The God of hope filling us with all joy and peace

Those who call themselves Christian should be followers of Christ trying to become ‘set apart‘ from the world or what in many churches is called ‘to become holy‘ or to be ‘saints’.

On the 30th of July we had from Paul‘s letter to the Romans chapters 5 & 6 a challenge for believers that they, “having been set free from sin” must now be “slaves to righteousness” (6:18).
Jeshua, the sent one from God showed us how a man can really follow the Will of God. He did not do his own will but the Will of his heavenly Father. By giving himself, offering himself, by the acceptance of God an end was brought to the earlier covenant and Mosaic Law, which spelt out all the ways that humans become classified as sinners in God’s eyes. In its place we have, says Paul,

“received the spirit of adoption, as sons (and daughters) by which we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (8:15).

When somebody is adopted it is possible that he or she does not see the adopting parents as its own parents, but we also have cases where they are really considered as the true parents. We also have to come to see the heavenly Father as our real heavenly father. Let us sense as fully as we can that we became the adopted children of God when put on the name of his Son in baptism; let us think positively of the wonder and privilege of this!

It was a spirit which transformed the world of the first century – and there was a renewal of this spirit to a considerable degree in the wider world when the Bible was first printed and available for all to read.

Chapters 7 & 8 today go together; we should ignore the chapter break. It is essential we develop a spiritual mind, in contrast to a fleshly mind – there is nothing in between.

At the time of baptism we got changed and buried with Jesus by baptism into death (Romans 6:3-4). For when we were in the flesh the passions of sins, those by the law, were energetic in our members to bring forth fruit to death. (Romans 7:5) But when we made our choice to become a Christian and asked for a baptism we did it because we wanted to live according to the spirit and having our minds set on the things of the spirit in the knowledge that… the mind of the spirit is life and peace” (verses 5,6).

Inactive from the law, having died in what we were held does not mean we are death in our actions, but just the opposite, that we got a new fire to have bigger actions. Also it brings us to aiming for more knowledge and keeping more to the Biblical truth and not to human dogma‘s. The more we meditatively read God’s Word we shall receive more knowledge and insight.

The command found to us which is for life, having given our previous life to death, coming to live reborn in Christ. Paul makes it plain that believers are dead to the law as far as it represents a principle of living or a place of right standing before God. Now being free from the law we can bear proper fruit by the true clear water we drink from the Holy Scriptures. By reading the Bible, studying it, thinking about it we can get our minds going in the right way.

We can rejoice in the law of God, according to the man within. (Romans 7:22) We put delight in it because we do know it is the most righteous law and the best thing to meditate on it and to follow for us.

Psa 1:2 The Scriptures 1998+ (2) But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה {Jehovah}, And he meditates in His Torah day and night.

Psa 119:33-39 The Scriptures 1998+ (33) Teach me, O יהוה {Jehovah}, the way of Your laws, And I observe it to the end. (34) Make me understand, that I might observe Your Torah, And guard it with all my heart. (35) Make me walk in the path of Your commands, For I have delighted in it. (36) Incline my heart to Your witnesses, And not to own gain. (37) Turn away my eyes from looking at falsehood, And revive me in Your way. (38) Establish Your word to Your servant, Which leads to the fear of You. (39) Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your right-rulings are good.

Psa 119:97 The Scriptures 1998+ (97) O how I love Your Torah1! It is my study all day long. Footnote: 1See also vv. 113, 119, 127, 163, 165, 167.

Having the Bible as our meditation all day we can continuously grow in knowledge of the truth. We love the Law because it is God’s Law, and it lives because He lives! God’s Law leads us to Him, reveals Him to us, draws us to Him, binds us to Him, and teaches us how to dwell in peace within the circle of His love and holiness

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God’s own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn the sin in the flesh, that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.(Romans 8:3-4)

Though we live in this world we have chosen to live in God’s world not living according to the flesh set our minds on the things of the flesh, but living according to the Spirit, having set our minds on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)

“For those in Christ a process of deliverance is begun, which will only be finished when our bodies are glorified.” {Robert Roberts }

As long as we are for God and show we are trying our best to be “slaves to righteousness” God shall be with us.

In the knowledge that the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope we have a growing hope in our hearts in the assurance that God accepted the grace offering of His son. Many may laugh at us because we do believe in things man cannot see, but if we hope for that which we do not see, we wait for it with patience, and God shall make sure that the righteous shall get righteousness.

Meanwhile the Spirit shall be there for us and helps our weaknesses, for we do not know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26) The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God; and if children, also heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:16-17 )

We have lots of good hope because we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. It is the God of hope Who fills us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in the hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Christians can be joyful because of what God has already done for us and is doing for us. We can also be peaceful as we realize what He is doing for us now and what He will do for us in the future (Romans:2; 13:11).

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