The Virtues of Romans 5:3-4 – Part 3: Hope

“We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (CEB).

Hope

Paul says that character produces hope. Hope is not some ephemeral thing like that which might be, could be, or possible be. Hope can sometimes seem futile. Chicago Cubs fans will know all too well what I’m talking about!!! But hope is a big theme in Romans. Abraham’s faith was really a hope in God’s promises (Rom 4:18). Creation is subjected to frustration with a hope of overcoming it (Rom 8:20). Christians are saved in hope and hope means that we have to patiently wait for what we do not yet have (Rom 8:24-25). Paul hopes that his gospel will arouse Israel to jealousy (Rom 11:14). Christians are to be “joyful in hope” even amidst affliction (Rom 12:12).The Scripture were written so that we might have hope (Rom 15:4). Christ is the one who Isaiah prophecies that the nations will hope in (Rom 15:12 = Isa 11:10).

Most Anglican prayers end by looking forward to a “world without end.” Sadly though, we live today in a world without hope. The most basic of ambitions, the sweetest of dreams, and most cherished thoughts of men and women across the whole globe so often find themselves laid bare and busted by the cruel realities of the world around them. Death becomes the final destroyer of all hopes as it ends all chances of life and happiness beyond the vestiges of its dark grip. A somber thought, but hardly a new one, as such despair has been often expressed by thinkers. The ancient Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Most men ebb and flow in wretchedness between the fear of death and the hardships of life; they are unwilling to live, and yet do not know how to die.”[1] For the twentieth century existentialist Albert Camus, “He who despairs of the human condition is a coward, but he who has a hope for it is a fool.” But us Christians, we are gladly Camusian fools because in Christ we are not sufferers of Senecian wretchedness. The reason for that is because we have a hope that is high as heavens and as wide as the love of God in Christ Jesus. For the Scriptures point us towards a hope beyond the earthly mire and towards the sublime shores of a new heavens and new earth. No wonder why one of the most frequently repeated refrains in Psalm 119 is “I have put my hope in your word” because it is a word of promise and that promise was made good, is  made good, and will be made good in Christ. One of my favourite books by Tom Wright is his Surprised by Hope. In particular, I love his wonderful remark that, “Easter was when Hope in person surprised the whole world by coming forward from the future into the present.”[2] We might even say that hope became flesh and now the word of hope goes forth into the world. As such, the world does not end with a whimper or a slow slide into entropy. Instead, God in Christ has brought the future into the present and in doing so he has given us hope that the life and love in the Lord Jesus wins in the end.