Since we’ve been justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus. Through Jesus we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in our sufferings – (1) it produces endurance, (2) which produces character, (3) which produces hope, (4) and hope doesn’t put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. When we were weak at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we’ve been (1) justified by his blood (2) much more will we be saved by him [Christ] from the wrath of God. God reconciled us, enemies, to God by the death of His Son, how much more, now that we’re reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that we rejoice in God through Christ through whom we’ve now received reconciliation. Sin came into the world through one man – Adam. Death reigned from Adam to Moses. Adam was a type of the one to come. If many died through Adam’s sin, much more we have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of one man – Jesus Christ. The free gift brought justification. If death reigned through one man, those who receive grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. One sin led to condemnation for all. One act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. One man’s disobedience made all sinners, one man’s obedience makes many righteous. The law came to increase the trespass, where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. As sin reigned in death, grace reigns through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our suffering isn’t arbitrary and meaningless. God uses it in our lives to produce endurance, character, and hope. Our suffering fuels our hope for Christ. We cannot bring ourselves to God. We died in Adam, but by faith alone in Christ alone we can live in Christ. And living in Christ isn’t just mere existence, but reigning in life through the one man Jesus Christ. By faith we have justification through Christ. By faith we have Christ’s positive righteousness. By faith we have reconciliation with God. By faith we have victory over death through the death and resurrection of Christ. The great hope of salvation in Christ isn’t to mere material prosperity but salvation from the wrath of God. Not only is God’s wrath satisfied in Christ, but we have Christ’s righteousness. Is this your hope?