Abide

One of the bright spots that I think everyone seems to be looking for right now is a bit of encouragement every day. In a time when so much our news cycle is dominated by bad news, often news programs try to put in a few stories that highlight something inspirational and heartwarming. For those of you who are on social media, it is always encouraging to see someone who intentionally shares posts that are kind and full of goodness. We all need to see that right now. One of the YouTube shows that has exploded in popularity in the last month is the show hosted by John Krasinski called Some Good News. Stories that show examples of love and generosity and kindness just have a way of lifting us up and brightening our day and bringing a smile.

The Apostle Paul seems to be in one of those moments here as he is writing this letter to the Christians in Rome. In fact, he starts out the first four chapters of Romans with some pretty bad news. The quick summary is this: we are all severely messed up people torn apart by our own sinful nature, and everything that we have ever tried on our own dig our way out of this mess has failed. The Christian church in Rome has it hard enough with persecution and hostility. Paul’s letter here—at least so far—does not seem to be much of a pick-me-up. We could sure use a spot of good news right about now.

Romans 5:1–11 NIV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

From Bad News to Good News…or is it?

Chapter five of Romans begins to turn that corner from bad news to good news. There is a shift in the letter in which Paul now starts moving to a theme of hope. He begins Romans five with a message about the glory of God in which we have hope. Yes, it’s about time! We could use some glorious hope right about now! It’s time for Paul to bring the truth of this glorious hope-filled gospel message in order to lift the spirits of his distraught audience. So, he begins chapter five, “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 boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Yes! This is exactly what we needed to hear right now! But wait, there’s more; then he goes on in verse three. “Not only so, but we also glory in your sufferings.” Wait. I’m going to stop you right there, Paul. You find glory in our sufferings? Do you realize how twisted that sounds? Imagine it; suppose a friend calls and shares some incredibly bad news of tremendous suffering and hardship, and my reply is, “well that sounds absolutely glorious!” I don’t think so. That strikes me as all wrong. Paul, I think you’ve lost your sense this time. It’s not okay to take glory in the sufferings of your friends.

glory: in the hope we have in Christ Jesus (YES!)

glory: in the sufferings of the church (huh?)

I thought this was the part of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome where he was supposed to turn the corner. I think it’s time for Paul to get us away from all this bad news. I mean, I thought that was where he was going. This chapter started out so well. We are about to take off on this brilliant message of hope that is based upon the new life we all have in Jesus. I mean, the answer to the trap of sin has been provided. Jesus himself has extended his very righteousness upon us as a complete gift of grace so that we may have peace with God because the guilt of our sin has been taken away. That is the good news of the gospel right there. That is the message of hope in which our glory has its foundation. That is the reason we worship God. Why on earth do you have to break this moment and drag our own sufferings and trials back into this picture?

I think we need just a little more explanation from Paul here. And look at this, he provides it. Verse three goes on, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because”—here’s the explanation—“because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Paul begins chapter five with this theme of hope. And then in a strange twist, he even finds a way for suffering and hardship to be experiences that do not challenge or diminish Christians hope; in fact, just the opposite. Sufferings and hardships only serve to build and strengthen Christian hope.

suffering produces perseverance — perseverance produces character — character produces hope

I admit, this is a message I need to hear right now because this is a message I may not necessarily want to hear right now. Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; character produces hope. Here’s the thing; the character and the hope part all sound great. Of course, we want and pray that God would bless us with an abundance of character and hope. But, honestly, I would prefer that God would bestow the gifts of character and hope without the suffering and perseverance part. Can we just skip over the first two and pick it up with the last two? Can be glide past suffering and perseverance, and still somehow then obtain a full and rich measure of character and hope? Because that’s what I want. That is the message I want to hear from God’s word today.

I want to hear the message that this upside down backwards turn that our entire world has taken right now is a blip on the radar that can be put behind and completely forgotten. I want to hear the message that there is some easy way out of this. That’s what I want. I want God to Amazon Prime a shipment of character and hope right to my doorstep so that all I have to do is wake up the next day and there it is delivered right to me. I wish Christian character and Christian hope worked that way. That’s what I want.

But that is not the message I need because that is not the message of truth. God’s word is truth; and the truth which the apostle Paul must tell the church is that our vital character as growing disciples of Jesus which is being shaped by our own sanctification is a character which is built and strengthened by times of suffering. And it is a character that is being built and strengthened by extended periods of perseverance. Character development does not come automatically, and it does not come easy. But it is such a vitally important response to our identity in Christ. Yes, I admit; I do not want to hear that. I want to hear that the path to strong Christian character is a road that is wide and easy. But it is Jesus who says in Matthew seven,

Matthew 7:13–14 NIV

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Not necessarily the message I want today, but the message I need to hear. I need to be reminded right now that perseverance has a greater purpose, because I seem to forget that pretty easily. There is a reason for us to pursue a path of perseverance. And it is because perseverance ought to turn our attention to the strengthening of character and hope.

Perseverance

Perseverance is the act of using endurance to get through something. Marathon runners know about perseverance. They train for months in order to run extended distances. They teach their bodies how to endure through a long race in order to see it all the way to the finish. Perseverance acknowledges that success is not instant, and it will take work to achieve the end goal. But at the same time, it is the endurance and fortitude of the long journey which makes the achievement of the goal that much more cherished. A sports team which wins a championship season must put in the long hours and hard work of practice and development and tough close games in order to get to those finals. I suppose if there ever was a championship team which never had to work for that goal—never practiced, never put it all out there on the field because winning just came so easy it was automatic—sure, it’s a championship; but really, there is not as much achievement to savor in a victory like that. I mean, there is a reason that every single sports movie ever made highlights the perseverance that is required to see through struggles and achieve the outcome. And every single sports movie ever made shows us that what really resonates through those movies and touches at our hearts is not the victory itself; it is the strong character that is formed and built in those people through their perseverance.

Now then, let’s be honest. Sometimes perseverance is a quality we choose. Sometimes in life we have the option of quitting or dropping out or just spinning our wheels—going through the motions but not really looking ahead. Sometimes there are moments in life when an opportunity to persevere is in front of us but we back away from it. And then there always other moments when perseverance is not an option. There is no opportunity to quit or drop out or choose a different path. You persevere whether you want to or not. And this is the place where so many of us are finding ourselves right now.

sometimes we choose opportunities to persevere, even when we have the option to drop out

sometimes moments of perseverance are not optional, we cannot back out even if we want to

It looks a little different for each one of us. For some of us, it is persevering through a time in which our work has slowed down or gone away and we are facing some extended unemployment. For some of us, it is persevering through a time in which school needs to be completed online in a whole new way of learning without being able to be with friends or enjoying extracurricular activities. For some of us, it is persevering through a time in which we are the parents who have now become the at-home teachers who are helping our kids adjust to this new system and complete their work well so that they are continuing to learn what they need to develop and move forward to the next grade. For some of us, it is persevering though a time in which we may be isolated and all alone because we do not live with anybody else, and now we cannot go out and meet others for coffee or a visit. And for some of us, it is persevering through a time in which we may be living in a cramped house with the same people and we cannot leave or go out and find some space apart to be alone for a while. It may be different for each one of us, but these are all examples of perseverance that are more-or-less thrust upon us right now. We did not choose this; we did not sign up for this; we did not volunteer for this.

how is God shaping and forming your character as a disciple of Jesus through this time of perseverance?

The question which this passage of scripture places in front of us today, then, is a question of character development. How is God shaping and forming your character as a disciple of Jesus through this time of perseverance? Are you asking yourself that question? Are you even paying attention to it? Because this is a time of perseverance through some struggle. And Paul is telling the church that perseverance produces character. So then, what kind of character is being produced in you right now?

Character

Make no mistake. Perseverance does, in fact, produce character. But what kind of character is it? Because while there may be some character traits which we admire and hold up as desirable—traits like honesty, integrity, faithfulness, trustworthiness, compassion, kindness, generosity—there are also character traits which are not desirable—bitterness, selfish, greedy, corrupt, fearful, vengeful, spiteful. What kind of character traits are you allowing to grow inside of you right now through a time of prolonged perseverance?

what kind of character are you allowing to be formed in you right now?

Romans five reminds us today that each one of us is given the gift of the Holy Spirit, which God so graciously pours out among the church. And through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, even times of struggling perseverance have the ability to yield good fruit. That’s familiar language for the church. The New Testament talks often about this growing sanctified character within us as being fruit which we bear. In Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches, he even gives a list of what these character traits of the spirit look like when it is fruitful in and through our lives. Character traits like love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

fruit of the Spirit: love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

You and I have an opportunity right now today to exercise and grow and strengthen the character which God is building within us through his Holy Spirit. And perseverance is what gives us the training ground in which this character growth takes place.

Hope

This perseverance which leads to character is what brings us back again to hope. That is, after all, Paul’s central theme in Romans five. He is reminding the Christians in Rome and all of us in the church yet today that we have been given a remarkable gift of hope. But look at how this hope comes about in the way Paul talks about it in scripture. It is not a hope that is distant and detached from us. It is not a hope which floats apart from our lives in some disconnected way. It is a hope that God has planted into our very lives through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It is a living hope that moves and forms us in our lives today. It is a hope that can guide and strengthen and uphold God’s people in the church around the world.

not a hope that is distant, detached, or disconnected from our lives

And so, Paul reminds us today that even our hope finds opportunities for greater expression and new growth in our lives as we continually grow in faith as followers of Jesus. And even in times of struggle and suffering this hope still holds fast as something which God builds even stronger as perseverance leads to character, and character leads to hope.

hope in Christ Jesus: a living hope that continues to form and shape our lives, continues to strengthen and grow our faith

I wish I could see all of you. I wish we could be meeting together as a church in person face-to-face. Our times of worship feel so much more uplifting when we are gathered together. We are all struggling through this extended time apart from one another. Even so, find strength today in the word of God which reminds us that there is glory even in this time of persevering. May God through his Holy Spirit continue to build and form his holy character in you, as we bear the image of Christ. And may that growing character provided to you strengthen the hope that we have, given to us through Christ Jesus for all eternity.