“HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT” Romans 5:5

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT" [Romans 5:5]

"Rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also
glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does
not disappoint, BECAUSE THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED
OUT IN OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WAS GIVEN TO
US" [Romans 5:2-5].

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

"Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our
Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, OUR HOPE" (1 Timothy 1:1).

Hope is indispensable and essential in the life of the believer and without it no one can succeed in life. Hope is founded on faith and trust in God’s unconditional agape for us. For those who truly believe in Him and feel His presence within their heart, hope brings an overwhelming warmth and joy within it. The Christian truly finds it impossible to separate the three God-given virtuous faith, hope and agape. One cannot have one without the other for they are interdependent.

The human being cannot function without faith, without hope and without agape. Our earthly life depends on all three to have any purpose or meaning. The Holy Apostle Paul writes: "that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partakers of his hope" (1 Corinthians 9:10). Everything that we do in life is based on the hope that good things will occur and that our Lord will inspire us to make a difference not only in our lives but in the lives of our fellowman. Saint Paul is speaking to those who are overtaken by negative feelings when he says, "We are hard pressed on every side, YET NOT CRUSHED; we are perplexed, BUT NOT IN DESPAIR; persecuted but NOT FORSAKEN; struck down, but NOT DESTROYED" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). This is victorious, but not trouble-free, Christianity. These trials "show both the power of God, an, more, disclose His Grace" (Saint John Chrysostom). Furthermore, he writes: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). Despite Saint Paul’s hardships and sufferings, he sees God’s everlasting "glory" and calls his trials "light affliction."

A truly committed Christian never gives up hope and would be unthinkable to contemplate it. The Christian is not a defitist but one who finds strength in God’s grace and promise. His or her attitude is explained in the wise words of Prophet Habakkuk: "For though the fig tree will not bear fruit and there be no grapes on the vines; The labor of the olive three fail and the fields yield no food; though the sheep have no pasture yet I will glory in the Lord; I will rejoice in God my Savior. The Lord God IS MY STRENGTH; He will direct my feet to the end; He will set me upon high places, sot to conquer by His song" [3:1719).

Without hope or losing hope life becomes unbearable and painful. Losing hope in God and in one’s self produces anxiety, stress, and despair. Think of a person who is ill and if this person loses hope of being healed or recovering from his/her illness how would he/she endure the suffering and torment brought about by the illness. Our Holy Orthodox Church commemorates and honors the countless holy Martyrs who suffered horrific tortures. How could the Christian Martyr endure all the suffering, agony and pain if they did not hope that it would lead to heavenly the crown of glory? It is imperative that we hope in God our Savior to overcome all temptations, all trials, all challenges, all disappointments or failures in life.

Prayer is based on hope. Hope in the love of God Who loves us and is willing to die for us to save us. The Christian needs only to glance at Jesus’s Cross to understand how much He loves us. The Christian must always remember the Cross to feel, if it is humanly possible, Christ’s suffering, pain, humiliation, and sacrifice when He was willing to die to save all of mankind. How can anyone compare his own sufferings to the suffering of the Son of God, Jesus Christ? If we suffer it is because of our own mistakes and lack of faith in God and at times in ourselves. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not deserve to be crucified, tortured and killed. When we see Him on the Cross, we see injustice and man’s cruelty. But we also see Our Lord, God and Savior Victorious and Triumphant.

Faith, hope and love lead us to victory and triumph. Our All-Merciful and All-Loving God has given us all the tools and the power to overcome any problem, difficulty, injustice, and disappointment in life. It is up to us to use them and to know that He is always with us. We only need to believe in Him, to trust Him, to hope in Him and surrender to Him. God knows what is best for us. We must aside our pride, our arrogance, our disbelief, our ambitions, our pessimism and embrace His wisdom and guidance.

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George