08 Jul Perspective in Trials

Last Sunday, Pastor Jason Finley began our new series: Dear Church: A Study of Revelation 2-3, with a sermon from Revelation 2:1-7, entitled “Think Rightly, Love Brightly.” We considered the truth that while laboring hard for the Lord and passionately pursuing truth are vitally important for us, these must never be severed from the love of Christ. The Christian faith is not merely the intellectual commitment to doctrines, but personal repentance, trust, and love unto Jesus Christ.

Read: Revelation 2:8-11

This Sunday, Pastor Will Jackson will preach from Revelation 2:8-11 and will encourage us to embrace the trials of this life, for they are sovereignly used by God for the increase of our faith and godliness. As you prepare for our Sunday gathering, let this devotional from Milton Vincent help you towards this end.

Reflect: “Perspective in Trials”

More than anything else could ever do, the gospel enables me to embrace my tribulations and thereby position myself to gain full benefit from them. For the gospel is the one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves His gospel purposes in me. When I view my circumstances in this light, I realize that the gospel is not just one piece of good news that fits into my life somewhere among all the bad. I realize instead that the gospel makes genuinely good news out of every other aspect of my life, including my severest trials (Romans 5:1-5). The good news about my trials is that God is forcing them to bow to His gospel purposes and do good unto me by improving my character and making me more conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Preaching the gospel to myself each day provides a lens through which I can view my trials in this way and see the true cause for rejoicing that exists in them. I can then embrace trials as friends and allow them to do God’s good work in me.

Vincent, Milton. A Gospel Primer for Christians . Focus Publishing. Kindle Edition.

“Perspective in Trials,” in A Gospel Primer for Christians, by Milton Vincent

Sing: Song List for Sunday

1. “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” Arr. Sovereign Grace Music
2. “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death,” Arr. Shane & Shane
3. “Your Will Be Done,” by CityAlight
4. “Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me,” by CityAlight