Hope of Glory

Romans 5:1-4

Evidence of Eternal Security- Part 03

Rejoice hope in Glory

Romans 5:1-4, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

We have been studying through the heart of the book of Romans, chapters 3, 4, and 5. Of course, this is Paul’s great treatment of the gospel, spiritually powerful, life-transforming truth.

Romans 3:21 to 4:25, the faith of Abraham we have seen it all in detailly.

What we have learned in this great passage is that salvation is by faith alone, through grace alone. We are going to begin to look at chapter 5.

• The message of chapter 5 is Justification.
• The message of Chapter 6 and 7 is Justification embraces sanctification.
• The message of chapter 8 is Justification embraces glorification.

Paul presents six great links in the chain that ties the Christian eternally to the Saviour. Six great truths inherent in salvation, which constitute its eternal character, its eternal nature and therefore, the divine guarantee.

The six things are familiar to us. There are six gifts that come with salvation. They are six components that define salvation. 1. Peace with God, 2. Standing in grace, 3. Hope of glory, 4. Assurance of love,

5. Certainty of deliverance, and

6. Joy in God.

These are the six articles in the guarantee of your eternal salvation, so we need to learn them well.

1. Peace with God

V1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith,” ➢ God is the enemy of the sinner, and ➢ The sinner is the enemy of God.

• God is at war with the sinner, and
• The sinner is at war with God.

The unregenerate hate the Bible.

Psalm 7:11, “God is angry with the wicked every day.” Every day. Since we have been justified by faith, the first one, we have peace with God. Justification, reconciliation, they are indistinguishable.

They are distinguishable as terms, but they are indistinguishable in terms of reality.

2. Standing in grace, V 2, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. This is one of the great statements in all the Bible. We have access by faith into this Grace.

You have access into a sphere of grace. It's in this grace in which we stand. Histmi in the Greek meaning Abide. We live in this Spirit. When you became a Christian, wonderful reality is that you entered into intimate access to God.

Histmi means to stand firm, to abide. We are firmly fixed in a state of grace. This is the comforting reality.

What is grace? God's unmerited favour and forgiveness to sinners.

Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

➢ Your peace is established with God, purely on the merits of Christ's work. ➢ Your grace, your access into this sphere of grace is purely on the merit of Christ's work on the cross.

• You stand before God in a relationship of peace.
• You stand before God in an environment of grace. 3. Hope of glory,

All because of what Christ has done. V 2, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Glory of God. We have taken this as our focus for this year and beyond for our lives.

That was the most life-changing discovery I ever made in all my Christian life when I discovered the reality of the meaning of the glory of God. The Greatest theme is the Glory of God.

What Apostle Paul means here is the glory of God is the expression of God's person. The glory is God's intrinsic revelation of Himself. God has revealed His glory that is the expression of His person. What it's saying in this verse is that someday God in the fullest, truest, purest, unmitigated way is going to reflect His eternal character through us.

Romans 8:18, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. In other words, there is going to be a time when God without any hindrance, without any veiling, is going to be able to pour through us in eternal, infinite manifestation His glory.

Now that can't happen now. We wait for that.

Romans 8:19, For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

We can't do that now.

2 Corinthians 4:7, But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, right now. There's limitation there. So, we are waiting, groaning, moaning and the whole creation is waiting.

Romans 8:23, Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

What is our hope? We are going to lose our,

• humanness,
• incapacitation of the flesh,
• the body,
• the earthiness.

We are going to become crystal clear, eternal persons through whom God can reveal His glory. If God called and justified you then He will glorify you. That is our hope.

The consummation of our redemption, the ultimate fulfilment of our salvation relates to the manifestation of the glory of God in and through us. When we study about heaven, we find that there is no lamp in heaven. There is no light there because the Lord is the lamp of it, the Lord is the light.

We find in heaven that everything is transparent. The streets of gold are transparent. The layers and foundations are made from jewels through which the very glory of God will radiate. Heaven must be like some utterly incomprehensible flashing crown of jewels with the glistening of the glory of God from the inside radiating out of every refracted element of it.

We are going to be little different than that. We are going to be in the incredible display of glory and become reflectors eternally of the full majesty and glory of the infinite God Himself. It is impossible for us to comprehend now, and that's why we groan waiting for the redemption of the body.

Because our bodies get in the way of that reflection of the glory of God. Whenever we study in the Scripture about Jesus coming, He is always coming in power and great Glory, that blazing glory that will be radiated through us.

Romans 8:29, For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

We will be conformed to the image of His Son. We are going to be just exactly like Jesus. When Jesus went up on the mount of transfiguration and pulled back His flesh and revealed the fullness of the glory of God. They were literally shaken to the very core with the profound wonder of what they saw, and He showed them His glory.

It is the essential reality of the glorified Christ. We are going to be like that. This becomes a marvellous theme throughout Scripture.

2 Corinthians 3:18, But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

As we gaze on the glory of the Lord even now, we are being changed. The illustration was Moses. He went up into the mountain. God was there. He revealed Himself to Moses. When Moses saw the glory of God, he got glory all over his face.

Moses came down the mountain and he didn't know that his face shone, it was like a light bulb. The people were amused. Moses veiled his face because the glory would fade, and he didn't want the people to see the glory fade.

In these bodies, in these human instruments, the glory fades very fast. Even when seeing the revelation of the afterglow of God on the mount, it didn't last in Moses'case. But there will come a time when we will be lifted from one level of glory to another level of glory.

Finally, that ultimate level of glory when we become, in the image of Jesus Christ, able to manifest the full blazing glory of God Himself.

Philippians 3:20-21, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may

be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Who shall change our lowly body?

What is He going to do with it? He is going to make it fashioned like His glorious body. ➢ We are going to be like Christ. ➢ We are going to radiate the divine glory of God.

Colossians 3:4, When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

We are not going to be these crummy little creatures like we are now. We are just not going to be what we are. We are going to be reflectors of the glory. We are going to be like Jesus Christ transfigured.

Hebrews 2:9-10, But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. ¹⁰ For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Jesus came and He was crowned with glory and honour. By the grace of God, He tasted death for every man.

What was the purpose in saving you? To bring you to Glory. It is ludicrous to assume that God saves people and then crosses His finger and hopes they will get to glory. You were redeemed to be glorified. The reason I am secure is because God has given me the hope that is built into my salvation that I was saved unto glory.

He doesn't lose the people He redeems to glory. So, the hope of the glory of God is a confident assurance that in the future we will partake of the divine glory. Jesus is being a salvation captain who through His suffering is bringing many sons to glory.

Romans 9:23-24, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

What does mercy assume about us? That we don't deserve it.

Those who are ordained to glory through mercy, not through deserving it. So, we are prepared to glory. Before the world began, I was prepared to glory. Any other thought misconstrues the reality of our redemption.

1 Corinthians 2:7, But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God [c]ordained before the ages for our glory, You are saved to be glorified!

We are just waiting to get rid of this thing so we can get there and enter into glory.

When have we struggles in this world?

2 Corinthians 4:17, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

The whole New Testament is just loaded with glory. Colossians l:27, To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

When Christ entered into you it was to put there the hope of glory.

1 Thessalonians 2:12, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. He didn't just get you in, He is going to bring you all the way.

1 Peter 5:1, The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a

partaker of the glory that will be revealed

Peter identifies himself as a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. We are partakers of the glory that shall be revealed.

Hebrews 3:6, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

The hope is secured by God.

Do we have anything to do with it? We prove ourselves to belong to God genuinely if we hold fast our confidence and the rejoicing of that hope firm to the end.

Somebody who just wanders off into sin and says I guess I am going to be glorified in the end, I will live any way I want, you just proved that you never were in to begin with. Yes, God secures us, but from our side we are truly the household of God if we hold fast the confidence and keep the rejoicing firm to the end.

So, not only does God secure His own sovereignly, but He implants within His own the power of the Spirit of God that keeps alive the hope and the rejoicing and the obedience. God will keep His promise for those who are genuine.

Hebrews 3:14, For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

What it is not saying is that you stay saved by hanging on. Rather it is saying that you reveal that you really are if you do.

Do you understand the difference? You prove yourself. From the divine viewpoint, God holds onto His own, but from the human point He gives them the power to hold that confidence firm, to hold that hope firm, to rejoice in that hope.

So, we are secure. We are secure if were the real Christians. We are secure if were the ones who hang on to our hope and rejoice in our hope. Our hope is secure in the work of Christ in the power of God, and it is proven to be secure when we walk in obedience to His holy will.

Romans 5:3-4, And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

The believer not only rejoices in the glory to come but he even rejoices in the tribulation now, because the tribulation now produces the kind of character that has a greater capacity to rejoice about the future. So, Paul says we rejoice even in our tribulation.

Because we know no matter what comes, no matter how severe it is, no matter how devastating it is, it can never take away our promised glory. It can never steal our hope. Therefore, it can never touch our joy.

So, when the tribulation comes, We don't curse God, like the rest of the world. We don't question God, like other people do. We rejoice in our tribulation because we see in the tribulation a product. The word tribulation is thlipsis means “pressure,” and it was used for squeezing olives to get the oil, squeezing grapes to get the wine.

When we get in the real pressure, when we really have the stuff applied to us, what oozes out of us is the oil of rejoicing, the wine of rejoicing.

Why? Because tribulation works patience. When we go through trouble, we learn to endure. The more trouble, the more you learn to endure.

What happens? Endurance produces, and the word is perseverance or experience. Experience! Means to be approved, to put to the test for the purpose of approving someone.

Like you test gold to get the impurities out, you test silver to make sure it's pure, you test somebody. When you have trouble, it produces endurance. When you go through trouble, and you learn endurance it builds a proven character.

The term is used of metal. It would be much like we use the term sterling. We mean there is no flaws or no impurities. The pressure takes all that out of us.

Why? Because we learn to trust God in the trials. We learn to trust God in the stress. We learn to trust God in the pain. Tribulation is not a problem for Christians. For one thing it's an honour to suffer for Christ. For another thing it is a joy to learn to experience His sustaining power in the middle of suffering.

➢ It increases our faith. ➢ It purges us. ➢ It sanctifies us. ➢ It washes us.

➢ It strengthens us. ➢ It's like spiritual weightlifting. ➢ It builds our muscles. ➢ It raises our level of holiness. So, we look at tribulation and we rejoice in that also. We are not moaning and groaning here with all the struggle and hoping for that heaven.

We are even rejoicing right here because the process of trouble is building proven character, purging out the flaws, purging out the dross.

James 1:2-5, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

James 1:12, Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

The stronger we grow spiritually, the richer our hope becomes, the greater our rejoicing. Because the greater the reward that

awaits us there, the greater the joy to receive it and cast it at the feet of Jesus Christ. Great truth. Salvation doesn't refine your character. You take a bitter, angry, cantankerous person and get him saved and you have got a bitter, angry, cantankerous Christian.

That's a transaction that occurs on a divine level. But what salvation does do is plant in you the capacity to be perfected. Then the purging process begin. The Lord uses trials and tribulations. When trials and tribulations come into your life you rejoice.

Why? Because they are making you sterling. They are improving your character. Not only that, but no matter also what those trials bring, and do, one thing they will never do is take away your future hope because that is secure.

The greater my spiritual character the greater my hope, and the greater my rejoicing for what God has for me in the future.

1 Thessalonians 3:3-5, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you

that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labour might be in vain.

Destined for this. So, we are secure. We are secured by peace. We are secured by grace. We are secured by hope, forever!

Joseph

Joseph was sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers. Though he had earned his master’s trust and was allowed to work freely in the house, the lies of a woman thrust Joseph into prison. God granted Joseph an understanding of dreams while he was unjustly serving his time. Joseph interpreted a dream one day which could have been his way out of jail. But the man who should have spoken for Joseph’s freedom forgot about him for two years.

When Joseph was released from prison it was to take an elevated position in the government.

Joseph knew the region would go through a devastating drought. He prepared to help save the people. In doing so he was able to rescue his brothers who had treated him so badly. Joseph trusted in the promises of God. He knew that God had a plan for his life. Joseph endured the difficulties because of his faith in God’s Word.

Genesis 50:20, But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Life of William Carrey (1761 -1834) A shoemaker taught himself Greek. 1802 the whole work was caught and burnt in fire. Translated bible in Bengali, Oriya, Marathi, Hindi, Assamese, and Sanskrit.