You can trust God to complete the good work He began in you! Note Romans 5:3-4: "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." When hard times come, rest assured that God is there. Because you stand in the grace of God, by faith you can face all sorts of "sufferings" (NIV, ESV) or "tribulations" (KJV, NKJV).
"Tribulations" (v. 3, KJV, NKJV) refers to the idea of "being under pressure." It is the idea of squeezing olives in a press to extract the oil or squeezing grapes to extract the juice. No matter how tough things may be in your life and no matter how much you may be ridiculed for your faith, God is there. Rest in Him, and He will see you through any amount of suffering.
By grace, God brings us through our times of suffering and produces "perseverance" in us, or the ability to endure. By faith, our steadfast endurance builds "character." The Greek word for "character" refers to the idea of "tested value." Job understood this when, in the midst of his troubles, he said, "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10b).
God will see to it that you are "conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). God will complete the work He began in you by building your character and making you more like Jesus. The end result is obedience to God's Word, which in turn leads you into a godly lifestyle.
"Character" in turn produces "hope" (v. 4). Godly character proves your salvation and gives you assurance of spending eternity with Christ in heaven. Obedience to the Lord proves your salvation. As you become more and more like Jesus, you become more and more certain of that salvation. Godly character, thus, gives you assurance from God that you belong to Him for all eternity. Amen.
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