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Romans 4:18 – Faithful Expectation

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Will

Romans 4:18

who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”

Truth to Learn

Abraham’s faith was an unwavering, fully-expectant faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “hope” is the Greek word elpis, which means “hope” or “anticipation.” In English when we think of “hope,” we think of desiring something but not really expecting it to happen, or at best, thinking that there is a chance of it happening. This Greek word, however, means, “the desire of something with the expectation that it will happen.” It is more than just “simple hope,” it is “expectant hope.” For this reason, this word is often translated as “faith.”

“Believed” is translated from the Greek word pisteuō, which means “to believe in something to the point of having complete trust in it.” Again, the concept is not “yeah, I suppose I believe,” but “I know because I absolutely believe!”

The word “nations” is translated from the Greek word ethnos, which means “a race, a nation, or a group of people belonging and living together.” When contrasted to Jews, it is often translated as “Gentiles.” Here it is appropriately translated “nations.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now makes a reference again to the events surrounding Abraham’s moment of salvation, the point in time when God declared him as righteous. Here’s how Moses recorded it back in the book of Genesis:

Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6)

Today’s verse is a dramatic statement of the type of faith that Abraham showed when he believed God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations. It says, “Who, contrary to hope …” meaning that it was beyond reason for him to expect it. And yet he, “… in hope believed …” That is, Abraham had complete trust in the fact that this thing would happen without a doubt!

The thing that he believed was that he would be the father of many nations just as God had told him. So why should this be considered beyond expectation? Because Abraham was about 80 years old and Sarah, his wife, was about 70 when the promise was made. They were both beyond child producing years, and yet Abraham fully believed that not only was God capable of doing it, he believed without a doubt that God would do it. Now that’s faith!

What we sometimes overlook here is that Sarah lived thirty-seven years after Isaac was born. And, after Sarah’s death Abraham remarried (at the age of about 140) and had six more sons by his second wife, Keturah (See Genesis 23:1; 25:1,2).

Application

Is the faith of Abraham the kind of faith that you had when you believed that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins, thus saving you for all eternity?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 5:4 – Rejoice in Hope

Posted on January 1, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:4

and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Truth to Learn

Difficulties should give us hope and assurance of our salvation.

Behind the Words

“Character” is translated from the Greek word dokimē, which is derived from the verb dokimadzō, meaning “to test for the purpose of finding good.” It is the word used of testing gold to ascertain its value. Hence, dokimē refers to the quality that a person has after they have been tested and proven to be good or worthy. In that sense it means “proof of genuineness, trustworthiness or character (as it is translated here).”

This word “hope” is from a Greek word that we have looked at recently. It is the word elpida, which is a form of elpis, meaning “the desire of obtaining something good with the full expectation of obtaining it.” It is the type of hope that Christians have of being resurrected to eternal life. We certainly desire it and we have full expectation that it will happen because God has promised it to us.

Meaning Explained

Paul has been describing for us the effects of the justification we have through grace. One effect is that we have peace with God. Another is that we have access into grace, that is the throne of grace and the eternal effects of grace by which we have access to the mercy and presence of God. Also, because of our justification by grace, we rejoice in tribulation, which produces patience in us.

Paul now tells us that the patience we develop in times of tribulation, as it gets reinforced over and over again, produces character. Patiently enduring tribulation is a proof to us that the righteousness that God has bestowed on us is genuine.

This character, or proof of genuineness, then creates hope in us. Hence, the patient enduring of tribulation produces a proof of the genuineness of our faith (our righteousness) and knowing that this is genuine, we have a confident expectation that what God has promised He will certainly do.

If you think about it, believing His promise is what we did initially that resulted in God declaring us righteous. So, patiently enduring tribulation strengthens our faith. That’s why we can rejoice in tribulation! It is through tribulation and trials that our faith grows and we are being made more Christ-like.

In a sense, the trials that continually come our way are a confirmation that our salvation is real. And, as we encounter trials, we turn to our Heavenly Father for strength and wisdom, thus drawing us closer to Him. God does not isolate His children from difficulties; He graciously allows trials to help us grow.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells us that God will continue His work on us until the day He comes back:

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)

Application

The next time you go through a difficult situation (perhaps it’s right now), be patient. Give thanks to God that He loves you and wants you to grow stronger, becoming more like Christ. And, when these trials come, rejoice!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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1 Peter 3:15 – Godly Fear

Posted on January 26, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 3:15

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Truth to Learn

Standing firm in your faith is more important than giving in to the fear of what might be done to you by someone else.

Behind the Words

The word translated “sanctify” is the Greek word hagiadzō which means “to make holy or pure” or “to set apart.” But, the root of the word is hagos, which means “an awful thing” or “a fearful thing.”

“God” is translated from the Greek word theos, although the best texts use the word christos rather than theos. Christos means “the anointed one,” which we transliterate to the word Christ. It is equivalent to the Hebrew word mashiach, which we transliterate to Messiah.

The word “defense” is translated from apologia, from which our English word “apology” was originally derived. However, it doesn’t mean to ask forgiveness for a wrong done, rather it means “to give an answer or speech in defense of oneself.” In this verse it means to give an explanation for the hope that we have because of our faith in Jesus Christ.

Meaning Explained

Peter has just told us that we are blessed if we suffer for doing good and that we should not be afraid of their terror (those who would threaten us because of our faith). In today’s verse, Peter is making a play on words with regard to the notion of fear. He says, “don’t fear or be troubled by them [those who would threaten you], but put the fear of Christ the Lord in your hearts.” Part of the reason I think this is Peter’s meaning is because the opening phrase of this verse is a quote from Isaiah.

Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (Isaiah 8:13)

The remainder of today’s verse tells us that we need to always be ready to give a reason for our hope to anyone who asks us, and to do so with meekness and fear. We know that our God is both holy and just. That means that He is pure and fearsome Himself and that He will judge evil. We also know that we have been saved and set-apart from that judgment through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ and, as a result, we have a hope that others in this world don’t have. That hope, and the fear of God which goes along with it, should be so evident in our lives, especially when we are suffering for doing what is right, that others will want to know how we can keep such an attitude in the midst of our suffering.

Peter may have even been thinking of a specific martyr of the early church like Polycarp, one of the early church fathers and a disciple of the Apostle John. As he was about to be killed for his refusal to deny Christ and offer obeisance to the Roman emperor he said:

“Fourscore and six years have I served Him [Christ], and he has done me no harm. How then can I curse my King that saved me? Bring forth what you will.”

Application

If you were being threatened with death for refusing to deny Christ as your Savior, would you be able to stand forth confidently and make a profession like Polycarp?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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1 Peter 3:5 – Exemplary Holy Women

Posted on January 11, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 3:5

For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,

Truth to Learn

The example of proper adornment is in the Old Testament women.

Behind the Words

The Greek word hagiai, is translated here as “holy.” It is the feminine plural form of hagios, which we have studied in the past, meaning “holy” or “pure.” It carries with it the idea of being separated from the things of the world and from sin. It is also the word that is translated “saint” throughout the New Testament. These are those wives in the Old Testament who had set themselves apart from the things of the world to the things of God.

“Adorned” is translated from a form of kosmos, which as we have recently learned means “an orderly arrangement.” It is used here in the imperfect tense indicating past, repeated action.

The word translated “hoped” is elpidzō which comes from the primary word elpo, meaning “to anticipate, usually with pleasure.” Elpidzō means “to hope with full expectation of fulfillment.” These women were not simply hoping that God was going to take care of them, they trusted God’s promises.

Meaning Explained

Peter now makes a reference which sounds like a grandfather talking to his grandson, “Why, I remember in the old days wives used to …” Actually, Peter’s reference is to the times of the patriarchs, which we know because he uses Sarah as an example in the next verse. What was it about these women, and Sarah particularly, that interests Peter? First of all, they were holy. They did not succumb to the temptations of their day to assert themselves as something special independent of their husbands. They were not swayed by the fads and trends of those around them. Instead, they were committed, first to God, then to their husbands.

Secondly, these women “hoped in God.” They fully expected that God would be pleased with them because of their obedience to Him and because of their submission to their husbands. Today we would say that they were women of faith. Not only did they believe in God, but they also had such a confident expectation that God would take care of them that peace ruled in their lives no matter what happened.

These holy women of faith used to adorn themselves with a humble and quiet spirit, being subordinate to their husbands, according to Peter. These were not women who were interested in glorifying themselves, but God. They were not subordinate to their husbands because they were forced to, but because they knew that it was God’s will for them.

Application

Ladies, let me say once again that it is not wrong to arrange your appearance in an orderly manner (adorn yourselves). A Christian woman should present herself as set-apart for God’s use. Not by means of elaborate clothing and jewelry, and not by means of plain, drab clothing, long straight hair, and no make-up. Her outward appearance is to be modest, and the attitude of her heart, her submission to God and to her husband, is what makes her attractive to others.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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