How can we have hope when we are dealing with chronic illness in ourselves or in our loved ones? Where’s the love when we are stuck in the middle of difficult relationships? With everything in our world seeming so unstable at this point, where’s the peace within ourselves and between ourselves and others that we so desperately desire?

In the midst of all our troubles, we might be tempted to jump straight to verse 3. We might be tempted to just try to suck it up and move on, knowing that all these troubles in our lives will eventually make us tough. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger” – perhaps you’ve heard such stoic comments before.

Now, the stoics aren’t completely wrong. In verse 3, Paul reminds us that when we suffer, we do learn patience, the perseverance that we need to endure difficult situations. And as we endure we do gain experience, our character is tested and proved. Suffering may not be pleasant, but it does make us stronger.

But Paul does not say that this strength should lead us to trust in ourselves and our own toughness – that’s what stoics think. Instead, he says that our sufferings should lead us to hope not in ourselves, but in God.

And what is the basis of this hope? Verse 1 tells us that all those who trust in Christ have been justified, declared righteous in the sight of God. And that in turn yields the wonderful truth we see in verse 2 – now we have access to God. We have been ushered into the throne room of our Creator, not because we deserve to be there, but because He has shown grace to us, giving us what we don’t deserve and couldn’t earn on our own.

Moreover, verse 2 assures us that, because of God’s grace, we can go on standing in His presence. We never need to fear losing God’s favor or being sent away from Him, because we have been justified, because we have been declared righteous, because we have peace with God.

And why has God done all this for us? That’s the best reason for our hope, even in the midst of our sufferings. Verse 5 tells us that the love of God has been poured out upon us. So we can have hope, even when everything in life seems to be sliding off the rails, because God loves us. And God has persuaded us of this love by the Holy Spirit God has given to us. All who trust in Christ can have the greatest hope because God Himself is living within us.

Romans 5:1-5 (NAS)

Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.