Hope Built on Faith
Weekly Baptist. Romans 4:17-18 (As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who vivifies the dead… I. OUR SALVATION APPEARS IMPOSSIBLE TO HUMAN EXPECTATION AND CAN ONLY BE HOPED FOR ON THE GROUND OF FAITH. After the Saviour had laid before His disciples that cherished riches were a hindrance to religion, they exclaimed, "Who then can be saved?" There are many other aspects of godliness which suggest the same doubt, and to which the same gracious answer applies, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." The law of self-preservation in human nature would suggest the desirability of being saved, but the same law has no remedy to offer. Man is naturally hopeful, but within his own breast there are no grounds of salvation. God is just; man is guilty. To remove sin from the book of remembrance above and the book of conscience below, suggests insuperable difficulties to man's reason. The good hope through grace comes of faith. We have the Word of God for our foundation; on that we build our faith, and of faith springs our hope. II. THE EXTENSION OF THE KINGDOM OF THE MESSIAH AND THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD, IS AN EXPECTATION WHICH RESTS, NOT ON HUMAN PROBABILITIES, BUT ON FAITH IN GOD'S PROMISE. There is no prayer more frequent than — "Thy kingdom come." The whole heart of the Church is bound up in an intense desire to see mankind under its roof. But make a map of the world, and paint Christian countries white, and all the others black. You will see that the labours of eighteen centuries have only touched the fringe of the garment. The human aspect of the matter is discouraging, and we are ready to ask, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" The day of universal judgment is delayed to allow time for the spread of the gospel. We believe that the earth will be covered with a knowledge of the Lord; that the Saviour will see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; then the heathen will be His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth His possession. This is the hope of faith. (Weekly Baptist.) Parallel Verses KJV: (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. WEB: As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations." This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.