“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance” – Romans 5:1-3
Assurance of salvation isn’t a license to sin—it’s the evidence of a changed heart. True believers walk in obedience because grace has transformed them. As Hebrews 3:14 reminds us, holding fast doesn’t earn salvation; it confirms it. The desire to obey is planted deep within every child of God. Our salvation was secured at the cross, sustained by grace, and sealed for eternity. So when trials come, we don’t panic—we rest, knowing Jesus is holding us fast.
Romans 5:3 tells us that we “glory in tribulations,” not because we enjoy pain, but because we see purpose in it. The true believer doesn’t boast in suffering itself, but in what suffering produces. We hold our heads high because we know whose we are. Trials don’t push us away from God—they thrust us toward Him. While the world says, “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” the Christian says, “What tests me draws me nearer.” God uses tribulations—whether through circumstances, correction, or spiritual testing—to refine us, not to ruin us. Hebrews 12:11 reminds us that “no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” That fruit is evidence that we belong to Him.
True faith doesn’t run from God in hardship—it runs to Him. When trials come, the false disciple walks away, but the true disciple falls to his knees. Jesus warned His followers that persecution would come, but He also promised peace in the midst of it: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The testing of our faith produces perseverance, and perseverance proves the reality of our salvation. James 1:2–4 tells us to “count it all joy” when trials come, not because they feel good, but because they shape us into the image of Christ. The believer who endures is not just surviving—he’s being sanctified. And in that process, we learn to rely less on ourselves and more on the Lord who keeps us.
So when life presses in, ask yourself: what is this trial prompting me to do? If it’s driving you to prayer, to repentance, to deeper dependence on Christ, then rejoice—you are His. The apostles rejoiced that they were “counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). Paul declared, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). And Peter exhorted us not to think it strange when fiery trials come, but to rejoice that we share in Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 4:12–13). True faith promotes testing, and true testing produces glory. If you’re being refined, it’s because you’re being readied—for endurance, for holiness, and for the crown of life promised to those who love Him. Run to Him. He is faithful to finish what He started.
“God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as His chisel for sculpting our character. He will not abandon His work in us, even though it hurts.” – J.I. Packer
surrendered devotions 