Click to Play
0 plays
Sign in to like or dislike songs
“Not only so, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
— Romans 5:3–5 (NKJV)
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
— Romans 8:11 (NKJV)
The central theme of this song is one of the most paradoxical truths in the Christian life: rejoicing in suffering.
Most Christians understand rejoicing in blessings. Many understand repentance from sin. But very few understand what Scripture teaches: that problems and trials, when rightly received, become a divinely ordained pathway to endurance, character, and unshakable hope.
The lyrics are essentially a paraphrase of Romans 5:3–5, anchored in the resurrection power of Romans 8:11. They present a sequence:
This is not psychological optimism. It is not positive thinking. It is the operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer through the very pressures we would normally avoid.
Let us look at what the Word of God says about this pathway.
---
### Romans 5:3–5 – Paul’s Pastoral Logic
Romans is Paul’s most systematic presentation of the gospel. In chapter 5, he turns from explaining *how* we are justified (by faith) to describing the results of justification.
> “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…”
> — Romans 5:1
From verse 1 to verse 5, Paul lists a chain of blessings that follow justification:
1. Peace with God (v.1)
2. Access into grace (v.2)
3. Rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God (v.2)
4. And then—almost shocking—
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations…” (v.3)
Understand the setting:
Paul is writing to believers in Rome, the capital of the empire that will soon unleash severe persecution against Christians. These believers are either already suffering or about to suffer. Paul is not offering a theory. His own life is filled with beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, rejection, and constant danger (2 Corinthians 11:23–28).
The word translated “we glory” (or “we rejoice”) is not a casual term. It is deliberate, conscious exultation. Paul is training the Church to respond oppositely to the natural man.
### Romans 8:11 – Resurrection Power in Mortal Bodies
Romans 8 is the chapter of life in the Spirit. By the time Paul reaches verse 11, he has established:
Then he makes this astounding statement:
> “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you…”
Who raised Jesus? God the Father. By what agency? The Holy Spirit.
The same Spirit who raised a crucified, mutilated body from the dead now dwells in the believer and gives life to our mortal bodies—not only in the resurrection at the end, but in our present weakness, suffering, and trials.
So Romans 5 tells us what suffering produces.
Romans 8 tells us how we can endure it: by the indwelling resurrection power of the Holy Spirit.
The early Church did not escape suffering. They learned to interpret it. And that is what this teaching—and this song—is about.
---
To understand this process more clearly, we must look at two key Greek words:
### 1. “Tribulations” – *thlipsis* (θλῖψις)
> “We glory in tribulations (*thlipsis*).”
> — Romans 5:3
*Thlipsis* comes from a root meaning “to press, to squeeze, to crush.” It is used in the New Testament for:
This is not minor inconvenience. It is pressure that squeezes the soul. It includes persecution but also every form of pressure that confronts a believer walking in faith.
Understanding this word is vital:
The Christian life is not the absence of pressure. It is learning to respond rightly to pressure, so that it becomes spiritually productive.
### 2. “Endurance” – *hypomonē* (ὑπομονή)
> “Tribulation produces perseverance (*hypomonē*).”
> — Romans 5:3
*Hypomonē* literally means “to remain under.” It is not mere passive waiting. It is active, steadfast endurance under pressure, refusing to run away, refusing to compromise, refusing to deny Christ.
It carries the sense of:
In other words:
Tribulation (*thlipsis* – pressure, squeezing) produces the ability to remain under that pressure without breaking. That is *hypomonē*.
This endurance then produces character. The Greek word there (we will see it in a moment) means “provenness,” like metal tested by fire and found genuine.
When you understand these words, the lyrics become more than comforting phrases; they become a description of God’s refining process in the believer.
---
We will walk through the lyrics theme by theme, aligning them with Paul’s inspired teaching.
### [Verse 1]
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials,
for we know that they help us develop endurance.”
This is Romans 5:3 in simple language.
#### A. “We can rejoice… when we run into problems and trials”
Paul says:
> “We also glory in tribulations…”
> — Romans 5:3
To “glory” (*kauchōmetha*) means to boast, exult, rejoice. It is the same word used earlier:
> “…we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
> — Romans 5:2
So the Christian rejoices:
1. In the hope of future glory
2. In the reality of present pressure
Why? Because we know something.
The Christian response is not mindless. It is based on knowledge:
> “…knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.”
> — Romans 5:3
The lyrics echo this:
“for we know that they help us develop endurance.”
#### B. The Chain Reaction: Problems → Endurance
As we saw, *thlipsis* (pressure) produces *hypomonē* (endurance).
James says the same:
> “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
> knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (*hypomonē*).
> But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
> — James 1:2–4
“Count it joy.” Why? Because if you let endurance do its work, you will be “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Trials do not build faith automatically. How you respond determines whether they produce endurance or bitterness.
So the first theological point is this:
> Suffering under God’s sovereignty, rightly received in faith, is productive, not pointless.
It is not a random attack only; it becomes a tool in the hand of God.
---
### [Chorus]
“And endurance develops strength of character,
and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
This is the continuation of Paul’s logic:
> “…tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
> — Romans 5:3–4
#### A. “Character” – *dokimē* (δοκιμή)
The word translated “character” is *dokimē*. It means:
The related verb *dokimazō* means “to test, to examine, to prove genuine.”
So the sequence is:
This is more than natural temperament. It is Christlike character formed through repeated choices of obedience in hardship.
Peter says:
> “…now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
> that the genuineness (*dokimion*) of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
> — 1 Peter 1:6–7
Tribulation is the “fire” in which faith is tested and proven.
#### B. “Character strengthens our confident hope of salvation”
Notice the order:
1. Tribulation – external pressure
2. Endurance – internal steadfastness
3. Character – tested genuineness
4. Hope – confident expectation of final salvation
Hope in the Bible is not wishful thinking. It is confident expectation based on God’s promise and God’s nature.
Why does tested character lead to hope?
Because once you have come through multiple trials, and you have seen that:
Then you know experientially that you are truly His, that His Spirit is truly in you, and that the same God who kept you in trials will keep you to the end.
This is what Paul means in Philippians 1:6:
> “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Your confidence in ultimate salvation is strengthened as you see God’s preserving work in your present sufferings.
This is what the chorus is saying: your trials, rightly endured, are building your assurance.
---
### [Verse 2]
“And this hope will not lead to disappointment.
For we know how dearly God loves us.”
This is a direct echo of Romans 5:5:
> “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…”
Many believers fear that they may be deceived, that their hope may be misplaced. But Paul says: true biblical hope does not disappoint.
Why? Because it is grounded in God’s love, not in your performance.
#### A. “This hope will not lead to disappointment…”
The word “disappoint” could be translated “put to shame, prove false.” Paul is saying:
> The hope that arises in a believer who has endured trial, whose character has been tested and shaped, will not be exposed as empty.
Why? Because that hope is not based on self-confidence. It is based on a revelation:
#### B. “For we know how dearly God loves us”
Now Paul gives us the inner witness:
> “…because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
> — Romans 5:5
This is not merely doctrinal knowledge. It is experiential knowledge.
In the early stages of Christian life, many believers depend heavily on external proofs: answered prayer, provision, circumstances. But in deeper dealings with God, He often allows external supports to be shaken, so that your assurance rests not on outward comfort, but on an inward witness of His love by the Holy Spirit.
This is critical for spiritual warfare:
Satan’s primary assault is against the love of God in our hearts. He seeks to persuade you, especially in suffering, that:
Romans 5:5 declares the opposite:
In the very context of tribulations, the Holy Spirit is pouring out the assurance: “You are loved. Deeply, personally, covenantally loved.”
---
### [Chorus – repeated]
“And endurance develops strength of character,
and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
Repetition here is not accidental. The Spirit is emphasizing:
Many seek shortcuts to maturity. There are no shortcuts. There is grace, there is power, there is the Spirit—but there is no escape from God’s appointed pathway: tribulation → endurance → character → hope.
---
### [Outro]
“He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.”
This is a restatement of Romans 5:5 and a bridge to Romans 8:11.
The same Spirit who:
is also the Spirit who:
> “…will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
> — Romans 8:11
#### The Link Between Love and Power
Many believers separate these truths:
But it is the same Spirit. The Spirit who assures you that you are loved is the Spirit of resurrection power.
This means:
So the outro correctly centers everything on the gift of the Holy Spirit:
> “He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.”
The Christian is not called to endure trials by sheer willpower.
We endure by the indwelling Spirit, who:
---
Theology must lead to practice. How, then, do we “rejoice in suffering” in a biblical way?
Here are four clear steps.
### 1. Recognize the Purpose of Pressure
First, we must change our interpretation of problems and trials.
Instead of asking immediately, “How can I escape this?”, we must ask, “Lord, what are You producing in me through this?”
Proclamation:
> “Lord, I choose to see my trials as tools in Your hand. I refuse to treat them as meaningless accidents. I believe You are working endurance, character, and hope in me.”
Scriptures to stand on:
Make this a settled conviction: God is sovereign over your suffering, and He uses it for your good if you respond in faith (Romans 8:28).
---
### 2. Submit to the Process of Endurance
Second, we must stay under the pressure God allows, until His work is complete.
Endurance (hypomonē) means not running away:
Proclamation:
> “Father, by Your grace, I choose to remain under the pressure You permit. I refuse to give up. I will not draw back. I will endure by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Scriptures:
You cannot develop spiritual muscle without resistance. Endurance is not developed in comfort, but in conflict.
---
### 3. Cooperate With the Spirit in Forming Character
Third, we must agree with the Holy Spirit’s goal: Christlike character, not merely relief.
The Spirit uses circumstances to expose:
As these are exposed, we must repent quickly and align with Scripture.
Proclamation:
> “Holy Spirit, I invite You to use these pressures to reveal what is in my heart. Where there is sin, I repent. Where there is unbelief, I renounce it. Form in me proven, tested, Christlike character.”
Scriptures:
Do not waste your suffering. Let it do its full work in your inner life.
---
### 4. Activate Hope and Love by Confession and Communion
Fourth, we must actively confess our hope and yield to the love of God poured out by the Spirit.
Hope grows as it is spoken. Love is experienced as we yield to the Spirit.
Practical steps:
Proclamation:
> “My hope is in God. He began a good work in me and He will complete it. The love of God is poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit. I am not forsaken. I am loved.”
Scriptures:
The more you stand on these truths in the midst of hardship, the stronger your hope becomes—and that hope will not disappoint.
---
### Proclamation of Faith
Speak this aloud, deliberately, in the presence of God:
> In the name of Jesus, I proclaim:
> - I have been justified by faith, and I have peace with God through my Lord Jesus Christ.
> - I have access by faith into the grace in which I stand.
> - I rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and I also rejoice in tribulations.
> - I know that tribulation produces endurance in me; endurance produces proven character; and proven character produces unshakable hope.
> - This hope in me will not disappoint, because the love of God is poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit who has been given to me.
> - The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me and gives life to my mortal body.
> - In every trial, I am being strengthened, purified, and prepared for the glory to be revealed.
> - I am not a victim of circumstances; I am being transformed by the Spirit of God.
> - I will endure. I will stand. I will hope. I will not be put to shame.
> For I am loved with an everlasting love, and I belong to the Lord. Amen.
### Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus,
I bring before You every problem, every trial, every pressure that I face.
I renounce self-pity, complaining, and unbelief.
I choose to receive these pressures as instruments in Your hand,
to produce endurance, character, and hope in me.
Holy Spirit, Spirit of the living God,
You who raised Jesus from the dead,
fill me afresh.
Pour the love of God into my heart.
Bear witness within me that I am a child of God.
Strengthen my mortal body.
Enable me to endure under the pressures You permit,
without breaking, without turning back.
Lord Jesus,
be formed in my character.
Use every trial to conform me more fully to Your image.
And let the hope You produce in me be strong, clear, and unshakable—
a hope that will never put me to shame.
I commit myself, spirit, soul, and body,
to the working of Your Spirit through every circumstance.
I declare that nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
Deepen your worship with these related songs:
No more songs available