In his excellent commentary on
Romans, Tom Schreiner makes some thoughtful comments on Romans 5:1-5 and the christians hope.
Three consequences of righteousness are articulated: peace, access to grace, and hope. The last receives the greatest attention in the text (vv. 2b-5), validating my contention that hope is the central motif in the text. Paul argues that hope is strengthened even in afflictions since a chain of effects occurs when trouble strikes: troubles beget endurance, endurance produces tested character and the result of tested character is hope. Contrary to hope in this world, this hope will not bring shame on the day of judgment because the experience of God's love in the present thought the Holy Spirit demonstrates infallibly that believers will not experience God's wrath on the last day.
