Do you know why you can show JOY in the midst of suffering? Romans 5-6

Romans 5:11 (NASBStr)

And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Paul begins this chapter in Romans by telling us that one of the benefits of justification by faith (the cornerstone of Christianity) is that we have "peace with God."   Even though we "were" enemies with God, God, through Christ and our faith in His finished work, has restored our relationship with God and that means we now have a restored peace with God.  In the above verse, however, he tells us another great blessing of justification by faith: Unspeakable joy.   This verse states that not only do we have peace with God, but "we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ."   The phrase "exult in God" actually means to "boast or glory" in something.  The NIV uses the word "rejoice" in God.   Justification is meant to restore our Peace with God, but also our Joy with Him.  God didn't save us to make us sad.   He saved us to restore us.  That restoration means we are now full of Joy.  Note the following commentator's words:

R.C.Sproul - Romans - “The result of reconciliation is unspeakable joy. The Christian life from beginning to end is meant to be a life of joy. We have much to be happy about. There is no room for the sourpuss in the kingdom of God. There is nothing dour about our redemption. If we suffer to a degree that nobody else has ever been called to suffer—a modern-day Job sitting on the dung heap— we would have no right to say anything different from what Job declared: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” ( Job 13:15). No affliction so dire, no sorrow so deep, no pain so intense, is worthy to be compared to the glory of that katallag, that reconciliation, that we have received in the Beloved. We contemplate our state of affairs in this world and we see our bank accounts slipping away, our homes destroyed, our jobs lost, and our bodies torn by disease, and we have every reason to complain, whine, and weep, but if we lift our eyes for one second to the cross and the resurrection, we see that the Lord God omnipotent, who is too holy even to look at us, now looks at us and embraces us and adopts us as his children because he has been reconciled to us.” (Excerpt From: R. C. Sproul. “Romans.” Crossway Books & Bible, 2009.)

If our day-to-day walk in life so dirties our feet that it affects our joy we have lost the focus meant to happen because of Justification.  Our joy is not based upon circumstances or situations.   In this passage we realize our Joy is based upon Justification in Christ!!   We can't lose our joy.  We can start to focus on something else, thinking that is the reason for our joy (homes, jobs, families, health, good times).    But, real Joy in the Christian life is based upon Justification by faith in Christ alone.  If you want real Joy to flow in your life keep the focus on Justification by Faith, alone.  Our Joy is tied to the act of Christ on the cross not on our walk in this world.