Cross: The Way to Endurance

Romans 5:1–10

The idea of justification in Romans 5 is not just about being forgiven. It means that through believing in Christ, we are made completely okay in God’s eyes. This is the heart of the good news we call the gospel. As Christians, we have a unique ability to find happiness even in our hard times, which shows how strong our faith is. This isn’t about avoiding or ignoring our problems, but having a way of looking at life that makes sense of everything.

1. What happiness in hard times is not

Being a Christian doesn’t mean we become unfeeling towards our struggles, like stoics, or that we take pleasure in pain, like masochists. It means we acknowledge that life can be tough and that it’s okay to feel upset, just like Job in the Bible. He was able to find joy during hard times without doing anything wrong. Unlike stoicism and masochism, which can make us lose touch with our true feelings or give us a false sense of being special, Christianity allows us to find joy while going through tough times, not because of them.

2. What happiness in hard times is

In Christianity, finding joy during hard times doesn’t mean we won’t feel sad. In fact, our faith might make us feel more deeply. Jesus’ life shows us this – that going through hard times can help us understand better and give us stronger hope. Also, going through tough times can help us feel God’s love more deeply, which gives us hope and joy.

3. How do we find happiness in hard times?

Staying strong during tough times is important. Not like the stoics, but more like gold being purified in a fire. Building our lives on the solid hope of Christ’s love for us is key. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Bible reminds us that just like they weren’t alone in the fiery furnace, Jesus is with us during our tough times too.