and hope does not disappoint, (Romans 5:5a)
In the first five verses of Romans 5, Paul powerfully describes the blessings of being justified by faith. However, he clarifies that justification does not shield believers from trials and hardships. Trials are integral to the Christian journey, but they have clear purposes.
Paul’s message is that believers have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This peace is not the absence of trouble but rather a deep, unshakable confidence in God despite life’s difficulties. Peace, in this sense, means being at rest with God and with others, knowing that we are secured in His love and grace. It is a peace that surpasses understanding, allowing us to remain steady even when everything around us seems uncertain.
Paul also emphasises that believers are justified and recipients of God’s grace. This divine favour, bestowed upon us through faith, is something we continually enjoy. Grace lifts us in every season of life, guiding and strengthening us. Through faith, we are justified and initiated into an ongoing relationship with God, filled with His approval and favour.
As believers, we can live with the expectation of a glorious future. Paul calls this “hope”—the confident assurance that we will one day share in the eternal glory of Christ. This hope is the anchor of our faith, and it does not disappoint. It is a hope that fuels our joy and perseverance, even in the face of suffering. While we experience glimpses of God’s glory in creation and the work of Christ, this hope promises that we will one day experience it in its fullness.
Living with this hope allows us to approach life joyfully, even amid tribulation. Paul is not referring to the minor inconveniences or daily struggles but to the more prominent, often painful opposition believers face because of their faith. These trials are not random or meaningless; instead, they are purposeful. Paul explains that tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance shapes our character, and character strengthens our hope. This hope is not just a wishful thought but the certainty that God is faithful and trustworthy, no matter the circumstances.
Furthermore, tribulation serves as a powerful reminder of God’s love. In our struggles, we come to a deeper understanding of the love He has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The ultimate demonstration of this love is found in the death of Christ, where He gave His life for us. Knowing this, how can we not live with a sense of triumph, even amid trials? Calvary is the eternal symbol of God’s complete love for us, and the Holy Spirit continually applies this love to our hearts.
With this in mind, we can live in peace during trouble, joy during tribulation and hope during uncertainty. God’s love, poured out through Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit, empowers us to face life’s challenges with unwavering confidence in His goodness and faithfulness.
Three Practical Lessons
• Embrace peace, even in trouble. True peace is not the absence of problems but being confident of the presence of God amid them. Seek to connect with God through prayer, Scripture and worship, and experience His peace to sustain you in all circumstances.
• Trust the process of tribulation. Understand that trials are not in vain. They are tools God uses to develop perseverance, strengthen character and deepen hope. Lean into the process; knowing each challenge refines you to become more like Christ.
• Anchor your hope in God’s love: In times of uncertainty, remind yourself of God’s unfailing love for you. The Holy Spirit continually affirms this love in your heart. Let it empower you to face each day with a confident hope that does not disappoint.
Daily Meditation
Monday – Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Tuesday – Hebrews 6:19-20
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Wednesday – Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Thursday – Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Friday – Hebrews 12:3
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Saturday – Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Sunday – Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
All Scriptures are quoted from New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).
By Ps Clarence Goh
