Salvation is the first step in knowing God.

In the Bible, there’s two people that suffered greatly, Jesus and Job. Both of their sufferings were misinterpreted by almost everybody around them.

As we learn more about God we need to be sure to keep things simple, and keep the main thing, the main thing; which is salvation.

Our way of looking at the suffering of ourselves and others, often reveals flaws in our theology.

God’s resurrection power, which He offers us, overcomes all things including sin and death.

This is not heaven. I am not perfect, yet.

I am not perfect. 
The person sitting to my right is not perfect. 
The person sitting to my left is not perfect. 
The pastor I am listening to, is not perfect.  
The person who I rode to church with, is not perfect. 
The person I’m riding home with, is not perfect. 
The person sitting in my chair right now, is not perfect.

As born-again Christians, we are not perfect, but we should be, ‘being perfected’.

Many people think God tests us to see if we will ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. Yet God already knows everything and does not need a test to know everything.

Paul was trusting in the righteousness of Christ, not in his own righteousness.

Christianvoterguide.com

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?"  6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." 57 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." 59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
9:1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."