my rock and my hope. These times of suffering were not something I have always rejoiced in, but as I grow in Christ, I am beginning to understand more and more the riches found in suffering. I do not speak of a false identity found in suffering for masochistic endeavors. Instead I speak to my reality of a life with times of hardship, the relationship God has given in Himself as the greatest sufferer, and the rich endurance, character, and hope he produces through suffering.

So I look forward beyond justification, not to forget, but rather to build upon, and see my eternal salvation. I see the death and blood of Christ having made me clean and pure, yet I also see Him alive and well having established an unshakable future of life with Him forever. Once justified. Now sanctified. Forever saved. Praise God.