“July 30, 2024 - How God's Love Builds Hope”

Monday, July 29, 2024

How God’s Love Builds Hope

Reading:  Romans 5:6-11
    
    Two thoughts dominate this section:  that God loves us and that this means not only present reconciliation, but future salvation.  Paul has argued that “hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts”(Rom 5:5) and now explains the degree of love he is describing.  “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”(Rom 5:6-8).  God’s love was unilateral and independent of any virtue on our part.  God loved us long before we were lovable, while we were in rebellion against him.  Paul explores human comparisons (“one will scarcely die for a righteous person”) to highlight the boggling depth of God’s love.

    But that love also gives us hope as we look forward.  “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved from him by the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life”(Rom 5:9-10).  God’s love gives us assurance that we are now justified and reconciled to him—safe for now.  Yet that love also promises that in the future, when the wrath of God comes on evil, we will be saved.  Now instead of the death we deserve, we will receive “his life”—an idea he will flesh out in the verses that follow.  If God loves me now enough to give his Son for me, I can know he will love me enough to safe me at the end.  His love gives me hope.

    Jesus is the eternal proof of God’s love.  Our unworthiness makes the gift even more amazing.  God wants our salvation, not destruction.  He is not against us or eager to punish us.  This gives us hope that the life that we have a taste of now will be ours when Jesus returns.

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One Thing to Think About:  How much must God love me?

One Thing to Pray For:  Confidence in God’s will toward me—especially as I approach death 
 

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