Amazing News About the Christian's Hope
Thinking about Romans 5:2
Through whom [our Lord Jesus Christ] also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)
The apostle Paul has been loading us up with the blessings that those justified by faith receive.
So far, we’ve seen the blessings of:
Having peace with God.
Standing in the grace of God.
And he’s not done yet!
The next blessing of the justified is rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
What is hope?
I like what Barclay had to say about hope.
The Christian hope is not simply a trembling, hesitant hope that perhaps the promises of God may be true. It is the confident expectation that they cannot be anything else than true. - Barclay, 76
Our hope rests in the promises of God! We are “standing on the promises of God!” This is precisely what Abraham did - he trusted God’s promises and “in hope believed.”
Consider some other passage about “hope.”
Hope comes by God’s grace (2 Thessalonians 2:16).
Hope is based on the “ever-living Christ and is mediated to us through the ever-living word” (1 Peter 1:23-25) - McGuiggan, Romans, 157.
Hope is sure and steadfast (Hebrews 6:19).
Hope is “better” than what existed under the Law of Moses (Hebrews 7:19).
Hope overcomes the problems of this life (Romans 4:18).
Hope reminds the justified that they do not have to await Judgment Day fearfully. Why should we?
We have hope which rests in God’s promises!
The justified rejoice in hope.
Because of the hope we have through Jesus Christ, the justified rejoice or boast in that hope.
Some boasting is acceptable, according to Paul, and this is one of those times. We can boast in what God has done in and through us, but not in our own accomplishments. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 168
We don’t glory or boast in ourselves. Our rejoicing is in the hope we have through our Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.
Because of the resurrection of their Lord they look confidently for a glorious resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Romans 8:23-26). The saint hopes for “eternal life” (Titus 1:2; 3:7) though by faith he now enjoys it (1 John 5:13). - McGuiggan, Romans, 157
Through the first two verses of Romans 5, Paul has laid out three blessings the justified have.
Peace with God.
Standing in grace.
Rejoicing in hope.
We have so much to be thankful for as the justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ!
The good news about the Christian’s hope is that our hope rests upon our Savior and the promises of God - which are “sure and steadfast.”