Perseverance in Hope

Introduction

The theme of today’s message is directly connected to the first anniversary of Gospel for the Nations Church.

It is truly a moment of shared joy to see that, through faith in Jesus Christ and perseverance in the hope that is to come, God is glorified, as we allow ourselves to be led by the power of His Holy Spirit who lives in us, to accomplish what He has entrusted to us.

What brought us again to Koh Samui a little more than two years ago is the result of an unusual journey in life. It has been about fifteen years of seeking God’s will, making decisions, learning along the way, through difficult and joyful situations, but always having the desire to know more about who God is, through the work of Jesus and His Church.

Remaining active, living and serving together, and rubbing shoulders with one another, keeps us in a constant process of examining ourselves. It allows the Holy Spirit who lives in us to work, to prune us, to purify us, and to transform us, as we continually submit ourselves to the Word of God, which for us is the lamp that shines on our soul and our path.

Today, by the grace of God, this church celebrates its official one-year anniversary, but it actually began in August 2024 in our home. However, it is true that there have been many waves and storms.

They have all been formative, and above all, they have brought hope and the light of Christ to this island, with its many openly sinful practices, its many nationalities, religions, beliefs, idols, and much more.

We have shared beautiful moments, both in joy and in sorrow: the joy of seeing souls saved and of sharing life together as brothers and sisters, and the sorrow of seeing one or another of them leave, or of suffering because we choose to obey God rather than men.

But the purpose of this work is not whether we are happy or not, or whether we are fulfilled in the things of this world that are passing away. Rather, as we are going to see together, the purpose is to show the fruits of our salvation.

These fruits give us an inner strength, a supernatural and powerful strength through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, as we submit ourselves to Him, so that we can accomplish the works that God prepared beforehand for Koh Samui and elsewhere in the world.

I would also like to acknowledge all those who have remained with us from the beginning until today, in this boat which, by the grace of God and the obedience of His children, is still moving along this river against the current of the world.

We carry the Word of God at the top of the mast as our flag, the flag of the cross of Christ, with His disciples on board, suffering today so that Christ may be lifted up, but not for the things of this world.

So now, we are going to look together at this passage, which will help us understand that we now belong to God and that we have been reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ, so that those whom God has truly justified will persevere to the end in the hope of their glorification.

For the perseverance of the saints is not simply a possibility: those whom God has justified by faith, He will also cause to persevere to the end.

And this is exactly what we are going to see together today: Perseverance in Hope.

Reading of the Passage

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 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.” — Romans 5:1–5

Context of the Passage

The passage we are going to look at today is found in the Epistle to the Romans, one of the deepest and richest letters of the apostle Paul about the Gospel, sin, grace, faith, and salvation.

As John Calvin said: “When anyone gains a knowledge of this Epistle, he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture.”

Today, we are going to enter into one of these treasures, particularly Romans 5:1–5.

Paul wrote this letter probably from Corinth, around AD 56–57, at the end of his third missionary journey. He had not yet been to Rome, but he wanted to meet this church and then continue his mission toward Spain. This was his initial plan.

The church in Rome was made up of believers from different backgrounds, especially a majority of converted Jews and also Gentiles, living in the heart of the Roman Empire, in a deeply pagan society.

Paul reminds them that, despite their differences, all are sinners and all are justified in the same way: by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ.

This is exactly what Paul has explained in the chapters after this one: we are condemned because of sin, but we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. This is the difference between justification by the works of the Law and justification through the grace of God.

For the Word of God tells us that without faith, we cannot please God. 

This is also what makes our identity so different from other religions and beliefs: our faith is not based on visible things, or on things made by human hands, but on invisible realities, created and revealed through the powerful and divine work of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, through His Word, given by Him as a living testimony of who He is.

And now, in chapter 5, Paul begins to show us the fruits of this justification. More precisely, in verses 1–5, he shows us what this justification produces in the life of the believer: peace with God, access to His grace, the hope of His glory, perseverance in the middle of tribulations, and finally, a hope that does not disappoint.

It is with this understanding that we are going to enter into our passage.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — v.1

The first word we need to look at is this little word: “therefore.” Paul has just explained to us that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, now that we are justified, what does this produce in our relationship with God?

Our faith in Jesus Christ has justified us before God, reconciling us to Him and giving us peace with God.

This means that we, who were once under condemnation, separated from His holiness because of our sinful nature and destined for the wrath of God, have been declared righteous before Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

We are therefore forgiven by the righteous Judge of our souls and reconciled to Him through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

In other words, justification is the fact that God now declares us righteous before Him, perfectly forgiven.

We have to understand that we cannot save ourselves, because nothing we can do can justify us or change our hearts before God. The Bible tells us that there is only One who is righteous, Jesus Christ, and it is through faith in Him that we are saved.

And the condemnation that was upon us has been removed, not because we became righteous by ourselves, but because we believed in the perfect and righteous One, Jesus Christ.

And the works we are doing after our salvation are the fruit of it. They are the confirmation that we belong to Christ, that we have a new identity as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

This is what we call the doctrine of justification by faith, as it is expressed in our confession of faith.

The peace that God gives us is the peace that comes with this freedom, with this new birth in which we now walk. It is the peace that makes us say with joy, “Abba! Father!”

We were far away and lost, and now we are in the Father’s house, brought back by His grace and His love toward us.

We have become His children by adoption, united to His only Son, Jesus Christ, and we now share in the hope of His glory.

This part is very important for understanding the rest of the passage, because without understanding our salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, we cannot bear the fruits of this reconciliation.

This is the new beginning in this life on earth, which will bring glory to God and give us everything we need to accomplish God’s purpose, in every circumstance and in every situation.

But we will see this in the rest of the passage.

“Through whom we have also obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.” — v.2

There is here a divine and mysterious sequence that comes from God.

A faith that comes from Him, through the hearing of His Word, that illuminates our hearts and makes us understand that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of our souls.

Then, when we confess Jesus, God gives us His grace. The righteous Judge brings us into His peace, the peace that makes us firm in our faith for the years that we will spend here on this earth.

To remain firm in the assurance of our salvation, in our faith along our journey, and in our hope of Jesus’ return, it has to be characterized through action. The apostle Paul says that he is not ashamed of the Gospel, and that is what we, as children of God, have to show the people around us: that we stand together in unity, reflecting Christ in us.

Because when God saves us, He keeps us close to Him. Through His providential and divine work, He creates in us a deep desire to keep this relationship with Him, and to remain firm in this faith that helps us understand that God is taking care of us.

This faith helps us move forward each day with hope. It gives us hope for a better day, but also the hope of His soon return, so that we may share in the glory that has been promised to us in His Word.

This means that, in the difficult moments of life, God surrounds us with His love and keeps us close to Him, fixing our eyes upon Jesus.

Despite the afflictions, He helps us persevere when darkness is all around us, but our hearts remain filled with the light of the eternal life that lives in us. This is the grace in which we stand.

Not because we are strong enough to hold on to God by ourselves, but because God has brought us into His grace and keeps us there. It is when we are weak that He is strong! We are called to submit to the work of the Spirit of God!

“And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance.” — v.3

But here, the apostle Paul is not speaking about the afflictions of people who are not children of God, nor about those who belong to Christ but continue to follow the desires of the flesh.

Paul gives encouragement to those who are abiding in Christ, who persevere through faith in Him, and who acknowledge that they were going in the opposite direction from God through repentance, humbling themselves before the Father.

In fact, in the Parable of the Lost Son, the Father rejoices when the son comes back, confessing that he was fully aware of his condition, and receives forgiveness. He embraces his new identity with thankfulness, giving honor to the Father.

For a world without God, it is impossible to rejoice in the storms of life, because without hope, or without a clear understanding of what is happening, it is difficult to find a solution, isn’t it?

Who can rejoice in difficult moments and, at the same time, accept afflictions and rejoice in the difficulties we face because of our faith? A loss of a job? A difficult relationship with a husband or wife, or with our children? Deep discouragement? Without any purpose?

But for a child of God, led by the Holy Spirit, it is still and always a moment to bring glory to God, because the apostle Paul tells us that “if God is for us, who can be against us?”

Yes, tribulation in life produces perseverance.

The Greek word hypomonē, in this passage, speaks of a strong and steady endurance that holds on to God in the middle of pressure and trials.

More than simply waiting passively, it is an active perseverance, filled with faith, that refuses to abandon obedience or hope.

The different translations use words such as “endurance,” “perseverance,” or “patience,” but the meaning is a firmness that is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit, who keeps us under the trial until God’s purpose is accomplished.

In times of suffering or difficult events, God’s promises become active in the believer. They become for us like an anchor firmly secured in the middle of a storm.

The circumstances may change, the waves may be strong, and the winds may blow, but our hope does not rest on our circumstances. It rests on the promises of God, on His Word, and on the One who promised never to abandon us.

This is what allows us to remain firm when everything seems to want to make us give up.

The storm does not make the anchor disappear; instead, it shows us how strong it is, just as Christ in us is strong when we remain in Him and He remains in us.

And then, this perseverance produces something glorious in turn, which we are going to see.

For, as Jesus clearly said to His disciples, and by extension to all His people: “They persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” But He also promised that He would be with His people until the end of the age.

“And perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.” — v.4

The perseverance the apostle Paul speaks about is not the kind of perseverance that is involved in some action where, through stubbornness, we keep going out of pride or fear, trying to accomplish something for our own glory.

Rather, it is the proven character that comes through the trial when we are faced with adversity from every direction, in the world and in our daily lives, because of our position as children of God, standing against the darkness.

This is not to say that we are attacked from every side and therefore have to live in fear.

On the contrary, it is about realizing that, as children of God, we live, we think, and we reflect something opposite to what the world around us offers.

Living for Christ and in Christ forges our character and transforms us from glory to glory, so that we may become more and more like Him, and therefore be living testimonies of His grace in the world.

But the celebration happens when the trial has been overcome, our faith grows, and our hope becomes even more firmly established.

For we see the glory of God working through us and for us, like a loving and protective Father, keeping His children until the day when He decides to call us to the Kingdom of Heaven, our true homeland.

For yes, our hope is not in this world, but in the place where there will be no more suffering, no more death, where praise and cries of joy will be offered to our Lord for all eternity.

“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.” — v.5

The hope the apostle Paul speaks about is not the hope of the world, which promises things but whose fulfillment is imperfect, often deceptive, and mostly temporal.

This hope is in Jesus Christ. It comes from God, from the One who gave us life when we were dead and raised us with Christ, having been regenerated through the work of the Holy Spirit, who has poured His love into us.

This hope has no equal on this planet, because everything we hold on to in order to make us feel secure or stable here has a beginning and an end. But when we are saved, we have eternity.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Since this love has been poured out into our hearts, it is manifested during difficult moments, but also in moments of joy.

For this firm assurance that we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven gives us something that the world cannot give us: eternal life.

This promise becomes real to us when we understand the power of God’s grace, which we do not deserve and cannot buy, but which has been given to us by the Father through faith in Jesus Christ.

For us, His Church, for whom He shed His blood on the cross, let us remain attached to this promise when the days are difficult and we need to bring light to our hearts: “Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed in my hope.”Psalm 119:116

Conclusion

And to conclude my message, I would like us to look together at another passage that calls us precisely to this perseverance in hope.

After everything we have seen, it reminds us that this hope is not simply something that we confess with our lips. It is a hope that is demonstrated through a faithful heart and through our attitude toward God, especially when trials come.

Yes, when everything is going well, we might forget to be thankful to Him. But that is another topic.

Let us read together this final passage, which is particularly appropriate for us today, as we celebrate the first anniversary of Gospel for the Nations Church.

Let us read Hebrews 10:32–39. «But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through insults and distress, and partly by becoming companions with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul. »

May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ make us persevere in hope for many more years at Gospel for the Nations Church, always bringing Him honor and awe in everything, throughout His Word, and in the hope of His return.

Amen