Welcome to this new episode of the Gospel for the Nations podcast. This podcast has been brought to you by Pastor Kareem. Our desire is to open the Word of God with you and to speak in a way that is clear, simple, and full of grace. Wherever you are listening from, we pray that the Holy Spirit will touch your heart through his word, strengthen your faith, and draw you closer to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01So let's continue to worship the Lord in his word. Lord, thank you for guiding me through this week to prepare this message for your children, Lord. Thank you for using me as a vessel of clay with your power in me, Lord. It's not a question about me, it's a question about you. So, Lord, I come to you with a humble heart. And Lord, we thank you for the words that you have to communicate to your children. And we all pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Hallelujah. So the theme of today is directly connected to the first anniversary of Gospel for the Nations Church. It is truly a moment of shared joy to see that through faith in Jesus Christ and perseverance in hope that is to come, God is glorified. As we allow ourselves to be led by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us to accomplish what He has entrusted to us. So what brought us again to Kosamui a little more than two and a half years ago? It is the result of an unusual journey in life. It has been about 15 years of seeking the Lord, seeking God's will, making decisions, learning along the way, through difficulties and joyful situations, but always having the desire to know more about who God is, through the work of Jesus and his church. But remaining active, living and serving together, and rubbing shoulders with one another, keeps us in a constant process of examining ourselves. It allows the Holy Spirit who lives in us to work, to prune us, to purify us, and to transform us. As we continually submit ourselves to the word of God, which is for us the lamp that shines on our soul and our path. This is what the Bible says. So today, by the grace of God, this church celebrates its official one-year anniversary. But it is actually a second year. All the journey began in our home in August 2024. However, it is true that there have been many waves and storms. They have all been formative. And above all, they have brought hope and the light of Christ to this island. With its many openly sinful practices, its many nationalities, religions, beliefs, idols, and much more. We have shared beautiful moments, both in joy and in sorrow. The joy of seeing the souls saved and of sharing life together as brothers and sisters. And the sorrow of seeing one or another living or suffering because we choose to obey God rather than to obey man. But the purpose of this work is not whether we are happy or not, whether we are fulfilling things of this world that are passing away. Rather, as we are going to see together, the purpose is to show the fruits of our salvation. So these fruits give us an inner strength, a supernatural power, a strength that comes from above through the work of the Holy Spirit in us as we submit ourselves to Him so that we can accomplish the works that God has prepared beforehand for Kusamui, but also elsewhere in the world, among the nations. I would like to acknowledge all those who have been faithful and remained with us from the beginning until today. In this boat, which by the grace of God and the obedience of his children is still moving along this river against the current of this world. We carry the word of God at the top of the mast as our flag, the flag of the cross of Christ, with his disciples on board, suffering today, so that Christ may be lifted up, but not for the things of the world. So now we are going to look together at this beautiful passage, which helps us to understand that we now belong to God and that we have been reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. So that those whom God has truly justified will persevere to the end in hope of their glorification. Amen. So perseverance of the saints is not simply a possibility. Because those who God has justified by faith, he will also cause to persevere because of his love and his faithfulness. And this is exactly what we are going to see today: perseverance in hope. Amen. So let's read scripture. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace, in which we stand and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. And perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope. And hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Amen. So to give a little bit of context, which is important to understand scripture, the passage we're going to look is found in the Epistle of Romans, one of the deepest and richest letters of the Apostle Paul. Because it talks about the gospel, it talks about sin, talks about grace, it talks about faith, it talks about salvation. As John Calvin said, when anyone gains a knowledge of this epistle, of this letter, he has an entrance open to him and to almost hidden treasure of all scripture. This is an important book to read and to understand. So today we are going to enter into one of these treasures, particularly in this passage. Paul writes this letter probably in Corinth around 56 AD. At the end of his third missionary journey. He had not been yet to Rome, but he wanted to meet this church and then continue his mission towards Spain. But this was his initial plan. The Church of Rome was made up of believers from different backgrounds, especially a majority of converted Jews, but also Gentiles, living in the heart of the Roman Empire, in a deeply pagan society, with many beliefs, many idols. But Paul reminds them that despite their differences, all are sinners, and all are justified in the same way, which is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. This is exactly what Paul has explained in this chapter after this one. We are condemned because of sin, but we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. This is the difference between justification by works of the law and justification through the grace of God. For the word of God tells us that without faith we cannot please God. This is also what makes us different, what makes our identity so different from other religions and belief. Our faith is not based on visible things or on things made by human hands, but on invisible realities. Created and revealed through the power and the divine work of the Holy Spirit who lives in us through his word given by him as a living testimony of who he is. And now in the chapter 5, Paul begins to show us the fruit of this justification. What justification produces in us, and more precisely, in this passage. He shows us that justification produces in the life of the believer, first of all, peace with God, access to his grace, and the hope of his glory, perseverance in the middle of tribulations, and finally a hope that does not disappoint. So let's read the first verse. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The first word need to we need to look at is the word therefore. Because Paul has just explained that to us that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, now that we are justified, what does this produce in our relationship with God? Okay, we have been justified, but then what is producing in our hearts? Our faith in Jesus Christ has justified us before God, reconciling us to Him and giving us peace with God. Yes. But this means that we who were under condemnation, separated from his holiness, because of our sinful nature and distinct of his wrath, have been declared righteous before him through faith in Jesus. Because we believed in the righteous one. We are therefore forgiven by the just judge of our soul, reconciled to the finished work of Jesus Christ. In other words, justification is the fact that God now declares us righteous before Him and perfectly forgiven. We have to understand that we cannot save ourselves because nothing we can do can justify us or change our hearts before God. Nothing. The Bible tells us that there is only one who is righteous, which is Jesus Christ. It is through faith in him that we are saved. And the condemnation that was upon us has been removed. Not because we became righteous by ourselves, but because we believed in the perfect and righteous one, Jesus Christ. And the works we are doing after our salvation are the fruit of it. And they are the confirmation that we belong to Christ. That we have a new identity as citizens of the kingdom of God. So this is what we are calling the doctrine of justification by faith, as it is expressed in our confession of faith. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you are saved. Not by works, but by faith in the righteous one. So the peace that God gives us is the peace that comes from this freedom. With this new birth in which we now walk. It is the peace that makes us say, enjoy, Abba Father, you are my father, I am your son. Yes, we were far away and lost, and now we are in the Father's house, brought back by his grace and his love toward us. We have become his children by adoption, united in his only and begotted Son, Jesus Christ, and we now share in the hope of his glory. We all share the same glory. This part is very important for understanding the rest of the passage. Because without understanding our salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, we cannot bear the fruit of this reconciliation with the Father. This is the new beginning in this life of earth, which will bring glory to God and give us everything we need to accomplish God's purpose in every circumstance and every situation. But let's see now the verse 2 of this passage. Through whom we have also obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. So here there is a divine and mysterious sequence that comes from God. A faith that comes from Him to the hearing of His word that illuminates our hearts and makes us understand that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of our souls. Then, when we confess Jesus, God give us his grace. The righteous judge brings us into his peace. The peace that makes us firm in our faith for the years that we will spend here on this earth. Because to remain faith in the assurance of our salvation, in our faith along our journey, and in our hope in Jesus' return, it has to be characterized through action. The Apostle Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel, and that is what we as children of God have to show to the people around us that we stand together in unity, reflecting Christ in us. Because when God saves us, he keeps us close to Him. Through His providential and divine work, He creates in us a deep desire to keep this relationship with Him and to remain firm in His faith that helps us to understand that God is taking care of us. God loves us. So this faith helps us move forward each day with hope. It gives us hope for a better day, but also the hope of his soon return. So that we may share in the glory that has been promised to us in his word. This means that in the difficult moments of life, God surrounds us with his love and keeps us, but we have to fix our eyes upon Jesus. So despite the afflictions, he helps us persevere when darkness is all around us, but our hearts remain filled with the light of the eternal life that lives in us. This is the grace in which we stand. This is the grace that comes from God, his mighty power. Not because we are strong enough to hold on to God by ourselves, but because God has brought us into his grace and keep us there. It is when we are weak that he is strong. When we are called to submit to the work of the Spirit of God, He is strong only if we submit to His authority because we love Him and He loves us. Shall we continue? Verse 3. And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. Here, Paul is not speaking about the afflictions of people who are not children of God, nor about those who belong to Christ but continue to follow the desires of the flesh. Paul gives encouragements to those who are abiding in Christ. Who persevere through faith in him and who acknowledged that they were going in the opposite direction from God throughout repentance, humbling themselves before the Father, the faithful ones. In fact, in the parable of the lost son that we have seen a few weeks back, the father rejoices when the son comes back, confessing that he was fully aware of his condition and received forgiveness. He embraces his new identity with thankfulness, giving honor to the Father. For a world without God, it is impossible to rejoice in the storms of life. Because without hope or without a clear understanding of what is happening, it is difficult to find a solution, isn't it? Who can rejoice in difficult moments and at the same time accept afflictions and rejoice in the difficulties? We face because of our faith, a loss of a job, a difficult relationship with a husband or wife or without children, a deep discouragement without any purpose in life. But for a child of God led by the Spirit of the Lord, it is still and always a moment to bring glory to God. Because the apostle Paul tells us that if God is for us, who can be against us? Amen. Yes, tribulations in life produces perseverance. So the Greek word hiponome used to describe perseverance speaks of a strong and steady endurance that holds on to God in the middle of pressure and trials. More than waiting passively, it is an active perseverance filled with faith that refuses to abandon obedience and hope. We are refusing because we stand with the Lord. So different translations in the Bible use the word endurance, perseverance, or patience, but the meaning is still the same. It is made possible to stand firm to the work of the Holy Spirit who keeps us under the trial until God's purpose is accomplished, until God's purpose in our life is accomplished. In times of suffering and difficult events, God's promises become active and believer. We are participating in God's kingdom. They become for us like an anchor firmly secured in the middle of a storm. The circumstances may change, the waves may become stronger, and the winds may blow, but our hope does not rest on our circumstances. It rests on the promises of God, on his word, and on the one who promised never to abandon us. This is what allows us to remain firm when everything seems to want to make us give up. The storm does not make the anchor disappear. Instead, it shows us how strong it is. Just as Christ is in us strong when we remain in him, and he remains in us. And then this perseverance produces something glorious in return, which we are going to see now. For as Jesus clearly said to his disciples, and by sanction to all of us, his people, they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. But in the other hand, he also said that you will be with his people until the end of the age. He will always be here. And he is here. Amen. And perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope. The perseverance that the Apostle Paul speaks about is not the kind of perseverance that is involved in some actions where through stubbornness we keep going out of pride or fear, trying to accomplish something for our own glory. This is a different perseverance. The perseverance that he's talking about is the proven character that comes through the trials. When we are faced with adversity from every direction in the world, in our daily lives, because of our position as children of God standing against the darkness.
unknownThis is different.
SPEAKER_01Christ is the center when we are standing against the darkness. This is not to say that we are attacked from every side and therefore have to live in fear. We are not talking about that. On the contrary, it is about realizing that as children of God, we live, we think, and we reflect something opposite to what the world around us offers. Living for Christ and in Christ forges our character and transforms us from glory to glory so that we may become more and more like Him. And therefore, by believing testimonies of His grace in the world. But then celebration happens when the trial has been overcome. Praise God, our faith grows, our hope becomes even more firmly established. Praise God. For we see the glory of God working through us and for us, like a loving and protecting father, keeping his children until the day when he decides to call us to the kingdom of heaven, our true homeland, our true nation. We have a new passport, and we don't need a visa anymore. For yes, our hope is not in this world, but in the place where there will be no more suffering, no more death, where praise and cries of joy will be offered to our Lord for all eternity. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts to the Holy Spirit who give who was given to us. The hope, this is the last part of this passage. The hope that the Apostle Paul speaks about is not the hope of the world, again, which promises things, but whose fulfillment is imperfect, often deceptive, and mostly temporal. This hope is in Jesus Christ. It comes from God, from the one who gave us life when we were dead, raised up with Him, having been regenerated through the work of the Holy Spirit, who has put out his love in us. This hope has no equal on this planet. I say it again. This hope has no equal on this planet, because everything we hold on to in order to make us feel secure or stable here as something which has a beginning and end. But when we are saved by the grace of God, we have eternity, we have no end. The author of the Epistle of Hebrews tells us this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast, and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Marquisedek. Jesus was the first to enter the veil, and he opened the way for the ones who will believe. Since his love has been poured out into our hearts, it is manifested during difficult moments, but also in moments of joy. For this firm assurance that we belong to the kingdom of heaven gives us something that the world cannot give us: eternal life. This is our reward. This promise becomes real to us when we understand the power of God's grace, which we did not deserve, cannot buy, but which has been given to us by the Father through faith in Jesus. For us, his church, for whom he shed his blood on the cross. Let us remain attached to this promise. When the days are difficult, and when we need to bring light to our hearts. After everything we have seen, it reminds us that this hope is not simply something that we confess with our lips. It is a hope that is demonstrated through faithful heart and through our attitude toward God, especially when trials come. Yes, when everything is going well, we might forget to be thankful to Him, right? But this is another topic. Thankfulness is something that we should practice every day. My love. Amen. So let us read together this final passage, which is particularly appropriate to us today as we celebrate the first anniversary of Gospel for the Nation's Church. But remember the former days when, after being enlighted, you endured a great conflict of suffering, partly by being made a public spectacle through insults and distress, and partly by becoming companions with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourself a better and lasting possession. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward, for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet, in a very little while he who is coming will come and will not delay, but my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul. Amen. So may our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ make us persevere in hope for many more years at Gospel for the Nation's church, always bringing him honor and all in everything throughout his word and in the hope of his return. Amen. So let's pray. Heavenly Father, Almighty and Sovereign God. We thank you for your holy word, for your grace, which enables us to know you and to worship you in spirit and truth. We thank you for your grace upon grace toward us and more particularly for your church. We ask you to continue purifying our hearts and to help us finish the race that you have entrusted to us. We want to be faithful, your faithful servants, keep us in all your ways. We always and we want and we desire to surrender everything to you, everything in your hands, trusting you completely and choosing to walk by faith. Keep us on the narrow path and continue to sanctify us, conforming us to the image of your Son. We thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the good shepherd of our souls, and the head of this church. We pray all these things in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
SPEAKER_00Keep seeking Him, keep reading His Word, and keep trusting His grace every single day.