We live in a very troubled world. War, strife, greed, hatred, family conflicts, bitterness, sickness, joblessness, and guilt contribute to that trouble. People all around us long for comfort, hope and peace, yet they have none. Sadly, many people have no idea that these three qualities come only from God.

Transition

In Romans 15, we find these three qualities attributed to God. I invite you to look at them with me, that we might gain a richer understanding of our God, who alone can give us the comfort, hope and peace in these troubled times.

The first description of God is that …

He is the God of Patience and Consolation (v.5)

  1. Our God is patient or enduring.
    1. This word “patient” does not refer to waiting without becoming anxious. It refers to the quality of steadfast endurance.
    2. God is a being of constancy. Constancy is the quality of being enduring and being free from change or variation.
      1. God is eternal – without beginning or end.
      2. He has never changed. (Psalms 102:27) “But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” (Malachi 3:6) “For I am the LORD, I change not; ...” (James 1:17) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.“
  2. Our God is consoling or comforting.
    1. This word has a broad meaning. It means that God calls us to His side in order to exhort, admonish, encourage, comfort or instruct.
    2. Our God is not a proud nobility who keeps us common people at a distance. No, He longs for our closeness. David described God as a tender Shepherd (Ps 23:1). John told us that God is love (1Jn 4:16). God is caring (1Pe 5:7). God is faithful (1Co 1:9). God is forgiving (Ps 86:5). God is gracious (Ps 116:5). God is our helper (Ps 54:4).
    3. The gods of other religions are often harsh, cruel, and terrifying. Our consoling God comforts us in time of grief, encourages us when we are down, instructs us when we lack wisdom, exhorts us when we become slack, and admonishes or warns us about dangers. We serve an awesome God.
    4. He wants to enable us to become more like Him (v.5).
      The second description of God is that …

He is the God of Hope (v.13)

  1. Our God is the author of hope.
    1. Biblical hope is not a wish, but a confident expectation of future good.
    2. Without God, there is NO hope. Atheists believe that when they die, that is the end. They have no hope.
    3. Most religious people have no true hope because their hope is based on their performance in this life.
    4. As sinners, we are all without hope. We can never live perfectly, and we cannot erase our sins. However, Jesus Christ died in our place to forgive our sins and offer us a living hope. (1 Peter 1:3-5) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.“
  2. Our God gives believers hope.
    1. When we place our faith in what Jesus did for us, He gives us hope – a confident expectation of spending eternity in heaven with God.
    2. Such hope ought to fill us with joy and peace (v.13).
    3. It enables us to abound in hope (v.13). God does not give us just a little hope. He gives us more hope than we can possibly comprehend. It abounds or overflows. Why is it then that we do not always feel like we have hope? When we do things that displease God, we lose our fellowship with God and the devil tells us that there is no hope.
    4. Paul wrote that the indwelling Holy Spirit empowers us to overflow in hope.
      1. It is difficult to have a hope of heaven when we are not right with God. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin.
      2. He chastens us when we get out of line to bring us back into fellowship with God.
      3. He uses the Bible to keep us clean and right with God. Daily Bible study and prayer are vital to abounding in hope.
    5. Frank Garlock composed a chorus with these words, “Maybe today my Lord will come for me. Maybe today my Savior I shall see. Maybe today from sin I shall be free. Jesus will come, and I will go home, It may be today.” If you are not right with God, you cannot sing that chorus with a sincere heart.
    6. Yes, our God is a God of comfort and hope.
      The third description of God is that …

He is the God of Peace (v.33)

  1. Our God’s nature is peaceful.
    1. God created all things perfect. The first couple, Adam and Eve, were sinless and lived in complete harmony with God. They had no fear of Him. They saw God, not as a tyrant, but as a God of tender kindness, gentleness, and love.
    2. When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their innocence and plunged the human race into sin. God did not ignore or overlook their sin. Instead, He judged their sin. God is peaceful by nature, but He cannot tolerate sin.
    3. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to die as our substitute so that we can be reconciled to God and enjoy peace with our Creator. No other payment can possibly reconcile a sinner to God. The notion held by many religions that God will allow sinners into heaven if their good outweighs their bad, is not true. Doing good can never reconcile a sinner to God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.“
    4. Sin always prevents peace with God.
  2. Our God offers us peace.
    1. To experience God’s peace, we must repent of our sin (admitting that we are guilty, condemned sinners) and trust solely in Christ’s payment for our sin.
    2. Many religious people, who have prayed a salvation prayer, are not truly saved. Salvation is not a prayer. It is a transformation of the heart. It takes place when a convicted sinner sees himself as guilty before God, and then longs for God to change his life. Believing that Jesus alone can forgive his sin and change his life, he places his trust in Jesus to save his soul. There can be no genuine believing on Christ without true repentance.
    3. If you struggle with a lack of God’s peace, I urge you to evaluate seriously your salvation profession. You may not truly be a Christian. The Apostle Paul wrote, (2 Corinthians 13:5) “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?“
    4. God is a God of peace, and He gives peace to every believer who is in fellowship with Him.

Conclusion

This morning we have examined three qualities of our great God. He is the God of patience and consolation (offering us stable comfort and encouragement). He is the God of hope (offering us a confident expectation of future glory). He is the God of peace (offering us sweet, peaceful fellowship with Himself if we know Him and are in harmony with Him).

Are you enjoying God’s comfort, hope and peace this morning? If not, what is standing in the way? Have you truly repented of your sins and trusted Christ ALONE to save your soul? If so, is some sin blocking your harmony with God?

God longs for you to know His comfort, hope and peace. Do not settle for anything less.

Song: Come to the Saviour – 254
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Comfort, Hope & Peace
23 April 2023 AM – Romans 15:5, 13, 33 – Rom2023 – Scott Childs