(Rom) 5:1-4 CJB “So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom with God through our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. Also through him and on the ground of our trust, we have gained access to this grace in which we stand; so let us boast about the hope of experiencing God’s glory. But not only that, let us also boast in our troubles; because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope;”

Paul gives us a clear, grounded vision of the Christian life—one that is not passive, sentimental, or soft. For the man who wants to follow Jesus faithfully, this passage outlines a threefold Christian duty, rooted in grace, strengthened through suffering, and aimed toward eternal hope.

1. Remain at Peace with God

Paul begins with what God has already accomplished:
We have been declared righteous by God through trust, not effort.

But notice Paul’s language—“let us continue to have shalom with God.”
Peace with God is not something we earn, but it is something we guard.

We guard it by living in grateful obedience.
Jesus obeyed perfectly so He could become the sacrifice for our sins.
We obey now in response, rejecting the sins that once ruled us—the very sins that required the cross.

Christian obedience is not penance.
It is gratitude made visible.

2. Proclaim the Hope We Possess

Paul says we now stand in grace and boast in hope.

Men without Christ have no certain future beyond the grave.
But men who trust in Jesus—His life, His death, His resurrection—carry an unshakable hope.

This hope is not private.
It is meant to be proclaimed.

We testify to what God has done for us,
to how Christ reconciled us to God,
to the grace that now defines our standing.

If grace saved us, testimony must follow.

3. Persevere Together Through Suffering

Paul goes further:
“We also boast in our troubles.”

Not because pain is good—but because God uses it.

Trouble produces endurance.
Endurance produces character.
Character produces hope.

Men need this perspective.
Suffering is not proof of God’s absence—it is often the tool of His formation.

We encourage one another by speaking honestly about the cost of following Jesus:
our giving,
our serving,
our sacrifices,
our losses for His Name.

Not for applause—but for example, prayer, and brotherhood.

The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone.

Run Today’s Play:

Stand firmly in the grace you’ve been given.
Live at peace with God through grateful obedience.
Speak openly about the hope Christ has secured for you.
Endure hardship with brothers who will sharpen your faith.

Do not waste suffering.
Let it form you into a man of endurance, character, and hope.

Jesus is worth the cost.
And His glory is the finish line.