Pastor Prince

What meaning can we find in our suffering?  Especially in suffering related to our current pandemic.  We wonder what God is up to in our world and our lives! In Romans 5:1ff, Paul gives us help.  If he hadn't suffered much, we could minimize his words.  But he suffered far more than any of us ever will!  He says that through our faith in God, we stand in God's grace.  That's a great place to stand.  We have peace with him though Christ, and his grace surrounds us and is in us. He says we can boast in our sufferings.  Not about what we do.  But in what God does in us through them.   Suffering produces perseverance.  Perseverance is the ability to keep going despite the obstacles.  Like the marathon runner. Perseverance produces character.  The word he used for "character" refers to something proven.  Perseverance through suffering proves us, grows us, makes us stronger. Character produces h...

How do we become right with God?  That question is at the core of most religions.  However, different religions give different answers to it.  On top of that, religions may differ within themselves about the answer to that question.  Including Christianity! The apostle Paul dove into this issue in Romans 3:21-31.  He had already established that both Jews and Gentiles had failed to be righteous before God.  God's answer to that problem was to give righteousness to humanity, a righteousness apart from the law that was affirmed by the Law and the Prophets. It's as if we've all fallen overboard in the ocean and none of us can swim.  None of us can swim, so we all need saving! This righteousness comes by God's grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.   In verses 23-24, the apostle asserted that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.  "All" really means "all, " Jew and Gentile.  But he also said that both ar...