5 Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness,[a] we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand through him, and we boast in the hope of God’s glory. 3 But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance produces character, and character produces hope. 5 This hope doesn’t put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Reflection
I love Advent! There’s something so moving when we light the first candle on the Advent
wreath, it reminds me of the unimaginable possibilities of living in God’s Kin-dom. It’s as if that flame on the candle focuses our attention on all the things we crave and wait for in our lives-hope, love, joy and peace, all radiating from the true light of Christ. These four gifts of the Holy Spirit seem to us unimaginable in our broken world, but God has given us many gifts to help us grow in love and faith into wholeness. With the lighting of the first Advent candle, Hope, we’re reminded of God’s faithfulness and that the Kin-dom of God is both already here, and coming into fulfillment all around us.
In today’s scripture, the Apostle Paul tells us that because of God’s great love for us, God sent Jesus to reconcile us to God. Because of this, we have peace with God through faith in Jesus. God’s grace is given to us and as children of God, we are standing in this unearned grace, forgiven, reconciled and have access to be in relationship with God, who will never leave us. Having the peace of God and knowing that God is always with us, we can face life’s problems and trouble because it builds endurance, character and hope. We are confident in this hope, because it isn’t frail human hope, but the living hope of those redeemed by God.
God’s gifts to us of grace, faith, hope, love, peace, and salvation through Jesus, fill us with a joy that never leaves us. This joy is born out of God’s grace, and opens our eyes to the Kin-dom all around us. God’s faithfulness in loving us and being with us, gives us peace that sustains us through life’s trials. It brings us such joy that we want to share what God has done for us with others. We come to realize that we are standing in God’s grace every moment of
our lives, now and forever.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
This Advent season, as we’re standing in God’s grace, let’s ask God to renew our faith, hope, peace, love, and joy within our hearts. During Advent, pick one of these gifts of God and look up and read Bible verses about that one gift and be encouraged. With the lighting of the Advent candles, be reminded of the unimaginable possibilities that the Kin-dom of God holds for us and the world.
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, you are faithful and have sent Jesus, the light of the world to redeem us. Send your Spirit to fill our hearts with love, hope, peace and joy, as your Kin-dom comes into fulfillment around us. Amen.
