Jun 21
20
Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 13:12; 10:28; 11:7
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12, ESV)
“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” (Proverbs 10:28, ESV)
“When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.” (Proverbs 11:7, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Romans 15:1-13
“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.’ And again it is said, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.’ And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.’ And again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.’ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:1–13, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
The title of this sermon is, Hope in God. That is the thing that I wish to move you to do today: to set all of your hope, not in created things, but in God, our Creator and Redeemer.
Hope is vital. In fact, men and women cannot live without hope. Just as food is vital to the physical life of man, so hope is vital to his soul. Without hope, man does perish inwardly.
And what is hope except the expectation of some future good?
The Apostle Paul speaks to the forward-looking characteristic of hope in chapter 8 of his letter to the Romans. In verse 24 he says, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:24–25, ESV). Hope is forward-looking. It is the expectation that some good or pleasant thing will come to you in the future. Once the thing comes, then we no longer hope for it, for it is ours.
As you know, men and women hope for all kinds of things. They hope for the weekend, payday, and vacation. They hope for new and better possessions, more financial stability, and better health. In general, they hope to see good come to them and to the ones they love.
Please hear me. There is nothing at all wrong with hoping for things such as these. It is quite natural, in fact, for men and women to look forward to the good things of this life, to desire them, and to rejoice in them when they come. As the Proverb says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12, ESV). So, when I say, hope in God, I do not mean, do not hope for anything else. Rather, I mean, hope in God supremely, for God alone is able to bless us in this life and in the life to come. If we hope in God supremely then we will be set free to hope for the good things of this life appropriately. And if we hope in God supremely then we will never be given over to despair, for God is faithful and he will surely keep us.
Stated negatively, it is very foolish to set our hopes on created things — on people, or the things of this world — for they will surely fail us in the end. Created things cannot be the source and foundation of our hope, for they are by nature temporary, transient, and without power. They are unable to deliver, therefore. God alone is worthy of our hope, for he alone is self-existent, eternal, unchanging, unlimited in wisdom and power, most faithful, loving, and kind. Hope in God, therefore.
Hope is vital. And it is vital that we have our hope properly placed. Please hear me: hope misplaced will wreak havoc on the heart and mind of man, and it is not difficult to see why this is so, is it? To have misplaced hope is like standing on unstable ground.
Have you ever stood on something unstable high off the ground? A shaky ladder maybe? A slippery roof? The edge of dropoff? It can produce a terribly vulnerable and anxious feeling. And I’m afraid that many live life with this feeling, not because their physical footing is precarious, but because they have their hope misplaced.
For a time you may not notice it. But at some point, you will see just how temporary, fleeting, and frail the things of this life are. And when you do, your heart will surely grow anxious if your hope is set on unstable things.
Hope is vital to life, brothers and sisters. And so the scriptures do continuously warn us to have our hope properly placed. God alone is worthy. It is only the Triune God who is able to carry this burden, for only he is able to sustain us in this life and the life to come. So hope in God. That is my exhortation to you today. Hope in God ultimately and supremely so that you might glorify him, and have the peace and joy that only he can provide.
I wonder, do you remember how Paul concluded that passage we considered last week from 1 Corinthians 13? “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love”, he said (1 Corinthians 13:13, ESV). So Paul identified these three things — faith, hope, and love — as vital to the Christian life. We need all three if we are to sojourn well. Last Sunday I encouraged you to persevere and to grow in your love for another. Today, I wish to encourage you to have your hope set supremely on God. And next Sunday, Lord willing, I will encourage you to grow strong in faith.
As we move now to Romans 15 I would like you to see how this passage mirrors 1 Corinthians 13, for the themes of faith, hope and love are present in this passage too.
Concerning our love for one another, Paul writes, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’” And “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” These are very beautiful words concerning the love that we are to have for one another in Christ’s church.
Concerning faith, Paul says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Faith, hope, and love are intimately related. We will not have hope, and neither will we love, if we do not believe in God, in Christ, and in the scriptures. As I have said, we will come to the theme of faith next Sunday, Lord willing.
This morning I wish to focus on what Paul says concerning hope in this passage. As we do we will see, one, he urges us to set our hope on the Triune God. Two, he teaches that this hope will produce perseverance in us. And three, he teaches that this hope will produce joy and peace in us.
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Hope In The Triune God
Notice, first of all, that our hope is to be set on God — the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Hope In The Father
Hope in the Father, brothers and sisters, for he is the source of all things including our hope.
Notice how Paul gives glory to the Father in our text. In verses 4 through 6 he writes, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:4–6, ESV)
God the Father is the source of all things including our hope.
This is what Peter teaches. In 1 Peter 1:3, we read, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time… (1 Peter 1:3–7, ESV).
Hope Through The Son
God the Father is the source of our hope, for he is the source of all things. But this hope comes to be ours through Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God who took on flesh. So, while God the Father is the source of our hope, God the Son is the object.
Stated differently, we have hope in God because of the finished work of Christ.
Stated negatively, without Christ, and apart from Christ, there is no hope.
The Father is the source of our hope, for he has decreed that a Savior be provided for sinful men and women who deserve only judgment. But Christ the Son is the object of our hope, for he has accomplished our redemption. If we hope to be reconciled to the Father we must be found in Christ. In Christ there is hope. Apart from him, there is none.
Notice that Christ the Son is mentioned throughout our text.
In verse 3 we read, “For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me’”. There we have a reference to the atonement. Christ did not serve himself, but stood in the place of sinners and paid the price for their sins.
In verse 4 Paul says that we have hope through the scriptures: “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” As the passage develops it becomes clear that the scriptures encourage us and bring us hope because they reveal Christ to us. The scriptures testify to Christ, who is the Savior of the world.
And that is why Paul exhorts us to trust in Christ throughout this passage. It is Christ who serves us. It is Christ who has paid for our sins. It is Christ who welcomes us. It is Christ who brings hope to us. In verse 12 Paul quotes Isaiah who speaks of the Messiah, saying, ‘The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”
So, while God the Father is the source of our hope, Christ is the object. For it is through Christ, the eternal Son of God who took on flesh, that we are reconciled to the Father. He is “the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him]” (John 14:6, ESV). He is the only Mediator between God and man. If we hope to be welcomed by the Father, we must be welcomed by the Son, being found in him by faith.
Hope By The Holy Spirit
God the Father is the source of our hope. God the Son is the object. And God the Spirit is the instrument of our hope. It is the Spirit who works hope in us.
Paul spoke to this earlier in his letter to the Romans, saying, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:14–17, ESV)
So it is by the working of the Holy Spirit that we come to have hope. The Spirit is the one who applies the finished work of Christ the Son to God’s elect. The Spirit regenerates us. The Spirit works faith in us. He draws us to the Son, and thus to the Father. The Spirit sanctifies us and encourages us in Christ Jesus.
So, God the Father is the source of our hope, God the Son the object, and God the Spirit the instrument.
This is what Paul says in verse 13 where we read, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” God the Father is the source, for all things do proceed from him and return to him. The Son is the object, for we are reconciled to the Father through him, by believing in him and in the scriptures which testify concerning him. And the Spirit is the instrument — “so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope”, Paul says.
Hope in God, brothers and sisters, for God has redeemed you. The Father determined to send the Son for our salvation. The Son has finished the work. The Spirit applies it. Hope in God, brothers and sisters, for in him there is salvation, the hope of life everlasting, victory over death, and freedom from judgment.
It should not be difficult to see why it is so very foolish to set your hope on anything other than God. Though the things of this world may bring you momentary pleasures, they cannot deliver you from death and eternal judgment. Only God can deliver you from that. You may hope for the good things of this life, but do not hope in them, for they will certainly fail you in the end. God will never fail you. Hope in God and in the Christ that he has provided for you.
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Hope In God Produces Perseverance
Secondly, the Apostle teaches that hope in God will produce perseverance in us.
The theme of perseverance is found in verses 4 and 5. There we read, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus…” (Romans 15:4–5, ESV)
Here is the point that I want you to see: when we set our hope on the things of this world, that hope will surely fade. Earthly hopes will fade when the trials of life come. Earthly hopes will certainly fade at the moment of death. But if we set our hope on God, that hope will never fade. Severe trials cannot shake this hope. Not even death can take it away, for we know that in Christ God will keep us for all eternity.
When Paul says that “through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”, he wants for us to see that the trials and tribulations of life do not shake the hope we have in God. Hope rooted in the Triune God and in his word will endure.
In fact, not only will the trials and tribulations of life fail to shake our hope in God, they will be used by God to strengthen our faith and to deepen our hope in him. Paul alludes to this reality in the verses that I have just read, but he speaks to it more thoroughly earlier in Romans. In chapter 5 verse 1 we read, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 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. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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.” (Romans 5:1–5, ESV)
So then, hope in God produces perseverance, and perseverance does in turn produce more hope.
I wonder if you have found this to be true?
First of all, if your hope is set on God (and not on the things of this world) this will produce endurance or perseverance. When calamity strikes you will not be easily or deeply shaken for your hope, your treasure, your heart is not set on the things of the earth but on God, in heaven, and in the world to come. In this way, hope produces perseverance, endurance, steadfastness.
But perseverance does also strengthen and deepen our hope in God. Perhaps you have experienced this too. With every trial and tribulation of life the faithful grow more and more aware of how temporary, frail, and fleeting the things of this world are, and their hope in God is strengthened. Our longing for him and for the world to come are intensified. Our appetite for worldly things is diminished, and our appetite for spiritual and eternal things is increased. Have you experienced this? I know that some of you who are advanced in years have, for I have spoken with you about this very thing. Your longing for the world to come is very strong, for you have come to see that though this life is filled with good things, all is vain apart from God and the hope of eternal life that is found in him.
Hope in God, brothers and sisters, and you will find that this hope will produce perseverance in you. I think this is why Peter refers to this hope in God as a “living hope” — a hope that is filled with life and vitality. I’ve read the passage already, but hear again: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time… (1 Peter 1:3–7, ESV).
If your hope is in God and in the Christ he has provided, then your hope is alive, for your hope is rooted not in things that are dead, nor in things that are destined to die, but in God who is life, and in his Christ who was raised from the dead and is alive forevermore.
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Hope In God Produces Joy and Peace
Thirdly, not only will this hope in God produce perseverance, it will also produce joy and peace in us.
It is not difficult to see why this is so.
If our hope is set on the things of this world then our joy will increase when the blessings of this life increase, and it will diminish when the blessings of this life diminish. The joy in our heart will naturally ebb and flow as our health, wealth, and prosperity ebb and flow. But if our hope is set on God, in Christ, and in the inheritance that is surely ours in him, then our joy will remain even if our health, wealth, and prosperity are diminished.
Something similar may be said about peace. To be at peace is to be free “from anxiety and inner turmoil” (LouwNida, 314). If your hope is set on the things of this world then it is no wonder that there is turmoil in your heart. The things of this world are so very unstable. They are frail and fleeing, prone to death and decay. And if the hope that is in your heart is set down on worldly things, then your heart will never be at peace, for deep down you know that these things will certainly fail you. In fact, the longer you live the more aware you become of this reality, for with the passing of time you experience and observe more and more of this death and decay. But if our hope is set on God, in Christ, and in the inheritance that is surely ours in him, then our peace will remain even as the world around us totters and shakes.
This is what Paul teaches in verse 13, saying, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13, ESV).
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Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, this morning I have exhorted you to hope in the Triune God — God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And I have told you what this hope in God will produce in you. It will produce perseverance, joy, and peace. Allow me to conclude by acknowledging three things.
One, growing strong in hope is a process. Yes, when we come to have faith in Christ we gain a hope that we did not have before, but growing strong in that hope is a process. Verse 13 of Romans 15 says so. Paul pronounces this blessing: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Paul’s prayer is that Christians would be filled with joy and peace in believing, and abounding or overflowing with hope. Growing strong in hope is a process. We increase in hope as our faith increases. We grow strong in hope as our love for this world diminishes and our love for God and Christ abounds. We grow strong in hope as we persevere through the trials and tribulations of life and learn that God alone is worthy of our hope and trust.
Two, growing strong in hope is sometimes a battle. Yes, true Christians do sometimes lack hope. There will be moments in life where even the faithful despair. And so Christians must be exhorted to fight the fight, walk the walk, and set their minds and hearts on the things above where Christ is seated, and not on the things of this earth. Yes, it is true that Christians hope in God, and that hope will produce perseverance, joy, peace. But that does not mean that a true child of God will never lack these things. The Christian life is a battle, friends. And that is why it is crucial for you to daily put on the whole armor of God and to fight. Is there anxiety in your heart, friend? Are you lacking joy? Then fight for peace and joy by believing in Christ and setting your hope on him again. Do this weekly on the Lord’s Day through rest and worship. Get perspective on this day. Think of all that it signifies — Christ crucified and risen, and the eternal rest that is ours in him. And set your hope in him day by day, even moment by moment. Do you feel anxious, joyless, and despairing? Then stop and pray. Remember God’s precious and very great promises. Recenter your life on him, and then go on in faith. Yes, if you are in Christ, you have hope. But growing strong in hope is sometimes a battle.
Three, growing strong in hope is freeing. When we have our hope in God and in Christ we will find that we are freed from certain things and to others. If our hope is set firmly upon God, Christ, and the inheritance that is ours in him, we will find that we are freed from the fear of death, from anxiety over losing the good things we have, and from all despair. But we will also be set free to enjoy the good things of this life that the Lord has blessed us with. It’s ironic but true. If we set our hope on the things of this earth, not only do we build our house on an unstable foundation, we also ruin the good things that God has given us to enjoy. Has God blessed you with money? Well, if you set your hopes on it, I doubt you will enjoy it much. You’ll be too anxious about losing what you have, or too preoccupied with gaining more of it. Has God blessed you with children? Well, if you set your hopes on them — if you make them your everything — you won’t enjoy them much, and neither will you do them good. You’ll be too anxious about harm befalling them, and too preoccupied with sheltering them, to enjoy the blessings that God has given you.
Set your hope on God, brothers and sisters. Build your life on him, and on his word. Then you will be strong to weather the storms of this life, and free to enjoy the blessings of this life with peace in your heart. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV)
