Romans 5:1

JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Rom 5:2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.
Rom 5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
Rom 5:4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
Rom 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love (NLT).

HOPE does not make us ashamed! Praise God!
In July I met a young lady who said that God gave me passion, now He wants to give me character. You may know that perseverance builds character (vs4)! I thought "uhg"-more trials-yet, I pray for that refining, the purification, and holiness! I know there's another trial coming. I know I need to rejoice in it-and I'm learning to do just that. Praise God.
So, we welcome the trials, so that we may grow in His grace,
draw near to Him,
and rejoice as partakers in His sufferings,
knowing that endurance develops strength, and character, and hope.

Therefore, let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2)
Let us change our minds.
Let us be humble: verse 3 of Romans 12 says, let us not think of ourselves more highly than we ought!
The trials have brought us this wonderful gift: humility!
Praise God! (because pride is ugly! and much more than that, it caused the fall!) Amen?

vs4)...EACH PART HAS A SPECIAL FUNCTION in the body:
Rom 12:5 so we the many are one body in Christ, and each one members of one another.

As I'm blogging on Romans 5 and searching the scriptures about character, the Holy Spirit speaks and says,
"Romans 12:5"

And the Lord frequently speaks into my heart, "One mind, One body, One Spirit"
that would be the Spirit of the Lord-
holiness and love
All I know is that we need each other.
I find myself alone a lot and wonder why?
Have I cut myself off? How can I build healthy, loving, godly relationships?
What comes to mind is this: trust God.
Faith and love.
Let us each reflect today our place in the body of Christ and what is our part.
Are we working in unity?
Are we "one body?"
Are we humble?
Are we loving, kind, patient, enthusiastic, helpful, hopeful, prayerful, honest, genuine, hospitable, peaceful,...?

..never repaying evil for evil, but
honorable
living at peace with all men
Rom 12:19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD.
Rom 12:20 Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads."
Rom 12:21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Amen?

Let me be real here. I've been praying for days about some friends of mine from college, whom I really loved and still care about. They're Jewish.
So, I'm searching the Scriptures daily for the hope of salvation for my friends
because I know that Christ is the only name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
But, I must cling to the hope that Christ died for ALL
and that He is able to reach ALL flesh
that His promises are true
that in Christ's kingdom there's neither Jew, nor Greek:

Rom 10:12 For there is no difference both of Jew and of Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call on Him.
Rom 10:13 For everyone, "whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Here's what's beautiful-Paul's heart for the Jews-if anyone could boast in the flesh and in knowledge of the law, in Judaism, wouldn't it be Paul? (See 2Corin 11 about boasting in the world). But isn't this like the heart of Christ, who came for the lost sheep of Israel?

Rom 10:1 Brothers, my heart's deepest desire and my prayer to God for Isra'el is for their salvation;
Rom 10:2 for I can testify to their zeal for God. But it is not based on correct understanding;
Rom 10:3 for, since they are unaware of God's way of making people righteous and instead seek to set up their own, they have not submitted themselves to God's way of making people righteous.
Rom 10:4 For the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah, who offers righteousness to everyone who trusts.
Rom 10:5 For Moshe writes about the righteousness grounded in the Torah that the person who does these things will attain life through them.
Rom 10:6 Moreover, the righteousness grounded in trusting says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend to heaven?' " — that is, to bring the Messiah down —
Rom 10:7 or, " 'Who will descend into Sh'ol?' " — that is, to bring the Messiah up from the dead.
Rom 10:8 What, then, does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart." — that is, the word about trust which we proclaim, namely,
Rom 10:9 that if you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be delivered.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus continues toward righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on making public acknowledgement and thus continues toward deliverance.
Rom 10:11 For the passage quoted says that everyone who rests his trust on him will not be humiliated.
Rom 10:12 That means that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — Adonai is the same for everyone, rich toward everyone who calls on him,
Rom 10:13 since everyone who calls on the name of Adonai will be delivered.
Rom 10:14 But how can they call on someone if they haven't trusted in him? And how can they trust in someone if they haven't heard about him? And how can they hear about someone if no one is proclaiming him?
Rom 10:15 And how can people proclaim him unless God sends them? — as the Tanakh puts it, "How beautiful are the feet of those announcing good news about good things!"
Rom 10:16 The problem is that they haven't all paid attention to the Good News and obeyed it. For Yesha`yahu says, "Adonai, who has trusted what he has heard from us?"
Rom 10:17 So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.
Rom 10:18 "But, I say, isn't it rather that they didn't hear?" No, they did hear — "Their voice has gone out throughout the whole world and their words to the ends of the earth."
Rom 10:19 "But, I say, isn't it rather that Isra'el didn't understand?" "I will provoke you to jealousy over a non-nation, over a nation void of understanding I will make you angry."
Rom 10:20 Moreover, Yesha`yahu boldly says, "I was found by those who were not looking for me, I became known to those who did not ask for me";
Rom 10:21 but to Isra'el he says, "All day long I held out my hands to a people who kept disobeying and contradicting." (CJB)

We know a tree by its fruit.
Lord, send us out.