Herman Lange, a German Christian was to be executed by the Nazis during WWII. In his cell on the night before he was to be killed, Lange wrote a note to his parents. He said two feelings occupied his mind: "I am, first, in a joyous mood, and second filled with great anticipation." Then he made this beautiful affirmation: "In Christ I have put my faith, and precisely today have faith in Him more firmly than ever." Finally he urged his parents to read the New Testament for comfort: "Look where you will, everywhere you will find jubilation over the grace that makes us children of God. What can befall a child of God? Of what should I be afraid? On the contrary, rejoice!"
What do you think when you hear the word rejoice?
Friends, the title of this message is "Hold Your Head Up!" and it's much more than the title of an old rock and roll song! In fact, it's something the Bible tells us to do did you know that? Let's look at Romans 5:1?-?11 ESV
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
HOLD YOUR HEAD UP!
Notice our first response to receiving God's Salvation is to Rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The Greek word is kauxáomai ( (kow-khah'-om-ahee) which means "head up high," In the first half of the chapter, we are told to Rejoice in three things:
Rejoice in hope-v 2
Rejoice in suffering-v 3
Rejoice in Christ-v 11
Rejoice in hope-v 2
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1?-?2 ESV
The Sunday after a presidential election, a pastor stepped into the pulpit to address his congregation. He said "There are churches all over the country this morning where people are jumping and dancing in the aisles because of the results of this election. There are also churches where the people are mourning in sackcloth and ashes. Every one of them needs to repent because one group is putting too much faith in a man and the other group is not putting enough faith in God! "
If there is anything to be learned from our chaotic political climate, it's that can't afford for the source of our hope to change every election cycle.
The world gives us plenty of fear mongering, but now it's time for some "hope mongering! "
Hope is where faith begins. You have to have hope before you can have faith.
How do we get hope? We find the answer to that in the next step in verse 3
Rejoice in suffering-v 3
What did he say?
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3?-?5 ESV
Notice the progression:
Suffering produces endurance, which in tern, produces character, and character produces hope,
So learning to rejoice in suffering is a vital step in learning to rejoice in hope. Trust me, I don't like that any more than you do, but How many of you can say that God has used a very dark time in your life to help you to grow in ways that you wouldn't have otherwise?
Would anyone like to share anything?
Sometimes God uses suffering as a means of getting His people to a better place. Often, our most difficult times turn out to be the very things that God uses to bring us into our destiny. For example, Joseph endured being sold into slavery (Genesis 37:28), being falsely accused of a heinous crime (39:7-20), and many other horrible trials. However, he remained faithful to God, maintained his integrity and became one of the most powerful leaders in Egypt as a result (41:37-44). Similarly, Daniel’s faithfulness in the face of the lion’s den (Daniel 16:10-22) was the avenue for great blessing and promotion in his life as well (25-28). This gives us all the more reason to trust in the goodness of God in our suffering.
Turn to 1 Peter 4:19:
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
Another important thing to remember is that we won't always understand why suffering happens. I once heard a well known preacher with a strong healing ministry tell about a woman who was miraculously healed of cancer after the preacher had prayed with her. However, she later became sick again and subsequently, she died. In his prayer time, the preacher asked God why this happened. God responded “That’s none of your business!”
The Book of Job gives us some good insights into this. As most of you know, Job was a righteous man who endured horrible trials, including the loss of his sons, his property and his health. As most of us would, he eventually asked God why all of this was happening. Interestingly, God never told him why. Instead, God responds with a lengthy decree which stops Job in his tracks: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (38:4) “Have you commanded the morning?” (38:12)”Can you send out lightning?” (38:35) In the end, Job repents and as a result God does a beautiful work of restoration in his life (42:1-6, 10). Later, the New Testament records Job as an example of faith and patience during difficult times, in spite of not knowing the reasons for those difficulties James 5:11
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
James 5:11 ESV
Ask any coach: The athlete that can endure the most pain is usually the one who wins.
Who is our example in how to do this? Jesus of course!
Hebrews 12:1?-?2 ESV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross. Friends, that was the ultimate act of endurance!
And why did He do that? For the joy set before Him! And what was that joy? To be reconciled to us! Friends, Jesus would rather have died than to live w us! Now that's love!
Which brings us to the third object of our rejoicing, Christ Himself! Why is that? Because through Him we have received reconciliation!
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:9?-?11 ESV
This is one of the most powerful statements in the Bible. Jesus died for us while we were still His enemies. And the love that drove Him to the cross is the same love that sustains us every day of our lives! Rem the song "The Blood Will Never Lose It's Power?"
When we read through the Bible, we tend to get bogged down when we get to Leviticus. All of the rituals and sacrifices seem so strange to our western minds. Yet the Hebrew word for sacrifice, "korban," means "to draw near." Isn't that beautiful? All of those rituals and ceremonies, as brutal and bloody as they were, served to draw us near to God by pointing to an even greater reality.
When reading Leviticus, it is helpful to read the Book of Hebrews alongside it. This helps us to see these images in a New Testament context. An especially vivid example is found in 9:24?-?26
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Jesus is the one perfect sacrifice! This is what all of the Old Testament sacrifices were ultimately pointing to! He took the punishment we had coming.
Imagine if you were on death row waiting for your execution. But suddenly, you get the news that someone has paid your penalty and died in your place and now you are free! Friends that's exactly what Jesus did!
R.C, Sproul writes
"When God signs a peace treaty, it is signed for perpetuity. The war is over... He will not be drawn into warfare with us ever again. We have an advocate with our Father. We have a mediator who keeps the peace. He rules over the peace because He is both the Prince of Peace and He is OUR Peace."-
And that peace is what will help us hold our head high no matter how difficult life may be. How many of you know that we are not in the sweet bye and bye yet, we still live in the nasty now and now! We live in a fallen world.
1 Peter 4:12?-?13 ESV
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Dear friends, we live in such a tiny speck better eternity past and eternity future. Keeping our eyes on Jesus and keeping that eternal perspective are key.
In closing let's look at
2 Corinthians 4:13?-?18 ESV
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Friends, how many of you know that Paul faced some horrible trials in his life? But as agonizing as those trials were, he said that they were light compared to the glory that was coming! that is something we can rejoice in! This is how we can rejoice in hope that comes from rejoicing in our suffering, because ultimately we are sharing in Christ's suffering but we will also share in His glory! That is the ultimate reason we can hold our heads up high! The suffering we face in this life is NOTHING compared to the glory that awaits us!
