Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 NIV
Again, it is important to set the stage for the target of the words of today's extract. I do myself no good claiming God's promise if my life does not align with the prerequisites for the promise. So, who can claim the benefits in today's extract: those who have been justified by faith. The world only knows, recognises and rewards labour; it has no other way of identifying sincerity or hypocrisy. That is why the men of the world can deceive each other, but the man who relies totally on the finished work of Jesus on the cross has no room for pride in anything else except that which s/he has received from God. The question then is: who am I? Am I justified by faith in God, or am I still trying to work it out by strength, labour and energy?
Everything I will get from life hangs on this connection by faith. Life will throw the kitchen sink at me; I am not promised an easy ride into any benefits, but I have the support of the One who loved me enough to give his life for me. If he could lay down his life willingly, what then is it that will be too much for him to also give me? That is why I can boast in the hope of the glory of God. I can look forward to all that is ahead, because I know that what I stand to gain is far more precious than all that I can see now. The world will seek to show me its glory, but when you have tasted the grace and mercy of God, you know that there is nothing else that can ever replace these. Do I know this God then? Have I met him and taken him up on his offer of life?
And then it gets a bit tough: I have access to grace, but then grace does not keep me from tough times. This is the message that is not popular these days. We want to coast through life, enjoying all that God is and gives. There is nothing wrong with that, but how does God move me from glory to glory if there are no trials or tough times? How do I know the value of what I hold if it is not tried by fire? There are life lessons I cannot learn unless I pass through tough times. I may not understand the reasons why God gives all he does if I do not also know the danger of losing them. I must not take my eyes off God at any time, but must focus on him, even when there is pressure to compromise or give in. I keep at the back of my mind that God would not do all he did or give all he did, to then abandon me to my own devices.
I take comfort from the last part of today's extract: the Holy Spirit is the seal of God in us, guaranteeing that all that has been promised will be fulfilled by God. The Holy Spirit births and sustains the hope of eternal life in us, so that nothing down here can take our hearts away from that which is ours in God. All that the world offers is temporary; whatever belongs to the earth has to be used on the earth and will perish with the earth, but there is Hope, the eternal light that burns in all who have come to put their trust in God. That hope keeps me sane and focused; the world holds no attraction or distraction for me. What of you? God's time of favour is here.
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