Unusual Joy. Romans 5:3-5 V.3. It is not unusual for believers to rejoice when God is honored and glorified. In fact, that is what we live for now and hope for as we look into the future. But to rejoice in suffering is not what we consider a cause for joy. For the early believers, suffering for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ was not the exception; it was the normal rule. The future was bright, but the present was beset with ongoing difficulties that had to be overcome or endured.
V.4. To a lesser degree, as far as physical suffering is concerned, we, too, are called upon to persevere in times of suffering. It is more likely that our most serious difficulties in the Christian life will be the pressure to conform to the moral, social, and religious lifestyle of the world and be tempted by the materialism that abounds all around us, rather than by physical abuse and pain. These times cause rejoicing because our spiritual development increases during these difficult experiences.
God gives us the grace we need to endure the difficulties that come upon us, knowing that they form holy character, enabling us to be strong in the Lord. The tribulations that come challenge us to endure in the midst of times of perplexity. We serve God under pressure, looking ahead to our hope of future glory. Endurance, in turn, develops our own character, which gives us a sense of approval from God. This then brings the hope that does not make us ashamed because God's love is directed upon us with favor.
V.5. Each day we live will bring us some experiences that will test our patience. These will provide opportunities for our growth, leading us to maturity as the Holy Spirit works in us to further our spiritual development. God has designed a process that brings us, and keeps us, into a happy state of soul that is not dependent on smooth comfortable living and freedom from hard circumstances. The Holy Spirit within us spreads the love of God in our hearts as an inner witness that the God of love, and the love of God, is there in times of trial, testing and need.
God has already shown us the abundance of His love and He will fulfill our eternal hope by the working of the Holy Spirit. The love for God we have, began when the Holy Spirit entered us at conversion and will reach its fullness when we see Jesus, face to face. God's marvelous grace changes these challenges of potential weakness, into a time of strength that builds our character, our trust in God and our confidence in the future.
Some of the choicest saints of God have done their greatest service for God when they are shut up to God alone. John Bunyan certainly did not waste his years of imprisonment in self-pity. The "Pilgrim’s Progress" and other of his writings have blessed God's people for generations. Imprisoned missionaries, believers in concentration camps, and saints bound by the ravages of pain upon the bed have brought blessing to many and glory to God when God's strength was made perfect in their weakness. Adverse circumstances produce strong faith. Strong faith produces grace in the soul. Grace in the soul produces glory for God. Glory for God produces hope for the future. All of this produces an unusual joy in the suffering believer and in the peace that has been made with God.