FAITH TRIUMPHS
This lesson will show us that no matter what goes on around us we must have
faith in God.
Know that through faith in Christ comes victory in all things.
Faith will have us giving thanks to God during a really bad situation.
Know that God can make something good come out of a really bad day.
Romans 5:1 says; Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
We are justified by faith through belief in Jesus Christ.
When the verse says we have a peace about us it is talking about the peace of
mind we have with God.
We have a better understanding about God.
We accept what we must do to please God.
We want to do the things we must do to please God.
Isaiah 32:17 says; The work of the righteousness will be peace, and the effect of
righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
Any works that we do through God's righteousness brings peace.
The effects of righteousness is peace and assurance.
Knowing that God is there for us.
It doesn't matter what is going on around us we have faith that God will always be
there for us.
God will touch our lives and bring the peace that we are all searching for.
I don't know anyone who wants to live their lives in turmoil.
When we are living that way it is when we are searching for what is missing in
our lives.
Ephesians 2:14 says; For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and
has broken down the middle wall of separation.
This verse is saying the Lord is our peace, comfort, hope for tomorrow.
Back when the temple was built it had a wall built to separate the Jews and the
Gentiles.
The Lord had to break that wall down.
Jesus didn't die on the cross just for the Jewish people.
Jesus took all the sins of the world to the cross.
God loves all the people of the world the same.
He doesn't want any one to parrish but that is up to us.
We will love the Lord and spend eternity in heaven.
Or we can live for the worldly things and spend eternity in hell.
You are either for God or against God.
There is no middle ground.
Romans 5:2 says; through who also we have access by faith into this grace, in
which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
To have access means to approach the throne room.
Rejoice mean to boast about our God and all He has done for us.
Hope is the expectations of living in the glory of God.
God has put His Spirit in all Christians, believers in Jesus Christ our Savior.
Ephesians 2:18 says; For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the
Father.
This verse is talking about Jesus.
Through Jesus we all have access to the Father.
We, believers, have the spirit of God that lives within us.
Since we all have Gods Spirit in us none of us can say that God loves us more
than any of His children.
Ephesians 3:12 says; in whom we have boldness and access with confidence
through faith in Him.
When we ask Jesus into our hearts the Spirit of God enters us.
Him Spirit will give us the blolness we will need to witness to the lost souls.
We have access to the throne room to speak to Him when we need Him or just to
praise and worship Him.
When we let the Lord work through us He gives us confidence to stand firm in
what is right and pleasing to the Lord.
But it all starts with faith in God.
Without faith we have nothing that is good and no access, confidence or boldness
1 Corinthians 15:1 says; Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I
preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
The gospel Paul founded the church for the Corinthians was based on the death of
Christ and His resurrection from the dead.
The people believed and were living for Christ.
They stood on the promises that Christ would give them eternal life if they be-
lieved and lived in His ways.
Their hearts were filled with the love for the Lord.
They didn't just say they believed and lived the way their flesh wanted to live.
Their hearts were pure, full of God, and wanting to please Him.
Hebrews 3:6 says; but Christ as a Son, over His own house, whose house we
are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
Since Christ is over His house because He is Gods Son we worship Him.
Christ is over the church, He is the head, and all Christians are part of the chruch,
the body of Christ.
But we have to stand firm in Him.
Boast of our Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
To have hope for better days ahead knowing we will be with Jesus for eternity.
When times start getting really tough, we must praise Him.
For it is written He will never leave or forsake us.
We must keep the faith in the Lord knowing that He is in control.
Romans 5:3 says; And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing
that tribulation produces perseverance;
Sometimes tribulations are kind of like a test.
Are you going to turn away from God everytime you hit a bump in the road?
Or are you going to praise the Lord that you were able to get through that road?
The Lord knows what we are going to need.
He will help us through those hard times.
Wlhen you come out of the tribulation you will be stronger, wiser, and most im-
portant of all closer to the Lord.
Matthew 5:11-12 says; 11. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,
and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12. Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
Jesus is speaking to the people in these verses.
I believe that none of us will ever go through all that Jesus experienced before
they nailed Him to the cross.
We, Christians, will be persecuted if you have not already been.
I have been call names, and was told I wasn't welcome in the homes of even
some Christians but also nonbelievers.
But that is okay by me.
I've got Jesus in me and if they won't accept Him than I don't want to be there
either.
Do not comprimise in your beliefs just to be accepted !!
Jesus is more important to me than anything the world has to offer.
In verse twelve it talks about those before us.
The prophets of God, but also the disciples.
They were stoned, beaten, and imprisoned because they believed and preached
the Gospel of Christ.
Ask yourself if you are willing to die for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ?
If not you better get into the Word and find out just how much Christ did for you.
Christ would have died the same horrible death if it was only for you.
We have to put God first and foremost in our lives.
Then you will find that you'd do anything for Him.
Abraham was going to kill his only son because God told him to.
But God stopped him and gave him a goat to sacrifice.
Know God's voice and follow His directives for your life.
Seek his will, He will show you the way.
James 1:3 says; Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
God promises you something you really need.
But you don't get it right away.
Instead everything seems to be getting worse.
Are you going to turn away from God because things keep going wrong and you
have given up on the promise God made you?
I pray that you don't.
When God makes a promise you will receive whatever He promised.
God isn't a liar, He fulfills all of His promises in His timing.
Romans 5:4 says; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
What characteristics do you have within you?
Do you have hope knowing that you will spend eternity with Jesus?
Do you have compassion for your fellow mankind?
Do you have love for those who are not loved by anyone it seems?
Are you honest?
Are you truthful?
The Holy Spirit in you will give you all of these characteristics.
When you are going through a test know that your character is being built up and
your faith is becoming stronger.
Praise the Lord for the tests that help you grow into a stronger person.
James 1:12 says; Blessed is the man that endures temptation; for when he has
been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised
to those who love Him.
Those who endure temptation prove that he or she loves the Lord Jesus Christ.
It proves that they are willing to live as Jesus lived while on earth.
Jesus promised that those believers who believe in Him, that they would receive
the crown of life.
The best way to help with the temptations is ask whould Jesus do this.
We are not perfect like Jesus.
But there are times in our lives that we can resist the temptations.
As your character builds you will find that it is easier to resist temptation.
Pray before you do something.
If in your spirit you feel like it is wrong than it probably is wrong and walk away
from it.
Don't judge right from wrong by the worlds standards.
You will find yourself in trouble everytime.
Romans 5:5 says; Now hope does no disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
When you put your hope in God you will never be disappointed.
When you asked Jesus into you heart the Holy Spirit entered your heart.
The Holy Spirit, Gods Spirit, fills your heart with love, hope, joy, compassion, and
peace with our heavenly Father.
The Spirit within you will guide you through all things.
Any trials, tribulations, or tests He will show you the way by God's standards.
God's standards are above anything that we call good.
So listen to the Spirit, He will show you the right way in all things.
Philippians 1:20 says; according to my earnest expectations and hope that in
nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also
Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
In this verse when Paul talks about earnest expectations he is speaking about
reaching out to God.
Hope is not wishful thinking but knowing that God is there for us in all things.
In bad times and in good times.
Paul was determined not to be put to shame by anything or anyone.
With all boldness he preached the Gospel of Christ.
Paul wanted all that he did or said to magnify the Lord.
Paul didn't want any of the glory, for it was the Lord working through him.
There was no difference between life or death as long as it magnified Christ Jesus
our Lord and Savior.
2 Corinthians 1:22 says; who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our
hearts as a guarantee.
For believers in Jesus Christ we are sealed as one of Gods children.
Jesus when He escented to heaven He left the Holy Spirit, Gods Spirit, to dwell
within us.
Our hearts were filled with the love of God.
It, the Spirit, also guarantees that the blessings will continue.
But also it guarantees that we will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord.
The scriptures I used for this lesson are: Romans 5:1-5, Isaiah 32:17,
Ephesians 2:14, 2:18, 3:12, 1 Corinthians 15:1, Hebrews 3:6,
Matthew 5:11-12, James 1:3, Philippians 1:20, 2 Corinthians 1:22.
My prayer is that whoever reads this lesson, the Lord gave me, will see that Paul,
like Abraham, is an example to us. Showing us their great faith and how
they depended on God for everything. Also they watched what they said and
did so as not to dishonor God. They didn'[t look to them selves to say the
right things but depended on the Holy Spirit to lead them and to speak
through them. If only we could honor God in all that we do like Paul and Abra-
ham. To allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in all that we do and say. I encour-
age you to read all the scriptures and seek Gods wisdom on what they mean.
If you find any errors in these lessons I welsome your comments.
God bless you and your family, may the Lord keep you close to Him.
PRAISE GOD OUR FATHER, JESUS OUR SAVIOR, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
THAT LIVES WITHIN ALL CHRISTIANS.
