“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope…And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:1-4, 11).
When the inspired penman wrote these verses, he used the Greek word kauchaomai (“to boast, glory, rejoice”) three times. Not only should those justified by Christ be ever rejoicing in the hope of God’s glory (v. 2), they are to ever be glorying in tribulations (v. 3) and rejoicing in God through Jesus Christ (v. 11).
It is pretty easy to see why hope with its glorious end and God with all His goodness are momentous reasons for rejoicing, but how rarely is the blessing of tribulations recognized for their immense and essential value.
As explained by Paul, tribulations are blessings in disguise because they challenge our hope. They transform hope from a spiritual concept we embrace into a sound spiritual mindset we live by. The hope of God’s glory provides the fuel to transform tribulations into enduring mental toughness—a vital spiritual stick-to-it-iveness. This is essential to the cultivation of a purified, godly character with a faith proven to be genuine by the fires of testing.
Hope is the spiritual anvil which enables God to use the hammer of tribulations to shape and improve our faith without crushing it to pieces.
Therefore, it is most appropriate to rejoice in hope, in tribulations, and in God.
Do you?
