We are a forgetful people in a land of distractions. Our minds are easily captivated by trivial and temporary inducements. New things quickly become old. In our mind’s eye even glory tends to fade and warnings tend to wane. It is no wonder that we who are invisibly united to Christ and visibly in and not of this world live in constant need of renewal. And what is true for the Christian is true for the church. This is a series that seeks to renew the mind of the church. Not so much by reviewing what she is called to do as much as what she is called. As with the Christian so with church, her God-given identity defines her. We who are the church are a people for God and none other.
Before we return to the book of Romans, we will be looking at the what scripture says about the Church, in its nature, how she expresses herself in song, and how the church cares and equips for its members.
The messages from this series can be found here:
Manny Pereira - July 9, 2023
The Hope of Glory - Part 1
Hope vitally redirects and redefines. It is the inseparable companion of faith in Christ. The gospel announces promises to be trusted, hope is confident trust in those promises. Salvation is thus linked with hope (8:24). Spirit-borne hope anchors the soul tossed by the storms of life, keeps an otherwise sinking soul afloat, and fills the sails of the soul to press on to the shores of glory. Paul advances his message of security in the Spirit by focusing on the hope of glory. So immeasurably great is the work of God in Christ that the material universe itself is brought into view with eager longings and excited expectations. The cross has cosmic consequences. Nothing short of a completely renovated new creation awaits our full and final redemption. All of this speaks of an unfathomable glory. Deeply practical. Profoundly relevant. It is the Christian’s definite and defining hope.
Scripture References: Romans 8:18-25
