“Hope”
Romans 6
Pastor David Moore
Old Testament reading: Psalm 42:1‐11
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God.
My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your waterfalls; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?” As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God.
Jesus transformed the cross. Jesus is our Hope. The death of Jesus means all who believe will have life. ~D. Moore
New Testament reading: Romans 8:14‐25
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
The Cross should remind us that Jesus changed our relationship with God, from enemies to heirs. The Cross changes our relationship with our past, from guilt to pardon. The Cross changes our relationship with our past sufferings because we are reminded that God has taken care of us once for all. ~D. Moore
Something of worth is what someone will pay for it. That’s really what something is worth. That’s what the Cross should remind you of is how much Jesus thinks you are worth, because we can see how much He paid for our salvation and hope. ~D. Moore
When we ask Christ to become a part of our life, God begins to shape us. We have become part of a new family. The Holy Spirit begins to shape our hearts and minds to reflect Christ. ~D. Moore
Three things that change in our lives when we allow Christ to be the center of our lives:
1. All our debts and obligations are taken away.
2. We get a new name and a new Father.
3. The new Christians’ life is reshaped to seek out the new Father and the relationship with the Father deepens.
~D. Moore
The Cross invites you to something new. A new way of life, with God Himself putting a bit of Himself in us. I have found following Jesus to be different than I expected. Not easier or harder, but more about trust and obedience than I suspected. I had grown up with an angry God and found a God that loved me despite myself. This is I suspect what Paul had discovered and wanted to convey to the Romans. Life wasn’t going to be perfect, but it was ultimately going to be good because God was good. And I say the same thing to us. ~D. Moore
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This week: allow the Holy Spirit to shape and mold your heart, with the expectation of Hope, no matter where you find yourself today. God bless.