Lesson for January 7, 2024
The Excellence of Hope
Romans 8:23-25, 31-33, 35
Verse 23
“And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body.”
Having the first fruits of the Spirit is a reference to the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit, which guarantees us a future inheritance. The sealing of the Holy Spirit gives us great hope for the future. First fruits means a down payment for what is to follow in the future. What we have now as advancing believers is fantastic but what we will have in eternity will be far superior.
Even we ourselves groan within ourselves. Groaning is a reference to suffering. All believers suffer in this life. If a believer is not being disciplined by God, then the suffering is undeserved and designed for blessing, not cursing. When undeserved suffering comes into the life of spiritually mature believers, it will give them a renewed hope for the future. Biblical hope is anticipation of future events and greater blessings guaranteed by the Word of God to spiritually mature believers.
Waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body. Adoption refers to the completion of the adoption process for believers, which occurs at the Rapture. And the redemption of the body refers to the glorified body that believers receive at the Rapture of the Church.
Verse 24
“For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees?”
The Greek word for hope is “elpis,” which means anticipation or expectation. At salvation, we received eternal life, but we will not fully possess it until we are in a resurrection body.
Expectation of the Rapture is our hope for a future reality. We cannot see Heaven and all of its details, but we anticipate the reality of Heaven, the reality of eternity, and the reality of receiving great rewards and blessings. Hope, then, is confidence of reality before the reality is seen. If you have already seen the reality of eternity, then there is no reason to anticipate (hope for) it.
Verse 25
“But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
At salvation, we do not see the blessings associated with reaching spiritual maturity and the eternal state. However, the possession of God’s righteousness should give us hope of receiving those blessings by following God’s plan for our lives. Just as possessing God’s righteousness is the hope for blessing on earth, blessing on earth is the hope for blessing in Heaven. Spiritual growth is a stepping stone to greater blessings for both now and in eternity. Perseverance means persistence and consistence in learning God’s Word and properly applying it to your life. If we are living our lives in the pursuit of glorifying God, we can anticipate (hope for) receiving a good report from our Savior at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Verse 31
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”
Once again, the Apostle Paul used a Greek idiom to set up a debater’s technique. The rhetorical question is a debater’s way of making a direct assertion without appearing to do so. Paul used a debater’s technique in order to force the correct conclusion to Romans 8:28-30, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
If God is for us, who is against us? The question is a first-class condition meaning since He is for us. The first-class condition recognizes that every believer is in the plan of God and therefore God has made provision for every believer, including any disaster or difficulty. The plan of God is greater than any problem a believer will ever face. No one is God’s equal. No one has more power and ability than God.
Verse 32
“He Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”
This is an “a fortiori” principle from God meaning that if He can do the greater (and He did by not sparing His only Son), it follows that He will not hold anything back from His children who have developed the capacity for receiving divine blessing. All things can refer to many things in the life of believers, but it certainly refers to the 40 spiritual assets received at salvation.
Verse 33
“Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the One Who justifies.”
In the plan of God there is no provision for either Satan or another believer judging or condemning a believer. Every believer is responsible to God for their own spiritual life. Maligning, judging, gossiping, or condemning is blasphemy against the justice of God. The justice of God does not need help. In the Christian Way of Life, believers have no authority to judge others.
The integrity of God [righteousness and justice] will either judge or bless believers because He is the only One with all the facts. Only God has the ability to bless or judge from His perfect justice. God is the one who justifies means that God is the only One qualified to judge anyone, believer or unbeliever. (John 5:22)
Verse 35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?
Separation from the Lord Jesus Christ and His love for us is impossible. Therefore, we have hope (confident expectation). Nothing can come between us and God’s love for us. Since we possess the righteousness of Christ through union with Christ, we are the objects of the love of Christ. (II Corinthians 5:21)
Tribulation is the Greek word “thlipsis,” which means pressure or affliction due to the circumstances of life or people testing. Pressure from outside sources is inevitable. This means that we have an opportunity to utilize the Problem-Solving Devices to handle the situation.
Distress is the Greek word “stenoxwria,” which is a reference to anguish or mental pressure. It literally means narrowness of place. It came to be used for a condition of being under extreme mental pressure. “Squeezed mentally” is the concept.
Persecution is the Greek word “diogmos,” meaning to pursue or to drive away. This refers to someone actively wanting to cause you trouble, harm, or irritate you.
Famine is the Greek word “limos,” which means being deprived of food or being hungry. Most of us will never experience this, but it can be a form of suffering and is today in many parts of our world for believers.
The Greek word for nakedness is “gumnotes,” which means to be deprived of sufficient clothing.
Peril is the Greek word “kindunos,” which means any form of physical danger. This could mean a person is in jeopardy of losing his or her life.
Sword is the Greek word “machaira” referring to war related suffering or crimes of violence.
With Biblical hope in our souls, we can handle anything that Satan’s world system does to us!!!