5TH DECEMBER, 2023
PASTOR OLUBI JOHNSON
REJOICING IN HOPE
1Thessalonians 5:16-18 KJV
Rejoice evermore…
The Scriptures instruct us to rejoice forevermore, even when there is nothing to rejoice about (Hab. 3:17-18).
How on earth can we rejoice in such dismal circumstances?
By rejoicing in hope.
Hope is what God desires to give us, but which is not yet manifest or seen (Rom. 8:24-25).
Now, to be able to rejoice evermore, we must have hope at three levels:
1 . Hope of the promises of God for the temporal blessings of this life, like Abraham’s hope to have a son in his old age (Rom. 4:18).
2 . Hope of the perfection of Christ in us in this lifetime: (Col. 1:27-28; 1John 4:17).
3 . The hope of a glorious resurrection (Phil. 3:20-21; 1Cor. 15:19-20).
It is this 3-layer hope that is the ‘helmet’ of our salvation (Eph. 6:17), protecting our souls: wills, minds and emotions, symbolized by our foreheads (Rev. 14:1), from the discouragement of the delays and disappointments of this life, causing us to be able to rejoice even when nothing seems to be working.
It also motivates us to live a life of purity (1John 3:2-3).
So when there is a delay, or deferment of the first or second layers of hope, the third layer of the hope of the resurrection continues to guard our hearts, giving us the joy and the strength to continue rejoicing and praying (Prov. 13:12).
The Holy Spirit gives us hope at these three levels by:
1 . Revelation knowledge of the Scriptures that clearly reveal the three levels of hope to us (Rom. 15:4).
2 . Through the exercise of faith by prayer in the Spirit with all kinds of prayer and travail (Eph. 6:18; Heb. 5:7-9), confession of the Word and corresponding actions motivated and directed by the love of God. This releases the creative power that will give substance to the three levels of hope over time (Jam. 5:16; Rom. 15:13).
So, let us rejoice evermore in the hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:2), and this joy will give us the strength (Neh. 8:10) to continue to be instant in prayer, to overcome any tribulation, however severe!
Romans 12:12 KJV
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
For more on today’s study visit:
https://t.ly/3AAC2
https://t.ly/rKvhU
Follow Pastor Olubi Johnson on Twitter, Facebook, IG, and YouTube: spcconlineoj
Web: www.spcconline.org
Get the new SPCC Mobile app on Android, IOS, Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku – https://get.theapp.co/nx25
Listen to our podcasts on any of your favourite podcast app: search for Olubi Johnson
–