Based on Romans 5:1-11 (New King James Version)
“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; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
Anyone might ask: Why is it necessary to go through trials and tribulations? Does God enjoy seeing us suffer, seeing us face difficulties? Why would a loving God allow pain, suffering, illness, and death? These questions don't have easy answers, but there are answers, and they are all found in God's Word. Now, receiving answers doesn't necessarily make things easier in the moment. The answer doesn't mean we will avoid all the evils that may occur in this world, but, as the Lord said: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32.
Now, what relief can knowing the truth bring in a world full of suffering and pain? Knowing the truth should create something greater than our present circumstances, something more powerful—faith. And if we grow in faith and practice it as needed, it will help us overcome the present and obtain what is truly worthwhile: eternal life and reward. Faith is what will help us overcome the present and look toward the future, to stop paying so much attention to what is corruptible and instead focus on the incorruptible, and not to concentrate so much on the temporal world but on the eternal.
Continuing, let's clearly understand who our enemy is. God is not our enemy; on the contrary, He is our greatest ally, who loves us incredibly. So, if God is not our enemy, then who is? The obvious answer would be the devil, but we have something even worse to face than the devil, and that is: sin, evil. Obviously, the devil and his forces are a serious problem, but our main enemy is sin. And what makes the devil so evil is that he is an agent of sin; he promotes sin and tries to introduce it into everything he can. Why? Because the enemy is all evil, all sin. When you understand the nature of something, then you understand what it is capable of. That is why God abhors evil and sin, as it is written: “You love righteousness and hate wickedness…” Psalm 45:7a.
So, if God is good, and He is above all, why would God allow something like sin and the devil to exist? Because God is love. And someone might ask, "What does love have to do with sin?" For love to be defined as such, there must be free will, the power to choose. It's impossible for true love to exist or be possible without free will, and for free will to have meaning, there must be distinct and opposing options. That is, there is God and there is a devil. There is justice and there is evil. There is good and there is evil. There is love and there is hate, and so on. Therefore, God, who is love, allows options opposed to Him to exist so that it can be proven whether we love Him or not. This is what God says in His Word: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…” Deuteronomy 30:19-20a. God allowed for there to be options to give validity to that free will. This is why He allowed sin to exist. God's desire was never for anyone to be with Him out of obligation, but rather out of their own free will.
The Apostle Paul explained that we must go through trials and tribulations, and that we should even rejoice in what these things produce in us, such as hope and patience. But, along with this, he tries to lead us to consider what God has done for us to enable us to endure difficulties, such as the fact that we receive free justification before God through the Lord Jesus Christ. And that God did what He did even when we were sinners, His enemies. This is what the Word says: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:1-8. And it is written: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17.
So, what does the Lord ultimately desire as the fruit of our faith? What He has always wanted, which He gave as a commandment—not as an obligation, but so that we would understand that it is something indispensable. And that is to love Him above all things, in response to His love, His grace, His mercy, and His goodness. It is written: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ‘And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:5-7. God's desire is that we not only come to love Him willingly, but also that we help others to love Him in the same way. He wants His love to be reciprocated by everyone, not out of obligation, but because we have rationally understood, through His truth, all that we owe Him. So, are you learning to reciprocate God's love as the fruit of your faith in Christ for eternal life and reward? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!