Having been justified by faith...we exult in our tribulations...

Romans 4:13-5:5 (NASB)  from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

¹³ For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; ¹⁵ for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

¹⁶ For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. ¹⁸ In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; ²⁰ yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. ²² Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. ²³ Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, ²⁴ but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

Results of Justification

5 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.

Justification is sometimes explained as: just as if I never sinned. 5:1 says:  having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Justification, salvation, the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, the restoration of our relationship with God the Father, all of that is what we have only by faith. We cannot earn it or work ourselves to it.     For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9)  

Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.(John 14:6) It is only through the finished work of the cross, Jesus paying the price for our sin, every sin, that we are justified, redeemed, restored to God. That happens immediately when we receive the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, when we accept His redeeming work in our lives. It has nothing to do with our previous our future work. The account of Jesus response to the thief on the cross in Luke 23 clearly demonstrates that salvation, justification, redemption are ours through faith in Christ.

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” ⁴³ And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

This man, this thief who by his own words deserved death, was promised eternity in paradise, not because he changed his life, but because he recognized he needed a savior, Jesus Christ.

Today’s  text goes on then to say:  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.

Tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance proven character… This describes the process we go through if we don’t die immediately upon our salvation experience, like the thief on the cross. We begin the process known as sanctification, the process, which lasts as long as we live here on earth in these bodies, of being changed, of dying to self and becoming like Christ. Romans 8:28-29 says:  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…

God does not cause the bad things that happen to us. He does though use those things, all the bad and all the good, all things to work together for our good, to become conformed to the image of Jesus, His Son. Through tribulation, trial, persecution, through all the difficulties in our lives we are day by day made more like Christ.

 James 1:2-4 says:  Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

So while we may not celebrate the difficulties and trials we go through, we can celebrate the fact that those things are working in our life to make us more like Christ.

In James 2: it says:      What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. ¹⁸ But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” ¹⁹ You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

It is important that we see and understand what James is saying. The works, which he says are an indication of our faith, include but are not limited to doing good to or for others. Our works also include submitting to the will and way of God in the hard and difficult things we face, as Abraham did offering up Issac. The works that are a demonstration of our faith include our obedience and submission to God.

Jesus says: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."(Matthew 11:28-30)

 Jesus has done the hard work. He already bore the weight of all of our sin on the cross. It is a small thing for Him to carry the weight of every other burden we face. We need only to give it to Him, to determine that regardless of what we face, that in all things, all the good and the bad, we will yield and submit to Him. We will yoke ourselves to Him every step of the way. The end result, at the end of our days, having walked with Christ, we will finally be conformed, transformed into His image. Man was created in the image of God.  Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness(Genesis 1:26)   Our walk with Christ is our journey back to His image, restored to His original design and purpose.

May our prayer be like John the Baptist, who said: He must increase, but I must decrease.(John 3:30) Lord Jesus Christ increase in me. I submit to You and to the will of the Father in all things, all the good and the bad in my life. I submit to You that I might be conformed to Your image, restored to the image of God as You intended from the beginning.  Amen.