Hope and Faith
Romans 5:4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
In the podcast/post on living in joy and peace, we talked about having joy even during biscuits flying seasons. We learned we can have joy because of God’s faithfulness, unconditional goodness, and grace He shows toward us. We can stand on God’s Word knowing that no matter what the stupid devil tries to do we have the victory. He has already lost, he is under our feet, he is powerless unless we give him power.
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 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 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. [Romans 5:1-3]
Continuing on with Romans 5:4-7 we are going to dive into hope and faith!
Romans 5:4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
Hope by itself will never give people victory. Many people have hoped for things but have never realized those hopes because they never moved into faith. Faith is what causes victory, yet faith won’t work without hope.
Just as a thermostat activates the power unit on a heater, so hope is what activates our faith. Faith only produces what we hope for. Therefore, hope is the first step toward faith.
1 John 5:4 Every child of God has power over the sins of the world. The way we have power over the sins of the world is by our faith.
I like this definition of hope; a desire accompanied by confident expectation. As a believer, exercising our faith means that we should have an expectation when we seek the things of God. This means everything that God’s Word says is true and we can EXPECT God to respond according to His Word. Once this hope is present, then faith begins to bring the desired thing into manifestation. If a delay is encountered, patience completes the work.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure we will get what we hope for. It is being sure of what we cannot see.
Hope comes through the Scriptures. Therefore, it is to be understood that the character that is developed through trouble just adds to the hope that we have already received through God’s Word.
Romans 15:4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
Patience is faith that is sustained over a long period of time. Patience is not passively waiting on God to do something, but it is actively believing in the manifestation of God’s promise against all odds, regardless of how long it takes.
Patience is a byproduct of hope. When people have hope firmly established in them, then no obstacle or length of time can keep them from enduring. That’s why the Scriptures produce patience because it gives people hope as indicated in Romans 15:4.
Therefore, patience, hope, and faith are all intertwined. People can’t have one without the others. Those who say they are patiently waiting on God yet have lost their hope are deceived. Likewise, those who don’t believe God are not operating in patience. First comes hope from a promise of God’s Word. Then faith begins to give substance and evidence to those things that were hoped for as we saw in Hebrews 11:1. And if time is involved before the manifestation comes, then patience does its work.
James 1:4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
What is amazing is this hope will NOT lead to disappointment. This kind of hope that we have in God’s Word will not disappoint us. God’s Word is always yes and amen. God always does what He says He is going to do.
2 Corinthians 1:20 [NKJV] For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
If we can truly understand how much God loves us we can also live in joy, and peace, have great hope and unending faith. I love that God has given us the Holy Spirit for not only strength, guidance, wisdom, and power but also to be filled with His love. Faith and hope work by love. Since we are filled with God’s love, we can have the kind of faith and hope that is working in His love. This is powerful… God’s unbelievable love for us is the motivation for faith and hope. It causes us to be filled with all the fullness and power of God. Another one of my favorite scriptures that shows this is:
Ephesians 3:18-19 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Romans 5:6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Oh, my friends, this is where it all began and where the rubber meets the road. We would not have hope, faith, joy, or peace if God just left us utterly helpless. Meaning because of the sin committed by one man we all were separated from God, which we will go more into in subsequent scriptures in this chapter. But the bottom line is because of sin we were spiritually separated from God with no way to be in a relationship with Him. What was scary is we were weak, ungodly, an enemy of God, and powerless to help ourselves.
Romans 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
This is a but God moment – Christ came a just the right time! Remember Jesus didn’t save us because we deserved it, He did it out of love and as an act of grace. There was nothing we could have done to earn or deserve what Jesus did for us it was purely out of love… To me, this understanding goes back to Ephesians 3:18-19. It’s a love that is beyond human understanding or ability, without the Holy Spirit.
Going into this next verse it might be a new revelation for you because what Jesus did for us is absolutely amazing, but wait… it gets better.
Romans 5:7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
What this scripture is saying is profound because its true most people would not be willing to die even for an upright person or someone they claim to love. But Jesus gave His life for us when we were weak, sinners, and enemies of God. He was willing to save us in spite of our actions.
As amazing this truth is, Paul didn’t stop here – there is another point he wanted to make here. He continued to make a comparison that if God loved us enough to die for us when we were weak, ungodly, sinners, and enemies, then much more now that we are justified and reconciled and a new creation He is willing to save us in spite of our actions.
Again, this message is trying to show the great love God has for us. It was shown through the greatest expression of love known to humans: laying down your life for another. People may give up their lives for others they love and care for, but can you imagine giving up your life for your enemies?
This is inconceivable, but this is exactly what God did for us. So what Paul is trying to emphasize here as we wrap up these scriptures for today.
Since God did this when we were weak, ungodly, sinners, and enemies of Him. How could we now as a child of God ever doubt His goodness to us?