The ONLY Hope for Salvation – Surrendering to the Hope that is in Christ Jesus

Hello friends and welcome back to The Book of Romans Series. Today we will continue exploring chapter eight. Yesterday we left off with verse 17:

Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

So, now we know that if we share in His sufferings, we will also share in His glory. Paul follows with this by talking about present suffering and future glory:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the child of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into freedom and glory of the children of God. (Verses 18-21)

The glory that we will share in with the Lord does not compare to the sufferings we have here on earth. It will be a little suffering for much glory. When I say little, I don’t mean that the suffering itself will be minuscule, I mean that the suffering will be short, and the glory will be eternal. So, in suffering, and I know this is easier said then done, we should be praising God as if we aren’t suffering. Praise Him when you are in the valley as if you are standing on the mountain top!

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Verses 22-25)

We wait patiently for the redemption of our bodies (our adoption to sonship) because by this hope we are saved. So, what does Paul mean when he says, “But hope that is seen is no hope at all.”? Well, think of that analogy of ‘don’t put your eggs in one basket’. Go ahead and leave out the ‘don’t’ during this example – because this basket is worth putting all of those eggs in. Trust me.

In this hope (basket) alone we should put all our eggs in, even though this hope is not seen by our eyes made of flesh, because this is the only basket that will not break overtime. For if we put our eggs in the hope of things that are seen (the things of this world, the physical, what our flesh eyes CAN see), the basket will fall apart, and our eggs will be smashed. I know it is hard to put all your eggs in an unseen basket, but God is faithful. He will not forsake you. This basket will not break apart and you will not regret it.

I asked God to explain this waiting for hope further to me; and this is what I heard Him say:

You in Christ Jesus, you are sealed, marked, chosen. You already have what you eagerly wait for. But in the waiting, you are in God’s Spirit to bring others to the Father.

The reason we have the gift of the Spirit is not only so that we ourselves can be saved, but that we can use it to bring others to the Father so that they can be saved also. That way, they can receive the gift of the Spirit too.

If you are in Christ Jesus, you are in hope. You are in life. You are out of death. YOU ARE IN HOPE! You who are in Christ, you are bold in confidence because you have the ONLY hope for salvation. The ONLY hope that is real and true. The ONLY hope that lasts! You are in my loving sight. I will not forsake you. For I am for you.

The basket of hope that is unseen, as said in our analogy, is the ONLY true basket. God has been really speaking to me today. These words in italic were not my words, but the words that my Father gave to me.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercede for us through the wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Verses 26 & 27)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Verses 28-30)

God does good for those who love Him! For us who love Him, He predestined us, called us, justified us, GLORIFIED us! What a God He is! A God like no other. The ONLY God!

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced neither death nor life; neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord.

That was verses 31-39. Arguably my favorite part of the entire Bible. He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Let’s read that again:

HE WHO DID NOT SPARE HIS OWN SON, BUT GAVE HIM UP FOR US ALL – HOW WILL HE NOT ALSO GRACIOUSLY GIVE US ALL THINGS?

It is God alone who justifies, so who could bring any charge against us who are chosen? Who can condemn us? Christ is interceding for us. Who or what can separate us from Him? NOTHING! Not even death can separate us. NOT EVEN DEATH. Oh, how He loves us… Oh how awe struck I am every single time I read this. What a God He is – the ONLY God.

Smile. Nothing can separate you from the ONLY God, our ONLY hope. NOTHING! He loves you. He is for you:

If you are in Christ Jesus, you are in hope. You are in life. You are out of death. YOU ARE IN HOPE! You who are in Christ, you are bold in confidence because you have the ONLY hope for salvation. The ONLY hope that is real and true. The ONLY hope that lasts! You are in my loving sight. I will not forsake you. For I am for you.

Listen to Him today. And because I have been using my word surrender through this series; I will do so again today. I surrender to the hope that is in Christ Jesus.