Q076_032726 Rom. 5:3 God Through Christ Is Changing The Course Of Events In Your LifeQ076_032726 Rom. 5:3 God Through Christ Is Changing The Course Of Events In Your Life
How it Happens with Colin Cook
Colin Cook reflects on Romans 5:3 to suggest that suffering, including addiction, may be used by God to grow perseverance, character and hope. He contrasts guilt-filled prayers with a bold practice of thanking God amid ongoing struggles.
14:35•27 Mar 2026
Glory in Tribulations: Faith, Romans 5 and Addiction Struggles
Episode Overview
- Troubles in the life of a Christian are presented as signs of God’s loving care, not his judgement.
- Romans 5:3–4 is used to argue that tribulation can produce perseverance, character and hope.
- The death of Christ is given as an example of one event seen both as human evil and as God’s saving sacrifice.
- Addiction and other hardships are suggested as situations where God may be drawing a person into deeper faith.
- Colin calls for a shift from guilt-driven prayers toward thanking God even in ongoing struggle.
“"Can you, dare you, exercise your faith, and see something different from the destructive force of your addiction?"”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? For this conversation on Romans 5:3, Colin Cook leans right into that question and takes it to a surprising place: "we also glory in tribulations". Speaking to people worn out by addiction to alcohol, drugs, food, sex or obsessive worry, he unpacks Paul’s claim that trouble is *not* God’s judgement on those who are in Christ.
Instead, he argues, hardships are "an expression of his loving protection and care" and are pulled right into God’s grace as tools for growth. Colin contrasts how many used to think before faith – seeing problems as proof that "God was not pleased with us" – with a different reading of the gospel, where tribulations are said to produce "perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character, hope".
He uses the cross as the ultimate example: the same event is both the murder of Jesus by humans and God’s loving sacrifice for the sins of the world. If God can work good through that, Colin asks, what might he be doing through a relapse, a job loss or a health crisis?
For those caught in addiction, he pushes a challenging shift in prayer life: away from constant "oh God, forgive me" anxiety and towards praising God even in the middle of the mess. He suggests saying, "I thank you that you have allowed this addiction in my life.
Because through this addiction I am constantly drawn to you in prayer and praise." It’s a radical reframe that might feel "mind-bending", as he admits, yet he insists it can change how you see your past, your cravings and your setbacks. The episode seems aimed at Christians in recovery who want a deeper faith-based way to face suffering. It gently but firmly asks: are you ready to see your struggles as the very place God is at work?
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