We Rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1,2
With the words ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith’ Paul signals an important transition in his argument. He has established the truth of justification by faith in chapters 1 – 4. Now he will elaborate the results of the new status God has given us in Christ in six assertions.
(1) we have peace with God (5:1)
(2) we stand in grace (5:2)
(3) we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (5:2)
(4) we rejoice in our sufferings (5:3)
(5) we shall be saved through Christ (5:9,10)
(6) we rejoice in God (5:11)
We have looked at the first two. Now we come to:
(3) we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (5:2)
Biblical hope is a confident expectation of good that rests on the promises of God. The object of our hope is ‘the glory of God’ (5:2) – His radiant splendour which has already been uniquely manifested in Jesus Christ, most of all in His death and resurrection (John 12:23f; 17:1ff), and which will one day be fully disclosed in the earth.
First, Christ Himself will appear ‘with great power and glory’ (Mark 13:26). We will not only see His glory but will be changed into it (1 John 3:2). Then, secondly, redeemed human beings who were created to be ‘the image and glory of God’ but now through sin ‘fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23) will again and in full measure share in His glory (8:17). Finally and thirdly, the groaning creation ‘will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the sons of God’ (8:21). The renewed universe will be covered in its Creator’s glory. This is what we look forward to. Our vision of future glory is a powerful stimulus to present obedience.
In 5:1,2a Paul has looked at the present situation of Christians in the light of the past but he is now beginning to contemplate the situation of Christians in the light of the future. This thought will dominate most of Paul’s paragraph in this early part of Romans 5 and ‘we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God’ is the key assertion in the passage.
The verb ‘rejoice’ suggests both the idea of taking confidence in and of rejoicing in. Some versions translate it ‘boast’ (NIV ‘brag’ in 2:17; ‘boasting’ in 3:27). Boasting in human achievement is excluded by the gospel (3:27) but ‘boasting’ because of the gracious provision of God in Christ is very appropriate. As in 3:23 ‘the glory of God’ is that state of ‘God-likeness’ which has been lost because of sin but which will be restored in the last day to every Christian (8:17,18,21,30). A joyful confidence in this prospect, overcoming our frustration at our present failure to be all that God would have us be, should be the mark of every believer.
So the first three fruits of justification relate to the past, present and future. ‘We have peace with God’ (because of our past forgiveness). We stand in grace (our present privilege). ‘We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God’ (our future privilege).