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“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials…” — these lyrics are taken almost word for word from Paul’s letter to the Romans. They express a principle that is central to New Testament Christianity, yet deeply offensive to the natural mind: rejoicing in suffering.
Let us look at what the Word of God says:
> “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
> And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
> And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
> which is given unto us.”
> — Romans 5:3–5 (KJV)
And then:
> “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
> And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
> if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
> — Romans 8:16–17 (KJV)
The central theme is this:
Christian suffering, rightly understood and rightly received, is not a contradiction of God’s love but one of its chief instruments. It produces endurance, tested character, and a hope that does not disappoint, because it is anchored in the love of God poured out by the Holy Spirit.
The lyrics simply echo this divine logic:
We are not dealing here with a religious slogan, but with a spiritual law built into the very structure of the Christian life.
---
The epistle to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul to believers in Rome, a community formed in the capital of the most powerful empire of that time. These were not believers living in a sheltered religious environment. They were in the shadow of Caesar, in a world hostile to the exclusive claims of Jesus as Lord.
In Romans 5, Paul is unfolding the consequences of justification by faith. In chapters 1–3, he demonstrates that all—Jew and Gentile—are under sin. In chapter 4, he shows that Abraham was justified by faith, not by works. In chapter 5, he turns to the results of being justified.
He begins Romans 5:
> “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
> By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
> — Romans 5:1–2 (KJV)
Then comes the shocking statement:
> “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also…”
> — Romans 5:3 (KJV)
Notice the progression:
1. Peace with God.
2. Access into grace.
3. Rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
4. And then — rejoicing in tribulations.
Paul is not speaking theoretically. His own life was marked by repeated, severe suffering: imprisonment, beatings, shipwreck, hunger, betrayal (2 Corinthians 11:23–28). When he writes about “tribulations,” he is not referring to minor inconveniences but to pressures that crush and test the very soul.
In Romans 8, Paul enlarges the theme. He speaks of our identity as children of God:
> “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
> — Romans 8:16 (KJV)
Then he states:
> “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
> if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
> — Romans 8:17 (KJV)
In other words:
The believers in Rome would soon experience real persecution, social exclusion, economic loss, and eventually state-sanctioned violence. Paul is preparing them not merely to endure but to rejoice in the midst of such pressures, because of the divine process that suffering triggers in the life of a justified believer.
---
To truly grasp the depth of this passage, we must examine two key Greek words: tribulation and hope.
### 1. “Tribulation” — *thlipsis* (θλῖψις)
Romans 5:3 (KJV):
“... we glory in tribulations also…”
The Greek word is *thlipsis*.
It does not mean mild inconvenience. It implies circumstances that squeeze us so that what is inside is forced to come out. God uses *thlipsis* to expose, refine, and transform.
When the lyrics say:
> “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials…”
They are describing *thlipsis* — the pressures of life which, under God’s sovereignty, become instruments of spiritual formation.
### 2. “Hope” — *elpis* (ἐλπίς)
Romans 5:4–5 (KJV):
“... and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed…”
The Greek word is *elpis*.
This is crucial. Many people think of hope as something uncertain: “I hope so” — maybe it will happen, maybe not. But *elpis* in the New Testament is solid, anchored expectation. It rests not on circumstances but on God’s nature and His covenant.
Now we can summarize the divine process in Romans 5:3–5:
1. *Thlipsis* (pressure, affliction)
2. Produces *hypomonē* (endurance, steadfastness)
3. Produces *dokimē* (tested, proven character)
4. Produces *elpis* (confident expectation)
5. This *elpis* cannot disappoint, because it is anchored in the love of God poured out by the Holy Spirit.
The lyrics’ repetition —
> “And this hope will not lead to disappointment”
— is a direct echo of *elpis* that “does not put to shame,” does not expose us as foolish for trusting God.
---
Let us now walk through the themes expressed in the lyrics and connect them with the broader witness of Scripture.
### A. “We can rejoice… when we run into problems and trials”
This is not a natural reaction. It is a supernatural response produced by revelation.
James says something very similar:
> “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
> Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
> But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
> — James 1:2–4 (KJV)
The key word again is “knowing.” Paul says:
> “...we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;”
> — Romans 5:3 (KJV)
We do not rejoice because of pain in itself. We rejoice because we know what God is doing through it.
Without this revelation, suffering leads to bitterness, self-pity, and unbelief. With this revelation, suffering becomes a furnace in which gold is refined.
Peter confirms this:
> “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
> though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
> — 1 Peter 1:7 (KJV)
So the first theological truth:
Christian rejoicing in suffering is grounded in knowledge — knowledge of God’s purpose in pressure.
### B. “For we know that they help us develop endurance”
Romans 5:3 (NLT-like wording in the lyrics) focuses on the inner process.
The Greek word for “endurance” is *hypomonē* — steadfastness, staying power, remaining under pressure without breaking or fleeing.
This is the opposite of spiritual instability. Many believers are like spiritual weather vanes, shifting direction with every wind of circumstance or emotion. God is not satisfied with that. He intends to produce in us something solid, stable, unshakeable.
Jesus said:
> “In your patience (endurance) possess ye your souls.”
> — Luke 21:19 (KJV)
Endurance is the key to ruling your own inner life. Without endurance, you will be ruled by your emotions, circumstances, or other people’s opinions.
Hebrews 10:36 says:
> “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God,
> ye might receive the promise.”
> — Hebrews 10:36 (KJV)
Notice the order:
God uses trials to produce this *hypomonē* — this steadfastness — which is indispensable for inheriting His promises.
### C. “And endurance develops strength of character”
Romans 5:4 (NLT-like):
“And endurance develops strength of character…”
The KJV reads:
> “And patience, experience…”
The Greek word is *dokimē* — “provenness,” “testedness,” “approved character.”
It is not theoretical character. It is character that has been tested in real conditions and found reliable.
God is not impressed by untested claims. He is interested in *dokimē* — what remains after the test. This is why Peter says:
> “...the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
> though it be tried with fire…”
> — 1 Peter 1:7 (KJV)
Gold has to go through fire to be purified. Faith and character must go through pressure to be proved.
So the second major theological truth:
Endurance under pressure produces tested, trustworthy character.
### D. “And character strengthens our confident hope of salvation”
Romans 5:4:
> “...and experience, hope.”
Here is the divine sequence:
1. Tribulation (pressure)
2. Endurance (staying power)
3. Proven character
4. Hope (confident expectation)
Why does tested character produce hope?
Because once you have seen how God sustains you in the furnace, you no longer merely believe doctrines; you know by experience that God is faithful. Your hope is no longer theoretical; it is experiential.
The psalmist says:
> “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”
> — Psalm 119:71 (KJV)
Affliction brings us into an experiential knowledge of God’s Word and God’s faithfulness. That is the root of biblical hope.
Thus, when the lyrics declare:
> “And this hope will not lead to disappointment.”
They are explaining the end result of God’s method: a hope so anchored in God’s character that it cannot fail.
### E. “For we know how dearly God loves us…”
Romans 5:5 (NLT-like):
> “For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
The KJV reads:
> “...because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
> which is given unto us.”
> — Romans 5:5 (KJV)
This is crucial. If you separate suffering from the love of God, you will misinterpret your trials.
The Holy Spirit does two main things here:
1. He assures us of God’s love internally.
2. He pours that love into our hearts as an active, present reality.
The phrase “shed abroad” is from the Greek *ekcheō* — to pour out, to spill forth abundantly. It is the same verb used in Acts 2:17–18 regarding the outpouring of the Spirit.
So in suffering:
This is why Paul can later say:
> “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation (*thlipsis*), or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
> ...Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
> — Romans 8:35, 37 (KJV)
Tribulation does not separate us from God’s love. It becomes the context in which God’s love is most deeply known.
### F. “The Spirit… bears witness… we are children and heirs — if so be that we suffer with him”
Romans 8:16–17 reveals the link between sonship, suffering, and glory.
> “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
> And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
> if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
Three key truths:
1. Inner witness of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are God’s children. This same Spirit that pours out God’s love in Romans 5 is the Spirit who assures us of our sonship in Romans 8.
2. Heirship with Christ
We are not merely forgiven sinners. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. All that belongs to Christ by right becomes ours by grace, as we are united with Him.
3. The pathway: suffering then glory
“If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
This is not optional. To share His glory, we must share His sufferings. Not necessarily the identical sufferings, but the same pattern: obedience in the midst of pressure, rejection, and opposition.
Philippians 1:29 says:
> “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him,
> but also to suffer for his sake;”
> — Philippians 1:29 (KJV)
Suffering for Christ is not an accident. It is a gift, granted along with faith.
Thus the third theological truth:
Sonship includes sharing in Christ’s sufferings as the pathway to shared glory.
---
This revelation must become practice. Truth that is not practiced does not transform. Here are four practical responses.
### 1. First, we must redefine suffering in the light of Scripture
You must align your thinking with God’s Word.
Stop interpreting all suffering as evidence of God’s abandonment or displeasure. For a justified believer walking in obedience, much of your pressure is God’s training, not His rejection.
Hebrews 12:6–7:
> “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
> If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons…”
Action point:
### 2. Second, we must choose rejoicing as an act of faith
Rejoicing in trials is not primarily an emotion; it is a decision rooted in revelation.
Habakkuk says:
> “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines;
> ...Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
> — Habakkuk 3:17–18 (KJV)
“I will” — this is a choice.
Action point:
“Lord, I choose to rejoice in You, not in my circumstances. I praise You that You are using this to produce endurance, character, and hope in me.”
### 3. Third, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the refining process
The Holy Spirit is not only a Comforter; He is also a Refiner. He uses pressure to expose:
Instead of resisting His work, agree with Him.
Psalm 139:23–24:
> “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
> And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Action point:
### 4. Fourth, we must hold fast to hope and confess it with our mouths
Romans 10:10 says:
> “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Hope grows stronger when it is confessed. The lyrics repeat:
> “And this hope will not lead to disappointment.”
Make that your confession.
Hebrews 10:23:
> “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”
Action point:
“My hope in God will not disappoint me. He is faithful. He is working all things for my good.”
---
### Proclamation
Say this out loud, deliberately, as an act of faith:
> I proclaim that I have been justified by faith in my Lord Jesus Christ.
> Therefore I have peace with God and I stand in His grace.
> I rejoice in the hope of the glory of God,
> and I also rejoice in problems, pressures, and trials.
> For I know that tribulation produces endurance in me,
> endurance produces tested character,
> and tested character produces a confident hope.
> This hope will not disappoint me,
> because the love of God is poured out in my heart
> by the Holy Spirit who has been given to me.
> The Spirit bears witness with my spirit that I am a child of God.
> As a child, I am an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ.
> I accept the privilege of suffering with Him,
> that I may also be glorified together with Him.
> My hope is not in circumstances but in the unchanging love of God,
> and this hope will not lead to disappointment.
> In the name of Jesus, Amen.
### Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
I thank You that You did not hide from us the reality of suffering, but You showed us its purpose and its glory. I bring before You every problem, trial, and pressure in my life. I renounce self-pity, bitterness, and unbelief. I choose to rejoice in You in the midst of tribulation.
Father, I ask You now: let Your Holy Spirit pour out Your love afresh in my heart. Give me inner assurance that I am truly Your child, Your heir, and a joint-heir with Christ. Use every trial to produce in me endurance, proven character, and unshakable hope.
Refine what must be refined. Remove what must be removed. Establish me as a stable, steadfast disciple who cannot be moved by circumstances. I declare that my hope is in You, and it will not lead to disappointment.
I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who suffered and was glorified, and in whom I share both suffering and glory.
Amen.
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