START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Romans 5:1-5
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OBSERVE:
The Apostle Paul explores some of the positive consequences of being justified by faith.
As the old saying goes, “when you see a ‘therefore’ in Paul’s epistles, ask yourself, ‘what is it there for.'”
So, if we back up a little and scan the first four chapters of Romans, we see that Paul has very systematically explained his doctrine of justification by faith.
Briefly summarized, what he has taught is that no one, Jew or Gentile, can be saved by works of the law, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God’s answer to human sin is to send his Son to pay the full penalty of the consequences of sin through his death on the cross. So, through faith in Christ, those who believe are made righteous as a gift of grace for Christ’s sake.
What then is the consequence of faith in Christ? Here is one:
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
In other words, those who have trusted in Christ enjoy peace with God because they no longer need fear the consequences of sin— death and the wrath of God.
Not only do those who trust in Christ not need to fear death, but they also have the hope of sharing the glory of God!
Paul continues with even better news:
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Note that Paul doesn’t promise that there will be no suffering when one is justified by faith. Rather, suffering can be a part of the process that God uses to enable the believer to grow in Christian maturity.
We can certainly see this truth, realized in Paul’s own life. He records his own sufferings as an apostle — he has been flogged, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked, in danger, hardship, imprisoned (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). And he even speaks of a personal affliction, which remains a mystery to modern scholars. He asked God three times to remove this thorn in the flesh.
God did answer Paul’s prayer, in this way:
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Clearly, for Paul, justifying faith brings peace with God and hope for sharing in the glory of God, but also enables the believer to endure and even grow and triumph as the result of sufferings. This therapeutic process, that leads from suffering to endurance, which produces character, finally is manifested in hope.
And the Holy Spirit is described at work in this whole process:
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
This love of God, like peace with God, is also a fruit of justification by faith.
APPLY:
The three persons of the Triune God are all represented in the work of justification by faith. Faith in Christ brings justification and reconciliation with God the Father; and the Holy Spirit is at work applying God’s grace in all aspects of the believer’s life.
The practical application of the doctrine of justification by faith means that we are now at peace with God, and we share in the glory of Christ.
But what may be of inestimable comfort to those who suffer is the process that transforms suffering into hope.
Perhaps an analogy from athletics, or music, or any discipline that requires some form of sacrifice might be helpful. A certain amount of suffering is necessary in order for the athlete, or the musician, to master a discipline — running, lifting weights, practicing scales, etc. And the more “suffering” the athlete or musician experiences, the more they increase their physical or mental endurance.
Suffering and endurance produces experiences that build character. Character is what remains when an individual has experienced stress and difficulty, and has emerged stronger and wiser. A kind of “baptism by fire” like that which tempers steel.
And the character that has been produced by suffering has very likely taught the individual that hope overcomes even the toughest situations. Paul certainly experienced hope in the midst of terrible suffering.
And we have the assurance that in the midst of all that we experience in the Christian life:
God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Whatever we may experience, God’s love will sustain us.
RESPOND:
I must confess that I have not suffered much in comparison to many others. I am generally not discriminated against because of my faith — certainly not in the way many Christians are in the Third World.
Physically, I have enjoyed pretty good health. As a pastor, I have ministered to people who suffered profoundly because of illness or tragedy.
But experience teaches me that none of us will get through this life without some suffering. I’ve certainly experienced temporary suffering, and grief because of lost loved ones.
I remember going through a tough time a few years ago when someone quoted the atheist existential philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche:
“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.”
Of course that’s true — but I can answer that this truth is Biblical truth:
suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
And that is God’s promise!
Our Lord, I thank you that my trust in you results in peace, and glory; and that even my suffering may be sanctified so that you produce endurance, character and hope in my life. Please pour out your love in my life so that it may truly overflow to others. Amen.
PHOTOS: "Romans 5" by Amydeanne is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.
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