Romans - Week 5

Romans 5:1–5 NIV

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 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.

STORY - end of the spear (movie) / beyond the gates of splendor (documentary)

(Nate saint lands, tribe shortly spears him and the other missionaries to death.

Nate’s sister continues the work, eventually evangelizes the tribe, large portions of the tribe become christians.

Steve saint, Nate’s son, leaves at 10 years old to come live with them during summers.

at 14, steve gets baptized in the curaray river by two of the tribe members who murdred his father.

Eventually, he moves his family to live with the tribe. he even travels around and does public speaking engagements with Mincaye, one of the tribesmen who murdered his father)

We Have Peace with God

Psalm 103:12 NIV

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

We don’t know what to do with that, because we don’t have any relationships in life that we can say, we have total peace with this person that will never break or go away.

If God is perfectly able to forgive us, and perfectly able to pay for our sins - then we don’t have to be afraid of him walking away from us.

We have peace with God. Not just forgiveness. Honest and real peace.

We Need to Boast About Our Hope

Isaiah 40:29–31 NIV

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Do we pride in our hope (what GOD will do later, our waiting on the things unseen, yet realized) or in our strength (what WE can do here and now)?

We need to lean on what it means to ‘boast in the hope of the glory of God’.

Our hope is in someone who is so powerful that even

Suffering can benefit and grow us

We have a very temporary idea of hope - it’s closer to the idea of ‘profit’.

This is the ultimate expression of ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus’.

2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Hope is so powerful because we have God’s Love

God’s love is so powerful that hope in him will not put us to shame.

Our hope right now is in the eternal God who has a plan for us, and will one day right all wrongs.

John 16:33 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”