Text: Romans 5:1–2, 5

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.   5 And hope maketh not ashamed;  because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.   

Friday, 26^th July 2024

THE JOY OF BELIEVING

Text: Romans 5:1–2, 5

Memory verse: Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

The unique experience of joy that every Christian experiences is by the power of the Holy Spirit in this age. We see it all over the New Testament, but Paul captures it beautifully in Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul describes the ground of this Spirit-empowered, joy-producing hope in Romans 5:1 that 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. 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. And Peter describes the inexpressible joy produced by the love we experience for the now-unseen Jesus, in whom we believe because of his Spirit-revealed word: 1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  

This is how the New Testament typically describes the joy we receive from the Holy Spirit: hope in the glory of God’s grace, received by faith, fills us with deep joy in the Spirit. He was watching the Father, by the power of his Spirit, reveal the gospel of the kingdom to “little children,” and fill them with hope in the glory of God’s grace toward them as they believed in it, that moved Jesus to “rejoice in the Holy Spirit” Luke 10:21. It was hope in the glory of God’s grace toward them that filled the Gentile disciples “with joy and with the Holy Spirit” as they believed the gospel,  Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

It was the hope in the glory of God’s grace toward them that filled the Thessalonians “with the joy of the Holy Spirit” as they believed the gospel message, even when they received it “in much affliction” 1 Thessalonians 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

CGDS HYMN 57: SS&S 20: 

COME SING, MY SOUL, AND PRAISE THE LORD

1. Come sing, my soul, and praise the Lord,

Who hath redeemed thee by His blood;

Delivered thee from chains that bound,

And brought thee to redemption ground.

Refrain:

Redemption ground, the ground of peace

Redemption ground, oh, wondrous grace

Here let our praise to God abound,

Who saves us on redemption ground !

2. Once from my God I wandered far,

And with His holy will made war ;

But now my songs to God abound ;

I'm standing on redemption ground.

3. Oh, joyous hour when God to me

A vision gave of Calvary;

My bonds were loosed,my soul un-bound :

I sang upon redemption ground.

4. No works of merit now I plead,

But Jesus take for all my need ;

No righteousness in me is found,

Except upon redemption ground.

5. Come, weary soul, and here find rest ;

Accept redemption,and be blest :

The Christ who died, by God is crowned

To pardon on redemption ground.

 Prayers 

1.  Lord Jesus, help me to abound in hope through the joy of the Holy Spirit.

2.  LORD God Almighty, fill me with all the joy and peace in believing You through the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name. Amen.    

3.  Pray for others in this regard.