Hope Does Not Disappoint

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Scripture: Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Devotion:

            This passage of scripture was written as an encouragement for the Roman church. That church faced many difficulties and persecutions from the government and society at large. Paul knew that if they tried to live without hope in the saving love of Jesus, they would never make it. He knew that human beings cannot survive long without a source of hope. It is still true that today we desperately need hope to survive.

            Our situation may not be as dire as that which faced the first century Roman church, but it is definitely a challenge. Throughout the west God’s church is facing increasing pressure from government and society to accept things such as gender identity, homosexual marriage, euthanasia, and other things that are clear violations of scripture. Culture has gone so far down the path of moral disintegration that only a move of God will be able to save us from certain destruction.

            It would take a few centuries for the church at Rome to see any daylight in terms of religious freedom, but it eventually came. Here in the states and throughout the west we must not give up hope. We need the words of Paul from these verses to cling to as a promise of eventual deliverance from our lonely and hurting world. The peace of God can be ours amid our trials and tribulations. If we suffer because of our faith in Jesus, we can rest in the promises of this passage.

            We indeed should write these words on our hearts, so that we would be able to rejoice even in the middle of our trials and tribulations. We can know that our suffering will produce a bountiful harvest of hope in our lives through the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Though the entire world turns against us as Christ followers, we can rest in the knowledge that Christ has won the victory over the forces that seek to harm us. Let us come before the throne of God with rejoicing in that victory.

Prayer:

            Heavenly Father, we commit our lives to your service today. Help us to be a living witness to your goodness and mercy. Father, instill in us a deep and abiding hope in your salvation. Help us to always live to bring righteousness and justice into our world. If we must suffer let it be because we are servants of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the name of your blessed son Jesus, we ask this. Amen. 

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