Month: November 2021

God’s Grace in Romans |Tribulation, Patience, and Hope |

We saw from our last discussion that being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By faith in the son of God, we have gained admission into God’s superabundant grace where we stand rejoicing in hope.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; Romans 5:3

What a statement “Glory in tribulations?” who rejoices in tribulations?

The apostle said this from a viewpoint of someone who had a sure foundation. Only those who have discovered that righteousness is not earned but only received by faith in Christ can rejoice amid troubles.

If our faith is in our performance for God, then when troubles come, we cannot rejoice for we would know in ourselves that we do not measure up to God’s standard.

Our faith will be in our efforts, thinking now that we have failed we are getting what we deserve. And the way out is to perfect our works so God can hear us again, a life of bondage and misery.

However, when you know you stand by and in the grace of God through faith, you are unshakable. You are secured in the righteousness of Christ on your behalf to produce the miracle desired.

You can beat your chest and declare “I know God loves me, and by Christ, this one too shall pass away.”

Then we hear “Knowing that tribulation worketh patience”

Many a time we have confused this statement for something disastrous. We have come to accept the error that tribulations produce patience, hence, God gives us troubles so that troubles can make us patient.

This is pivotal as many submit to Satan the author of their problems thinking God is the source of their attacks

The moment one accepts this reasoning he becomes passive and the enemy empowered. God is a good God. God does not create troubles to make us patient. The devil is the author of evil, (John 10:10) but every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17).

When we say this evil is from God then we have yielded to satan (Romans 6:16), and have not submitted to God, therefore, we cannot actively resist the devil (James 4:7)

Observe that the word used above for “worketh” does not mean to produce. It is from the Greek word “KATERGAZOMAI,” and it means “to work fully, i.e. accomplish; by implication, to finish, fashion” (Strong’s Concordance).

Paul does not say tribulations produce patience, but tribulations put patience to use. patience comes from the scriptures (Romans 15:4) and not from tribulations. In tribulations, we have an opportunity to exercise the grace of God in us through standing on his word which is a source of patience.

Bible patience is faith exercised over a prolonged period and not just to passively wait on God for something.

Thence we hear;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope: Romans 5:4

As tribulations tend to exercise patience, even so, patience exercises and increase the experience. When we have fought a battle and won we have gathered experience.

Now we can boast of the faithfulness of God, we have tasted his goodness, enjoyed his love and grace, we have seen his power amid our weaknesses, and how much he is willing to stoop low to carry us out our death.

Now we can sincerely be thankful and humble. And this experience puts to use “hope”
Now we have stood on the scriptures and have gained patience and experience, there is an image in our hearts through the word of God of what God can do, and this scriptural imagination is what is called “hope”

It comes when we see what God has done through the eyes of our hearts. It is the evidence of faith. Faith only produces what hope has seen (Hebrews 11:1).

This is why we hear:

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. Romans 5:5

Once we have the evidence in our hearts, once we have this biblical hope working in us, there’s no panicking, for faith has found a substance to bring into manifestation.

This is hope “maketh not ashamed” because through patience we have seen God come through, we have had an experiential knowledge of God through his love “shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Confession

Father, I know you as a good God. You are not the source of the evils around me but the devil. You have not given me troubles to make me a better person rather afflictions come for the sake of your word.

I refuse to allow Satan to steal your word from my heart, I refuse to allow him to steal my joy. I am working in patience, hoping in your goodness continually.

I refuse to accommodate any form of weakness in my body, I refuse failure. I declare that I live and reign above them all in the mighty name of Jesus.

Prophetic Insight

In an encounter with the Lord, I saw as he said to a child of God “You have found favor in my eyes”

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52

“Dear Child, you have found favor in my eyes. It is my goodwill to give you the kingdom. By my favor, the heavens answer to you, and the hearts of men will respond to you dear child.

The King delights in you and has opened the doors of the kingdom of heaven and the kingdoms of the world to you. I am bringing you before kings, making you the joy of many generations as a demonstration of how much I have loved you.”

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church

God’s Grace in Romans | By Faith We Have Peace With God |

We saw from our last discussion that Jesus died for us and upon his due satisfaction of divine justice, he was raised to life.

Then the apostle continues;

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 5:1

Objectively, faith does not justify any man. It is God that justifies. Faith only receives the justification procured by Christ.

Hence, subjectively, we are justified by faith and the results of our justification by faith are that “we have peace with God”

God has always loved man and has never changed his mind. When Adam fell, God did not altogether forsake man, but some obstacles came between God and man.

The throne of God is established with the scepter of righteousness, and upon man’s decision to choose unrighteousness, divine justice and the law of God now stood between God’s love for man.

On the part of man, sin, rebellion, and guilt stood right between him and God. Condemnation and the fear of God’s wrath removed peace from our hearts.

Then one day we heard the good news declared by the heavenly host;

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Luke 2:14

At first glance, I thought the angels pronounced peace on earth, therefore, no more wars and rumors of wars. Families enjoying on every side, however, Jesus said the opposite of that.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34

So what then were the angels declaring at the birth of Jesus?

It was that divine justice would now be satisfied by the savior and God’s “good will towards men” would be realized. The obstacles that stood between God’s love and man are now removed. God and man are no longer enemies.

On the side of man, the sins that separated him from a holy God, his inability to fulfill the law of righteousness will be removed. Sins taken out and righteousness given to him as a gift “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:“

The only place the believer can experience the peace of God is through faith in what Christ has done. Before we are saved, we cannot please God. And after we are saved, it is still the same. We please God only by faith (Hebrews 11:6). We are to continue the same way we came in (Colossians 2:6).

Sadly, many of us have begun in the Spirit but are now seeking to be made perfect by the flesh which is why there is no peace in our hearts.

You cannot perform enough to be accepted by God, you can only rest in what Christ has done and receive the blessings of God in his peace. Christianity becomes awesome when we believe and walk in this truth.

For we hear;

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2

What gives us access to the riches of God’s grace is faith. The word used above for access is from the Greek word ‘prosagoge’ which means ‘admission’ (Strong’s Concordance).

By faith, we gain admission into God’s unconditional and inexhaustible grace. By faith, we stand in God’s wealth free of charge.

When we stand here we ” rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” A lot of us only rejoice when our outward circumstances look pleasing. When things go the way we have desired we praise God and are joyful.

Then something goes wrong, all of sudden we are angry at God and bitter in our hearts. We start asking God to give us joy as though he took it away. What changed was our focus. By faith, we consistently stand in the grace of God.

And because of this faith in his grace, we have hope and we rejoice continually for this good news never changes. Since we stand in his grace, whatsoever comes against us the favor of God swallows it up and gives us the victory. Hallelujah!

Confession

Heavenly Father, blessed be your name for coming after me. You have leveled mountains, broken through all barriers just to reduce a sinner like me.

Today by faith in your love through Christ I have received peace with you. I stand today in the riches of your grace. I stand in divine health, full of life, joy, and prosperity. My life is a manifestation of your glory. Praise Jesus!

Prophetic Insight

In an encounter with the Lord, I saw a ceremonial feast and I heard the Lord say “I have now given you the promise”

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he is lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Galatians 4:1-2

As I sat with the Lord, I heard “Dear Child, this is the appointed time, this is the time for the manifestation of the promise. I have now given you the promise, so do not be afraid.

The doors that have refused to open in the past will now open, for before this time, I was still preparing you for your inheritance.

Walk in your authority and see things change, I have given you charge over your inheritance. This is the time of my glorious will being fulfilled in your life. “

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church

God’s Grace in Romans | His Resurrection Our Justification |

We saw from our last discussion that the Abrahamic hope which produces results is that which is received from the word of God and not just a mere wish for things. That Abraham was fully persuaded that what God spoke he was able to perform.

Then we hear the apostle continue;

And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Romans 4:22

Observe carefully the word “therefore” from the above verse signifying conclusion drawn from the preceding discussion.

In context, prior to this conclusion, God made a promise to a man — who was completely unqualified, his body dead and that of his wife — yet he believed in the righteousness of God.

He believed that God who spoke was gracious, kind and merciful, self-sufficient and overwhelmingly powerful to do what he had promised, and God said, for putting faith in my goodness, faithfulness, righteousness and power, I declare you righteous even though you are unqualified.

This is how Abraham was accepted as a righteous man before God. His persuasion didn’t come from anything but in the abilities of God.

He only exercised unqualified faith in who God is and what he was able to do irrespective of his physical wretchedness. And God was so pleased with Abraham and called him his friend.

Then we hear:

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; Romans 4:23

This great work of God in the life of Abraham was a pattern for all. God does not respect persons (Romans 2:11). If he accepted Abraham only by faith then all men are justified by faith alone and not by their works.

For we hear;

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Romans 4:24

Just as with Abraham, once we believe in Christ righteousness is credited to our accounts despite our insufficiencies.

Many of us have not realized that we are dead outside of Christ therefore we are trying with all we can to perform so we can be justified by our performance.

The story of Abraham gives us a powerful picture of our condition before God, he was dead in his body, we are dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1).

The target of our faith is to believe that as God raised Abraham’s body from the dead through faith, even so by our faith in Christ God imputes righteousness to us and raises us up to enjoy the righteousness of Christ.

He has already accomplished our salvation. Our sins, our death he paid the price with his body and life. And it’s very shocking to hear what the next verse says…

Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Romans 4:25

Observe carefully this statement “and was raised again for our justification”.

Jesus died for our offences and upon full satisfaction of the penalty and the requirements for our righteousness he was authorized by God to be raised from the dead.

This means without full satisfaction of divine justice he wouldn’t have been raised to glory. And if we were not declared righteous by his work he wouldn’t have been glorified.

“who was betrayed and crucified because of our sins, and was raised [from the dead] because of our justification [our acquittal—absolving us of all sin before God].” — Rom 4:25 AMP

That he is raised to life today is because all requirements for our justification are met. The justice of God is completely satisfied and we were — already declared righteous before he was raised to life.

To know that the reason why Christ is alive in glory today is because we are already justified, declared righteous before God overwhelms my heart with joy. It reveals how much God loves and values us.

Confession

My heavenly Father loves me. I’m loved and valued. I am worth the death of the prince of life, the king of kings, the son of God because God loves me.

Today I am justified. All my offences, sicknesses, and sorrows were carried upon the body of my saviour.

I have passed from death to life, from sickness to health, from sin to righteousness, from poverty to wealth, for I dwell in Christ. Hallelujah!

Prophetic Insight

In an encounter with the Lord, I heard “Hear me child, my definition of success is different from the world. Many measure success by the abundance of things but I see success as relationship with me and doing what I ask you to do.

As long as you follow me, you are in the blessing, and I am with you in all you do, hence, you are a prosperous child.

You have a different destination, your forwardness may look slow but it’s because you are on a different course of life, therefore, be content, for I am well pleased with you.”

And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. Genesis 39:2

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church

God’s Grace in Romans | True Hope |

We saw from our last discussion the creative power of God’s word in Abraham’s life when he told him I have made you a father of many nations. Abraham believed in a God who calls those things that be not as though they were because what God speaks becomes reality.

Then the apostle continues;

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. Romans 4:18

When God made a promise to Abraham, there was nothing physically possible within his power to assist him in bringing forth the promise. His body was literary dead and Sarah’s womb dead too.

All that God spoke to him was “against hope.” Against all rational grounds of hope. Without supernatural aid, it was a tale to laugh at, which at difficult times he and his wife did (Genesis 17:17, 18:12).

But something is resounding “Who against hope believed in hope.” Where there is no hope, how do you still believe in hope?

This is a supernatural kind of hope. Only God can give this kind of hope. I often meet a lot of people who say I hoping that this would be and that would happen and right behind their eyes I only see a wish.

Many times they are not persuaded it will happen or they are persuaded it would happen but it’s just a mere desire.

This kind of hope against all hope, where your condition looks outwardly dead and hopeless but you are completely convinced change is on the way can only come from heaven.

How do you receive this kind of hope?

We hear;

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

Observe this statement “through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Biblical hope comes from the word of God. The scriptures are given to us with thousands of promises to provide comfort, patience, and hope.

If Abraham was just wishing that maybe he would have a son through Sarah, if he was just saying that this person has it so I too will have mine, he never would have had comfort, patience, and this supernatural hope.

He exercised a divine kind of hope which comes through the word of God even as we hear “according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.”

Our hope must be according to that which is spoken by the Lord to us, if not it is just a mere wish. God’s word is the only source of genuine hope. A hope that never fails (Romans 5:1—5)

Then we hear:

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: Romans 4:19

Once he heard from God nothing could stop his persuasion. Once we receive a word from the Lord we ought not to consider anything other than the power of God to do that which he has spoken.

Our God is the God of the impossible. There is nothing too hard for our father. So, our eyes, heart, and hope must be fixed on the word even as…

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Romans 4:20-21

It’s amazing what Abraham did “giving glory to God; ” Imagine Abraham going about giving God glory, declaring God’s goodness that he was a father of many nations when his body was dead and Sarah’s womb also dead. Many today think it’s foolishness and mere blabbing.

True faith speaks (2 Corinthians 4:13). Confessing what God says about you even when you have not seen it yet is giving God glory, saying the same thing with God, and accepting or receiving the manifestation.

Confession

Father, I thank you for your word. In your word are precious promises laid up for me as a partaker of the riches of Christ.

I declare that the word is giving me hope, comfort, and patience. I am persuaded that I am blessed with all spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.

All these blessings come upon me and the manifestation overtakes me in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah!

Prophetic Insight

In an encounter with the Lord, I heard “Dear Child, look not to your insufficiency, don’t be dismayed by your need. I am not limited to your emptiness, neither am I to your performance.

It’s all about my love and will to bless you. Look away from yourself and trust my love, power, and faithfulness to perform my word.

It may look worthless but trust me, I am faithful, I will not fail you.”

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church.