Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
The “therefore” at the beginning of this chapter shows that this is not a new thought, but the conclusion of Paul’s argument in chapters 3 and 4, that no one, neither Jew nor gentile, can be saved by works of the law, but that both Jew and gentile are saved by grace thought faith in Jesus. This ultimately means that the salvation of the gentiles, even without circumcision, is as legitimate and valid as the salvation of the Jewish believers among whom the gospel started.
This salvation by faith and the resultant justification it brings results in shalom between formerly sinful people and the all-holy, all-powerful God. Shalom is often translated as peace, as opposed to conflict, and that dimension of the word is definitely included here. The sacrifice of Jesus pays in full the sins of all who repent and believe, thus removing the enmity and judgment that had been hanging over their heads.
But the word shalom is so much more than mere lack of conflict. It has a deeper meaning of holistic wholeness. Our restoration to fellowship with God brings wholeness in every dimension of our lives – not just spiritual, but mental, emotional and physical as well. A huge part of this comes from the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, restoring what had been lost, healing what had been broken, and strengthening that which had been sapped by sin.
But another part of this wholeness comes as a result of reoriented priorities in a person’s life due to our changed allegiance and transformed priorities. For example, when a person’s relationship with God is restored, and they begin to realize that their body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, they tend to stop self-destructive physical behaviors and begin to engage in a healthier lifestyle. With restored fellowship with God, their emotional and economic relationships in the world are conducted differently, in kingdom ways, resulting in greater mental and emotional health.
When a person turns to Jesus for salvation, their transformed mindset and priorities will naturally put them at odds with some people, as well as with the principalities and powers that are in the world which they had once followed. This can result in persecution and hardships, as many Christians around the world can attest to.
But Paul has found out that even those persecutions and hardships can have a positive effect in a Christian’s life under the tutelage and guidance of the Holy Spirit, as can physical illnesses and infirmities. It is purely a matter of allowing the Sprit to grow us in the midst of affliction.
Paul’s list of the benefits that can accrue though affliction had been proven in his own life, as well as in the lives of other apostles and saints. Affliction produces endurance when we seek the Holy Spirit’s power to stand firm and not give up. Endurance produces Christlike character, enabling even greater strength and perseverance in the future as God is found faithful to protect and strengthen. And Christlike character produces hope as God’s work in a person’s life is recognized as the first fruits of even greater things.
And with hope, we come full circle, because hope reinforces faith, making it grow stronger as God proves Himself faithful. This produces an even greater experience of His love, and greater endurance in affliction, and so the cycle repeats at a higher level.
Father, this has certainly proven true in my own life. When I received shalom in my life through my restored relationship with You, every area of my life was strengthened, transformed, made immeasurably better. And I really have experienced this increasing cycle of endurance, character and hope as I have walked with Your Holy Spirit through trials and afflictions. Thank You, not only for this promise, but for the reality of it that I experience when I trust in You. Amen.