Learning to Rejoice in Suffering (Romans 5:3–5)

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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.
– Romans 5:3–5

Oh, there is so much here, and I wanted to read the two verses before this because there’s such an important lead-in. Paul has just talked about how we have peace with God through faith in Jesus. Just picture that you and I have peace with God, the peace of God on us. We have been restored to God. Paul says in Romans 5:2 we obtained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand, which gives us hope.

We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God that one day we’re going to be with God, free from sin, free from sorrow, and free from suffering. Which then leads to the verses I just read.

Romans 5:3–5 explains why believers can rejoice in trials.

So not only do we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, but we rejoice in our sufferings. Now think about how that’s possible when you’re going through suffering in this world. I just received news of a friend whose family is going through unimaginable suffering right now.

How is it possible to rejoice in the middle of unimaginable suffering? And God’s Word is saying, “You realize that suffering is not the end”. Suffering is never the end of the story for all who trust in Jesus, for all who’ve been restored to peace with God through faith in Jesus. That’s the only way to rejoice in suffering, because if that were the end, then there would be no reason for rejoicing.

But the whole point here in Romans 5 is that suffering is leading somewhere. Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. You see this line that’s coming from suffering to hope, and hope does not disappoint us, will not disappoint us. Those who put their hope in God will not be put to shame, Romans 5:5 says, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit He has given to us. And the Holy Spirit, the Bible later says, is a deposit guaranteeing ultimate redemption, guaranteeing an ultimate end to suffering, sorrow, and pain in this world.

Romans 5:3–5 shows how pain refines faith into endurance.

So if you are walking through any kind of suffering or when you face unimaginable suffering at some point in your life, hold on to this hope that Romans 5 gives all who trust in Jesus, all who’ve been reconciled to God, who have peace with God, know that suffering will not be the end of their story.

So I just want to pray this over all those who are walking through suffering right now. Even as I think about my friend and his family, I want to pray this over all of us, not knowing what today or tomorrow, or the next week or the next year holds in this fallen world. God, we pray for Your hope in our suffering. We pray over all those who are suffering in any way, small ways, significant ways, unimaginable ways. God, we pray for Your hope to transcend that suffering, and then amidst the grief and amidst sorrow, and amidst real pain and real tears, that they would hold on to hope that this is not the end of the story.

This verse affirms that God’s love sustains us in hardship.

Jesus, we praise You that suffering is not the end of the story. We praise You that sin and death are not the end of the story. Life in You is the end of the story for all who trust in You. We praise You that peace with You is possible right now and will be complete one day.

We praise You, oh God, that hope in You will never put us to shame, that we will never, ever regret hoping in You, that Your hope will hold true all the way to the end, all the way throughout all of eternity.

And we praise You, God, for pouring out Your love into our hearts by Your Holy Spirit. We pray for the comfort that only Your Holy Spirit can give to those who are suffering. And over all of us, in any suffering we might experience. God, we pray for the comfort of Your Holy Spirit to help us in every way we need. Oh God, we praise You for Your Word.

We praise You for the truth that’s found there. For the rock that we have to stand on when the winds of this world come crashing toward us. We pray this over each other.

A Prayer for the Somvanshi People

And God, we pray this over people who don’t have this hope. God, we pray, help us to spread this hope in this world to the people around us. Help us spread this hope to people around the world. We pray for the Somvanshi people of India. For half a million men, women, and children who experience all kinds of suffering in their lives and don’t have this hope that’s found in Jesus alone. They have not been brought to peace with You, God, through faith in Jesus.

We pray that the gospel would spread to the Somvanshi people of India. And to thousands of other people groups like them. Help us to spend our lives spreading Your hope in a world of sin and sorrow and death. We pray all of this with hope in Your Name, Jesus. In the Name of the One who has conquered sin and death for us. Amen.