The Hope of Future Glory: A Exposition of Romans 5:1-11

Romans 4 closed with a discussion of Abraham’s faith as a type or model of the Christian’s faith. Abraham believed in God “who gives life to the dead” and calls the things which do not exist as existing. (4:17) When elaborating on this Paul refers his readers to the events of Genesis 17, to that time in patriarch’s life when God changed his name from Abram to Abraham, which means “father of a multitude” (Gen 17:5). This name changed took place even while he and Sarah were childless. There were two characteristics of God that were especially important to Abraham at that time: He “gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.” I much prefer the marginal reading: “calls the things which do not exist as existing.”

God “gives life to the dead.”

In this context Paul has in mind body of Abraham which, because of it great age, was “as good as dead” and Sarah’s womb which was dead (4:19).

Having received the promise that he and Sarah would have a child and that through that child he would become the father of a multitude, the text says:

(Romans 4:19) Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

Abraham was not unaware of the difficulty of the situation – at least from a human standpoint. But His God “gives life to the dead.” Furthermore …

He “calls the things which do not exist as existing.”

God told Abraham: “A father of many nations have I made you.” This is something that belonged to the remote future – it would be centuries before this happened. But God puts it in the past tense: “A father of many nations I have made you!” When God made such a promise He was calling that which did not exist as though it existed already – that’s how certain God is of the future. And though he would never live to see it, Abraham “did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform” (vs. 21).

The God of Abraham “gives life to the dead”! The God of Abraham considers the future that He has purpose and determined on to be so certain that He speaks of it as though it has already happened. This is God! This is He in whom Abraham believed and his faith is to be a model of ours.

Romans 5:1-11

At the end chapter four the fist point is applied with respect to the Christians’ faith in God “who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead” (vs. 24). But when we come to the first half of chapter five, we have the application of the second point – that the future is certain with God. And Paul shows how this ought to affect believers as they face the future.

Having been justified by faith in Jesus is the beginning of what may be a long journey. “The road ahead seems long, and it is beset by many difficulties before reaching the final state of glory. How can we possibly make it all the way through to the end? How shall we deal with the problem of sin? What about the many tribulations that lie ahead? What about ‘the wrath to come’ at the final judgment? Will this grace in which we stand hold good all the way to the end? Can we be sure that it will be sufficient to take us all the way to glory? Surely the entire life of a Christian must be one filled with fear and anxiety.

“Not so, says Paul. God’s grace is sufficient to take us right on through to a triumphant conclusion, and we have every reason to manifest the triumphant spirit of a conqueror.” (L.A. Mott, Jr. Paul’s Gospel Among the Gentiles, A Study Guide on Romans, revised edition, p. 19).

The Spirit of a Conqueror

In the first two verses of chapter five Paul gives a survey of the entire experience of the believer in Christ. “Therefore, having been justified [past Action] by faith….” (vs. 1a) The word justified refers to the judgment that God has rendered. God, as judge, has acquitted us of all guilt; He has declared us to be not guilty! That’s past action.

In the second part of the verse Paul deals with the present condition of the believer: (vs. 1b) “… we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word reconciliation will be used in this passage (vs. 10). We are no longer enemies of God, alienated from Him, at odds with Him; but peace has been made through Jesus. Through Jesus we are the friends of God! Verse 2 also deals with the past: “through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.” (vs. 2) [As an aside, quickly notice how each of these conditions is through Jesus! Apart from him there is no justification, there is no peace with God, and there is no introduction into the grace in which we now stand. It is only through him by faith that we have access to these blessings. In the latter part of the chapter more will be said about the mediatorship of the Lord Jesus.] So in these first two verses the apostle speaks of the past and of the present. There is only one other direction for the believer to face and that is to the future, and Paul speaks of this too: “and we exult in hope of the glory of God [future]. The words we exult or we rejoice is literally we glory – it is the word that means to boast (cf. Rom 2:17, 23). Prior to this Paul had pointed out that boasting in human achievement is excluded by the gospel (Rom 3:27). But Paul is not here talking about this sort of boasting. Instead, he is speaking about boasting of the gracious provision of God in Christ – “we exalt in hope of the glory of God.” Such boasting is entirely appropriate.

The Greek word for hope (elpis) involves two aspects: desire and expectation (Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich [Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 15^th impression, 1974], 252.). It is not, then, a present possession (cf. Rom. 8:24-25); instead it is something that we look forward to. And what do Christians “exalt in hope of”? “The glory of God”!

In the prayer that the Lord offered on his way to Gethsemane he asked the Father that his disciples be with him “in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou has given me” (John 17:24). When we are with Christ we shall behold his glory; which is the glory that he had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5). However, not only shall we behold the Father and the Son’s glory, but we shall also share in that glory. Though this concept puts a stain on our imagination, the apostolic writings clearly teach that we shall share in the glory of God.

(1 Cor 15:42-49) So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is own in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, ‘the first man, Adam, became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

(Phil 2:20-21) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, but the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

(Col 3:1-4) If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

(1 John 3:2) Beloved, now are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.

What a magnificent concept God has put before us. At the coming of Christ “we shall be like Him,” “we will be revealed with Him in glory,” our bodies will be transformed “into conformity with the body of His glory,” “we shall … bear the image of the heavenly.” Dear brethren, does this not excite your mind? Does this not give confidence as you face the future? “We shall be like Him!” We “will be revealed with Him in glory.” It was with this hope that Paul lived with his chin stuck out, challenging the world to take its best shot. And we ought to live in the same spirit: triumphant, glorying, exalting, not in ourselves, but in what God has in store for us through Christ. This is entirely appropriate for the children of God.

And the Christian ought to possess this spirit of a conqueror not only when life is good, but in times of suffering! Too often Christians attempt to justify their gloomy disposition because of the difficulties they are having to face: My son or daughter is unfaithful! My husband or my wife is not living right! My parents are hypocrites! My life is hard! But hold on a minute. The man who penned these words, the one who said we “exult in hope of the glory of God” suffered too. He listed some of the things that he had to endure in 2 Cor 11:22ff. Did these trials and tribulations dampen his spirits? Here is his answer! “We also exult in our tribulations” (Rom 5:3a) Are you listening to what he said? “We also exult in our tribulations.” Paul does not say we glory in spite of them; but we glory in them. “‘We glory in the midst of them.’ We remain undefeated; we maintain the spirit of a conqueror even in the midst of tribulations.” (L.A. Mott, Jr. Faith in the Book of Romans [Gainesville, FL: Mott Books, 1977], 46)

With all of the power of hell assailing their faith through tribulations we remain undefeated; we maintain this spirit of conqueror. How can this be? Paul gives the answer; are we prepared to hear it? The tribulations that we are made to pass through serves to feed our hope.

(Romans 5:3-4) And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

Bear with me as I refer you to the translation of these verses as found in the New English Bible: ‘Let us even exult in our present sufferings, because we know that suffering trains us to endure, and endurance brings proof that we have stood the test, and this proof is the ground of hope.” This is how afflictions are transformed into hope. Don’t you know that as Paul went through tribulations that he must have must have increasingly understood that he was a stranger in this world? Don’t you know that as he suffered his thoughts must more and more have turned to heaven? ‘Heaven holds all to me,’ we sing. That must have been real for Paul! Hopefully it is real for us too. (46-47)

Hope is Not a Delusion

A complete circle is made in vss 3-4 – even tribulation is ultimately converted into hope. And Paul adds to this (Rom 5:5a): “and hope does not disappoint.” “When Jesus was on the cross he quoted the twenty-second psalm which begins with the words, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Let me call your attention to verses 4-8 of that same psalm: (47)

(Psalms 22:4-8) In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, {8} "Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."

“As Jesus hung on the cross he appeared to be a fool. He had put all his trust in Jehovah—and it looked as though he had been a fool for doing so. And his enemies mocked him. Of course we realize that was not the end of the story.

“Another psalm which helps us to understand this idea is the twenty-fifth, verses 2 and 3:” (47)

(Psalms 25:2-3) O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

These are just two of many “Old Testament illustrations of how those who put their faith in God will not be let down; they will not be humiliated before their enemies; their faith will not turn out to be in vain.” (48) Brethren, those who have trusted in great armies have been disappointed (cf. Psa 20:7); so have those who have trusted in the stock market. But there is one thing you can count on: “If you live a life of faith and pin all our hopes in God, you are not going to come to the judgment only to discover that the thing you gave your life to was only a groundless, hollow delusion. That is not going to happen. You are not going to live with this confident, glorying spirit in hope of the glory of God only to be humiliated at last; only to discover that you have been a fool.” That is not going to happen. (48) And how can we be so certain? “Because the love of God has been poured out within our heart. (vs. 5b). The New English Bible reads: “God’s love has flooded our inmost heart”

In the scriptures the heart is the center of the intellect. Paul is saying that the love of God has come to dominate our thinking and our consciousness. How did this come about? Paul answers: “through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (vs. 5c)

The Holy Spirit did not do this in some supernatural way, but through the apostolic message. He teaches us about God’s love for us. “If you had been present at the crucifixion, you would have witnessed some remarkable things. You might have even confessed with the centurion, ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’ But you could not have understood the meaning of the cross by witnessing these events. Even a witness of the crucifixion needed the revelation given the Spirit in order to understand it. But the Spirit came on Pentecost and made it all plain. He has caused us to understand what happened at the cross—that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son’; that God was commending ‘his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ That understanding of God’s love communicated to us by the Holy Spirit has flooded our hearts and enabled us to live without fear of the future, but rather, with assurance, glorying in hope of the glory of God.

“And so we start by looking at what God’s love did for us when we were enemies, estranged from God. Paul write about it … ” (49-50)

(Romans 5:6-8) For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

This is what God for us “while we were still helpless,” “while we were yet sinners,” while we were His enemies (vs. 10). Those in Christ are now none of these things! For we have been reconciled to God. “In verses 9-10 Paul shows that what God’s love did for us while we were enemies is a guarantee of what his love will do for us now that we are his friends and no longer enemies of God.” (50)

(Romans 5:9-11) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Do we understand what Paul is saying? “We are not sinners alienated from God any more. We are no longer enemies. We have been reconciled to God; we are at peace with God.

“… Paul is explaining the ground on which we can live with such an exalted, glorying spirit. When you consider what God’s love did for us when we were enemies, you can have confidence about what his love is likely to do for us now that we are not enemies any more. And you can face the future with a firm feeling of assurance, glorying in hope of the glory of God.” (50)

Make no mistake about it, Paul is not taking about a rebellious believer, one who has returned to serving the flesh; one who is no longer living by faith. He will make it clear in the latter chapters that such people are headed toward death (Rom 6:16; 8:12-13; 11:19ff). In these verses the one who lives with confidence is faithful – not perfect (this is never the case!). In the verses the one who exults in hope of the glory of God is the man or woman following “in the steps of the faith of … Abraham.” (Rom 4:12). This is the person who can live with confidence.

Brethren “we must cease to trust in our own goodness and learn to rest our hope on the love of God in Christ. If we will do that we will be able to face even the final judgment without fear; we will be confidence that we shall be saved from the wrath of God that is to come through the intercession which our loving Saviour is making for us. I think that is what Paul means when he says ‘we are saved by his life.” (51) And on that final day we shall be saved; but not just saved; we shall be saved as verse 11 suggests, exulting “in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” We will not just escape, “but we shall be saved in great triumph at the end. We manifest the spirit of a conqueror even now. We glory in hope of the glory of God. We glory even in the midst of the tribulations. And at the end we shall still be singing a song of triumph as we enter into glory.” (51) John, in his Revelations speaks of this, I believe when he wrote…

(Revelation 15:2-3)And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang^ the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!

Sometimes disciples live as though they thought God were against them. We wonder, What if I am struck dead unexpectedly and don’t have a chance to utter that last pray for forgiveness? I don’t have the answers to every question. But I can tell you this from what Paul makes known to the Romans: “God is for us” – not against us. (Rom 8:31) He is not trying to trap us (as if He had to). He is not just watching and waiting to catch us at some unguarded moment. God gave His Son to die for us. He wants us to be saved – and He has provided us with the means if only we will keep clinging to Him faith.

In chapter 8 Paul expands of what he has introduced in chapter 5. “After discussing the divine provisions for our salvation … Paul … sticks his chin out and challenges the world to take its best lick.” (52) Listen to the apostles words – the words of a conqueror and go and live likewise

(Romans 8:31-39) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Note: In this sermon I borrowed heavily from the studies that my brother and friend L.A. Mott, Jr. had done on this important book. Thanks L.A. for the great work that you have done which has helped my understanding of this significant letter from Paul.