Useful Bible Studies > Romans Commentary > chapter 8
Paul returns here to a subject that he mentioned earlier (5:3-5). Hope is the result of patience.
God’s people need to be patient. God has made very many wonderful promises to them (2 Corinthians 1:20). However, the greatest of these promises cannot happen during their lives on earth (Hebrews 11:13-16). That promise is that they will become alive again, to live always with God as his children (1 Corinthians 15:42-57; Revelation 21:1-7).
In the Bible, to have hope means to expect that God will do something good. When our hope is in God’s promises, he will not disappoint us (Hebrews 6:19).
Therefore, the promise that God will adopt his people as his own children is a wonderful reason for hope. It is for that purpose that God has saved (rescued) his people. It was with that hope that they invited Christ into their lives.
God saves us by the faith (trust in God) that he gives us (5:1). However, we can see that faith and hope must work together through our whole Christian lives. Both qualities are very important for us as we wait for God to carry out his promises.
To have hope, we need the kind of patience that gives us the strength to stand for God during our troubles. So, hope is the result of patience, but patience is itself the result of hope. In other words, our hope causes that kind of patience to develop in our lives. Then that patience makes our hope stronger. Christians need constantly to develop in faith, hope and patience during their lives on earth.
Next part: The Holy Spirit prays through us (Romans 8:26)
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