Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in
which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also
rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance,
character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has
poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
We don’t gain peace with God by being good. It is by faith in Jesus. We stand in God’s grace through our trust in Him. God’s grace is goodness we don’t deserve, given through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Hallelujah, Jesus lives!
It makes sense that suffering builds our character. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, suffered more than anyone. He bought our forgiveness by being judged a criminal and facing a death penalty that we deserved. Christ died for our sins, not for His own. He had no sins but took on sin for you and for me. What a wonderful name – the Name of Jesus Christ our King. Our Savior.
Rejoice in sufferings? That’s one thing the old Lynn would never have believed. I couldn’t understand it until I experienced God’s grace. There are good things that come from suffering. The outcomes of facing affliction are described in verses 4 and 5: Perseverance, character, and hope. I want those, don’t you? But we try to wiggle out from under hardships many times, instead of cozying up to God and His word and His people. Get close to help and you’ll get it. . . in abundance when you draw near to God by reading the Bible and going to church.
Let’s persevere through the hard stuff. Our character will grow, and through it so will our hope. This is eternal hope, brought to bear by the presence of God’s Holy Spirit pouring out love, love, love. There’s no room for disappointment, says verse 5: “And hope does not disappoint us.” It never will. Through Christ we gain hope forever, not just to get us through the night—hope that will be reality once we go to heaven with God. Jesus offers us hope through his loving sacrifice for us.
As we go to our Easter services and family gatherings, as we color eggs and eat our special meals, let’s be mindful of the sustaining power of Christ’s presence in our lives, bringing hope for today and eternity.
A Goldilocks Life 