What’s the Connection?

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Romans 12:12

As we have been studying Romans 12, we have noticed that there is a connection to the seemingly independent statements. At first glance the chapter reads more like a page out of the book of Proverbs than Paul’s typical teaching style. As we have seen, there is an underlying connection between the various statements that he makes. That is no different from the verse we are examining this week.

What is hope? We often use the word “hope” to mean it is our wish or desire, but we have no certainty that it is going to happen. We can hope out team wins the division, or we can hope it won’t rain next summer at a child’s wedding, but this is really nothing more than a wish. The New Testament uses the word hope in a different way. Hope is a confident assurance of a future reality. There is a certainty to biblical hope that undergirds our faith. The things that God has promised are absolutely certain to happen without question or a shred of doubt. They are a given, they just haven’t happened yet. It is a John Piper call it, “Future faith.” We absolutely believe it even though it hasn’t happened yet. Therefore, we can rejoice. We rejoice when we have received a gift on our birthday. But what if you happen to see the receipt a few weeks before and you glanced in the closet and saw where it was hidden. You haven’t received the gift yet, but you know it is going to happen. Because you know this, you are already happy about receiving it. You are rejoicing in hope!

How does this tie in with tribulation? The word literally means pressure, but it is translated as affliction, anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament). Jesus warns us, “In this world you will have tribulation (John 16:33).” The believer is not spared from heartache, pain, sickness, or suffering. We will have the normal lot in life and in some ways, we may have more if we are persecuted for our faith in Christ. We should not be surprised when God permits some difficulty or tragedy to enter our lives as if he should spare us from all pain. James could tell his readers, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord (James 5:7).” He was telling his readers that relief might not come in this life! How can we possibly be patient? This is where hope comes in. We can be patient in tribulation because we know that there is more than just this life. Also, we have confidence in an all-powerful God who is faithful and just. Everything that is wrong will be made right and every unconfessed sin will be properly judged. Even if we don’t see justice, there will be justice. So we can be patient and wait on God.

Prayer ties this all together. Paul is not saying that we just need to keep a stiff upper lip. Nor is he saying that we psyche ourselves up by reminding ourselves that those who wrong us will get their punishment one day. Prayer is crying out to God during tribulation. Sometimes we lament the injustice we experience and find in this world. Sometimes we grieve that sickness or suffering will not change in this life, so we pour out our heart to God in prayer. God is the one who gives us strength through the person of the Holy Spirit. God is the one who encourages our faith in his future promises. Through prayer we can both rejoice in hope and be patient in tribulation.