In studying God’s grace over the last two years I have come to realize that everything God has done, is doing, and will do for me flows out of His grace. It begins with the truth that I am saved only by the grace of Jesus. His death and resurrection are the only hope I have for salvation. So, the hope I have comes solely out of the grace of Jesus.
Paul talks about the connection of hope and grace in Romans 5.
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.
God loves us and out of His love He gives us grace and His grace produce hope in us.
What does this hope produced by God’s grace do for us?
Hope gives us constant reason to rejoice.
We have obtained access through Jesus into fellowship with God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Circumstances and feelings will tell us otherwise, but the Holy Spirit working in our minds and spirits can empower us to choose to dwell in the joy of hope that God’s grace brings.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is by God’s grace rejoice in the hope of God’s presence.
Hope helps us to keep things in perspective
In Romans 8:18 Paul says, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” Funeral homes, hospital rooms, unexpected circumstances, health issues, financial worries, or marriage struggles – they all hurt and are discouraging, but they are all temporary and won’t be able to hurt us forever or take away the treasure that God has stored up for us in heaven. And God is bigger than any problem or struggle we will have and by His grace we will overcome them.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is by God’s grace dealing with our struggles and seeing that God has already overcome all that we face and gives us His victory.
Hope can spur us to incredible endurance.
In Psalm 27:13 David says, “I would have despaired, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
I have been serving local churches since 1975 and there have been times of discouragement, disappointment, and hurt. These have come mostly from other believers, people I was serving. I have to admit that many times I was tempted to quit, but each time God’s grace enabled me to overcome the discouragement and I am still serving.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the grace of God that is producing an enduring strength to get through life’s hurts.
Hope motivates us to get our lives in order.
Our hope, because of God’s grace, no longer depends on our own hard work and effort. The righteousness of Jesus is ours, and we can rest our whole lives, earthly and eternally, upon it.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living based on what Jesus by His grace has done for us.
We all need hope. Most see hope as wishing. Biblical hope is a confident assurance based on the promises of God and His faithfulness to fulfill His promises. God’s promises and His fulfillment are based on grace, because we don’t deserve them.
By God’s Grace Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
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