20. Romans Chapter 5 Verses 2-5 - Messages In Romans - This Is Wonderful Hope Leading To Glory - Message 20 Series

20. ROMANS CHAPTER 5 VERSES 2-5 - MESSAGES IN ROMANS - THIS IS WONDERFUL HOPE LEADING TO GLORY - MESSAGE 20

{{Romans 5:2 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.”}}

Let us continue with the study of four great words in scripture. Last time we did FAITH and GRACE, and this time we do HOPE and as it is a bigger one, we will do GLORY next time.

HOPE – ONE OF THE GREATEST CHRISTIAN WORDS

Hope is an important main thought in Romans and we are first introduced to it in chapter 4 when Paul turns to Abraham. The expression used is “hope against hope” and it means Abraham continued in steadfast hope when, to human reasoning, all hope was gone. His hope was nailed to the wall, immovable, and not likely to waver. It was like an anchor cemented into the Rock of Gibraltar that would never give way.

WHAT IS HOPE? As I say often, hope is not wishful thinking such as in, “I hope she can come to the meeting tonight because I have the book she wants.” No, it is not that. It is a solid assurance, a settled guarantee that you rest on, in absolute faith. Once you introduce a maybe into the matter, it is no longer hope.

What are some of the hopes a Christian can have? If you don’t have these following hopes then you are wavering in your faith and I want to suggest to you the verse – {{Romans 10:17 “Therefore faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ,”}} - for faith is strengthened by God’s scriptures given to us. Here are our hopes –

[1]. MEETING THE LORD

One day we will be with our Lord Jesus, either by passing through death’s door or in the Rapture if we are alive, and will be caught up. Do you have the certainty of meeting Jesus? All His own sheep most certainly will meet Him and He knows His own true sheep. I fear today with so much false profession in churches that many are not saved, and nor do some of them care very much.

It is our great expectation that the Lord is coming for us and will come in the air as these verses confirm, and He will gather all His flock from all the ages – {{1Thessalonians 4:13-17 “We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no HOPE. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN JESUS, for this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST. Then WE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.”}}

I have highlighted some expressions there but the chief one just for now is “hope”. We have hope! We have expectant hope! I hear so many stories that come from churches where people have no interest in the coming of the Lord. I don’t understand it. I can only assume their “faith” is not real, for anyone with a genuine faith looks forward to the coming of the Lord. The same theme of the Lord’s coming is used in 1 Corinthians where hope is used again – {{1Corinthians 15:19-20 “If we have HOPED in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied, but now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.”}}

[2]. REALISING OUR ADOPTION AS SONS

The next big section in Romans on hope is this one – {{Romans 8:23-25 “and not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves GROAN WITHIN OURSELVES waiting eagerly for OUR ADOPTION AS SONS, the redemption of our body. IN HOPE WE HAVE BEEN SAVED, BUT HOPE THAT IS SEEN IS NOT HOPE, FOR WHY DOES ONE ALSO HOPE FOR WHAT HE SEES, but with perseverance we wait eagerly in HOPE for what we do not see.”}}

That final verse summarises what Paul said in the previous verse. We do not see our adoption as sons; nor do we see our redemption of the body. Our settled conviction of that happening is HOPE and the words “eagerly” and “perseverance” are used in describing our wait. I see that as a living, striving, energetic hope, and we should have it, but I know sometimes it gets eaten away by the troubles of life and the requirements that we face especially in Christian ministry. However it is when the night is the darkest, we look forward to the appearing of the first light as we know the sun is close at hand.