http://bible.com/events/47529342
Anatomy of a Storm: Feeding Hope
As we conclude our series, Anatomy of a Storm, we are going to talk about one unexpected gift this season has given us: the opportunity for hope.
Romans 5:1-5
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And weboast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
-We are justified (made right) before God because of Jesus, and not based on our works
-Through Jesus we can have peace with God and we now have access to God’s grace (his favor).
-The grace of God is our foundation. In this way, we are not just saved by God’s grace, but we are also saved for God’s grace. We get to experienced his incredible and unearned favor in our lives.
Paul is highlighting two aspects of hope for those who put their faith in Christ:
-Hope THROUGH the storm – the promise we have that God will get glory on the other side of the storm ( “And weboast in the hope of the glory of God.”)
-Hope IN the storm – the realization that God can produce hope in us even while the storm is raging (“wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”)
Two things to remember about hope:
-Hope comes from God
-Hope is not something we catch, not something we produce, not something we can source
-The reason hope doesn’t put us to shame (Romans 5:5) Is because the Holy Spirit is pouring it out in our hearts. Hope is sourced by His Spirit at work in us.
-Hope grows
-Paul highlights that hope grows through a process (Romans 5:3-4)
-Hope does not just begin and end with me, but continues to grow and even overflow (Romans 15:13).
-People with hope can’t contain it. They are determined to spread it. They refuse to let hopelessness have any ground in their lives or in others
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Other Scriptures for Study/Reflection
Romans 5:1-5 (The Message)
5 1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. 3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!