009-004: We exult in our suffering- The outworking of glory in our present sanctification (ፍጻሜ ገንዘቡ የሆነ ሕዝብ – ክፍል 2)

We Exult in our Suffering

( Refer to the booklet on p12)

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:2–5 (ESV)
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This is the second part of our exposition of Rom 5:1-10. Last week we have talked about the glory of God as our future hope. That is the context in which we live our lives.Today, we focus on the second aspect of that hope. The hope is working in us in two ways: These two are connected with the word, exult/ rejoice – καυχώμεθα (kauchōmetha) meaning we boast/ exult.

• External Hope: We exult/rejoice in the hope of the glory of God
• Internal Hope: We exult/ rejoice in our present suffering producing hope

The outworking of glory in our present sanctification

The objective hope of God’s glory is also a present subjective reality through the Holy Spirit. There is a person abiding in us, whose primary mission is to conform us to the image of the son of God. There is a deep interwoven thread between what we believe, the truth, and the presence of God through the indwelling Spirit (1 John 2: 24-25). This indwelling Holy Spirit within us, is an Old Testament imagery of Temple. The Tabernacle of Moses, and the Temple of Solomon were sanctified by the cloud of Glory descending. God yet promised one more time that he would send his holy Spirit, whom he sent on the day of Pentecost. Because of this reality, scripture calls the people of God, the Ecclesia/ the church, the end time temple. As we go through trials and temptations in the present, the fact that we are enduring in the faith, persevering through trails with a proven character, attests that we ourselves are like living stones being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5) I would like you to see that this is not a separate process from the first hope, hope of God’s glory. Our final glorification is at work in the present. we are being transformed in to the likeness of His son, now. That means we are receiving it with a measure, our final glorification namely our sonship. This present sanctification is our hope. Why? because it shows us that we are partaking the life of Christ in the present. It is a subjective assurance that evidence itself through a transformed life! This gives us hope. Not the changing of our circumstances, but by the change of our lives. God is working in us.

• The first result of justification is peace.
  • The idea of peace is shown with the word “reconciliation”. In the OT peace/shalom is the gift of the last days when God fulfills his covenantal promises to his people (Isa. 9:6–7; 32:15–17; 48:20–22; 54:10; Ezek. 34:25; 37:26; Mic. 5:4–5; Hag. 2:9; Zech. 8:12);
• The second result of justification through Jesus Christ is “access into this grace in which we stand”
  • Temple Imagery (Heb. 4:14–16; 9:11–14; 10:19–22; 1 Pet. 3:18)
  • Royal overtone: Entrance to presence of royalty (Eph. 2:18; 3:12).
  • Paul wants to assure believers that they will be saved from final judgment of wrath (Rom. 14:4; 1 Cor. 10:12).
• The second result of justification is Hope
  • “Exulting in the hope of God’s glory
    • Those who scorned God’s glory (Rom. 1:21–23) and have fallen short of it (3:23) are now promised a future share in it.
      • The glory believers will experience is a gift of God’s grace(Rom 8:17, 18, 21, 30) showing that this glory is a future reality, not a present possession.
      • The already–not yet aspects that we have talked about in our first session, is reflected here “Believers are righteous in God’s presence, partake the eschatological covenant of peace, and we stand in the end-time gift of grace. However, the full promises of salvation have not yet been realized. It is still hope” We still await future glorification, which will involve our complete moral perfection and restoration to glory that Adam lost in the paradise of God when he rebelled (Rom 5:12).
  • “Exulting in our present suffering producing hope”
    • First, afflictions produce endurance. (Rom. 2:7; 8:25; 15:4, 5; 2 Cor. 1:6–7; 1 Thess. 1:3)
    • Second, endurance produces tested character; (James 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:7).