Hope That Will Not Disappoint
Devotions for Growing Christians
Hope That Will Not Disappoint
Romans 5:5-8 - And hope does not disappoint; because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for a good man someone would dare even to die.8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Have you ever really thought about the words of the familiar Christmas carols that we sing year after year? Like “O Little Town of Bethlehem”? Listen to these words: "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." What hopes and fears were met in Bethlehem on that first Christmas night?
The age-old fears of mankind could be summed up in the question, "Is there Someone out there to whom man has to answer?" The hopes of all the years are centered in the longing to know, “Is there Someone out there who cares?” The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem brought an end to mankind’s fears and gave substance to the hopes. But how can we really know? How do we really know that the Christian hope in Jesus Christ will not disappoint us, deceive us, or delude us in the end?
The answer is what Romans 5:5-8 is all about. These verses tell us that we can be sure our hope will not disappoint us in the end!
In Romans 5:5-8 the apostle Paul used two sides to the argument to drive home the truth. Let's call them the personal, or subjective, side, and the historical, or objective, side.
Personal
The personal side of the argument is contained in verse 5: "Because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." The Spirit of God has made His permanent home in every Christian. What is He doing there? He is imparting the love of God to us. Does the "love of God" mean our love towards God, or God's love toward us? The answer is - it can mean both! The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God by communicating God's love to us, and by producing our love for God.
The best evidence that God's love has been communicated to us is not a "warm fuzzy feeling" inside, or a "spiritual high" at a retreat, or an ecstatic experience somewhere along the line. No! It’s the fact that we actually love God! Think back on your closest moment with the Lord. The evidence that you were sensing the flood of God's love was your response: "O Lord, I love you!"
Only a true Christian has love for God! Others may have a healthy respect for Him. They may try to "chalk up points" with Him. They may even try to defend Him - but "the fears of all the years" are still there. But when a person actually loves God, that’s evidence that something unique has happened. Do you love God?
Even a non-believer is hard-pressed to explain the love of God within a true Christian. It has never been natural for mankind to love God. Your love for God is evidence that God's love has been communicated to you. It is personal proof that the Christian hope in Jesus Christ is not just wishful thinking.
Historical
The historical side of the argument is found in verse 6-8. There really was a man named Jesus who was born in history at Bethlehem about 2000 years ago. That He claimed to be the Christ, and the hope of all mankind cannot be denied - even by his critics. That He had supernatural power and went about doing good is authenticated. That He was was resurrected from the dead has ample evidence - evidence that no skeptic has ever been able to dismiss! And that He willingly gave up His life tor His enemies is also historical fact - but the non-believer has a very hard time explaining that. Has anyone else in history ever done that?
Soldiers have been known to die for their close buddies. Parents have given their lives for their children. But a person giving his or her life for another person is extremely rare - even when that other person is a really nice guy (v7). But Jesus Christ voluntarily died for the ungodly (v6)!
Jesus Christ was born to die. The first Christmas anticipated Good Friday. Our Lord was not born by chance, and He did not go to the cross by chance. His life and death were in God's appointed and fixed time - "at the right time" (v6). The Lord Jesus foretold His own death when He said, "For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). This is why Jesus voluntarily gave up His life. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (v8). He died for us!
The only logical and consistent explanation of what took place in history from the time at Bethlehem to the time at Calvary is that God was "demonstrating His own love toward us" (v8). Here is objective proof that God loves us, and that our hope in Him is not futile.
The next time you're discouraged, and wishing you could feel more of the love of God, think about how God demonstrated His love. Looking inward at your own feelings can be very disappointing at times, so look outward at what God has done in history for you. The Lord Jesus died for us in history - whether we feel it or not! This is historical proof that the Christian hope is not a hoax.
On Christmas morning there will be a few disappointed children when a particular gift they hoped for is not under the tree - but the Christian hope in the Lord Jesus Christ is completely different! We have a hope that will not disappoint us in the end! Praise God!
- Dave Reid