the security of the believer’s salvation, part 3.
Continuing our study on the security of the believer’s salvation leads us to the third proof that the sinner who has been saved is absolutely secure is that the believer has the hope of glory.
Note Romans 5:2b-5a “and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint…”
These verses declare in no uncertain terms that the believer who has been justified by faith (5:1), and who has peace with God (v.2), now exults in the hope of the glory of God. The believer can—and should!—exult in the hope of seeing the glory of God fully revealed in the beatific vision in heaven (1 John 3:2).
The verb “we exult” in 5:2b signifies an ongoing and emphatic exulting or boasting in that future day of beholding the glory of God! And because of this unshakable hope that the believer in Jesus Christ possesses, he can withstand and persevere through any—any!—trial that may arise in life regardless of its severity (cf. 5:2-4).
Paul concludes this by stating that all the persevering through trials, and the proven character that comes, and the hope that results is NOT in vain. It is not worthless. Rather, biblical hope does not disappoint. Indeed, this hope cannot fail. The believer in Jesus Christ has the confident joy and boast that the glory of God will be seen for all eternity—in perfection!
And note, this hope of the glory of God is not a mere wish. It is not something that can ever be lost. When God elects and saves a sinner, He does not save that sinner only to justification, or even to sanctification. Rather, God saves that sinner all the way to glorification. There is no break in the chain of salvation from the moment of conversion till that day when the believer stands face to face glorified and like the Savior!
Salvation must include a living hope. Peter affirms this when he writes:
1 Peter 1:3-4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
This is a living hope. The hope of glory is a certain hope. The glorious day of being made like Jesus Christ is most certain to happen and, in fact, it must happen if God is true—and He is (Rom 3:4)! Therefore, the hope that the believer has is not one that fades away, nor is it one that may be lost. It is a sheer impossibility. The salvation that the penitent sinner has received by means of faith in Jesus Christ is so absolutely certain and sure to reach glorification in heaven that Paul writes in Romans 5 that “we exult (“boast”) in the hope of glory!”
