A Certain Hope

Romans 15:4-13

Often, especially at this time of year, we hear someone say that they “hope” they get this or that as a gift.  Or someone might say that they “hope” that they pass a test they weren’t too confident about. A high school girl may tell her friend that she “hopes” the cute guy in class asks her to the school dance, or the high school guy that he “hopes” he’s picked for first string on his sports team.  In these examples, we see the most common secular usage of “hope”, which is wishful thinking. There is no real confidence or certainty that one will get what one hopes for, one just wishes that they get a gift they want, that date, or that desired spot on the team. The word “hope” in the Bible, though, is different, as we shall see in our passage today from Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Throughout his epistles, Paul used the word “hope”.  Just in this brief passage the word “hope” is used four times.  Paul says that the Scriptures will give us hope (vs. 4), that the Gentiles can have hope in the Messiah (vs. 12), that God is a God of hope, and the Holy Spirit will give us hope (vs. 13).  This hope that Christians have is not just some wishful thinking, hoping we get something, but knowing there is a possibility, a chance that it won’t happen. The inspired Word of God doesn’t use the word “hope” like most people today use it.  The Greek word that Paul used is “elpis”, which means “to anticipate” and a “joyful and confident expectation”. Paul knew that he could trust, emphatically, what God had said and promised.  There was no wishful thinking. If God said it, then Paul knew he could count and depend upon it coming to pass.

In verse 4 of our passage, Paul said that Scriptures, the Bible, will give us hope, along with giving us patience or perseverance in trials, and comfort.  Everything written in the Bible was written for that purpose. Everything we need to know regarding salvation, everything for how to live a godly life, and how to live victorious in the midst of trials, can be found in the Bible.  No other self-help book, or religious literature is necessary. Whatever we need, we can go to God in prayer, and He will teach us through His Word, the Bible. The more we know about what God has done in the past, the greater the confidence we have about what He will do in the future for us.  Studying the Bible will increase our trust in Him for our lives. God has given us very clear and certain promises. We read them in His Word. They give us hope, which the world cannot give us. The Bible is our anchor in the time of storm.

As Paul continues in our passage, he urges the believers in Rome to have unity between themselves (vs. 5-6).  One source of disunity and contention among believers in the early church was between Jewish believers and Gentile believers.  Many Jewish believers felt that the Gentiles needed to follow the whole Old Testament Law in order to be saved, with circumcision being a particularly contentious issue.  Some even felt that Gentiles could not be saved.

Paul used several Old Testament passages here to show that this was not the case, that God wanted the Gentiles to come to faith in Him.  The quote in verse 9 came from Psalm 18:49, and II Samuel 22:50.  Verse 10 from Deuteronomy 32:43. Verse 11 from Psalm 117:1, and verse 12 from Isaiah 11:10.  Paul quoted from the Law (Deuteronomy), the Prophets (Isaiah), and also from Psalms, all Jewish recognized divisions of the Old Testament Scriptures, proving God’s plan from His Word to them.  It was always God’s plan to bring both Jew and Gentile into His Kingdom.

As our Scripture passage concludes, Paul emphasizes that our God is a God of hope (vs. 13).  As we put our faith and trust in Him, He will give us joy and peace. How we respond to disappointments in life determine if we live in victory or despair.  God is a God of hope.  We can throw off despair and be filled with joy and peace.  Christian hope is not a vague wish. It is a sure confidence that we will receive what God has promised us.  Because God keeps His promises, we can live with joyful hope.  When we have faith in Him, nothing is hopeless.