I keep being drawn to Paul’s confession in Romans 5. What a confession of hope and glory! See these verses and take particular note of the hope that keeps bursting through them.

Romans 5:1-5—Therefore being justified by faith, we have (we have a fast hold on) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by Whom also we have access by faith into this grace (because we have believed, we have assurance that He is favorable in His disposition toward us.) wherein we stand (in which we are settled once and for all in God’s grace), and rejoice in (kaucháomai—and we glory in; we exult in) hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in (kaucháomai—we rejoice in; we exult in) tribulations also: knowing (settled in the conviction) that tribulation (that affliction, distress) worketh patience (results in a steadfast endurance); and patience, experience (and steadfast endurance brings about our being approved); and experience, hope (being approved gives us hope): and hope maketh not ashamed (and hope is not disgraced or put to shame); because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.

What a loaded string of words we have here! They are pregnant with life and power. This is brought about when we believe that the grace He extends to us brings us into a place wherein we can stand, settled and secured. All of this—God’s grace, our faith, our standing, our tribulations, our endurance and the approval that God give us—results in a hope that will never be dishonored. It all works together with the love that is poured out liberally in our hearts.

In these verses we find justification, peace, faith, access into grace, hope, glory and a steadfast endurance. These will go with us through the time of trouble (Psalm 27:5) to see the eternal Kingdom of God come on earth. They are all Kingdom qualities imparted to us through the work of the Lord Jesus.

With regard to hope and glory, Matthew Henry has said, “There is no good hope of glory but what is founded in grace; grace is glory begun, the earnest and assurance of glory.”

But there is something more, not directly connected with hope but kin to it, that I feel we must see in this Romans statement from Paul. It is in the part where he says we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also. What takes our attention is that the word rejoice in the phrase “we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” and the word glory in the phrase “we glory in tribulation also” are both from the same word in the Greek text. The word is kaucháomai, used almost exclusively by Paul in the New Testament. In Romans alone this word is translated boast, rejoice, glory and joy. The Jew makes his boast of God (Romans 2:23). We who are saved by the grace of God rejoice in hope of the glory of God (5:2). And not only so, but we glory in tribulations (5:3). We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ (5:11).

If the boasting is turned inward toward one’s own self, it becomes offensive. But turned toward God’s grace, toward the hope that He is being glorified, toward the tribulations that come because we stand in the grace of God, or if it is a boastful joy toward God, then it becomes not only acceptable, but a rejoicing for the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, having it in our lives makes us useful for God’s Kingdom on earth.

LORD, Teach me what it means to rejoice in the hope of Your glory. I need to boast more in You, in Your grace and in Your glory. Let my testimony be a rejoicing in Who You are and in what You have done. DEAR LORD, work all of this into all of our lives. And give us the grace to rejoice in the tribulation that is bound to come upon us.  Let it be seen day after day. Let the hope You are setting up in us become something contagious for others to receive into their lives.

The Forbidden Glory—Galatians 6:14