Testing brings hope

I would like to share something with you that I found very curious. Well, not funny, it's something very real but it's been a while since he played a message in this tone. But it was someone who showed me this video on YouTube. How many of you watch videos on YouTube? Don't tell me what, but how many of you watch videos on You Tube? Marlene, can you enlarge it so that it takes up the entire screen? Down in the corner, here we are.

So, as we say in my town, you can “play it”. In Romans chapter 5 there is a verse -well, there are many verses that can talk about this truth- but I am going to focus on this passage from Romans chapter 5 that says: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we also have access by faith into that grace in which we stand firm and rejoice in the hope of the Glory of God.”

And not only this but we also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces patience - let me repeat that again: knowing that tribulation produces patience - say to the person next to you as a question: 'Hey, what are you doing? Did you know that tribulation produces patience?' Oh! And it doesn't stop there, in case you didn't know and patience produces proof.

As if that wasn't enough, right?! Patience produces trial and trial produces hope. Let me break down a few things here, my brothers. First of all, the reason why I focused on that video today is because many times we forget one of the most important things in our Christian life, in our life of faith. And as you saw there, those examples, which many times people think is like “Ah! But I did this well, I went to a shelter once and helped the homeless"

“I distributed food to the people” or as someone said, “I went to Africa and dug water wells so that people would have something to drink”. “I donated blood every month.” You name it! You can say all you want. But if the person of Jesus is not present, it's not good enough. And it is a truth, my brothers, it may sound very simple but it is a very strong truth. It is a truth that many people find it difficult to deal with it.

There are times when even theologians who try to interpret the Scriptures often struggle with that truth. But it is a truth that is there embodied. If the person of Jesus is not present there, if we are not justified by that faith that we place in the Lord Jesus, look, it doesn't matter. We can bring a file, a complete file of things that we have done but at the end of the day it's not good enough.

Paul himself tells us in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 says: 'For by Grace we are saved through faith'. And this does not come from us, this is a gift from God. It is not by works so that no one can boast. Look what a thing, my brothers, this is something that is very important. There are times when we believe that we can, as they say, try to manipulate God. "Oh! But I'm going to behave well." I am going to do things well to earn points with God.

But this is not a matter of earning points. You can try to score points with your boss, you can try to score points with your husband, with your wife. You can try to win points with the Pastor and be good "eye licker" as we say in Puerto Rico, sometimes. You do understand what eye licking is, right? Just in case. How do you say in Santo Domingo? Clean bags. OK. How do you say somewhere else? Just in case. Lambon, that worst. Is there one that sounds “more better” just in case? A yo-yo. Let's leave it there, yes.

How do you say in Spain, Noemi? I don't want to know? Well, I don't want to know how it is said in Spain. I'm not going there. And in Chile? How do you say in Chile? A stocking sucker. For the benefit of Chileans who see us on the Internet. Wow! I am learning new things. In other words, my brothers, the thing is that we cannot earn those merits like this for the works that we do, my brothers. God already had a plan beforehand.

And the plan that God had is that through the death of his son Jesus is that we and our faith placed in that act, that's how we get to enter. That foul that opened there at the end, the only thing that said is "this is a son of God", this is marked. She has my stamp on her life, there is that drop of blood that fell on her heart and that transformed it or her. And that is enough to enter before Him.

And do you know why it seemed so interesting to me when I see that Pablo starts talking about all these things that he says about “Ah! But not only this, but we also boast”? In other words, do we rejoice in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces patience and patience produces trial and hope? Look, my brothers, I see this vocabulary as well connected with all these things.

Because there are times when obviously the tribulations that we have in our lives are going to make us throw ourselves to one side or the other. Either I behave well or I behave badly. Either I give in to what the tribulations of this world incline me to do, if the tribulations of this world - so to speak - my flesh fails me to respond in a way that is not directed by God or I let the tribulations of this life me form or mold me in such a way that then I can proceed in the way that God wants for me.

And obviously me going along that line does not mean that I, well, Okay, I am going to behave in this way to earn merits with God and as someone who claims to be able to enter Heaven. But it's not about that. It is not a question of "I am going to behave myself to have safe entrance to Heaven." It is not that, but rather the mere fact, my brothers, that what we do we do for love of God.

Because there is a love that He has given us, that is, think about it, that even when we were sinners, look at verse 8 right there in Romans: "But God shows his love for us in that even when we were sinners Christ died for us." In other words, this is one of the most basic truths of our Christian life, of our life of faith. That often happens to us, like this, from the front and we don't pay attention to it.

However, that is something key. Key that even when I had heard the word of God, God had already thought of me. God had already thought of you. And He uses all things in life: the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful; He uses everything to form in you the type of man, the type of woman that He wants you to be. How many of you have told someone at some point "Look when you're praying, don't ask for patience because more tests are going to come"?

TRUE? You have said it. Give me permission to say something. Do not say that. Don't say it, because if you say it you are going against the biblical pattern. We are going against the biblical pattern. I have to admit that I have said that too. Look if that is written here knowing that tribulation produces patience, it produces a sense of resistance in us and obviously that resistance is going to become even more refined when we encounter different tests in our lives. It's going to get even more refined.

But the most beautiful of us, my brothers, there are times that when we see the word "test" our attention stays there: try, try, try here and try there and try this. And what does it taste like? Does it taste like sherry to you? What does the test taste like? Test, test, test. That's an inside joke. But look at the point that he is making here, my brothers, is that this test produces hope.

Look at that word. It produces hope. This is where I connect this word with that video that I showed you. It produces hope. Did you know? I know that when one places their faith in Christ Jesus what that video teaches, when that moment arrives, I am sure that something like that will happen. Maybe not so funny, it's going to be something maybe a little more serious, but that's how it's going to be. Where we are going to arrive and they are going to present us with this whole movie of our lives.

And it's going to be like uff! They're going to show everything in our movie. God is going to have a video there from the days I was in my mother's womb until the day I got to the grave. Having a video like this, my brothers, where, as they say, you are going to have that person who says "You did this, you did that, you did that" and they are going to teach you everything. They will teach you the good, the bad you did. Wow!

They are going to see your pedigree as who says. But after all, when you climb on that ladder and you have to see how much you weigh or not to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, what will count there is what Christ Jesus has done for us. And there where I focus on that sense of hope, my brothers. Because even myself now there are times that I say to myself like “Wow! I'm going in with my head down, I'm not going in with my head up. If you ask me, my brother, my sister I have to be honest.

I am sure that I am going to get closer to that moment in the presence of God and the most that I am going to be able to do is like… No, my brothers, let's not laugh for a little while. forgive me. Let's not laugh for a moment because I want you to think about the seriousness of what I'm saying. No, I don't know, I know. I'm going to make you laugh again right now, but for now I want us to think about the seriousness of this.

In other words, because if I start to think, Wow! I have given my life since I was young trying to live for Christ and still I see that I have my imperfections and things like that. And when that moment arrives, that is, he is the one who has the floor. It will not be me. I'm going to be like one of those who got there and 'Look, I did this, I did that, I did that. I tried to speak nicely to this person. I tried to advise that one. I took this one from one place to another. I know that I did this, I did that and that was not right in front of You.

But when that moment arrives, I'm going to be waiting for the final verdict. It may be that I even say "But Lord, if I prayed 2, 3, 4 hours straight, there I consecrated myself to You" and things like that. "And I fasted and all this." But when the moment of truth arrives, my brothers, that is where my hope is going to be tested. That is where after all those tests that I have had in my life, tests that perhaps I myself have caused or tests that have come to me due to things beyond my control.

And as I have responded to those tests according to the faith that I have cemented in my life, that I have experienced from God and that I have proceeded with it. There is a part of me that says "Yes, I know I'll go in" but if I'm honest there is another part of me that says "It's up to you and I'll be there like... You call the shots. You tell me”. That is where our hope is, my brothers.

I don't want them to be scared, I'm not doubting, that is, there is… there is always that bit of doubt out there. But I in my heart, I know in whom I have put my faith. It may sound contradictory my brothers, and you know what? Life is full of contradictions too. But here and right now I declare it before you, I declare it before God in my personal time when I pray, I say "Lord, I know that my life is safe in You".

And there is my hope, there is my hope. That despite all these tests, my hope will not bring shame to my life. I say it. That hope is not going to bring shame to my life unless I have intentionally brought shame to Him, for that is another matter. Aren't I walking into some pretty deep water here? But I want to say this, my brothers: the time will come, either at the level of eternity or in this present life, because I believe, as if to say, God measures us, appraises us, and judges us even here at this moment that we are living now.

The time will come where God is going to bring a circumstance into our lives, where our lives are going to be weighed and measured and many times these are the messages that many people do not like to hear but we have to listen to. Because these are messages that help us to keep living in the way that God commands for each one of us. Again, I'm not saying “Look, live well so you can earn points with the Lord”.

I am not saying that. According to our foundations that we receive from the Scriptures, look, do you declare with your mouth, with all faith that the Lord is the Savior, that He died for you, that through Him we are reconciled with the Father and that through Him we have eternal life? See if you declare that with all your heart and confess it with your mouth, that applies to your life. From then on as we obviously live, I know that God measures each of our steps.

In Abacú they say ‘Hey! Meditate on your ways. It is a phrase that is constantly mentioned: meditate, meditate on your ways. The psalmist himself says 'Hey! See if there are wicked ways in me and guide me on the straight path. In other words: examine me Lord. If I am going in a bad way, show me to come back and fall where I have to fall.

Let me finish this. The test gives hope and hope does not embarrass. Because? Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. That is where that seal is that I say affirms my hope even more. I believe that the love of God has been poured out on our lives. I believe that God's love IS poured out on us constantly. Every day that one gets up, the love of God is there.

If it weren't for that gasoline that keeps us running, uff! What would become of us! If it were not for that constant grace that is running, that is flowing, what would become of us! If I kept reading, what does chapter 6 say? Verse 1 of chapter 6, what does it say? Verse 6 of Romans chapter 6 look what it says: 'Oh! So what are we going to say to these! What are we going to continue sinning so that grace abounds?’.

What does it say? Right there he gives us the answer. Does not mean that. I already gave you the preview for the next message. My brothers, there is a love that has been poured out on us and we have to live according to what that love asks of our lives. Sometimes I think that God's love is unconditional. Yes, God's love is unconditional up to a point, after that there are some very interesting conditions one has to live with. That is a secret that I will share with you today and I will elaborate on it later.

But, let me trouble you. There are times when we walk out of here 'Wow! What a cool message! I think tonight is one of those messages that will make us think and meditate a little more. I do not want you to leave here today with a lot of “chiqui chija”, well yes, do “chiqui chija” because we know that we are saved by that Grace of the Lord Jesus, but at the same time, how do we live? How do we live each day? How do we live with our neighbor? How do we live with ourselves? How do we live before God?

How do we live when we are alone? In all aspects, how do we live? Do we live in a way worthy of the Kingdom of God? Or not? Father, in the name of Jesus I thank you that only through You and Your sacrifice we have eternal life and have access to the Lord. To that Kingdom that You have prepared for each one of us and even many more around the entire world.

And Father, my desire is that these words that I have shared tonight, Lord, my desire is that these words instill hope in us. These words are not intended to cause fear but rather to make us think, to rearrange our minds, our hearts about how we are living before you, Lord. How seriously we are taking the principles of your word, Lord, and we implement them, Lord, into our being.

Not by gaining merit in front of you, but by the mere fact of doing it as a response to that love that you have poured out on our lives through your Spirit. Lord I ask that tonight as we prepare to leave here and in this silence so clear, my prayer is that each one of us - including myself, Lord - that we may think and meditate on these truths that They may sound very simple but they are very deep.

May these truths truly sink into our hearts, rearrange our lives, rearrange our souls about how You want us to live today, Lord. Again, not by gaining merit with You, but by living in a way that shows our love for You, Lord. Let it be a reciprocal love from you to us and from us to you.

I bless my brothers and sisters, Lord. That tonight You grant them a restful, peaceful sleep and Lord if a semi-nebulous dream sneaks in, hey! Give us wisdom to know how to discern.

Because there are times that You speak to us through dreams, too. May we not panic, Lord, but may we receive from You the wisdom and discernment to understand what You want for us and know how to proceed each day, Lord. I bless each of my brothers and sisters.

And I ask that they can leave here full of your peace, full of your love and confident in the hope that only through you and your love we have access and entrance to an eternal life with you, oh God! We thank you for your Son Jesus. Amen and amen.