In this message Roly asks what is our hope? It is not just vague concept. He encourages us that it is real and tangible. He considers the relationship between perseverance and hope and how unites believers together. How do the scriptures encourage us in confirming the truth of our hope?
The context: living to please God, not ourselves. This is the model that Jesus gives us. The goal is unity, a tremendous and very humbling challenge, if you know anything about the church.
What we move into now (up to verse 13) is a discussion that has at its centre the idea of hope. Notice verse 4:
Rom 4:3 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
What this verse is saying is that the point of scripture – the OT scriptures - is to gain two very important things, perseverance and encouragement, and how the point of both of these things is to gain hope. In the verses that follow, Paul will demonstrate how this is true.
1. What exactly is our hope? (A necessary recap).
2. How perseverance gives us a hope of sharing in Jesus’ glory
3. How our journey into hope unites us.
4. How the scriptures encourage us by confirming the truth of our hope.
1. What is our hope?
We back-track here to chapter Rom 5:1-2
v1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
v2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
1. Justification is only our introduction to faith, not the walk itself. We’ve only got our boots on and have not begun the journey.
2. The thing we are actually hoping for is entry into the glory of God – into a share of the glory of Jesus himself (i.e. “glorification”). What is His glory? God’s glory is that which is completely true of him, or owing to him, in terms of his essential being as God. If I share in his glory, I share in what is owed to his essential being, in terms of honour or splendour. That, we immediately see, is a very deep and rich thing that will carry many aspects to it in terms of both relationship and function in His kingdom.
2. “…through perseverance we have hope” (5:3-4)
The Christian’s hope is particular, not vague. Paul goes on to clearly spell out the relationship between perseverance and hope:
v3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
v4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope
1. There is a sequence that follows Justification:
Tribulation, i.e. the normal circumstances of trial on account of our faith.
Perseverance, i.e. patience to bear up under trial.
Proven character, i.e. character tested and approved. Not ours, but Christ’s in us.
Hope. The end-point of the process.
How does proven character bring about the hope of participation in the glory of God? The extent to which we now become conformed to the character of Christ in us is the extent to which we possess a legitimate hope of then receiving of the glory of God.
There are degrees of this – some saints go further than others and will receive a greater glory.
Matt 13:33 “…this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
1 Cor 15:41-42 “…For star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.”
God will judge us fairly. The extent to which we have denied Him and lived for ourselves is the extent to which he will deny us. Not salvation – He cannot deny Himself - but the degree of the reward of glory he will give (2 Tim 2:11-12).
3. Our hope brings us together as one (5:5-7)
Now we know the context Paul is speaking into here – acceptance of each other (Ch. 14). Unity. Preferring others. Not pleasing ourselves. How does our hope bring unity?
v5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
v6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
What Paul is saying here is tremendous
1. But God himself gives perseverance and encouragement. As Christ is formed in us, as we conform to Him, perseverance and encouragement are mediated to us, as a person (Jesus), not as qualities per se.
2. This is an incredibly unifying thing in the church. We are unified not to a religion or an idea of church, or to anything but, in Jesus, a person.
We are not even united by our own idea of what service to Jesus looks like, but to the endurance which leads to Jesus being increasingly formed in us. Try to unite Christians - good luck! We are very independent in our minds – in our idea of what we think is most important.
There are a lot of non-essentials that can divide us ( Rom 14 ). But Paul is saying, recognise this, that we are united to the extent that we are intentionally committed to the endurance that leads to conformity to Jesus.
In this, we are all together – as one voice - bringing glory to the Father, as Jesus did in his life, and now He is doing in his life in us.
For this reason we have strong encouragement to accept each other, in that everyone here has been accepted, though unworthy, into the same school.
To sum up
Having been justified, there is a degree to which all of us must persevere in order to bring Jesus into the experience of our character - who we are. As much as we are conformed to Jesus, this is the extent of his glory we may hope for, and will enter into, and thus we have a sure hope – “treasure in heaven.”
We are unified in this. There is no other path, and no divine help – perseverance and encouragement - for any other path.
4. “…through encouragement of the scriptures we have hope.”
Paul has talked about perseverance giving hope – a share in the glory of God. Now he will demonstrate how the scriptures also give us that same hope.
To sum up what is coming:
• Paul wants to show us how the scriptures give us encouragement leading to hope.
• He first shows that God’s faithfulness to Israel was for not purely for Israel’s own sake, but the purpose of showing his mercy to Gentiles also.
• He quotes four scriptures which all describe the Gentiles in some way participating with Israel in the hope that Israel has as God’s people – praise, glory, joy.
• These are all prophesies which must refer to the eschaton – post the coming of Messiah.
• What these scriptures show is above all else encouraging – they show that God’s plan for salvation is indeed great - the nations have a redemption to look forward to.
God’s faithfulness to Israel was to show his mercy to the Gentiles
Paul makes the point:
v8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,
In other words, Jesus as Messiah became a servant to the Jews so that the promises God made to the Fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) might be made secure. That is, God demonstrated in Christ that there was no problem with His ability to do what He promised, and what he said was, “I have set apart one nation for Himself, Israel, to bear My glory.”
Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, ( Isa 43:6–7 ).
the Lord has redeemed Jacob and in Israel He shows forth His glory ( Isa 44:23 )
And I will grant salvation in Zion, and My glory for Israel. ( Isa 46:13 ).
He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, in Whom I will show My glory” ( Isa 49:3 )
But wait, there’s more:
v9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy;
Jesus became a servant to the circumcision so that the Gentiles also might glorify God. Just as God’s promises to Israel are made secure by Jesus’ coming, in the same way, His promises to bless the nations through Israel are also made secure, which is encouragement for us.
The scriptures show that God’s hope extends to Gentile nations
Paul will now quote four different portions of scripture, all of which demonstrate the same thing, namely, that the Gentiles will be brought back into the family of God, and will share the blessings of the family of God with Israel, the firstborn.
To understand the meaning here, we need to bear in mind that these verses are not about the church. What they describe can never be achieved in this dispensation. They refer to the future. Presently, the Gentile nations are in a state of ever-increasing hostility against Israel – which is really against God.
The culmination of this is Zech 12:3 “all the nations of the earth will be gathered against her” (also 14:2-3).
The only place and time where this will end is in the eschaton, in the kingdom of God, after the return of Jesus. Both in the millennium and after that (Rev 21:22).
as it is written,
“THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,
AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.” [Ps 18:49: praise and singing]
v10 Again he says,
“REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.” [Deut 32:43: joy]
v11 And again,
“PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES,
AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.” [Ps 117:1: Praise for the love of God]
v12 Again Isaiah says,
“THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE,
AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES,
IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.” [Is 11:10: Hope]
Paul is going big picture here. What he has spoken of up to now in Romans is the salvation of individuals – saving individuals from the effects of the rebellion in Eden. But that’s not the only fall that is reversed by the work of Jesus Christ. There is also the saving of collective humanity from the effects of the rebellion that began at Babel, when God separated people into (Gentile) nations, establishing their boundaries according to the “gods,” and setting apart Israel for himself (Deut 32), and this rebellion continues today.
So, there is an even bigger hope of which we are a part, the restoration of every nation, tribe and tongue to glorify God at the coming of Christ, and we in the church play a part in displacing those principalities which presently rule in rebellion against him and which rule over the nations of the earth. That is a very encouraging picture. (Cf Rom 11:15). God can do anything.
Abounding in hope.
v13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul ends up here where he started. God is the journey and the destination, both the thing we hope for, and the means by which we are strengthened and encouraged to attain to it. It is His earnest desire for us to abound in hope – in conformity to His Son, by the power of His Son made available through the Spirit.
To sum up:
• Our hope is a definite thing – the hope of sharing in the glory of Christ.
• We gain hope through 2 things: perseverance, and the encouragement of the scriptures.
• Perseverance means committing to the process of being conformed to Jesus.
• To the extent that this happens, we possess the hope of sharing in Jesus’ glory.
• This means, when we are judged, our conformity to Jesus is the standard by which He Himself will judge us.
• The scriptures give us hope in that they confirm a bigger picture.
• This picture is the restoration of all humanity to the glory of God – the truth of who God is.
• In terms of sharing the glory of God, the church as the bride of Christ has a part to play in the administration of this bigger picture – that is our hope.