Peaceful Pieces
Paul’s statement caught my attention in a short section of the Book of Romans, and I found myself analyzing his words. At the outset of chapter five, Paul makes several statements that, if followed, can lead to our holiness. Although not explicitly mentioned in Paul’s letter, if we carefully examine these five verses, we can see Paul’s theological circle of peace- which I refer to. It’s a cycle of peace that God has revealed, and it’s only found in him.
Romans 5:1–5 (NASB 2020)
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Reading these five verses creates a circle of peace that we all experience in our daily lives. It is a circle of repetition, as we are in perpetual motion throughout our lives. The movement in our lives should point us back to God— this is our movement in holiness. We go through stages of peace, hope, trials, character-building, and holiness in Paul’s theological circle. We are moved by faith, grace, sin, perseverance, and the Holy Spirit in all these stages. Better stated, the movement looks like this:
Our faith leads to peace with God
Peace with God leads to hope through grace
Hope leads to sin through trials
Trials lead to character through perseverance
Character leads to holiness through the Holy Spirit.
For our discussion, we will start with our holiness that leads to peace with God. When discussing holiness in this context, I discuss our initial justification and subsequent progression towards sanctification.
We get into Paul’s theological circle at the moment of justification. What do I mean by justification? This is the moment we profess our faith in Jesus Christ. When we believe, that Christ died on the cross for our sins and that his blood was shed to forgive sin in the world. Once we reach that place of faith, we would be considered justified. Even in the modern headings of our Bibles, they have deemed the start of this section the “Results of Justification.” So, what comes after justification? When we are in this place of acceptance of God’s gift of salvation, we have the peace of God. But to go from justification to peace, we need to have faith. That is precisely what Paul states in the first part of this section.
Romans 5:1 (NASB 2020)
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Justification is the first section of the circle, as it all flows to and from our holiness. When we open our hearts to the salvation that comes from Christ, his peace is available. As I have mentioned before, our lives are in constant motion, and we often find ourselves in different places in the circle. Going from our initial justification, we will constantly seek God’s peace, but life will happen. We are striving to get back to holiness and the peace of God. Every time we make a trip around the circle, we progress towards sanctification, and our walk in holiness grows stronger each time we complete the circle. The peace with God that Paul is speaking to here is cyclical, meaning we experience moments that will lead us back or away from our holiness. If we follow the distinct steps in the circle, we will find that it leads to our holiness. In another letter to the church of Ephesus, Paul states that our faith in Christ saves us, but it is through grace that we can have hope.
Ephesians 2:8 (NASB 2020)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Hope is one of the anchors of the Christian faith. It is where believers place their trust in the deity of Christ. Jesus is who John the Baptist said he was, the Son of God, and he was here to take away the sins of the world. (Jn 1.29.34) We, as believers, have faith in the embodied God-Man—Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we can have hope in the second coming of Christ to bring us into the new heaven and new earth. (Rev 21.1-2) Only through our peace with God can grace lead us to hope.
Romans 5:1–2 (NASB 2020)
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.
Grace is the all-important movement of this step, as faith was the introduction to peace, but through grace, we will find hope in our savior. Grace is not a matter of boasting; it is a gift from God.
It was not anything we did on our own to receive. In his sermon titled Free Grace, John Wesley believed God’s grace was accessible to all through salvation, and it had nothing to do with our behavior or the “merit of man.”[1] What could be more hopeful than receiving an undeserved gift of forgiveness? The nature of heavenly hope is to be anchored in the eternal, while sin and its impact on us and through us marks earthly nature.
The statement “Hope leads to sin through trials” seems unnatural. While I understand the idea of sin through trials, I don’t see how having hope and peace from God can lead to sin. Due to sin, there is a separation between God and his creation, resulting in a broken world. While justification brings us closer to God, sin still exists in the world, and it can be caused by our actions or the actions of others.
God’s gift of free will allows us to make choices, but we must choose between trusting God or our understanding. We must decide whether to take God’s abundance for ourselves or trust in his abundance. This is the same choice that Adam and Eve had to make, and it is the same choice we must make every day.
Romans 5:3 (NASB 2020)
3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
The result of the brokenness in the world is often trials that we experience. Falling short of the standard God has set before us is not a new revelation. As created beings, we have always fallen short of our holy God. How are we going to respond to these moments of trial? How we react in these moments either propels us forward or pushes us off the circle — this is a critical part of the process because most people fall off because of the difficulties in their lives. Through the trials of sin, we discover our character.
How does sin or the brokenness of this world lead us to character? In a word, perseverance.
Romans 5:3–4 (NASB 2020)
3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
In this section of scripture, Paul states that we should “celebrate in our tribulations,” which seems counterintuitive because most times, during our troubles, the last thought on our minds is to celebrate. It is during times of crisis that our autonomic system kicks into gear. We will either fight or flee the situation, not celebrate. How often in scripture do we see God’s word going against our typical responses to situations? Our natural response will activate, so we require a deep perspective to reach a place of celebration. The Greek word for celebrate in the NASB is better translated as boast or rejoice in our modern understanding of what Paul was trying to convey with his words.[2] Still, if we can have perspective, we can see how moments of trial will lead to character.
James 1:2–4 (NASB 2020)
2Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
I do not believe that Paul is calling us to celebrate the tragedies that strike our lives. Nor do I believe James thinks trials are a pure joy. It goes back to our perspective on these trials and how we will allow them to affect our lives. These moments will forever leave a mark on our souls—The question is, what are those marks going to look like? How can we, in Paul’s mind, boast in our tribulations?
Galatians 5:22–23 (NASB 2020)
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Paul believes the fruits of the spirit are evident characteristics of a person’s character, which are developed through life’s trials. A person who embodies a Godly character will show love even in the most challenging times. When their family is struck by tragedy, they remain faithful despite the circumstances. Through these moments of perseverance, a follower of Christ builds their character and moves towards holiness. Paul means we should brag about our struggles only when we can show how God helped us through them. Boasting about how God shapes us allows us to progress toward holiness. As followers progress towards holiness, they have demonstrated that their character is built upon the fruits of the Spirit. However, they cannot complete the next step or any part of the circle alone–It takes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to empower them to move toward holiness.
Romans 5:5 (NASB 2020)
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
How we progress in our walk is to allow the Holy Spirit to be active in our embodied persons. God has filled our lives with His Spirit. If we allow the Holy Spirit to be active in our embodied persons, we will choose the way of God and not of the flesh. In his letter to the Romans, Paul states that we often do what we do not want to do and are slaves to the flesh. Even going as far as to say that nothing good dwells in us. (Rm 7.14-25) If nothing good dwells in us, then it seems logical that we need an outside force to move us forward. The weakness of the flesh was a common theme in Paul’s writings—In the book of Romans, he uses the term flesh over twenty times.
In most cases, people attribute the use of the word to the animal nature of human existence, the human nature that opposes the will of God. In absolute terms, Paul believed to the core of his existence that we were weak in the flesh, but God, through the embodiment of Christ on the cross for our sins, enables us to walk in a relationship with God because of the Spirit.
Romans 8:3–5 (NASB 2020)
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
The indwelling of the Spirit empowers us towards holiness, but seeing the Spirit working in our lives is difficult if we are not connected daily to God. Whether through prayer, scripture, communion, or any other means of grace, God’s Spirit wants to work in us daily, but it requires us to be open to its leading.[3]
Discovering the space and time to block out all distractions, including music and phones, is critical to finding meaningful times connected to the spirit of God. One of the best ways to achieve this is through solitude and meditation on his word. A physical Bible is required to meditate on his word, which helps avoid distractions. This process of meditation and solitude has worked for me, but it may differ for others. It is essential to find what works best for you and your rhythm. For some, the space of a sanctuary could be what they need, while others find solitude in their office during lunch. The crucial part of this rhythm in your life is finding what works best for you.
After going through the entire process, what does it all mean for us as followers of Christ? According to the exegesis of these verses, Paul is calling us to strive towards holiness through his circle of peace. Once we experience the peace of God through our faith, we can rely on His grace to give us hope in life’s difficult trials. By persevering and growing in character, we can transform our walk and strive towards holiness. The ultimate goal is holiness, which should always be our aim in this earthly life. Are we growing closer to God every day? Are we walking closer to Jesus, who embodies holiness? In his sermon “Christian Perfection,” John Wesley speaks about walking closer to Jesus daily through the scriptural lens of Paul’s words to the church in Philippi.
Philippians 3:12–14 (NASB 2020)
12 Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In the sermon, he presents the idea of perfection through holiness, knowing that we will never be perfect here on earth, yet in our relationship with God, we can strive towards Jesus to be perfect.[4] Paul represents this idea perfectly with his theological circle of peace. In life, we are constantly trying to achieve peace with God by becoming holy. However, we must understand that holiness does not mean perfection, and we will always fall short of this standard. Nevertheless, if we keep striving towards Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to empower us, we can continue following the path of peace that Paul has shown us, and eventually discover wholeness or our Shalom.
[1] John Wesley, The Works of John Wesley, Third Edition: Logos Research Edition ed., Vol. 7 (London: Wesleyan Methodist Book Room, 1872), 374.[2] ""G2744 - kauchaomai - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nasb95).", accessed Accessed 1 Nov, 2023., https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2744/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/.[3] Wesley, The Works of John Wesley, 186. ““God is a Spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth;” that, therefore, external worship is lost labour, without a heart devoted to God; that the outward ordinances of God then profit much, when they advance inward holiness, but, when they advance it not, are unprofitable and void, are lighter than vanity; yea, that when they are used, as it were in the place of this, they are an utter abomination to the Lord.”[4] John Wesley, The Works of John Wesley, Third Edition: Logos Research Edition ed., Vol. 6 (London: Wesleyan Methodist Book Room, 1872).”Christian perfection, therefore, does not imply (as some men seem to have imagined) an exemption either from ignorance, or mistake, or infirmities, or temptations. Indeed, it is only another term for holiness. They are two names for the same thing. Thus, every one that is holy is, in the Scripture sense, perfect. Yet we may, Lastly, observe, that neither in this respect is there any absolute perfection on earth. There is no perfection of degrees, as it is termed; none which does not admit of a continual increase. So that how much soever any man has attained, or in how high a degree soever he is perfect, he hath still need to “grow in grace,” and daily to advance in the knowledge and love of God his Savior”}