HOPE THAT DOESN’T DISAPPOINT (ROM 5:5-11)
The Very. Rev. Michael Mukhwana
Good morning Saints. I hope that you had a good week; because this week that had apparently been a fruitful week in many ways, at least for me, ended on a very sad note, with Prof. Muhwezi, our parishioner, losing his dear wife, Sarlome Kyatuheire Muhwezi, in a road accident. Only last year, their son late Bergen Tuku Mwhezi who was joining campus, was killed by a speeding car on Lugogo by-pass! Life can be so tough, and so we need to pray for our dear brother and the family, as they go through this terrible time of trial. We also pray for those who lost their dear ones and healing for the injured.
The topic that was selected for this Sunday, attempts to address such overwhelming situations.
Paul once wrote, “… And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because
God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Rom 5:1-5). These verses introduce us to some difficult concepts. To appreciate these difficult concepts, it helps to keep in mind the two-sided reality of the Christian life. On the one hand, we are complete in Christ (our acceptance with him is secure). On the other hand, we are growing in Christ (we are becoming more and more like him). At one and the same time we have the status of kings and the duties of slaves. We feel both the presence of Christ and the pressure of sin. We enjoy the peace that comes from being made right with God, but we still face daily problems that often help us grow. If we remember these two sides of the Christian life, we will not grow discouraged as we face trials and temptations. Instead, we will learn to depend on the power available to us from Christ, who lives in us by the Holy Spirit.
As apostle Paul states clearly in 1 Cor 13:13, faith, hope, and love are at the heart of the Christian life. Our relationship begins with faith, which helps us realize that we are delivered from our past by Christ’s death. Hope grows as we learn all that God has in mind for us; it gives us the promise of the future. And God’s love fills our lives and gives us the ability to reach out to others. The hope that believers have of their future glory with God will not disappoint them by being unfulfilled. They will not be put to shame or humiliated because of their hope. The reason the believer can be so confident is that the love of God has been poured out. The moment a person trusts in Christ, that person receives the Holy Spirit, who constantly encourages them in their hope in God. Have you trusted that Redeemer – Jesus Christ? Ultimately, he is the basis of our firm hope. A blessed week as you allow him to ‘increase in you’, and as you ‘decrease’.
The Very Rev. Canon Michael Mukhwana