Tag Archives: future

ROMANS…HOPE – 25

Bible Study, ,

“Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.”…I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭8‬-‭9‬, ‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Jews could never claim Jesus for themselves. They were the bridge between God and the nations. 

All distinctions, differences, barriers between Jews and Gentiles have been swept away through Jesus. Old enmities no  longer apply. They are one new race…one family of faith descended from their spiritual father, Abraham. Exactly as God planned before time, His family has been born through Jesus…and now, in unity, they grow together in faith and hope. 

The Gentiles now had a reason for their hope…a solid foundation of truth upon which they could build their future, both in this world and in the next. 

We have explored the meaning of faith. Not let’s look at hope. 

Hope! What is hope? 

It is important that we understand what Biblical hope is because hope plays a significant role in our lives as believers…. True for the Gentiles then and for all believers, Jew and Gentle…for all time.  Without hope, we would suffocate in this wicked and uncertain world. Hope is the air of heaven we breathe that keeps us going until we leave and join God’s eternal family. 

I cannot give a better explanation  of hope than Google AI’s…

“In the Bible, hope is not a “fingers-crossed” wish or wishful thinking. Instead, it is a confident, unwavering expectation of future good based entirely on God’s character and promises. While secular hope looks to chance, biblical hope is a guarantee. 

The concept of hope in Scripture branches into a few distinct categories:

1. The Core Meaning

  • Confident Assurance: In the original languages (Hebrew: Tikvah; Greek: Elpis), hope implies a firm certainty. It is the steady anticipation that God will fulfill His word. 
  • An Anchor for the Soul: The New Testament describes hope as something steadfast that keeps believers secure during life’s storms. As stated in Hebrews 6:19, hope is “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”(NIV). 

2. The Relationship Between Faith and Hope

Faith and hope work together as two sides of the same coin:

  • Faith is grounded in the reality of the past and the present (e.g., trusting that God’s promises are true and that Jesus lived and was resurrected).
  • Hope looks to the future, eagerly anticipating what God has guaranteed will happen next. 

3. What Believers Hope For

Biblical hope is almost entirely future-oriented, specifically centered on the ultimate culmination of God’s redemptive plan: 

  • The Return of Christ: The New Testament frequently refers to the second coming of Jesus as “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).
  • Resurrection and Eternal Life: Believers look forward to the resurrection of the dead and a new creation free from pain, suffering, and sin (Revelation 21:4).
  • God’s Faithfulness: In the present, hope rests in the expectation that God’s grace will sustain believers through any trial.”

Can you see how important our hope is? The Bible says that the Gentiles were “without hope” until they became a part of God’s new family. 

“Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We were dead in sin, cut off from God, and without hope. What a horrible life! What a horrible place to be in!

But God…without His intervention, we Gentiles would be lost forever. 

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So, Paul’s prayer…

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

With God’s joy and peace in control of our lives, the hope we have that anchors our hearts to a secure future, will steady us in life’s trials, tests, and troubles. The Holy Spirit at work in us, will keep us steadfast…faithful…and persevering…

“I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul was never reluctant to teach and remind. No matter how long we have been on this road, we need the constant reminder to persevere…to keep going…to live this life against all odds because…there is an eternal reward for faithfulness that is worth all the struggles and suffering we endure in this life. 

Hope in God’s faithfulness to His promises is the bright light at the end of the road that keeps us moving on towards the goal. We  never give up against all odds until we reach our heavenly destination. 

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT

To be continued 

9 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF JOY

Christian Life, ,

9 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF JOY

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…” Romans 14:17 NIV 

Believers tend to think of joy as an emotion that we feel or should feel all the time, especially when things are not going well. We are encouraged to hold on to the truth that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

The Hebrew word for strength actually means “a place of safety, a fortress, protection”. Joy is God’s protection against… what? Emotions don’t give us protection. They only tell us what our state of mind is.

I think, therefore, that we should look at joy from another angle, i.e., not as an emotion but as an attitude, especially as we are exploring the powers of the kingdom that God has provided for us to overcome the world.

If God’s peace is His protection against the anxieties and fears our present circumstances produce, joy is prophetic of the outcome of our future.

“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” Romans 5:2 NLT

To understand the meaning and power of joy in our lives, we must look at the power of joy in Jesus’ life. Jesus was the most joyful man who ever lived.

“You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.” Hebrews 1:9 NLT

What was the reason for Jesus’ joy? Isaiah saw Him prophetically as “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” (Isa. 53:3 – NLT).

How could two such powerful emotions be present on one person?

The answer is the cross.

Despite His overriding joy, Jesus felt the agony of impending suffering for the sin of the world.

“He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” Luke 22:44 NLT

He felt the pain of His people who would have to face the horrors of Roman invasion and the cruelty of war because they had rejected Him.

“But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.”Luke 19:41-42 NLT

He wept over Mary’s disappointment and disillusionment because she didn’t understand what He was about to reveal.

‘When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled… Then Jesus wept.” John 11:33, 35 NLT

As real as the sorrow Jesus felt for the self-inflicted suffering of His people because they failed to understand who He was and why He had come, and the agony of His own suffering, His overriding attitude to life was pure joy.

All His sorrow would be swallowed up in one great event – the cross.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT

It was the outcome of His sorrow and suffering that produced the joy that kept Jesus going to the end. Our salvation was His goal and He did it because He never gave up.

“When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.”Isaiah 53:11 NLT

It is true that there are many experiences in life that produce a surge of joy in us… falling in love, marrying the one we love, carrying our first child, successes and achievements and many more, but these are earthly and temporary.

The true joy that will sustain us through every bad experience is the anticipation of our future.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while…. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:6, 8-9 NLT

In a world of people who have no hope, we have the power of Jesus’s joy to sustain us through every trial and bad experience because we are convinced of God’s promise…

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT

Therefore, when we choose to maintain an attitude of joy, we have a powerful weapon against Satan’s attempts to drag us into depression and hopelessness when we confront present circumstances.

Confidence in God’s promises enables us to persevere with joy, no matter what, and we can rejoice because we know that our future is secure.

“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans 12:12 NLT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.