“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory.” (Romans 5:1-2 NET)

Peace is something we hear quite a bit about today because there is so much turmoil in the world. There is the conflict in the Middle East between the Israelis and groups around them. There is the war between Russia and Ukraine. According to the Geneva Academy, which monitors conflicts around the world, there are currently 110 armed conflicts throughout the world, some having started recently and others that have lasted over fifty years. Our world is not at peace.

Yet peace is something that people would like to have. Even if our nation is not involved in an armed conflict people still experience turmoil in their own lives, whether at work, in families, or in the communities in which we live. Turmoil takes a toll on our mental and physical well-being. People long for peace.

Paul told the Roman Christians, living in a society that was becoming more and more tumultuous with Nero serving as emperor, that they could have peace. We have a different peace following Jesus because it is not based on human mediation and treaties. The peace we can have is based on our being made righteous with God through our faith. When we are right with God we can have peace in our lives. If we have this type of peace what do we do when the world intrudes on our peace? Notice what Paul went on to write.

“Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

“Rejoice in sufferings”? That is not the way normal people look at suffering. But notice what Paul is saying and not saying. He did not mean that we should look for ways in which we will suffer and then enjoy it. What he is saying is that we can look at the suffering we go through, in particular because of our faith and our life in Jesus, as something that will make us stronger Christians.

Suffering helps us to learn endurance. Endurance is one of the traits that help us to be effective and productive as Christians (2 Peter 1:5-8). Peter wrote that our self-control will produce endurance. When we suffer we must develop self-control that will in turn help to give us endurance, to be able to keep going despite what is happening to us.

Endurance will help produce character. Because we have been through a trial (which is what the Greek word used here talks about) and have endured, it shows that our faith is genuine. Our character as a Christian has been tried and shown to be true.

Our proven character then produces hope. Why hope? Because we have put into practice what we have learned from Jesus, we have changed our lives, and we have discovered that this is real life – that our faith can get us through any crisis, circumstance and challenge that we have to face. As a result we are certain about the promises of Jesus and the future we have with him in eternity. We often think of ‘hope’ as something we wish for but do not know if we will ever attain. The Greek word that Paul used here talks about a joyful and confident expectation. With that definition in mind it makes sense that this would be the outcome of the suffering we go through. Our hope, our confident expectation based on Jesus, will not disappoint!

Although we may not enjoy what we must suffer as a Christian, particularly as it is happening, we need to hold on to our faith and realise that what we go through makes us stronger Christians, preparing us for eternity.

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Readings for next week: Romans 5-11