Trinity Sunday sermon 'faith, hope and love'

Sunday, May 30, 2010
Trinity Sunday sermon: 'faith, hope and love' Rom 5:1-11


Today's Trinity Sunday. We shall reflect on the 3 theological virtues : Faith, Hope and Love. These are known as theological virtues because they have their source in God and are directed towards him. Mentioned together in various places in the NT eg Jn 3:16, 1 Thes 1:3, Col 1:4-5, 1 Cor 13:13 and in our sermon text Rom 5:1-8.

Rom 5:1-8 is a bridge bet Rom 1-4 and 5-8. It brings to a close Paul's arguments in the first four chap and anticipates the next four. We shall look at the text as the three virtues are fleshed out.

In the first 4 chap, Paul discusses the problem of the human race and the solution in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Faith

Humankind as a whole has come under the judgement/wrath of God because of sin and rebellion. Broadly, it can be divided into Gentiles and Jews.
The Gentiles though they know God from creation, have not acknowledged God as God and has fashioned idols out of created things. They have rejected God's created order and will and become a law to themselves, indulging in every act of immorality that defies God's creative intents. Theirs may be called the failure of the heart. Though they knew God, they *would not* acknowedge him as such.

The Jews on the other hand have been called to be a light to the world/nations so that God could be made known to the world. They have been given the Torah, the temple and covenant promises but they turn out to be part of the problem themselves than part of the solution. Though they have received a special revelation of God's will through the Law, they too were found to be disobedient and unfaithful because they share in the same sinful condition - the bible calls the 'flesh'. Theirs may be called the failure of the will. Though they were called to obey the law, they *could not*.

Now the solution is found in the one faithful Israelite, Jesus the Christ, whom God sent to do for the world what Israel could not do for itself because of the flesh. Through his life of perfect obedience to the will of God, he satisfies the righteous requirements of the Law. Through his death on the cross, he has become the sin offering, the Perfect Sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. Through his resurrection from the dead, he brings new life to the world under the penalty of death.

Our only appropriate response is Faith. Faith is what NT Wright calls the badge of our covenant membership. It marks us out as the new covenant people of God.

'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and have gained access into his grace in which we now stand.'

Faith is what admits us into the presence of God and the covenant community.

This reminds us that the Christian faith is not a self-help religion. The gospel is not 'God helps those who help themselves.' Rather it is 'God reaches out to us precisely to those who cannot help themselves.' As far as sin is concerned, we simply cannot pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We simply cannot save ourselves. Instead, the gospel is for those who recognise their powerlessness, their spiritual bankruptcy and cast themselves on the sheer grace of God. There is therefore no basis of boasting about ourselves. If there is any boasting to do, we boast rather in the work of God in our lives.

Hope

'we rejoice/boast in the HOPE of sharing in the glory of God...'

What is the glory of God?

This anticipates Romans 8 which pictures the cosmos/creation being renewed and set free from its bondage to decay and death. There is a cosmic dimension to our Christian hope. Many think of the Christian hope in a too individualistic and narrow way - the individual soul going to heaven after death. But the Christian hope is much larger - God is at work renewing the whole creation. This has a bearing on the Christian's responsibilty towards the created world - the environment, the animal and plant kingdoms. This harks back to God's first command to the first human couple to 'be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, exet rcising dominion over the rest of creation.

The personal dimension of sharing in the glory of God has to do with the transformation of our character into the likeness of Christ.

That is why Paul goes on to say, 'not only so, we also boast in our sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character and character hope..'

An elephant sculptor was asked what was the secret of his work. How could he transform a lifeless piece of stone into a life-like elephant statue? To which he replied, 'I just keep chipping away what does not look like an elephant.' In the same way, we are in the process of being reshaped into the likeness of Christ so God will pare away from us what does not look like Christ.

Suffering is a necessary prelude to glory. There is no other way. Therefore we should not be surprised at the trials and hardships that come our way. Not any kind of suffering of course but the suffering we endure for the sake of Christ (for doing what is right, etc). God uses suffering as a means of pruning, purging and maturing our faith.

GK Chesterton: 'I believe in getting into hot water because it keeps you clean.'

The Korean Christians who suffer much persecutions say to their persecutors: 'Hit us harder. We are like nails. The harder you hit us, the deeper you drive us into Christ!'

Love

Then Paul says something interesting: 'hope does not disappoint..' He is anticipating the question 'how do we know if all this is not mere wishful thinking?' Remember the Christians in Rome were going through intense persecutions and from the world's point of view, they look rather foolish. What keeps them believing and clinging on to their hope? Paul has a ready answer for that: the love of God.

'For God has poured into our hearts the love of God by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.' Love is the deepest reason for our faith and our hope. The Holy Spirit brings into our heart a deep inner assurance that God loves us and we will not let us die nor the world to perish.

The example of Abraham in chp 4 is instructive. Abraham believed, hoping against hope, ..and it was reckoned to him as righteousness' Just as Abraham believed that God has the power to bring forth a baby out of a barren womb, we believe that God has the power to bring forth life out of an empty tomb.

Historically, the love of God is demonstrated on the cross. The essence of love is giving. The measure of love is indicated by two things: the cost of the gift and the unworthiness of the recipient.

God has given us not just a surplus part of his heavenly goods, nor a spare angel but his very own Son.

Secondly, Paul uses various words to describe us : powerless, ungodly, sinners and enemies. We deserve nothing from God but wrath!

Yet, see how Paul puts it all together:

'God demonstrates his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.!'

With a love like that, how could we not believe?

So, we answer that love of God with our answering faithfulness, our fervent hope and love.