Romans 15:13

Now the God of hope - A glorious title of God, but till now unknown to the heathens; for their goddess Hope, like their other idols, was nothing; whose temple at Rome was burned by lightning. It was, indeed, built again not long after, but was again burned to the ground.

Now the God of hope - The God who “inspires,” or “produces” the Christian hope. All joy and peace - Rom 14:17. If they were filled with this, there would be no strife and contention. In believing - The effect of believing is to produce this joy and peace. That ye may abound ... - That your hope may be steadfast and strong. Through the power ... - By means of the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit. It is by his power alone that the Christian has the hope of eternal life; see Eph 1:13-14; Rom 8:24.

As Christians are one body in Christ, so the great law of love binds them to act in all things with tenderness and consideration for their brethren in "the common salvation" (Ro 15:1, 2). (2) Of this unselfishness CHRIST is the perfect model of all Christians (Ro 15:3).

POWER is the special and peculiar prerogative of God, and God alone. “Twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” God is God; and power belongeth to him. If he delegates a portion of it to his creatures, yet still it is his power. The sun, although he is “like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race,” yet has no power to perform his motions except as God directs him.

POWER is the special and peculiar prerogative of God, and God alone. “Twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” God is God; and power belongeth to him. If he delegates a portion of it to his creatures, yet still it is his power. The sun, although he is “like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race,” yet has no power to perform his motions except as God directs him. The stars, although they travel in their orbits, and none could stay them, yet have neither might nor force, except that which God daily infuses into them. The tall archangel, near his throne, who outshines a comet in its blaze, though he is one of those who excel in strength, and hearken to the voice of the commands of God, yet has no might except that which his Maker gives to him. As for Leviathan, who so maketh the sea to boil like a pot, that one would think the deep were hoary; as for Behemoth, who drinketh up Jordan at a draught, and boasteth that he can snuff up rivers; as for those majestic creatures that are found on earth, they owe their strength to him who fashioned their bones of steel, and made their sinews of brass. And when we think of man, if he has might or power, it is so small and insignificant, that we can scarcely call it such; yea, when it is at its greatest—when he sways his sceptre, when he commands hosts, when he rules nations—still the power belongeth unto God; and it is true, “Twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God.” This exclusive prerogative of God, is to be found in each of the three persons of the glorious Trinity. The Father hath power; for by his word were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them; by his strength all things stand, and through him they fulfil their destiny.

I WOULD address myself, this morning, to a special class and if there should be no spiritual instruction for others, I trust that they will follow what is said with their prayers, that the word may be useful to those for whom it is mainly intended. There are a large number of persons who profess to have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ but who assert that they have no joy and peace in believing.

I WOULD address myself, this morning, to a special class and if there should be no spiritual instruction for others, I trust that they will follow what is said with their prayers, that the word may be useful to those for whom it is mainly intended. There are a large number of persons who profess to have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ but who assert that they have no joy and peace in believing. They do not make this profession by union with the Christian Church or in any open manner, but when they are pushed upon the matter of personal salvation, they will sometimes tell us, "I do believe in Christ, but still I am so unhappy, I am so miserable, that I cannot believe that I am saved." That statement being tantamount to this—that the Word of God declares that whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned—but they assert that they have believed in Jesus and nevertheless they are haunted with fears of condemnation which lead them to believe that they cannot have been delivered from the wrath to come. Now, I shall suppose that the persons whom I am trying to address this morning are sincerely anxious to be saved and that they are not raising this difficulty by way of cavil. If they are cavilers, I shall not attempt to deal with them this morning. Such persons need a discourse to themselves. I am speaking to tender hearts, or to those who desire to have tender hearts—to those who have their faces towards Jerusalem though as yet they travel in the dark. If you are really desirous to obtain joy and peace through believing, we trust God may bless you to the obtaining of it this morning. We suppose, also, that the persons whom we are addressing are not laboring under any bodily sickness such as might bring on hypochondria feelings and those despondencies which are rather the symptoms of physical disease than marks of spiritual feeling.

I DESIRE to draw your attention, at this time, to the great necessity which exists for the continual manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit in the Church of God if by her means the multitudes are to be gathered to the Lord Jesus. I did not know how I could much better do so than by first showing that the Spirit of God is necessary to the Church of God for its own internal growth in Grace.

I DESIRE to draw your attention, at this time, to the great necessity which exists for the continual manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit in the Church of God if by her means the multitudes are to be gathered to the Lord Jesus. I did not know how I could much better do so than by first showing that the Spirit of God is necessary to the Church of God for its own internal growth in Grace. Hence my text in the 13th verse, "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit"—where it is evident that the Apostle attributes the power to be filled with joy and peace in believing, and the power to abound in hope, to the Holy Spirit. But then, I also wanted to show you that the power of the Church outside, that with which she is to be aggressive and work upon the world for the gathering out of God's elect from among men, is also this same energy of the Holy Spirit. Hence I have taken the 19th verse, for the Apostle there says that God had through him made "the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God." So you see, dear Friends, that first of all, to keep the Church happy and holy within herself there must be a manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit. And secondly, that the Church may invade the territories of the enemy and may conquer the world for Christ, but she must be clothed with the same sacred energy. We may, then, go further and say that the power of the Church for external work will be proportionate to the power which dwells within her. Gauge the energy of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of Believers and you may fairly calculate their influence upon unbelievers.

THIS is one of the richest passages in the Word of God. It is so full of instruction that I cannot hope to bring out even so much as a tenth of its teaching. The Apostle desired that the Roman Christians might be in the most delightful state of mind, that they should be filled with joy and peace and that this should lead on to yet further expectations and create an abundance of hope in their souls.

THIS is one of the richest passages in the Word of God. It is so full of instruction that I cannot hope to bring out even so much as a tenth of its teaching. The Apostle desired that the Roman Christians might be in the most delightful state of mind, that they should be filled with joy and peace and that this should lead on to yet further expectations and create an abundance of hope in their souls. See, dear Friends, the value of prayer, for if Paul longs to see his friends attain the highest possible condition, he prays for them! What will prayer not do? Whatever you desire for yourself or for another, let your desire be prepared like sweet spices and compounded into a supplication—then present it to God and the benediction will come. I gather, also, from Paul's making this state of happiness a subject of request unto God, that it is possible for it to be attained. We may be filled with joy and peace in believing and may abound in hope! There is no reason why we should hang our heads and live in perpetual doubt. We may not only be somewhat comforted, but we may be full of joy! We may not only have occasional quiet, but we may dwell in peace and delight ourselves in the abundance of it. These great privileges are attainable, or the Apostle would not have made them the subjects of prayer. Yes, and they are possible for us, as the meaning of the Epistle to the Romans was not exclusively for the Romans, so this text belongs to us, also. The words still rise to Heaven as the prayer of the Apostle for us, upon whom the ends of the earth are come, that we, also, may be filled with joy and peace and abound in hope through the Holy Spirit.

ON whatever subjects I may be called to preach, I feel it to be a duty which I dare not neglect to be continually going back to the Doctrine of the Cross—the fundamental Truth of God of justification by faith which is in Christ Jesus. This topic is essential to the life of the soul. Men are not saved but by faith in Jesus and, therefore, to this great central point we must return again and again and again, hoping that God will bless His own Word to those who hear it proclaimed. I notice that some of our friends, who are bakers, have in their shop windows divers articles of confectionery, and I suppose they have their set days for making their various kinds of cake and sweetmeats. But one thing I know they never forget to do and that is to bake, every day, a batch of bread because, if their customers do not need this or that confectionery, they always need bread—and what is the good of a baker if he has no bread? I wish that every preacher felt that, albeit there are certain things which are sweet and toothsome, which some mouths are always craving, yet the chief business of the minister, like that of the baker, is to have a constant supply of good bread. It may be a very ordinary kind of food. Some may even call it commonplace and what a mercy it is when bread is a commonplace thing! I have known some people who would have been glad if they could place it in common upon their tables, but they have not been able to get it, and the necessity has grown into a luxury. And what a mercy it is when the Gospel is a commonplace thing—when you have so much of it that you really understand it, enjoy it and feed upon it! It is then as it ought always to be with the true ministry of the Gospel.

ON whatever subjects I may be called to preach, I feel it to be a duty which I dare not neglect to be continually going back to the Doctrine of the Cross—the fundamental Truth of God of justification by faith which is in Christ Jesus. This topic is essential to the life of the soul. Men are not saved but by faith in Jesus and, therefore, to this great central point we must return again and again and again, hoping that God will bless His own Word to those who hear it proclaimed.

Now the God of hope, etc. - Ὁ δε Θεος της ελπιδος, May the God of this hope - that God who caused both Jews and Gentiles to hope that the gracious promises which he made to them should be fulfilled; and who, accordingly, has fulfilled them in the most punctual and circumstantial manner; Fill you with all joy - Give you true spiritual happiness; peace in your own hearts, and unity among yourselves; in believing not only the promises which he has given you, but believing in Christ Jesus, in whom all the promises are yea and amen. That ye may abound in hope - That ye may be excited to take more enlarged views of the salvation which God has provided for you, and have all your expectations fulfilled by the power of the Holy Ghost, enabling you to hope and believe; and then sealing the fulfillment of the promises upon your hearts.