Glorying in the Hope of Glory

Rom 5:1-5  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;  and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

 

Do you have a triumphant, victorious spirit? Many Christians live with little confidence and much anxiety, wondering where they stand with God. God wants more for us. Rom. 5:1-11 speaks about our:

 I.       Salvation: Past, Present, & Future – We stand in the present justified before God, but what about the rest of our journey? Will our justification hold to the end? What about the trials and struggles that are ahead?

    1. Past – Being justified by Faith. He sums up all that has been said  since 3:21, making a personal application – “we have peace with God because we have been justified. – we were pronounced innocent
    2. Present –  Paul describes the present consequences of  our justification – “we have peace with God”
      1. Our peace “is through Jesus Christ”.. – we owe everything to Him – from beginning to end.  We stand in the grace of God because of what Jesus has provided for us.
    3. Future –  Paul turns to the future and proclaims that we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”  Some translations indicate that the word “rejoice” is not a strong enough word in the Greek. It literally means to glory – we glory in the hope of the glory of God.  Paul is describing a boasting, triumphant, victorious spirit. This is the Christian facing the future.

 

II.  We Will  Share in the Glory of God.  The N.T. teaches this grand truth over & over again:

  1. Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. ”
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.  It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
  3. Philippians 3:20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
  4. Colossians 3:1-4  “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”‘
  5. 1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
  1. The “earnest expectation” of creation – return to Rom. 8:18-25. Paul describes the “revealing of the sons of God.” Christians veiled, so to speak, but will one day be “revealed” in the glory of God. Colossians 3:4 “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
    1. Paul goes on to say that the whole creation awaits this event. The words “earnest expectation” are literally one long word in Greek composed of three parts – “Apokaradokia”  –  Apo = from; kara = head; dokeo = look, or watch. Literally means to watch with your head stretched out.  Creation is stretching out its head, eagerly waiting to see one great event – the glory of the sons of God. The creation was subjected to vanity (having no lasting result) because of the curse of sin. It eagerly awaits its own “redemption” through the glorification of Christians. It is this great glory that enables Christians to live in the present world with a joyous and triumphant spirit. “WE GLORY IN THE HOPE OF GLORY”

II.    Glorying in Tribulations: Paul is so confident in his own salvation and the future glory he will share in that he proclaims that Christians glory in tribulations. No problems could dampen his spirit. He did not say we glory in spite of our tribulations -But that we glory in them(in the midst of them).

    1. Afflictions are transformed into hope: (Rom. 5:3-5) Read in the New English Bible: “Let us even exult in our present sufferings, because we know that suffering trains us to endure, and endurance brings proof that we have stood the test, and this proof is the ground of our hope.”  Sufferings allows out mind to turn toward heaven. “Heaven holds all to me”
    2. B.      Hope is not a delusion:  “And hope putteth not to shame” When Jesus was on the cross he quoted the 22nd Psalm – “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?”   notice vs. 4-8 of that Psalm.

 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them.  They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.  But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised of the people.  All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,  “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

  1. As Jesus hung on the cross he appeared to be a fool. He had put his trust in Jehovah – and it looked as though he had made a big mistake. He enemies mocked Him. We know the “rest of the story”.

Psalms 25:2-3

O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.   Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. 

  1. As more people build their houses on the sand, Christians put their hope in God. Even their tribulations feed this hope. And this hope will not disappoint. When you come to judgment, you will discover that you have put your hope in a delusion.
  2. The Christian’s hope in based on the love of God (vs. 5) How can a Christian be so confident?  “because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  This indicates that the Holy Spirit has instilled us with hope through the revelation of God’s love toward us. If you had witnessed the crucifixion, you would have seen some remarkable things, maybe even been emotionally moved by Jesus’ courage. But you would not know what that event meant to you. But the Holy Spirit has revealed that to you. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… God commended Hs own love toward us while we were sinners… Christ died for us.  The love of God has flooded our hearts and we are confident that God is on our side. Look at what he did FOR US!
  3. Romans 5:9-11  ” Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation”  The phrase “Rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” modifies “being saved by His life” Paul is saying that we are not just being saved , but we are being saved with a great triumph. We can rejoice as conquerors – without fear. (“What if I die before I can pray for forgiveness? – (I don’t know the answer to all those questions – Shouldn’t whittle on God’s end of the stick) But I KNOW that God is on my side.  God is for us.

 

Rom 8:31-39

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.  Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written:  “For Your sake we are killed all day long;  We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

The Christians in Fort Myers regularly study together, pray together, and encourage one another in our walk with the Lord. We would be delighted to have you join us in these endeavors!

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