Christ Our Hope, Part Two

The ultimate purpose of life is to glorify and worship God, to sing his praises, and to serve him only. But sinners are enemies of God; thus, they are incapable of worshiping God in spirit and in truth and in complete obedience. They daily suppress truth by their wicked thoughts and deeds. Sinners are, by nature, under the wrath of God.

God must make sinners holy that they may offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. That is exactly what God has done with those whom he had chosen from eternity to be saved. In the preceding verses, Paul says that God received us, Christ received us, and so we must receive each other, whether strong or weak, Jew or Gentile, even as Christ has received us, for the glory of God.

We have been brought into the kingdom of God which is “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). Righteousness is doing what is right in the sight of God as revealed in the holy Scriptures. We do not make up what right is. Jesus loved us and died for us; therefore, we walk in love toward each other. We do so for the ultimate purpose that all the people of God with one mind, with one accord, and with one mouth may praise God in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in the power of the Holy Spirit.

No one can be saved unless he bows his knee to the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of David, confesses him alone as Lord, and obeys him.

In Romans 15:12 Paul made the point, “And again Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’” Our church, which consists primarily of Gentiles from many nations, fulfills that Isaianic prophecy. Paul also writes, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ [i.e., the Jewish people], might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:11-13). All people of God, saved by God’s grace, are to praise our triune God. We are God’s new creation, and we exist for the praise of his glorious grace.

Now in Romans 15:13 Paul is praying, “And the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

1. The God of Hope

Note first that Paul defines God the Father as “God of the hope,” not just “God of hope.” Paul just referred to the Isaianic prophecy about the Gentiles hoping in the Jewish Messiah (v. 12). But they are not hoping in God to obtain material blessings—to be healthy, wealthy, and powerful in the world like King Solomon. They are trusting in God’s Christ for the greatest spiritual blessing, which is their eternal salvation. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (John 10:28).

Our God is the God of this hope. The gods of the unbelievers are demons that can only destroy. God our heavenly Father is God of the hope of eternal salvation. He is the author and giver of hope to all who believe in his Son.

Earlier Paul told us that Scriptures give us hope (Rom. 15:4). Here he says that God gives us hope. Which statement is correct? The truth is, God gives us the hope of a great future waiting for us, the future of dwelling with him forever in the new heaven and the new earth. But this hope comes to us as we read the Scriptures prayerfully and in faith. For example, in God’s word we read, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’” (Rev. 21:3-4).

These verses should give us great hope. Yet some Christians are depressed. Let me tell you, a depressed Christian is not reading the word of God, which is God’s love letter to his people. How can a Christian read the Bible and be depressed? The whole Bible declares the gospel, the good news. How can we be unhappy when we hear the gospel, which alone is the power of God unto salvation? It is the divinedunamis, the powerful, effectual medicine for all our sin-caused miseries.

Scripture reveals to us the true and living triune God. From him flows to us in great abundance all the grace we need. Our God is the God of all comfort, the God of all grace, the God of all peace, the God of all hope, the God of all joy, and the God of all love. Our God fills us with all his fullness.

Unbelievers, therefore, do not have hope because they are without God in the world. They are full of misery, gloom, fear, and anxiety. Some of them may fill themselves with dope and alcohol to feel better; it will not help. But believers are full of hope. They read God’s word, pray to God, and sing to God because they are full of joy in the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is joy in the Holy Spirit. They rejoice even in sufferings, for they know that sufferings cannot kill their joy; in fact, sufferings lead us to holiness and hope in God. Suffering is designed by God to wean us away from this world so that we will long for the world to come.

It is not only the Father who gives us hope, but also Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Peter writes, “Through [Christ] you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God” (1 Pet. 1:21). Paul introduces himself as, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Tim. 1:1). He also says, “But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope” (Gal. 5:5).

Do not hope in man or money or power or presidents or the Supreme Court. One radio commentator accurately says, “Never fall in love with a politician; he will always break your heart.” True believers put their hope in God, and this hope shines brighter every day. So Paul says in Romans 13:11, “And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” If you don’t believe the nearness of our salvation, just look at the mirror. We are all going to die.

Soon we shall meet the God of hope and be with him forever. God is our portion, our inheritance, our dwelling place, our shield, and our great reward, and we are his portion and the bride of his beloved Son. So let us hope in God, as the psalmist says: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5).

2. God Who Fills Us with All Joy and Peace

Paul’s next point is that this God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace. Our God does not want us to be without joy and peace. No, he desires to fill us to overflowing with these graces. His kingdom is one of love, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. When God dwells in us, he will fill us with joy and peace. Paul says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). True believers in Christ do not run on empty; we are always full. Paul exhorts, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:18-20, author’s translation).

If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we will be filled with all joy and peace. Christians enjoy life abundant. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that you may have life, that you may enjoy abundant life” (John 10:10, author’s translation). We enjoy love abounding, hope abounding, and grace abounding. Believers abound in all good works and in the fruit of the Spirit. Do you want peace? Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27). Do you want joy? Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be [full]” (John 15:11). The church is the body of Christ, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Are you miserable, anxious, fearful, and confused? Are you running on empty? If so, I urge you to get into the word of God. Listen to God’s word and pray that God may fill you. In another place Paul prayed that we may “know this love that surpasses knowledge—that [we] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:19). We cannot even imagine what he is saying about God’s fullness. It is so great.

Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37–38). Joyless, gloomy, baptized-in-lemon-juice Christians can never evangelize anyone. They are self-absorbed and self-centered. They are takers only. All their gloominess is designed to receive sympathy. But true believers who meditate on the word of God will radiate joy. They communicate love, peace, and joy through their speech. Streams of living water will flow out of them because “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). May God fill us with all joy and peace today!

3. Based on Faith as You Trust

In the Greek text, Paul prays next that we be filled “as you trust continually” ( <i=class”lang”>en tô pisteuein). It is not speaking about trusting in Christ long ago in the past, or trusting him only once in a while when we face troubles. We are to trust him daily, surrender to him unconditionally, and do his will fully to demonstrate the obedience of our faith. (PGM) Exact, immediate, and delightful obedience to God proves that we are his children.

Believing Christians are obedient Christians. Faith without works is dead. It is the faith of the devil. But by faith we have united ourselves to Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. We are the branches, united to Jesus the vine, from whom flows to us all spiritual graces. Faith is the one requirement, the instrumental cause of our salvation. We are like the beggar, who lifts up his hands to receive what he needs from his gracious master.

This faith comes to us from God by hearing God’s word. Saving and obedient faith is the gift of God. Paul declares, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this is not from yourselves—it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:6–8). He also writes, “For it has been granted to you [given you as a gift] on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Phil. 1:29). Faith is God’s gift to us.

We are believing God when we believe his word of grace. Paul told the elders of Ephesus, “For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the [full gospel] whole [counsel] of God” (Acts 20:27). Then he said, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). A graceless person is one who refuses to read, hear, and believe the word of God. The primary means of grace is God’s word preached. In fact, we are told that it is impossible to please God without a present, living faith (Heb. 11:6)—not a past faith only, but an abiding faith for now and eternity. “Now these three remain: faith, hope and love” (1 Cor. 13:13). Even in heaven we will believe, hope, and love.

4. The Purpose of It All: To Overflow with Abounding Hope

What is the purpose of this continual trust? Paul says, “That you may abound in hope.” Hope is faith directed toward the future—the future fullness of our salvation, when Jesus Christ comes again. Paul told the Philippian church, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control.” Don’t believe in a limited sovereignty of God. He is almighty and has all authority. So Paul continues, “and will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Phil. 3:20–21). He told the church at Rome, “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:23). That is the final installment of our salvation in which we now hope.

This hope is a sure and certain hope, for it is founded on the reality of our union with Christ. We are united with Christ in his death as well as in his resurrection. Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Our hope is a living hope that rests upon our living Christ with whom we are vitally united and from whom nothing can separate us. Christ will never die again. He says, ” I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Rev. 1:18). He lives in heaven. This Christ is our life (Col. 3:4).

This Jesus Christ also dwells in us by his Holy Spirit. He is the hope guaranteeing our future salvation. So Paul says, “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” (Col. 1:27). Christ guarantees our glory.

Those who refuse to believe in the resurrection of Christ are hopeless because the resurrection of Christ is the basis for our own spiritual and physical resurrection. Paul declares, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” Then he says, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Cor. 15:19, 32).

We believe in the resurrection of Christ. He died for our benefit to atone our sins, and he rose again from the dead also for our benefit, that we might live eternally with him through spiritual and physical resurrection. Earlier in the epistle Paul wrote, “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you” (Rom. 8:10–11).

It is in this hope that we as believers can say, “To die is gain. It is better. It is precious. It is blessed. To die is to be present with the Lord forever. It is to be in paradise.” So with overflowing hope we can face martyrdom, persecution, and sufferings. We also can face our natural death without fear.

In Romans 15:13 Paul is praying that the God of hope will make us overflow with hope. He is speaking about banks-busting hope, like when the river Jordan overflowed as Israel was about to cross it (Josh. 3–4). It is hope overabounding and overflowing.

Christ himself is the guarantee of this future for his people. Paul writes, “But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him… . Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Cor. 15:23, 51–52). He also says, “Because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence” (2 Cor. 4:14). Elsewhere he asserts, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thess. 4:14).

The mission of Christ given to him by the Father is to bring sinners who lost their glory back to greater glory in and by the Son, and eventually to bring them to heaven. So he says, “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Heb. 2:10). This was the purpose of the cross. This hope is not the “hope-so” of the world. This hope will never disappoint us. It is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit, who is sent by the Father into our hearts; the same Holy Spirit who has poured into our hearts God’s love in abundance, that we may obey him. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Our destiny is nothing less than glory. So we overflow with strong hope, certain hope, fixed hope, living hope. We are anchored to Christ who lives in heaven, Christ who has “destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light” (2 Tim. 1:10).

This hope is no idle dream of a poet. It is absolute reality, for God who made the promise cannot lie; he is absolute truth. He has fulfilled every promise by the death and resurrection of his beloved Son. This same God is our heavenly Father, who loves us even as he loves his Son.

So we hope with abounding hope in God and in his Messiah. For what do we hope? We hope for the fullness of our salvation, for our glorification. When shall it take place? At the parousia. Jesus is coming again, and we shall also come with him in glory. For whom is this hope? It is only for those sinners who have repented of their sins and trusted once-for-all in Christ, our hope and our life. Even now this hope has a purifying effect on our life: “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Elsewhere we read, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).

5. The Power of the Holy Spirit

How, then, do we overflow with hope? We do so by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father planned our salvation and his Son executed it in history. Now the Holy Spirit by his mighty power applies this glorious salvation to every elect sinner. He regenerates dead sinners through the call of the gospel and comes to dwell in all believers, granting them the gift of repentance and faith. Through faith in Christ, we receive all grace to bring forth the fruit of obedience. This same Holy Spirit guides, empowers, and teaches us the truth of God’s word. He produces in us the fruit of the Spirit. He makes us bold to witness to Jesus Christ. He makes us holy, enabling us to resist all the temptations of the devil. He helps us to worship God acceptably and to rejoice even in tribulations also. He exercises all his great power to conform us to Christ.

Friends, our God is mighty. He is not the lifeless Dagon of the Philistines (1 Sam. 5). And God’s Spirit, therefore, is also mighty. He causes us to trust in the name of the Messiah and to abound in all joy, peace, and hope, all by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you have hope? Without trusting in the true and living God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you cannot have hope; you will be left in your misery. The reason for your misery is your refusal to humble yourself and trust in Christ, the only Savior. If you do not want to trust in Christ, you will die in your sins under the wrath of God, like the rich man in Luke 16. He woke up in hell, in fire, in torment, and in agony. And he became a believer, but it was too late.

Friends, cry out to God now! Pray, “Lord, have mercy upon me, the worst sinner on the face of the earth! Save me! Give me eternal life! Give me fullness of joy, peace, and hope!” God will give you peace with God and the peace of God. He will give you inexpressible joy and hope abounding—the hope of eternal life—that you may witness to the world through your life and words. Then you will open your mouth as Jesus did, and tell others, “Come unto him and drink; out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” When the life of God fills your soul, it will flow out through your mouth.

Romans 15:13 is a prayer for all of us. It expresses the normal Christian life. Paul is not praying for some super-Christians. It is a prayer for all of us so that we may all overflow with all joy, peace, and hope. So with Paul we say, “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you [in all his glory]” (Eph. 5:14). As Isaiah says, Jesus has come “to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified” (see Isa. 61:2-3).

May God deliver us from our wickedness, arrogance, and self-sufficiency. May we humble our hearts, that we may trust in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and exude hope, peace, and joy to all as we live our lives in this world.