Hebrews chapter 4: Strive to enter rest (a conundrum)

 Given 21 August 2020

bob@jewsforjesus.org.au

To watch this talk given live in Sydney, click here.  

Lesson Four: Rest in the Lord: A call to unity of faith

 

I’d like to welcome each of you today as we study and learn together again from the letter to messianic Jews written before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.  Today we study chapter 4, and if you haven’t yet read it, please, those of you on YouTube, pause the playback, read the chapter, and then press play again to re-join us. Thanks.

Welcome back.

The author is going to spend this chapter asking, appealing to the believers to whom he’s writing, to join together in a series of ‘let us’ charges. It’s almost as if the author is a national speaker at a political convention, saying “We can change” or “Let’s press on” or “Come on, everybody, it’s time for something again!” Not quite a cheerleader, but an enthusiastic supporter of everyone to do the right thing. And this enthusiasm is based on two things: 1) the pastoral love the author has for the believers and 2) the promises of the Lord which are yet unfulfilled. We see the word “promise” used 18 times in this letter, and in today’s section, we see it used for the first time. If God promised something, and we don’t yet have it, the author says, “Come on, mate, let’s work to get it. Look around you. Grab onto it. It’s YOURS!”

That hortatory cry is an appeal and one which we want to be careful to make real. We also want to be those who hear that, who listen to what is said, and respond in the faith God desires. Let’s open today’s text and see what the Lord has to say to us as 21^st Century people. 

If you are a lawyer or a logician, you will see four ‘therefore’s’ in today’s chapter (4.1, .6, .11, .16), and feel very comfortable. It’s obviously a series of points and follow on points so that we can get where the author wants us to go—which is to the idea of REST.

Let’s start with verse one.

1.              Warning #3: Fear lest we fall short of God’s rest

Let us fear. That’s not a usual opening in conversation in modern days. We want fear to subside. Our government is assuring us daily about COVID and fearlessness, that is, that if we all do the right thing, and comply with restrictions, then the virus will go away. We will be safe. You don’t usually hear leaders open their press conference with “Let us fear.” But that’s exactly how today’s episode begins. Why? It’s a warning about not entering into rest. 

God wants us to know him personally and find a sense of peace and assurance in his presence. That’s titled “rest” in these chapters.

There is a standard preposition ‘kata’ which is used throughout koine, that is, ancient Greek, and certainly with frequency in Hebrews. Kata means ‘down’ usually, like thrown down or brought down or it can be a reference to motion or related to a place or related to time or a succession of things following one another. It’s a multi-use preposition to be sure. And it’s in the word for ‘rest’ in today’s reading and ‘veil’ later in the letter which caught my eye.

The word katapausis translates the Hebrew menucha hjwnm often in the LXX. I want you to notice the direction implied in the Greek that doesn’t show up in the Hebrew. The word katapausis means the rest, the state of being blessed, the place where God dwells and the promise that this blessedness is available to humanity. Last week the author quoted Psalm 95, saying ‘today if you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as you did in the Wilderness,” and then calls us to enter God’s rest. This rest is directionally from above and shared with us down here in a ‘putting to rest’ from heaven to us. That tells me this idea is directionally ‘heaven to earth’ and is not earth to heaven. How significant is that to religionists in these days or any day! Paul wrote to Titus saying, it’s “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he (God) saves us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.” (3.5-6) God gave us salvation and life and we didn’t earn it. We still cannot earn it.

So, the ‘rest’ is a promise. It was a promise to Joshua and to Moses and to the wilderness people. When King David wrote about this rest 500 years after Moses and the Exodus people died, this rest was still available. Listen to how the author addresses this still remaining. 

Verses 2-3: They heard the word, but it did not profit them, (why?) because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

This could be confusing. Didn’t the Jewish people enter Canaan and thus the rest promised in the Exodus? No, says the author. If the rest remained in King David’s day, then Joshua had not supplied it. Joshua even reminded our people (1.13) to go in and take the land and thus receive rest. 

Moses had heard the word of the promise (Exodus 33.14, Deut. 3.20, 5.33, 12.10) and passed that word on to the Jewish people, but we didn’t get it then. We didn’t enter into it in Joshua’s day. Nor in King David’s day.

According to William Lane “Jewish teachers of the early second century debated, on the basis of Numbers 14:35 and Psalm 95:11, whether the oath of God excluding the desert fathers from entrance into his rest implied their exclusion from participation in the age to come at the consummation of redemption (Sanh. 13:10 [Zuck. 435]; Sanh 110b [Baraitha]; Sanh 10.29c [Baraitha]; AbotRNat 36; cf Hofius, Katapausis, 44–47, 52).”

2.     Warning #4: Let us strive to enter rest

Listen, the author says again and again… ‘let us take care” (3.12), “let us fear” (4.1), “let us labour to enter that rest.” (4.9) There’s that borderline cheerleader telling us to work together. Let us fear. Let us labour. 

WAIT a minute… labour to enter rest? How is that even possible? Didn’t I already explain that the rest is something which is given top down? How can we possibly labour in the sense of earning this rest? The NASB translates the word ‘labour’ to ‘let us be diligent’ and is used throughout the NT to mean endeavour or make haste, even exert oneself. 

Does that confuse you? 

What is the author saying? DON’T LET ANYONE BE LEFT OUT. Work to bring each other along. This is not a private religion. It’s for all Messianic Jews to care for one another and to labour together that no one should be left out.  Note that in verse 11, so that ‘no one will fall’

One more thing on this warning #4 in the book. The Greek for ‘be diligent’ is spoudaswmen gives us the English word "speedy" and tells us to speed on to do something. Don't let anyone delay you. Be diligent and keep going.

The idea of faith and work to rest… Yeshua had already hinted at that in John’s Gospel when asked by the disciples about doing God’s work. Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (6.29)

Belief, or we should say, exercising our faith, that’s the way to perform God’s work in these days.

And the author says that’s how to enter rest. Look at verse 1. Don’t come short of it. Verse 2: They didn’t enter rest due to unbelief. Verse 3: We who believe have entered that rest. 

3.     The 2^nd therefore (verse 6): An eternal Shabbat

The Wilderness folks died out without entering the rest of the Lord due to their disobedience. That’s why in verse 9 we see ‘there remains a Sabbath rest for God’s people.” This is not the same Greek word for rest. It’s the word ‘Sabbaton’, almost a transliteration of the Hebrew and now into English. Shabbat matters to us as Jews throughout our history, and I imagine most of you who are Jews on this zoom call or who watch this YouTube will take tonight being Erev Shabbat off and tomorrow will rest in one way or another. The author is saying something MORE than that weekly Sabbath.

The author is describing heaven’s rest, from all our earthly troubles. Eternal rest it might be said. There is a long-ranged rest in view. This is the inheritance. This is the fulfilled promise. And how do we enter that rest? 

The Word of God (verse 12) described this and in a way it’s a nickname for Yeshua himself! (Revelation 19.13) It’s more than the Bible, for sure, it’s the word applied to our lives. That word is able to divide body, soul and spirit and judge us. That certainly sounds like a person—like Yeshua!

Now those of us who are living 2,000 years since this book was written have the word of God, the Bible, and we put our faith in the Messiah who is evidenced there again and again. His work on Calvary, in dying for humanity and in rising from the dead to enact our redemption, is what I trust. My rest if not based on my accomplishments in religion. It’s top/down now. It’s what God did that makes me able to rest. IF I WILL TRUST HIM. And, my friends, I do even now. 

Who is this one whom I trust? Yes, he’s the word (v. 12) and by being laid bare to his eyes, Jewish believers have to realize who is #1.

That’s a scary phrase, “laid bare.” Like you are exposed on a doctor’s surgical table. You are there and only the doctor can slice and cause the surgery to go well. The doctor can cause healing and health and restoration, by that ‘laid bare’ reality.

4.     The challenge is to whom will we yield our lives? (The 3^rd therefore)

Sometimes I have been surrounded by hostile Jewish crowds. I remember a scene at Brooklyn’s Long Island University 35 years ago when I was being hit again and again by an angry Jewish man. I kept turning away from him and loudly proclaiming “This man is mad that Jesus wants you to know the love of God. This man wants to prevent you from knowing the Living God.” And other quick statements of God’s love. A crowd grew and I remember eventually the young man abandoned his quest to prevent my sharing the Lord there at that uni.

Another time I was surrounded by several young Jewish students here in Sydney at Macquarie University. They actually took one of my leaflets I was distributing and set it on fire and pointed it in my face. A crowd quickly gathered and within moments a security guard came up and took me away. He directed me to abandon my post in front of the library. Initially I was not happy that the guard was moving me rather than those hostile young folks. But he told me that he did it for my safety, taking me into the library and away from the hostility.

I tell you those two episodes, and I could tell you many more, that there are times when I was outed by Jewish people who were troubled by my existence, by my statement that I was a Jew who believed in Jesus. 

I tell you these stories to let you know that I’ve been ‘laid bare’ (verse 13) before Messiah and thus, no matter what others do to me, they are not the ones ‘with whom we have to do.” (verse 13)

My commitment is not to a religion. I’m not committed to Judaism or to Christianity. Nor is it to this ‘ism’ or that one. My commitment is to the One who is the Word of God. He is my life and he has made me alive in Him. 

And how do we handle that exposure, being laid bare? How do we handle the disdain of the crowd? How do we respond when troubled? Where is the therefore now? We can hold fast our confession, by turning to our GREAT HIGH PRIEST (v. 14) who is not still on earth, but who has “passed through the heavens.” He can “sympathize with our weaknesses” (v. 15). How? He was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (v 15)

5.     Draw near: The 4^th therefore

The final ‘therefore’ finishes up the chapter. Given our desire to enter that rest and given the call of God for us to believe, and given the great high priest, we can DRAW NEAR with confidence. What hope! What assurance! What a great God we have. When do we need him? “In time of need.” (v. 16) How do we appropriate what we need? We draw near. We don’t run away. (We often will say things like, “Oh, I did so badly yesterday.” Or “I didn’t keep God’s law” or “I failed him.”) You don’t turn away from the one who can help you; you turn towards him.  You draw near to the throne of grace; (Not to the throne of judgment); we receive mercy and find grace to help. Hallelujah! It’s top down! It’s a gift. We receive our gifts from the Gifted One. Our Righteous Messiah showers his love on us, and we rejoice in the presence of the One who gives us Rest and help.

And what is the access point? How do we receive this? By faith! By taking God at his word. (Not faith in ourselves or our religion, but faith in HIM!) Faith in the Living Word, Yeshua.  

As a result, we can hold on. 

As a result, we can help each other to hold on. Be diligent. Strive. Speed down; work it out. Together! Don’t let anyone fail. Don’t let anyone fall behind. Bring everyone along. 

Dear friends on Zoom, or on YouTube, if you don’t yet know Messiah Yeshua, please I appeal to you today, surrender your life to him. Admit your need of him. Trust him who came from heaven to earth to show the way. And to set you free. That’s faith. That’s the opposite of unbelief, and do it today (4.7) the author says. Even now.

If you want to talk more about that, start with prayer. Talk to the Almighty. He loves to listen to your faintest whisper. And if you want to ask me a question, just use the email here on the screen. I’ll give it a go to try to answer you.

Until next week, when we will meet again to share about chapter 5 and more about this Great High Priest-- Until then,             

 Shabbat shalom.

 

 

Actual text:

Heb. 4:1   Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word ¹they heard did not profit them, because ²it was not united by faith in those who heard. ³  For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, 

            “AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 

            THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,” 

            although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.

⁴ For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS”; ⁵ and again in this passage, “THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.” ⁶ Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷  He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying ¹through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 

            “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, 

            DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.”

⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. ⁹ So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. ¹¹ Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

 

Heb. 4:14   Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have ^aa high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Bibliography

 

Ladd, George E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1974. (Pages 571 – 587)

 

Lane, William L, Word Biblical Commentary Series, Hebrews.

 

Vine, W.E., An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Revell, Old Tappan, NJ, 1966.

 

Weirsbe, Warren. Be Confident. David C. Cook Publishing, Colorado Springs,1982.

 

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D-Groups for this week

1)              Tuesday 11 am Sydney time. Led by James Howse

2)              Monday 10 am Sydney time, led by Rebekah Bronn

3)              Thursday 7 pm, Sydney time, led by James White

(Contact our office for zoom details)

Peace with God: 3 Exultations and 4 Kings (Romans 5)

[To watch this on YouTube when it was first given live on Zoom, click https://youtu.be/bdbG2xNaBFc ]

The general theme of Romans: How to be right with God.

Today’s topic: Rejoicing in the God of grace!    [The biblical text is at the end of this blog]

Welcome to those of you who are new to our class in this the 6^th lesson, as we take up Paul’s comments recorded in chapter 5 of The Book of Romans. If you are watching this video on YouTube long after our class ended today, then please pause the recording and read the 5^th chapter. It will only take 3 minutes. OK, welcome back.  

Verse one starts with the word “Therefore.” It’s not the last time we will see that, certainly throughout Paul’s writings. Some preachers say that when you see a ‘therefore’ you should look back and see what it’s there for. This word is the conjunction to the previous conclusions, found in chapters 3 and 4. It’s as if we are hearing the apostle say, “In light of everything I’ve taught you the last couple weeks, that you were painfully distant from God’s love, worthy of the wrath of the judgments of the Almighty, and yet your faith was directed to God and his grace, THEREFORE you have benefits. And you have reason to celebrate.” 

Paul in verse one highlights the reality and the result. The reality? We are justified, that is, counted as right with God, acquitted of the crimes he earlier listed, and of the sin of rejecting God. As a result, we have peace with God. Ponder that for a moment, will you? Today we are still in the midst of the war against COVID-19. Over 3.7 million cases worldwide, over 250,000 deaths. The battle is far from over. One day we anticipate a vaccine will be discovered and will be fully available globally. The war will be over. And some think that this is the meaning of ‘peace.’ In a way they are right, but biblically, peace (Hebrew: shalom; Greek: Eirene) is much deeper. It means a contentment, a confidence, a rest. It’s when we won’t have to socially distance ourselves. It’s when we will hug each other without worry. To be sure, the ‘new normal’ for a while will still be without peace. But there will be a day when peace will define us after this corona-time. 

That’s what Paul is hinting at.

Imagine that you have come to the realization that your attitude and your actions were both bad, that you lived for yourself, that you had made yourself into a god, but then someone challenged you. They told you about Jesus and redemption and forgiveness of sins. You considered it; and made a decision that the real God is better than all other gods. Anxiety hit you for a moment, and then you professed faith, however much you had, and pointed your heart towards the Lord. You believed God, you trusted Jesus as Lord, you confessed him as your Saviour. 

Paul says, “THEREFORE… you have peace with God.” Dear friends, there is nothing more important in your life than to submit to God and to have peace with him. Real peace. Not only the absence of conflict, but a deep heartfelt contentment. That’s the result of real faith.  Or as we titled it last week, “Getting right with God.”  Back in Paul’s day, no one would have considered peace as anything other than a stillness of discord between fellows. Peace with neighbours and peace among nations. But Paul makes it vertical. “Peace with God!” outrageous.

The Jewish people had been awaiting this peace since King David and Isaiah proclaimed it: Isa 32:17, 54.10, Psalm 72:1–7 and 85:8–13. Even Ezekiel announced a covenant of peace: Ezek 34:25–31 and 37:26— 

By the way, this chapter is odd because Paul does not directly quote from the Tenach. In fact he won’t do so again until chapter 8.  

Some of you may think, “I’ll just go directly to God. I’m Jewish; I’m automatically related to God.” The chosenness of the Jewish people is not in question, at least, not until chapters 9 through 11, but the key to our gaining peace with God is found in verse 1 and 2, “through Jesus the Messiah.” Paul will spend much time in some of his letters talking about the Jewish connection he has and putting it in perspective. Here, his point is clear. He has access (or introduction) to God because of Yeshua. And not because of any other key or learning or special knowledge or genealogical privilege. We are at peace with God because of our faith in Jesus. Full stop. 

Verse 2: Paul says that as a result of the grace, the faith, and Jesus, that we exult in hope of the glory of God. That’s a mouthful, but to put it simply, we REJOICE in the hope of a future with God making himself visible even near me. What a hope! What a joy to consider and to celebrate. This is the first of three exultations, three celebrations that the apostle highlights. If you will, rejoicing like here in our future hope, and in present trials and tribulations (verse 3) and finally, rejoicing in God himself. (verse 11)

This is a way of thinking that’s different to what I would employ. I would think: God is my saviour and I’m grateful and I will rejoice in that. Hallelujah. Then that means my present circumstances are in his hands, so even today I will rejoice. Finally I would have a perspective on my future that the glory that belongs to God would come my way, and all the mess I’ve made of my life will end, and I will be like him. That’s how I would progress with this triad. Paul on the other hand, sees the justification by faith, which gives him peace today as a down-payment of eternity. He sees God as the One who holds the future and thus the glory that belongs to God will actually be mine. I will be changed. If he has done all this so far, then NOTHING can stop his accomplishments. He will conquer Satan in my life. He will dominate over my failings. My glory is a sure thing. 

Verse 5: Paul says this hope is not going to be dashed. You know of this type of hope, don’t you? I hope my horse will win at the Melbourne Cup. I hope I get a pay rise at my work. I hope that girl likes me. But many of those hopes are not real hope at all, Paul says. Real hope does not disappoint. Because of the lavish love of God, poured out (ekchunno) in our hearts by Holy Spirit, given to us. Like Psalm 23 “My cup runneth over.”  Gift upon gift, grace upon grace, or as in chapter 1, faith to faith. All these benefits of real hope because of the Holy Spirit anointing us, communally and individually. That brings real hope.

If that be so, then what I’m experiencing today, in my dismal life, there in Rome, or here in Sydney, or wherever you live and work and have your being… all the drudgery and pain, all the loss and difficulty, all the trials and persecutions… I rejoice in those! Not because of those, but because God is Immanuel. He is God with us. Now. Today. In my life. It’s not a pie-in-the-sky reality that one day my life will be good. God is present in this transitory life and thus my life is worthy of shouting ‘Hallelujah’ no matter what else is happening. I’m walking with the God of the universe. He knows where I live; he knows me. And his grace is sufficient for me. And for you. Today. Now. 

There is no doubt what those tribulations might be: (Romans 8.35-39, 1 Cor. 4.9-13, 2 Cor. 1.4-10, etc)

Verse 8: Paul assures us that when we were lost, Messiah died for the ungodly.  And those ungodly includes me! All our fears and failures are summed up in loss, but even though most of us would scarcely die for a good man, Messiah died for us in our failings. Think of those health-care workers who are working tirelessly in New York or Italy, and who are basically giving their lives for us in this season of COVID-19. For others they are giving their lives. Paul says not many would do that, and usually only for the good people. We have a spiritual inheritance that outweighs all our frustrations and difficulties of life. 

Then in summary, Paul says he rejoices or exults in God. (v. 11) This is the high point of his praises (and he will have other shouts of ‘hallelujah’ later in the letter). It’s not only the benefits that God extends that makes me delight in him; it’s our relationship! Paul had plenty of reasons to talk about God and rules and obligations and satisfactions of legal requirements. He’s not rejoicing because he’s Jewish. He’s not rejoicing because of some stuff he has received. He’s rejoicing because he can finally know the living God and be personally related to him. He also has peace with God, and that’s a comprehensive cushion to his life of struggles.

Verse 12 introduces a new section. How does it begin? “Therefore.” On the basis of the justification we have with the God who has made us right with him, our reconciliation does not prevent the reality of sin and death in the world. These two global considerations, sin and death, are inherent in the human race. No one is taken out of the world to avoid them. Each person sins, each person will die. If you will, Adam initiated or rather was part of the beginning of these realities. Because he sinned, sin exists. Little babies don’t sin; they live in a world marked by sin. Gentiles who don’t have Torah don’t sin in the same way as Jews, but the world is marked by sin. Adam caused that to happen, but he is not the cause, that is, there is no need to blame him for my own personal sin.  (Adam is the cause in five phrases: .15-19)

I believe verses 12 and following are in Paul’s mind the conditions of the world into which God’s Holy Spirit is poured and thus magnifies God’s grace that much more. By the way four times in chapter 5, Paul uses this phrase, ‘much more’. And he only uses it here and twice in chapter 11 in all of Romans. It’s the Jewish mechanism of biblical interpretation called “Kal v’chomer” meaning “from the lesser to the greater” a device that Jesus often used. In modern Borscht Belt thinking a comedian might say, “"If one day with her mother-in-law was too much, kal v'chomer a weekend will be!" (Lawyers use the Latin a fortiori argument for the same purpose, but with much less humor)

The inescapable reality of sin and death reigned from Adam, he says, until Moses. 

Verse 15: Then in contrast Paul says, “THE FREE GIFT is not like the offense.” The offense of Adam caused death to blanket the earth for all time. But the charisma of justification, of being made right with God came via another man, Yeshua our righteous messiah. (see .17)

Verse 18: Another ‘therefore’, which really is a reiteration of Paul’s previous one caused much argument. I’m not sure why he’s repetitive, and I am not going to mark him down on his grades, but it does seem a tautology. 

Even so, verse 20: Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. There is no place where darkness dwells, where darkness abounds, where evil exists and seems to dominate that the Lord of heaven and earth, by grace, and by the power of the Resurrection cannot make his power, his love, his overcoming, not only to come alongside, but to dominate. Sin reigned (.21), death reigned (.14), Grace regins (.21), and we shall reign (.17). 

Yes, you and I will reign in life, now, due to the hope we have. Not the hope of the end of COVID-19, although that surely should be one of our prayers. Not the hope of Menachem asking you out on a date, not the hope of your boss giving you a raise at work… the hope of glory, God’s grace ruling in your life, today and throughout your days.  We will reign in life through Yeshua the Messiah.

We are supposed to win; we’re supposed to conquer; we’re supposed to have victory! What is that victory? The apostle John said it, “Faith is the victory!” (1 John 5.4) This hearkens back to all that Paul has been saying throughout Romans (so far). We are justified by faith. He quotes Habakkuk (2.4) “The just shall live by faith.” That’s how we are victors. Faith, not in our own capacity. Faith in Yeshua because he has done it all. He gave me his grace. 

Listen to verse 21, “as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Grace gives us right standing with God, not only in heaven, but today. Thanks be to God, amen?

NEXT WEEK and the week following, we will look at the question of sin in the life of a believer and its relation to grace and being right with God.

We have much more to get through in this letter, and I’m delighted to be able to read and help us understand it each Friday here from my lockdown in Sydney. 

The actual text:

Rom. 5:1   Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; 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, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Rom. 5:6   For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹ And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Rom. 5:12   Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned — ¹³ for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Rom. 5:15   But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. ¹⁶ The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from onetransgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. ¹⁷ For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Rom. 5:18   So then as through one transgression ¹there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. ¹⁹ For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.