Suggestions for leading a study:

• Familiarize yourself with the passage in context, including the book itself.  Who wrote it to whom, and why?
• Read through the study guide a couple times to get the “big idea” as well as the flow of the argument
• Have the group read through the passage in it’s entirety before beginning the study.  One of the goals is to try to get your members to learn how to study Scripture methodically, and this is an important step.
• Be prayed up
• Have fun!
  

Character Counts

           ¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
           ⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
          ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Discussion Questions

-Verse 1 says we are justified by faith.  This means to be declared “not guilty”.  According to this verse, what is the result of that?  Why do you think that is?

-Do we sometimes have trouble feeling “not guilty”, even though God has declared that to be true?

-Where is it that we stand, according to verse 2?  Can that information help us feel less guilty and more at peace with God?

-Verse 2 says that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Sometimes the Bible speaks of the glory of God as our future destiny, and sometimes as what is being accomplished in us now.  Which do you think this verse applies to?  Which do you hope for more?

-What else do we rejoice in, according to verse 3?  Is that your usual experience?

-Read verses 3 and 4 and complete this pattern: suffering produces __________________ , which produces ____________________, which produces ______________.

-How can building greater character through trials create a greater hope that the glory of God will grow in us?  Do you think this also applies to our future glory?

-Read verse 5.  How will God pouring out his love into our hearts help us realize the hope that Paul speaks of here?

-Verses 6-8 put Jesus on display as our example.  What can we learn from that in regards to perseverance through trials?

-Verses 9-11 reminds us again that we can only be saved from God’s wrath through the death of Jesus.  What must we affirm about the relationship between our salvation and our personal growth in character?

Leaders' Guide

This lesson reminds us that God works through trials in our lives to help us grow in character so that his glory will revealed in us, while at the same time making sure we realize that this growth is not what saves us—only God can do that through the sacrifice of Christ.

-Verse 1 says we are justified by faith.  This means to be declared “not guilty”.  According to this verse, what is the result of that?  Why do you think that is?

            Justification is a fancy theological terms borrowed from the legal profession.  God declares us “not guilty” in the heavenly court where we are on trial for our sins.  The result of that, according to this verse, is that we have peace with God.  This is not speaking of a warm feeling, but a restoration of relationship-- similar to a peace treaty between warring factions.  The answer to the question of why is simply that our guilt has been removed by God himself (we are justified), therefore there is no longer any reason for that war to continue.  The barriers between ourselves and God have been removed and the peaceful relationship can now be restored.

-Do we sometimes have trouble feeling “not guilty”, even though God has declared that to be true?

            This is a discussion question designed to help people admit if they have trouble actually recognizing the reality of our new standing before God. 

-Where is it that we stand, according to verse 2?  Can that information help us feel less guilty and more at peace with God?

            For additional help with those who still feel guilty before God, we must always affirm that it is by grace and grace alone that we have our new standing before God.  Since this study is about the growth issues in our lives, we have to always begin with the understanding that our position before God is not dependent on what we attain through our efforts in this world.

-Verse 2 says that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Sometimes the Bible speaks of the glory of God as our future destiny, and sometimes as what is being accomplished in us now.  Which do you think this verse applies to?  Which do you hope for more?

            OK, this is a trick question.  Both answers can, and very well could be, correct.  Since we are justified by God’s grace, the hope of a glorious future is guaranteed.  However, this passage is also about the glory of God being increasingly revealed in us as we grow.  So a both/and is the most appropriate here.  Most people’s hope is centered primarily on our future glory, but encourage your group to also hope that God will reveal his glory through their lives in the here and now.

-What else do we rejoice in, according to verse 3?  Is that your usual experience?

            In our sufferings.  Obviously, this is not the normal response.

-Read verses 3 and 4 and complete this pattern: suffering produces __________________ , which produces ____________________, which produces ______________.

            Paul is crafting a picture of certain aspects of our life in Christ that build on each other.  Suffering produces perseverance, which produces character, which produces hope.

-How can building greater character through trials create a greater hope that the glory of God will grow in us?  Do you think this also applies to our future glory?

            Here is where the focus clearly shifts to the here and now in regards to realizing the glory of God.  If we never grow up and become strengthened in our faith, especially through trials, we compromise the possibilities that God will be able to reveal his power and glory through us. Anyone can deal with an easy life.  When we can not only persevere, but find in our trials positive opportunities for personal growth as well as reminders of a guaranteed eternity, then we display a unique perspective in this world.

            In regards to our future glory, the question is, “do we take the character that we develop in this life with us into eternity?”  A broad look at Scripture would affirm that this is true.  Perhaps people don’t give this fact enough thought as they attempt to persevere through the difficult things in their lives.

-Read verse 5.  How will God pouring out his love into our hearts help us realize the hope that Paul speaks of here?

            Suffering in our lives is not fun.  In our own strength, it can be difficult or even impossible to deal with. But God grants us his Holy Spirit “to sustain us” (Psalm 51:12).  Going through trials alone and feeling abandoned and unloved because of them makes them all the more difficult.  Knowing that God has not abandoned us and grants us his presence by his Spirit and fills us with his love, gives us the power to persevere and achieve the character growth that is possible.

-Verses 6-8 put Jesus on display as our example.  What can we learn from that in regards to perseverance through trials?

            Jesus is our ultimate example.  From him we learn that we can persevere through the trials that come from other people’s bad behavior.  “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  All trials are the result of sin being in this world, and many of them are the direct result of people sinning against us.  At those times, look to Jesus as your example for strength to persevere.

-Verses 9-11 reminds us again that we can only be saved from God’s wrath through the death of Jesus.  What must we affirm about the relationship between our salvation and our personal growth in character?