How to Glory in Tribulations
Have you ever felt like the situation you are going through is too much to bear? Have you ever noticed a selfish or impatient perspective rise up in your heart when life becomes difficult? Have you ever avoided something hard that you knew you should do because you were afraid of the pain or suffering it might bring?
Tribulations have a way of exposing what is in our inner man. They can stir up fear, frustration, pride, self-preservation, and doubt. Yet in Romans 5:1-5, the Lord gives us something far greater than just surviving through hardship. He shows us not only how to endure tribulations in Christ, but how to glory in them. He reveals their eternal purpose, which is far greater than whatever momentary thoughts or feelings we may have.
Romans 5:1-5 states:
"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. 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."
To glory in tribulations, we must first understand what we have in Christ.
Peace with God: The Foundation of Everything
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Before we ever speak about tribulations, we need to be anchored in justification. We are justified by grace through faith alone in the finished cross work of Christ. Up to this point in the book of Romans, this has already been made clear:
"For we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" - Romans 3:28
"To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" - Romans 4:5
Justification is not a process, nor is it contingent upon your works. It is a present possession of the righteousness of God imputed to us the moment we believe in the gospel:
"[Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." - Romans 4:20-25
Because of what Christ has done for us and who we are in Him, we have peace with God, the righteous judge. We are no longer enemies. We are no longer appointed to wrath because we are justified now, not in the future.
"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" - Romans 5:9
This peace with God is not a feeling, even as it does bring peace to our minds. It is a positional standing. It does not fluctuate with our performance. No amount of bad you perform can separate you from the love of Christ, and no amount of good you perform can merit you any more love or standing (Rom 8:35-39).
Christ's righteousness has been imputed to us. We are complete in Him (Col 2:10). That means when tribulation comes, it is never God punishing us today in the dispensation of grace. It is never wrath. Rather, it is some combination of the present evil world in which we live, including the billions of people making countless decisions every day, along with our own reaping and sowing, even if we do not always see clearly how those things interconnect or play out (Gal 1:4; 6:7-9; Ecc 9:11).
Our relationship with God is settled forever because of the gospel of the grace of God.
If you do not stand in this truth, tribulation will confuse you. You might interpret hardship as rejection or judgment from God. But when you know your sins have already been paid for by the blood of Christ, that you are justified and at peace with God, then tribulation cannot shake your identity.
Standing in Grace and Rejoicing in Hope
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Because we stand in grace, we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Hope in scripture is not wishful thinking. It is a confident expectation based on God's promises.
Titus 1:2 calls it "hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." Colossians 1:27 further expounds on this glory in the revelation of the mystery of Christ: "...riches of the glory of this mystery... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
This hope concerns our eternal destiny as members of the Body of Christ, and it is made certain because Christ is in us. It concerns the glory that shall be revealed in us (Rom 8:18). It concerns the redemption of our body (Rom 8:23). When your eyes are fixed on that coming glory, present tribulations begin to shrink in comparison.
An eternal perspective changes everything. If this life is all there is, tribulation is tragedy. But if glory awaits, tribulation becomes a light affliction and actually helps orient us on that hope of glory.
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" - 2 Corinthians 4:17
You may not feel as though your current distress is a "light affliction," but if the Bible calls it light and momentary compared to eternal glory, how magnificent must that glory be? This is part of the mind we must adopt as we face tribulations.
Glorying in Tribulations
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also."
This is one of the most radical statements in all of scripture. We do not just endure tribulations. We glory in them.
How is that possible? It is one thing to be comforted and strengthened, knowing the tribulation will end and cannot be compared to what awaits us. But how do we glory in tribulations?
The next word in the passage is "knowing." Glorying in tribulation begins with knowledge of the truth. If your perspective is wrong, your response to tribulation will be wrong. We walk by faith, not by sight (2Co 5:7). We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen (2Co 4:18).
Tribulation does something. It works something in us. But if we do not know or trust its purpose, we will not respond to it properly.
Knowing the purpose in things is extremely helpful. Consider an earthly example. If you want to improve your health, you must first know what is healthy in both diet and exercise. Understanding the negative outcomes that result from neglecting your health can also motivate you and give you a clear goal. The actual doing part is always the hardest. It is more enjoyable in the flesh to eat the ice cream. It is not always pleasant to wake up early for a workout. However, knowing what those changes are doing for you increases consistency, even when you "don't feel like it," because you see the end goal, value it more than the momentary pleasure, and understand the process that leads there.
Similarly, in our spiritual walk, knowledge of the truth not only provides the spiritual tools, but it also supplies the eternal purpose that helps keep you faithful, focused, and oriented properly in your heart amidst the hard parts of any trial.
This is exactly the mindset Paul expresses in 2 Corinthians 12:10-11. After learning that Christ's grace was sufficient and that His strength is made perfect in weakness, Paul writes, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." Paul was not enjoying pain for its own sake. He understood what His weakness produced. He knew that infirmities became the stage upon which Christ's grace and strength were displayed. That knowledge transformed his perspective. What once looked like a limitation became an opportunity. What once felt like loss became spiritual gain. In the same way, when we understand what tribulation is producing in us, we are able not merely to endure it, but to glory in it.
Tribulation Worketh Patience
"Knowing that tribulation worketh patience."
To work is to form by labor, to shape or mold. Tribulation shapes us, and in Romans 5:3-5 we see the list of things it produces in us: patience, experience, and hope.
There is a progression in this passage. Tribulation produces patience. Patience produces experience. Experience produces hope. Each step builds upon the previous one, forming spiritual maturity in the inner man.
The first thing that is grown is patience, which is defined as the suffering of affliction or pain with a calm and unruffled temper. It is endurance without murmuring. It is waiting for expected good without discontent.
When we rest in the grace of God and the hope of glory, we can endure hardship without complaining or self-pity. We are not focused on preserving our comfort. We are focused on serving Christ and others.
"The end of a thing is better than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit" - Ecclesiastes 7:8
Many believers struggle with impatience amidst tribulation (or perceived tribulation) because they are flesh-focused and ultimately prideful. When their own comfort and will become the highest priority, any disruption feels unbearable. But when Christ and His glory become the priority, tribulation becomes an opportunity for your growth and others' growth in Christ.
But we are not left without help, for God comforts us in all our tribulation, "that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." (2Co 1:4-5). Your suffering in Christ is never wasted. It equips you for ministry. It is not in vain (1Co 15:58).
Patience is exhorted repeatedly in the Bible because effective ministry requires it. If we are not patient, we will not reap (Gal 6:9), and we will be ineffective at communicating the grace of Christ:
"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." - 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Patience grows as we renew our minds with sound doctrine (Rom 12:1-2), walk in the Spirit, and trust God to give the increase (1Co 3:6-7, Gal 5:22-23).
Patience to Experience
"And patience, experience."
Experience is knowledge gained through trial and practice. When you endure tribulation by faith, you learn patience and, in turn, gain spiritual experience. You prove the sufficiency of Christ in real time.
You learn firsthand that His grace is sufficient in your weakness (2Co 12:9-10).
Without trial, many doctrines remain theoretical. Through tribulation, doctrine becomes lived reality. You discover that God strengthens you when you are weak. You discover that His word sustains you when circumstances seem to collapse around you.
That experience equips you to help others who are walking through difficult seasons, while also preparing you for the next time you endure tribulation. Lived, personal experience in the grace of Christ is powerful, and it cannot be taken from you.
Experience to Hope
"And experience, hope."
Experience produces deeper hope. Each time the Lord carries you through a trial, your confidence in Him grows and matures.
In Christ, we have a twofold hope.
First, you have the constant hope of glory. No suffering in this present time is worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom 8:18).
Second, you have the proven hope that God strengthens you in weakness. You have seen Him work. You have watched Him sustain. That faithful track record of God builds unshakable confidence.
Hope rooted in Christ does not disappoint.
Hope Maketh Not Ashamed
"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."
To be ashamed is to be confounded by failure or disappointment. The hope we have in Christ will never leave us stranded. It will never collapse under pressure.
Why?
Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. The Spirit indwells us the moment we trust the gospel, and He seals us until the day we are caught up into glory (Eph 1:13-14, 4:30). Our salvation is secure because it rests on Christ's finished work, not our performance (2Ti 1:9; Tit 3:5-7).
The Spirit teaches us the things freely given to us of God, including the infinite love of God found in Christ (1Co 2:12). The Spirit assures us of God's love, demonstrated at the cross:
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" - Romans 5:8
After we've trusted in the gospel, nothing can separate us from that love, not even ourselves (Rom 8:31-39, 2Ti 2:13).
When you know and trust you are loved with an everlasting love, justified forever, standing in grace, destined for glory, and sealed by the Spirit, tribulation loses its power to intimidate you.
An Eternal Perspective Under Grace
Glorying in tribulations does not mean pretending pain does not hurt. It means interpreting pain through the lens of grace and glory.
By faith in the gospel, we are members of the Body of Christ with a heavenly destiny. Our light affliction is working for us something eternal.
Tribulation exposes pride and selfishness. It drives us to the word of God. It deepens patience. It produces experience. It strengthens hope. It equips us to comfort others. It magnifies the sufficiency of Christ.
When you feel overwhelmed, return to Romans 5:1-5.
Remind yourself: You are justified by faith alone. You deserve wrath, but you have peace with God. You stand in grace. You can rejoice in the hope of glory. Your tribulation is working patience. Your patience is producing experience. Your experience is strengthening hope. Your hope does not leave you in shame. You are loved, sealed with the Spirit, and secure in Christ.
That is how you glory in tribulations.
Not because tribulation is pleasant.
But because in Christ, it is purposeful for you and others.
And the glory to come is worth it all.
