On Sunday we arrive at part seven of our eight-part series of sermons on Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul’s epistle, written in the mid-50s of the first century, has been described as ‘arguably the single most important work of Christian theology ever written.’ James Dunn.
In Chapter 12 we come to the final section of the letter in which Paul explores some of the practical outworking of the theology he has been developing. He gives a lot of guidance about living the Christian life and includes the following:
‘Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.’ Romans 12.12
During his life, the Apostle Paul faced many challenges and hardships in the form of opposition and persecution as well as personal struggles. He knew from experience that Christians are not given a free pass when it comes to suffering. We are sometimes called to patient endurance. We face the temptation to give up praying when the answers we seek don’t come, but we are called to persevere.
Paul was realistic about the difficulties of life but could still ‘rejoice in hope’. Our own difficult circumstances might drive us to despair. When we look at the wider world with its conflicts, poverty, and climate challenges, we could feel hopeless. So, how can we rejoice in hope?
Paul’s hope was rooted in his confidence in God. He knew that the apparent hopelessness of Jesus’ death was the means of salvation for the world! And against all human expectations God had turned things around in Jesus’ resurrection.
The ultimate and eternal reality is a God of love, justice and goodness. However bad things are, we know that love, goodness and justice will triumph in the end.
The prophecy of Habakkuk in the Old Testament ends with these amazing words:
‘Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
and makes me tread upon the heights.’
We need not pretend that our lives are without difficulties and struggles, but we need not despair. Whatever we are going through the truth remains that God is with us and his goodness and love are eternal. So let’s, ‘Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer.’
I look forward to sharing more of Romans 12 on Sunday.
With best wishes, Stephen