The God Of Hope

Alba 7-10-2022

THE GOD OF HOPE

Romans 15:7-13

In one of Charles Shulz's Peanut’s cartoons, Lucy and Linus are sitting in front of the television set when Lucy says to Linus, “Go get me a glass of water.”

Linus looks surprised, “Why should I do anything for you? You never do anything for me.” “On your 75th birthday,” Lucy promised, “I’ll make you a cake.”

Linus gets up, heads to the kitchen and says, “Life is more pleasant when you have something to look forward to.”

Hope. Linus was given a reason to have hope (even if Lucy was a questionable one to trust that she would do as she said).

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hope as follows: “to cherish a desire with anticipation, to want something to happen or be true.”

Even though the English word “hope’ may have an element of uncertainty in it, the Greek word in the New Testament always speaks of a sure expectation of some good outcome or positive result. There is a certainty in the hope given in the biblical record.

Hebrews 6:19 tells us there is a “hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” And Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Hope is the solid expectation of coming good.

So where does this hope come from? Not from Lucy or others like her. God is the source of our hope when we trust in Him. Because He is the God of hope!

Turn with me to Romans 15:7-13. “7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles,

And sing to Your name.”

10 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

11 And again:“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”

12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our God is a God of hope. And He gives hope to all who put their trust in Him. That is a fact that is made clear in these verses here in Romans chapter fifteen.

Throughout Scripture, hope is most often referred to in conjunction with the coming of Jesus Christ, both His first and His second coming.

In the Old Testament we see that God chose a particular people, Abraham and his descendants, to be His people. A people He would bless and care for and protect.

God's purpose was always to bring through His people a Savior who would be for all people, Jew and gentile alike.

That is why, as the apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, he quotes Old Testament verses to show that it was always God's purpose to include Gentiles (meaning everyone who are not Jews) in His plan of salvation.

What is especially interesting in these quotes is that they represent the whole of the Old Testament. Notice that these quotes are from the law, the psalms, and the prophets. All three give witness to establish God's ultimate plan.

In verse nine is a quote from Psalm 18:49. In verse 10 is a quote from Deuteronomy 32:43. In verse 11 is a quote from Psalm 117:1. And in verse 12 is a quote from Isaiah 11:10.

By sharing these quotes, Paul reveals from the Old Testament that the salvation of the Gentiles wasn't an afterthought with God, but was part of His plan all along. The God of Hope is a God for all people.

Colossians 1:26 speaks of, “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

When Jesus came, He came for us all. He gives us all hope! And we need it, don't we?

These days, even watching the news can make a person lose hope. We hear about broken families, addicted people, and terrorism hitting everywhere. Suicide is at an all time high, shootings have become common place in the news.

How could a nation like ours with so much light and blessing; how could a nation that’s been so blessed, market murder and violence in its video games, television, movies, and music and then wonder why children are killing children.