The Ministry of the Spirit in the Christian Life, Part 2: Spirit Empowered Hope for the Past, Present, and Future: Romans 5:1–11

Paul commends himself to the Corinthians as a servant of God by his resume of trials and labors, urging them to separate from the false teachers, the super-apostles, since the temple of God has nothing to do with idols. God has given us Spirit empowered hope for the past, present, and future as a result of justification by faith.

1. Paul details the results of justification

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

By the power of the Spirit, we trust that our suffering produces endurance and that God is working this suffering to our ultimate good. This strengthens our ability to endure, resulting in the character of Christ. We are sanctified through our trials rather than our times of ease. Character is what keeps us consistent through the trials. This character is marked by us as we hope in the glory of God.

2. Paul explains the basis of these results

Romans 5:6-8
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s love was not prompted by us in any way. There is nothing in us that is worth dying for by a human understanding. The belief we have in the providence of God is a gift from God for His glory. It is given to us for our growth and is all grace. Through this grace, we can pick up our crosses and follow Him, dying a little bit each and every day. Dying to self and living to Christ. Ministry that is marked by this will build with gold, silver and precious jewels.

3. Paul infers what justification means for the future

Romans 5:9-11
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

God is faithful, able, wise and good. Through our trials, we know this and live our lives by this faith. In doing so, we hope for the day that God’s glory will show that we were correct to trust in Him. Rejoicing in our sufferings is the same thing as boasting in our weakness and testifies to the power of God and our trust in Him because of who He is.