The Decision is Clear
Word, Heart & Mind #472 Romans 5:1-5
Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
We don’t like to admit it, but we all have a bit of an ego problem. Our valuation of self-worth is hard to keep under control, let alone accurate. This is why mankind seeks to earn rewards for being good. We want to display our value to everyone, even to God. Gaining God’s acceptance for our own goodness is a very satisfying thought, but it will never happen.
Besides, justification by faith has so much more to offer than justification by works, even if it were possible. God always has a way of doing things. His purpose is always in our best interest, even though the means of accomplishing that purpose will be hard sometimes. I believe the Lord is willing to give us some room to do things our way if for no other reason than to show us our way won’t work. When we choose our way, we forfeit blessings by not waiting for his plan. God’s perfect will and plan for our redemption offers much more than law-keeping promises.
When we are justified by faith, it is because we are obedient to God’s plan of salvation. We submit to His authority and willingly repent, trust, and believe. This is His one and only requirement for our redemption, yet he offers so much more.
We have peace with God. It is difficult for us to understand that we were once at enmity (hate, antagonism, animosity) with God. (Romans 5:10, 8:7; James 4:4, Colossians 1:21) We have always had a relationship with God, but without salvation, it was a relationship of great hostility. Redemption changes that. God’s wrath toward the repentant sinner is appeased. Hatred turns to harmony, and those He once could not look upon are his adopted, beloved children.
We have access to the grace in which we stand - The grace of God is not only a comforter and a means for our durability through trials, but also a foundation on which we stand. It is by grace we are saved. (Ephesians 2:5) Grace is the throne of God. (Hebrews 4:16) Grace frees us from the mastery of sin. (Romans 6:14) We are justified freely by grace. (Romans 3:24) We can be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)
We can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. As redeemed believers, we are promised by God, which is nothing less than a guarantee, to have our fullest joy and hope in Him. His glory is our inheritance.
We can rejoice in our sufferings - Is it really suffering if we rejoice in it? Yes. Suffering is suffering, but believers tolerate it better because they know there is purpose in it, and the grace of God is a balm that cools the fever of difficult times. When we endure weeks of physical pain after major surgery, we lean heavily on the benefits of the surgery to prevail through the pain. If we suffered the same without any purpose, it would be far more difficult. Knowing our loving heavenly Father is with us to comfort, care, encourage, and bring fruit through our suffering, joy is a reality, and we should always pursue it.
Suffering builds endurance, which builds character, and character builds hope - The trifecta of godly character blooms from joyful suffering: 1. Endurance, 2. Character and 3. Hope. Suffering demands endurance, and as our endurance grows, weakness, pride, and self-centeredness decrease while Godly character grows. Truth becomes preeminent as we focus on God’s love that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Our hope and courage are kindled. When we hope in Christ, we have nothing to be ashamed of, only bold confidence in the promises of Christ. He is faithful and loving. He pours into us what brings joy, contentment, peace, and confidence.