Romanos 15
Handley Moule · Citado em PreceptAustin
Romanos 15:13
Moule comments that now refers to "“the Hope” just cited from the Prophet (Ro 15:12-note), the expectation of all blessing, up to its crown and flower in glory, on the basis of Messiah’s work." William Newell exhorts believers to "Look at this great thirteenth verse: how it blossoms out before us! Here is a verse packed full! The name here given to God thrills our hearts: The God of Hope. Hope looks forward with exultation for ever and ever! Now, if God is the God of hope, looking forward with expectancy and delight to the certain, glorious things of the future, then a dejected, depressed, discouraged saint of His is yielding to a spirit directly contrary to His will, which is, for each of us, that we abound in hope. (Romans Verse-by-Verse) (Ed: If you are not "abounding in hope", consider importuning the God of hope to give you a Spirit enabled supernatural hope. Use the words of Paul to beseech the God of Hope.) Alexander Maclaren gives an excellent explanation of how this great passage fits with the overall context of Paul's call in Romans 15 to unity of the saints at Rome... With this comprehensive and lofty petition the Apostle closes his exhortation to the factions in the Roman Church to be at unity. The form of the prayer is molded by the last words of a quotation which he has just made (quoting Isaiah 11:10-note in Ro 15:12), which says that in the coming Messiah ‘shall the Gentiles hope.’ But the prayer itself is not an instance of being led away by a word—in form, indeed, it is shaped by verbal resemblance; in substance it points to the true remedy for religious controversy. Fill the contending parties (Ed: Eg see Ro 15:1, 2, Ro 15:7 for context) with a fuller spiritual life, and the ground of their differences will begin to dwindle, and look very contemptible. When the tide rises, the little pools on the rocks are all merged into one....This is Paul’s conception of the Christian life as it might and should be, in one aspect. You notice that there is not a word in it about conduct. It goes far deeper than action. It deals with the springs of action in the individual life. It is the depths of spiritual experience here set forth which will result in actions that become a Christian. And in these days, when all around us we see a shallow conception of Christianity, as if it were concerned principally with conduct and men’s relations with one another, it is well to go down into the depths, and to remember that whilst ‘Do, do, do!’ is very important, ‘Be, be, be!’ is the primary commandment. Conduct is a making visible of personality, and the Scripture teaching which says first faith and then works is profoundly philosophical as well as Christian. So we turn away here from externals altogether, and regard the effect of Christianity on the inward life. (From Maclaren's sermon Joy and Peace in Believing) THE GOD OF HOPE The God of Hope - The truths conveyed are that God is both the origin of hope and the object of our hope ("Who inspires hope and imparts it to His children" Harrison). God is the Source of hope and the Giver of hope. Stated another way, the great benefits (hope, joy, peace) Paul prays for the saints at Rome, cannot be possessed apart from God. In the same manner, believers today can possess them only as He gives them to us. And what is the believer's part in this divine transaction? To believe [in believing] as explained below by Alexander Maclaren. James Denney explains that the God of Hope signifies "the God Who gives us the hope which we have in Christ. (Expositor's Greek Testament) John Piper in discussing the name God of hope reminds us that "Everything starts with God. If there is hope for joy that is deep and eternal it will be hope that is founded on God. Any other foundation will fail. God is, and God is a God of hope. This we must believe. (Word of Promise, Spirit of God, Hope of Man) Matthew Henry on the importance of God's names like the God of Hope - It is good in prayer to fasten upon those names, titles, and attributes of God, which are most suitable to the errand we come upon, and will best serve to encourage our faith concerning it. Every word in the prayer should be a plea. Thus should the cause be skillfully ordered, and the mouth filled with arguments. God is the God of hope. He is the foundation on which our hope is built, and he is the builder that doth himself raise it: he is both the object of our hope, and the author of it. That hope is but fancy, and will deceive us, which is not fastened upon God (as the goodness hoped for, and the truth hoped in), and which is not of his working in us. We have both together, Ps. 119:49. What is the "hope" to which Paul refers? In the Greek text note that the definitive article precedes the noun hope so that literally the text reads "the hope". Thus it is not just any hope, but is a specific hope. In Romans 5 Paul describes this hope writing that as believers "we exult in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:2-note). Among other things then, this hope of all believers is the joyful certainty that we will indeed see the Glorious One Himself, Christ Jesus, our "Blessed Hope" (Titus 2:13-note). Note well that Our God is the God of hope, and the hope that He gives centers on the Lord Jesus Christ (1Ti 1:1). This hope also includes the confidence that when we see the Glorious One, we will be like Him--glorified (1Jn 3:2-note). As an aside dear saint note that Scripture speaks of three different ways we will experience the glory of God: (1) We will see God in all His glory (Rev 22:4-note, Rev 22:5-note). (2) We will be transformed to reflect His glory (Col 3:4-note). (3) We will live in a world filled with God's glory (Ro 8:21-note). These great truths should cause all God's people to shout "Glory! Hallelujah!" Someone once quipped that "The only thing we know about the future is that the providence of God will be up before dawn." As we face what lies ahead, we can count on that maxim (truth). Hope is the God of all our tomorrows provides optimism for our glorious future and gives strength for the trials of today. In his classic commentary, Robert Haldane writes that "God is called the God of hope, because He is the Author of all the well–grounded hope of His people. All hope of which He is not the author, in the heart of men, is false and delusive. The world in general may have hope, but it is false hope. All true hope with respect to the Divine favor is effected in the human heart by God Himself (Ed: Specifically birthed by His indwelling Spirit's power as Ro 15:13 teaches!). Not only is God the author of all true hope, but He can create this hope in the midst of despair! (Ed: This is clear evidence that His "hope" is supernatural, not natural, for dire circumstances "naturally" breed in us a sense of hopelessness. Praise God that He is the God of supernatural Hope!) The most desponding are often raised by Him to a good hope through grace (Ed: "Spirit of grace" Heb 10:29-note); and the most guilty are in a moment relieved (Ed: 1Jn 1:9-note), and made to hope in His mercy (Ed: Ps 119:156). How remarkably was this the case with the thief on the cross (Lk 23:42, 43), and with the three thousand on the day of Pentecost! (Acts 2:41) ...["fill you"] implies that there are degrees of joy and peace in the minds of Christians. Some may have a measure of these graces who do not abound in them. It is a great blessing to be filled with them; and for this blessing the Apostle prays with respect to the Christians at Rome. If there be different degrees of joy and peace, how important is it to look earnestly to God for the fullest communication of these blessings! (Commentary on Romans) May...fill (4137) (pleroo) means literally to fill "to the brim" (a net, Mt 13:48, a building, Jn 12:3, Acts 2:2, a city, Acts 5:28, needs Phil 4:19-note). Metaphorically, pleroo means to make complete in every particular, to pervade, to take possession of and ultimately to control. This is the same verb used by Paul to command the saints at Ephesus to be continually "filled with the Spirit." (Eph 5:18-note) The idea is that what fills a person, exercises control over the person's affect, attitude and actions. In the present passage may...fill is in the the optative mood which expresses a wish or prayer. You - Paul uses the plural pronoun which speaks of all the saints in Rome, whether they are Jews or Gentile believers. Beloved, are you looking for a powerful prayer to pray for someone? Here is a prime "candidate" - in fact, consider memorizing this short prayer (see the value of Memorizing His Word) and using Paul's powerful prayer to intercede for family, friends and other members of the body of Christ. Will God answer this prayer? Notice what the apostle John says... And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. (1Jn 5:14, 15-note) Praying Scripture is a wonderful pattern for productive prayer. Why not stop now and pray this prayer for someone in your sphere of influence? You can be assured that what you ask for is in God's will and that you will have the requests you have asked from Him! Beloved, you can "put it in the bank" that even in the bleakest times, Christians have the brightest hope. Feeling a bit down today? As discussed above, consider beseeching the God of hope with this hopeful (hope filled") prayer in Romans 15:13. Consider asking a brother or sister in Christ to pray it for you. I think they would be honored at your humble request and consider such intercession a precious privilege! I took my own advice this morning asking another saint to pray Ro 15:13 for me as I prayed it for him - I must say my day has been a wonderful experience of abounding hope by the power of the Spirit. J B Phillips paraphrases this prayer... May the God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant and alive. Comment: I like Phillips' phraseology, don't you? Isn't this what all followers of Christ ardently desire...our whole life and outlook radiant and alive? Is this not your desire? "Abounding in hope" ideally should be the description of every follower of Christ. Of all people, the Christian should be the one who manifests the inner strength (and Spirit) to look ahead with a contagious enthusiasm. God has given us hope, the absolute certainty of that God will do good to us in the future. All joy and peace - "All" in Greek means all without exception. In other words Paul is praying not for a percentage, portion or fraction, but for all the joy and hope that God has promised to those who love Him! God is not a stingy grinch (Dr Suess' character) but He is a gracious Giver and Paul desires that the saints at Rome (and you and I dear child of the Most High God) experience this supernatural joy and peace to the max! Notice also that joy and peace are two components of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-note). Note the qualifier -- "in believing." This speaks of our responsibility. Do you really believe God is "able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us" (Ephesians 3:20-note)? Through His prophet ("mouthpiece") Malachi (means "Messenger of God") God challenges us... "Test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts (Jehovah Sabaoth, LORD of hosts or of armies), "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." (Malachi 3:10-note) What impact would it have on the spiritually dead (Eph 2:1-note) and irrevocably decaying world (2Pe 1:4-note) if it were to witness the lives of believers continually filled with the Spirit, walking by the enabling power of the Spirit and bearing the fragrant fruit of the Spirit? Would the "walking dead" not be convicted by the Spirit of sin and of righteousness and of the judgment to come as they saw the irrepressible power of the "Gospel" being lived out in their very presence? And would not some ask "you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1Peter 3:15-note)? The impact of radiant Spirit empowered lives on a society vainly searching for the meaning of life would be dramatic! Indeed, as Paul wrote to the saints in the moral cesspool of Corinth... we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? (2Cor 2:15, 16, See 2Cor 3:5, 6-note for "Who is adequate?") Charles Hodge - All joy means all possible joy. Paul here, as in Ro 15:5, concludes by praying that God would grant them the excellencies which it was their duty to possess (Ed: But as explained elsewhere in these notes [see especially Dr Maclaren's explanation], their part, their "responsibility", was believing or trusting or having confidence.) Thus constantly and intimately are the ideas of accountableness and dependence connected in the sacred Scriptures. We are to work out our own salvation, because it is God that works in us both to will and to do according to his good pleasure. The God of hope, ie, God Who is the Author of that hope which it was predicted men should exercise in the root and offspring of Jesse. (Romans 15 Commentary) Alexander
Romanos 15:13
Moule comments “in His power,” clasped as it were within His divine embrace, and thus energized to look upward, heavenward, away from embittering and dividing temptations to the unifying as well as beatifying respect of your Lord’s Return." Let us meditate for a moment on this important phrase "the power of the Holy Spirit" - Remember that when Jesus was on earth, having emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives (albeit still fully God - mystery of mysteries! See Phil 2:5, 6, 7-note), He presented us the perfect example of how to live a supernatural life. And what was Jesus' "secret"? Luke unfolds the beautiful truth that at the beginning of His ministry, "the Holy Spirit descended upon Him" (Luke 3:22, compare Isa 11:2, Isa 61:1, 2, 3, notice also the timing = Luke 3:23 "And when He began His ministry..."). Note what Luke is saying - Jesus receives the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and this event marks the inception of His powerful ministry over the next three years. Luke goes on to record that then "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1, see Paul's command to believers to be continually full of the Spirit, Eph 5:18-note), Jesus "was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness" (Luke 4:1b) which resulted in a period of intense temptation "by the devil " (Luke 4:2-17). In short, Jesus gives us His example for powerful ministry - filling with and submission or surrender to the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit Who now indwells all believers (Ro 8:9-note, 1Cor 6:19-note, 1Cor 6:20-note). In the book of Acts, Luke reiterates the vital role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' ministry recording Peter's declaration... You yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power (dunamis), and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. (Acts 10:37-38) Notice the association of the Holy Spirit with the presence of enabling power, power to accomplish the ministry the Father had assigned to His Son (Do you see the Trinity at work?). Now return to Luke 4 and notice that after His victorious temptation "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power (dunamis) of the Spirit." (Luke 4:14) Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit, led by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit began His ministry. In so doing, Jesus the perfect Man is providing us the pattern for powerful ministry! Have you learned the "secret" of the Holy Spirit's power in your life? Paul (1Cor 11:1), Peter (1Peter 2:21-note) and John (1Jn 2:6-note) all call on believers to follow in the steps of Jesus. Notice how this pattern "dovetails" with Jesus' promise of "greater works" in John 14:12. While clearly there are some exceptions (Jesus' miracles of raising the dead, walking on water, etc, etc.), the basic pattern of power for supernatural ministry is provided - the secret is the Holy Spirit! Jesus' charge to His men in Acts 1:8-note and the working out of the truth of that verse in the remainder of the book of Acts substantiates the basic principle of the Holy Spirit's power enabling us to live the Christian life as more than conquerors! May God open the eyes of our heart to the surpassing greatness of the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:18, 19-note) available in our lives so that we might experience an abundant, fruit filled life (Gal 5:22-note, Gal 5:23-note), in turn so that God the Father might be greatly glorified by the supernatural deeds the Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29b) enables us to perform (cp Mt 5:16-note, Jn 15:8) as we progressively learn more and more to yield to Him, to be filled with Him and to walk by Him (Eph 5:18-note, Gal 5:16-note). Power (1411) (dunamis) (7x in Romans = Ro 1:4-note Ro 1:16-note Ro 1:20-note Ro 8:38-note Ro 9:17-note Ro 15:13, Ro 15:19-note) refers to inherent power residing in something by virtue of its nature. Here the power Source is the Holy Spirit. In the context of Romans 15, we learn that the Holy Spirit's inherent enabling power is the means by which unity will be accomplished as He causes believers to abound in hope. The Holy Spirit supernaturally enables the stronger and weaker brothers to abound in hope and to see each other’s positions in a clearer (eternal) perspective which causes them to refuse to let their differences mar the unity that they have in Christ. Christ is our Hope (1Ti 1:1) and to paraphrase an old hymn, when we fix our eyes on Jesus (cp Heb 12:2-note, Col 3:1-note, Col 3:2-note), "the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace" (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Alan Jackson) and the result will be true spiritual power to accept one another. Notice also that what was described as the effect of Scripture in Romans 15:4 is now attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul here follows a pattern evident throughout the New Testament in which God’s saving acts are attributed to God’s Word as well as to the work of the Holy Spirit. Omnipotence is one of the characteristics of the divine essence. Father: Mk 14:36 and Lk 1:37; Son: Col 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3; Spirit: Ro 15:13): (1) God the Father is omnipotent (Eph 1:17; 2Pe 1:2-3). (2) Holy Spirit is omnipotent (Acts 1:8; Ro 15:13, 19; Eph 3:16; 1Th 1:5). (3) Word of God is omnipotent (Ro 1:16; 1Co 1:18, 24; Heb 4:12). Charles Hodge reminds us that it is "through the power of the Holy Spirit, through Whom all good is given and all good exercised. "(Commentary of the Epistle to the Romans) Cranfield - The existence of this hope in men is no human possibility but the creation of the Spirit of God. (Cranfield, C. E. B Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Vol 1: Ro 1-8.; Volume 2: Romans 9-16)
Romanos 15:13
Moule wrote: “Let that prayer be granted, in its pure depth and height, and how could the ‘weak brother’ look with quite his old anxiety on the problems suggested by the dishes at a meal and by the dates of the Rabbinic calendar? And could ‘the strong’ bear any longer to lose his joy in God by an assertion, full of self, of his own insight and liberty? Profoundly happy and at rest in the Lord, whom they embraced by faith as their Righteousness and Life, and whom they anticipated in hope as their coming Glory; filled through their whole consciousness by the indwelling Spirit with a new insight into Christ, they would fall into each other’s embrace, in Him. They would be much more ready when they met to speak ‘concerning the King’ than to begin a new stage of their not very elevating discussion. How many a church controversy now, as then, would die of inanition, leaving room for living truth, if the disputants could only gravitate, as to their always most beloved theme, to the praises and glories of their redeeming Lord Himself!” As our Lord’s prayer in John 17 was not confined to His disciples then but reached forward to “them also which shall believe” (v. 20), so this prayer of Paul’s is suited to all the children of God. “The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.” Let it be duly noted that Paul did not hesitate to ask for these particular blessings. We make that remark because we very much fear that some of our readers are well-nigh afraid to cry to God for such things; but they need not be. Fullness of spiritual joy does not unfit its possessor to live his life in this world, nor does fullness of peace produce presumption and carnal security. If such experiences were dangerous, as Satan would fain have us conclude, the apostle would not have sought them on behalf of his fellow Christians. From his making request for these very blessings we learn they are eminently desirable and furnished warrant for us to supplicate for the same, both for ourselves and our brethren. The Apostle’s Example The example which the apostle has here set before us evidences not only that it is desirable for Christians to be filled with joy and peace, but also that such a delightful experience is attainable. C. H. Spurgeon stated, “We may be filled with joy and peace believing, and may abound in hope. There is no reason why we should hang our heads and live in perpetual doubt. We may not only be somewhat comforted, but we may be full of joy; we may not only have occasional quiet, but we may dwell in peace, and delight ourselves in the abundance of it. These great privileges are attainable or the apostle would not have made them the subject of prayer … The sweetest delights are still grown in Zion’s gardens, and are to be enjoyed by us; and shall they be within our reach and not be grasped? Shall a life of joy and peace be attainable, and shall we miss it through unbelief? God forbid. Let us as believers resolve that whatsoever of privilege is to be enjoyed we will enjoy it.” Once again we appeal to the context, for clear proof is found there that it is God’s revealed will for His saints to be a rejoicing people. In Romans 15:10 the apostle cited a verse from the Old Testament which says, “Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.” Israel had been given no monopoly of joy; those whom God had purposed to call from out the nations would also share therein. If there was joy for Israel when redeemed from the house of bondage and led through the Red Sea, much more so is there joy for those delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Observe that the passage quoted is not in the form of a promise, but is a specific precept: regenerated Gentiles are expressly bidden to “rejoice.” Nor did the apostle stop there. As though anticipating our slowness to enter into our privileges, he added, “And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles” (v. 11)—not merely the most eminent among them but all alike. Where there is praise there is joy, for joy is a component part of it. Thus one who professes to be a Christian and at the same time complains that he is devoid of joy and peace, acknowledges that he is failing to obey these precepts. Degrees of Blessing “The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace” intimates three things. First, there are degrees of these blessings. A few Christians enjoy them fully, but the great majority (to their shame) experience but a taste thereof. Each of us should look to God for the fullest communication of these privileges. Second, the breadth of the apostle’s words, as also his “that ye may abound in hope,” manifest how his heart was enlarged toward the saints and what comprehensive supplies of grace he sought for them. Third, thus we honor God in prayer: by counting on the freeness of His grace. There is no straitness in Him, and there should be none in us. Since we are coming to heaven’s King, let us “large petitions with us bring.” Has He not given us encouragement to do so? Having given His beloved Son for us and to us, “how shall he not with him also freely give us all things” (Rom. 8:32)! Has He not invited us to “drink, yea, drink abundantly” (Song 5:1)! Then let our requests be in accord with His invitation; let us not approach Him as though He were circumscribed like ourselves. Privileges and Duties The fact that the apostle prayed for these blessings indicated not only that they are desirable and attainable, but also that it is incumbent upon us to enter into possession of them. We cannot now attempt proof, but will here state the fact that the things we may ask God to give us are, at the same time, obligations upon ourselves. Privileges and duties cannot be separated. It is the duty of the Christian to be joyous and peaceful. If any should question that statement, we would ask him to consider the opposite; surely none would affirm that it is a spiritual duty to be miserable and full of doubts! We do not at all deny that there is another side to the Christian’s life, that there is much both within and without the believer to make him mourn. Nor is that at all inconsistent. The apostle avowed himself to be “sorrowful,” yet in the very same breath he added “yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10). Most assuredly those who claim to be accepted in the Beloved and journeying to everlasting bliss bring reproach on Him whose name they bear and cause His gospel to be evil spoken of, if they are doleful and dejected and spend most of their time in the slough of despond. Blessings Obtained by Prayer But we proceed one step further. The apostle here made known how these most desirable and requisite blessings may be obtained. First, they are to be sought in prayer, as is evident from Paul’s example. Second, they can only be attained as the heart is occupied with “the God of hope,” that is, the promising God, for the things we are to hope for are revealed in His promises. Third, these blessings come to us “in believing,” in faith’s laying hold of the things promised. “Fill you with all joy and peace in believing.” Many seek, though vainly, to reverse that order. They will not believe God till they feel they have joy and peace, which is like requiring flowers before the bulb has been set in the ground. You ask, “But how can I have joy and peace while engaged in such a conflict—mostly a losing one—with indwelling sin?” Answer: You cannot successfully oppose indwelling sin if you are joyless and full of doubts, for “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). There is no genuine joy and peace except “in believing,” and in exact proportion to our faith will be joy and peace. “That ye may abound in hope.” This clause gave the Roman saints and us the reason why the apostle made the above request, or the design he had in view for them. They were established as to the past, joyous in the present. He would have them to be confident as to the future. The best is yet to be, for as yet the Christian has received but an earnest of his inheritance, and the more he is occupied with the inheritance itself the better equipped he will be to press forward to it, through all difficulties and obstacles, for hope is one of the most powerful motives or springs of action (Heb. 6:11–12). In our day some of the Lord’s people need to be informed that the word hope has quite a different meaning in Scripture from that accorded to it in everyday speech. On the lips of most people “hope” signifies little more than a bare wish, and often with considerable fear that it will not be realized, being nothing better than a timid and hesitant desire that something may be obtained. But in Scripture (e.g., Romans 8:25; Hebrews 6:18–19) hope signifies a firm expectation and confident anticipation of the things God has promised. As joy and peace increase “in believing” so too does hope. The Power of the Holy Spirit “Through the power of the Holy Ghost.” The Father is the Giver, but the Spirit is the Communicator of our graces. Though it is the Christian’s duty (our responsibility) to be filled with joy and peace in believing and to abound in hope, yet it is only by the Spirit’s enablement such can be realized (God's provision). Here, as everywhere in the Word, we find the kindred truths of our accountableness and dependency intimately connected. The joy, peace, and hope here are not carnal emotions or natural acquirements but spiritual graces, and therefore they must be divinely imparted. Even the promises of God will not produce these graces unless they be divinely applied to us. Note that it is not merely “through the operation” but “through the power” of the Holy Spirit, for there is much in us which opposes! Nor can these graces be increased or even maintained by us in our own strength—though they can be decreased by us, through grieving the Spirit (Eph 4:30). They are to be sought by prayer, by eyeing the promises, and by looking for the enablement of the Holy Spirit. That hope is but a vain fancy which is not fixed on God and inwrought by Him. “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope” (Ps. 119:49). George Morrison...Joy and Peace in Believing Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing--Rom 15:13 It is a question we ought to ask ourselves, in our quiet hours of meditation, whether we really know the joy and peace which are the benediction of our text. It is a great thing to be resigned amid the various buffetings of life. Resignation is better than rebellion. But resignation, however good it is, is not peculiarly a Christian virtue; it marks the stoic rather than the Christian. The Christian attitude towards the ills of life is something more triumphant than acceptance. It has an exultant note that resignation lacks. It is acceptance with a song in it. It is such a reaction to experience as suggests the certainty of victory--the victory that overcomes the world. It is a searching question for us all, then, whether we truly know this joy and peace. Does it characterize our spiritual life? Is it evident in our discipleship? And that not only on the Lord's day and in the sanctuary, but in our routine dealings with the world. Joy and Peace in Daily Life Contrast, for instance, joy and peace in believing with joy and peace in working. Many who read this are happily familiar with joy and peace in working. It is true that work may be very uncongenial; there are those who hate the work they are engaged in. There are seasons, too, for many of us, when our strength may be unequal to the task. But speaking generally, what a good deal of joy and peace flow into the lives of men and women in prosecuting their appointed task. Again, think of joy and peace in loving; how evident is that in many a home. What a peaceful and happy place a home becomes when love lies at the basis of it all. The splendid attitude of children, their gladness that makes others glad, spring not only from the heart of childhood, but from the love that encircles them at home. Now Paul does not speak of joy and peace in working, nor does he speak of joy and peace in loving. His theme here is different from these: it is joy and peace in believing. And the question is, do we, who know these other things, know this in our experience of life and amid the jangling of our days. The Joy and Peace of God Is for Every Christian Think for a moment of the men and women to whom St. Paul originally wrote these words. Their cares and sorrows were just as real to them as our cares and sorrows are to us. They were called to be saints, and yet they were not saints. They were very far from being saints. Some were slaves, and some were city shopkeepers, and some were mothers in undistinguished homes. Yet Paul, when he writes to them, makes no exceptions. This blessing was for everyone of them. It never occurs to him that there might be anybody incapacitated for this joy and peace. We are so apt to think that an inward state of mind like this can never be possible for us. We have anxieties we cannot banish; we have temperaments we cannot alter. But just as Paul never dreamed there were exceptions in the various temperaments he was addressing, so the Holy Spirit who inspired the words never dreams there are exceptions now. This is for me. It is for you. It is for everybody who knows and loves the Lord. Not rebellion--not even resignation when life is hard and difficult and sorrowful- but something with the note of triumph in it, a song like that which Paul and Silas sang, a peace that the world can never give--and cannot take away. The Marriage of Joy and Peace Lest anyone should misread this inward attitude that is the peculiar possession of believers, note how here, as elsewhere in the Scripture, joy and peace are linked together. There is a joy that has no peace in it. It is feverish, tumultuous, unsettled. It is too aggressive to be the friend of rest; too wild to have any kinship with repose. Its true companionship is with excitement, and, like other passions, it grows by what it feeds on, ever demanding a more powerful stimulus and at last demanding it in vain. There is a peace that has no joy in it. "They make a solitude and call it peace." It is like a dull and sluggish river moving through an uninteresting country. But the beautiful thing is that on the page of Scripture as in the experience of the trusting soul, joy and peace are linked in closest union. The Kingdom of Heaven is not meat and drink; it is righteousness and joy and peace. The fruit of the Spirit is not love and joy alone; it is love and joy and peace. And our Lord in His last great discourse, when He declares His legacy of peace, closes with the triumphant note of joy. "These things have I spoken unto you" (and He had been speaking of His peace) "that your joy might be full." Whom God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. There is a joy that has no peace in it. There is a peace that is dull and dead and joyless. But the mark of the followers of the Lord is the mystical marriage union of the two. It is joy and peace in believing. And how eminently fitted is the Gospel message to sustain this fine reaction on experience. The Gospel is good news; it is the most joyful news that ever broke upon the ear of man. Sweet is the message of returning spring after the cold and dreariness of winter. Sweet is the message of the morning light after a night of restlessness or pain. But a thousand times sweeter, a thousand times more wonderful, is the message which has been ours since we were children and which will be ours when the last shadows fall. Do we believe it? That is the vital question. Do we hold to it through the shadows and the buffetings ? Do we swing it like a lamp which God has lit over the darkest mile our feet have got to tread? Then, like joy and peace in working and in loving (with which we are all perfectly familiar), we shall experience with all the saints joy and peace in believing. ><>><>><> The Pledge and Power of a Promised Hope (Romans 15:13) - When the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen left for the North Pole in 1893, he took with him a strong, fast carrier pigeon. For many difficult months, Nansen explored the desolate Arctic regions. One day during that time, he penned a tiny message, attached it to the pigeon, and prepared to release the bird to travel the 2,000 miles back to Norway Nansen took the trembling bird in his hand and flung her upward into the foreboding atmosphere. She circled three times and then headed south — a thousand miles over ice and another thousand over the ocean. When the bird finally arrived at the Nansen home, the explorer's wife knew her husband was safe. Similarly, the heavenly Dove, the Holy Spirit (Mt 3:16, Mk 1:10, Lk 3:22, Jn 1:32), brought encouragement (Ed: The essence of the meaning of His Name "Paraclete"-see related words parakaleo and paraklesis) and hope to the early Christians on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1, 2, 3, 4). Before the Savior left this earth, He promised to send them a Helper, a Comforter (Jn 14:16, 17, 26, 15:26, 27, 16:7, 8, 9, 10, 11). Today the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children (Ro 8:16-note). He assures us that All Is Well (Great song - take a moment and really listen to the encouraging words sung by Robin Mark) —Paul R. Van Gorder May God open the eyes of our heart to the great truth that... Christ departed so that His Spirit could be imparted. ><>><>><> The English poet Alexander Pope said, "Hope springs eternal in the human breast, man never is but always to be blessed." As Christians, we know there is only one sure and abiding source of hope, and that is God (cp 1Ti 1:1 = "God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus our hope"). If hope originated in ourselves, we would be cast into the depths of despair because life's complex problems have a way of squeezing every last ounce of it from our hearts. But when we trust God, hope abounds by the power of the Holy Spirit. In his book Live With Your Emotions, Hazen G. Werner quotes part of a letter from a woman who had run out of hope. She wrote, A vile and ugly sin had dogged my way for years. My soul had been eclipsed in darkness. I began to feel I would never be emancipated from its grasp. Then one evening in the midst of my despair, I felt the impulse to say, `Thank you, God, anyway,' and for a moment it was light. I said to myself, `That must be the way.' I began to thank Him still more, and the light continued and grew, and for a whole evening I was relieved of my burden. What that woman seemingly stumbled onto by accident, the psalmist (of Psalm 42) knew from experience. The power of gratitude can lift the weight of the most pressing trial. Turning the gaze of his soul heavenward, he saw God as an inexhaustible source of hope. When we get discouraged, we can talk to ourselves as David did: "Why are you cast down, 0 my soul? . . . Hope in God" (Psalm 42:5-note). No matter how dark the path, thank God for Himself. It will open a window to heaven and let in a ray of hope. —D. J. DeHaan. Hope, like an anchor, is fixed on the unseen. (See Hebrews 6:19, 20-note) ><>><>><> Prepare to Live (Romans 15:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) - In 1931, Jane Whyte felt she was nearing the end of her life. Her husband Alexander, the famous Scottish preacher, had died 10 years earlier. As she looked at the world around her, she was depressed by the moral and political chaos. There seemed to be no reason for her to go on, nothing for her to do. At dinner one evening, she sat next to a man who sensed her dejection. "What is your greatest concern?" he asked. "I'm preparing to die," said Mrs. Whyte. "Why not prepare to live?" he suggested. That was the question Mrs. Whyte needed to hear to break the deadlock in her life. She began to see that God wanted her to live and to touch others for Him. Her attitude changed and within a year she led a Christian outreach team on a mission to Geneva, Switzerland. That trip profoundly affected the lives of many people. Life can seem overwhelming at times, but God offers us hope. Paul wrote, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Ro 15:13). The hope we have in Jesus Christ Replaces all despair; He fills us with His joy and peace And shows His love and care.—Sper No one is hopeless who hopes in God. ><>><>><> Are You Full? (Ecclesiastes 6:7-12, Romans 15:13) - As a boy, I laughed and cried as I read The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. I gave little thought to the author of these books, though, until I saw a dramatized version of Mark Twain's life. Twain had his share of tragedy. He blamed himself for his younger brother's death in a steamboat accident at age 20, and for the death of his only son, who died from diphtheria at 19 months. He grieved bitterly over the deaths of two of his daughters—one from meningitis at age 23 and one from a heart attack at age 29. But instead of turning to God, Twain became bitter and pessimistic. When he died at 74, he was desperately lonely, unhappy, and hopeless. Mark Twain had an emptiness that could not be satisfied with money and fame. His success as a writer only increased his misery and sense of loss. His life illustrates the folly of living without God, which is described in Ecclesiastes 6:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. If only he had trusted Christ for salvation and looked to Him for comfort and fulfillment! Have life's hardships left you feeling empty and bitter, or have they strengthened your relationship with God and made you better? Turn in faith to Christ, and "the God of hope [will] fill you with all joy and peace" (Romans 15:13). — Herbert Vander Lugt The sun that hardens clay to brick Can soften wax to shape and mold; So too life's trials will harden some, While others purify as gold. —Sper Life's trials should make us better—not bitter. ><>><>><> Happiness And Faith (Romans 8:28-39) - The chorus of the old hymn "At The Cross" concludes with these cheerful words: "And now I am happy all the day!" I don't know about you, but I can't honestly say that just because I know Jesus as my Savior I'm happy all day. I'm a rather optimistic person and I don't let much get me down, but some circumstances don't warm my heart and make me smile. Troubles may make us wonder: Isn't our faith supposed to make us happy all the time? Shouldn't Jesus shelter us from harm and danger? Some people teach these things, but the Bible doesn't. God's Word makes it clear that we will have trouble. In Romans 8, for example, the apostle Paul talked frankly about tough times we could face (Ro 8:35, 36, 37, 38, 39). The fact is, Jesus doesn't protect us from all trouble, but His love and His companionship guide us as we go through it. A more realistic attitude than being "happy all the day" is one stated by a Christian who said, "Now that I'm saved, I'm happier when I am down than I was when I was happy before I was saved." With Jesus Christ, we can have real joy and make it through even the bad times. — Dave Branon The hope we have in Jesus Christ Brings joy into our heart; And when we know the love of God, His peace He will impart. --Sper Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Jesus. ><>><>><> Health-giving Hope (1Peter 1:13-21, Romans 15:13) - It is well-known that our emotions can have a profound effect on our bodies. And the condition of our bodies can affect our emotions. For example, a 1997 article in the journal published by the American Heart Association points to the negative physical consequences of hopelessness. It essentially said that those who had experienced extreme feelings of despair had a 20-percent greater increase in arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) over a 4-year period. Other studies have also connected hopelessness with heart disease, heart attacks, and death. The relationship between one's emotional well-being and physical condition, however, is not a modern discovery. In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, we read that "a merry heart does good, like medicine" (Pr 17:22), and that the wisdom found in God's words "are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh" (Pr 4:22). A proper relationship to God and His Word can benefit us spiritually, physically, and emotionally. The central concern of the gospel is to bring us into a right relationship with God through faith in Christ. Its blessed byproduct is an abundant life filled with health-promoting hope—the assurance of total forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Christ. — Vernon C. Grounds God's Word promotes the body's health, It soothes the ache of guilt and shame; For Jesus died to bear our sin, To give new hope in His blest name. —D. De Haan Hope in the heart puts a smile on the face.