Saturday, August 1, 2015

trusting...it's already done

artwork by Liz Lassa, creator of Spiritual Circle Journal

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesusthis precious old hymn page, captured in this beautiful work of art by Liz Lassa, creator of Spiritual Circle Journal, inspired me as I listened to these same lyrics woven into an anointed new hymn, Already Done, featuring Jonathan McReynolds…May the peace of God calm your heart and your mind, through the tears and the trials, the heartache of this life, and when you can't hold on, know He holds you still, He will keep you, never leave you, He promised that He will, tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know that if He said it…It's Already Done…It’s Already Done…His love endures, His Word is sure, stand upon His promise…this war is won…tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word, just to rest upon His promise, to know that if He said it, I believe it…It’s Already Done…tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know, thus saith the Lord…we trust You, we believe You when you say, It’s Already Done…

It was spring break of my senior year in high school. My friends from Sebring and I drove to a camp near Ocala to attend a Young Life retreat along with several other students from inner-city Jacksonville. We shared our testimonies and prayed together. My heart was open as we went outdoors to find our individual places for prayer during our quiet time. I took my Living Bible and sat down under a tree. I looked up to the heavens and began to pray. When I looked down, I saw that my Bible had fallen open to Romans 8, and a bright ray of sunlight shining through the tree seemed to highlight verses 24 & 25. It contained a powerful message to me that day, but even more so as the Holy Spirit inscribed it on my heart for years to come…leading me to this word study on the word “trusting” from Romans 8:24-25:

Living Bible: We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don’t yet have—for a man who already has something doesn’t need to hope and trust that he will get it. But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently.

Amplified:  For in [this] hope we were saved. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for what he already sees? But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure.

NASB: For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Phillips: We were saved by this hope, but in our moments of impatience let us remember that hope always means waiting for something that we haven’t yet got. But if we hope for something we cannot see, then we must settle down to wait for it in patience.

Wuest: For we were saved in the sphere of hope. But hope that has been seen is not hope, for that which a person sees, why does he hope for it? But if that which we do not see, we hope for, through patience we expectantly wait for it.


Young’s Literal: for in hope we were saved, and hope beheld is not hope; for what any one doth behold, why also doth he hope for [it]? and if what we do not behold we hope for, through continuance we expect [it].

The word, trusting, comes from the Greek word elpízō,
the verb form of elpís, which means to hope, to hopefully to trust in, joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. It means to look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial. It is in the present tense which expresses continuous action, constantly, habitually. It pictures this attitude as the believer's lifestyle, which is one of hope, where hope is defined as the absolute assurance that God will do good to us and for us in the future.

It is interesting that elpízō and elpís do not appear in the Gospels. And yet the concept, this truth expressed in the word elpis does appear in First Timothy 1:1 as the Apostle Paul writes, it is "Christ Jesus our Hope." Hope is not just an ideal, but is a Person, Jesus Christ, our Peace, our Life, our Hope.

Pastor John Piper explains: “There is no sweeter message of hope in all the world than to hear God announce that when you get up in the morning miserable and depressed with a sense of guilt and estrangement before a holy God, you can go to bed that very night—this very night—with a quiet and peaceful heart knowing that every sin you have ever committed and ever will commit is forgiven, and you are reconciled to the Almighty by the death of his Son. That’s the free offer of the Gospel!"

Pastor John Stott has said, “We wait for it patiently, that is, for the fulfillment of our hope. This whole section is a notable example of what it means to be living ‘in between times,between present difficulty and future destiny, between the already and the not yet, between sufferings and glory. ‘We were saved in hope’ brings them together. And in this tension the correct Christian posture is that of waiting, waiting ‘eagerly’ with keen expectation, and waiting ‘patiently,’ steadfast in the endurance of our trials. The combination is significant. We are to wait neither so eagerly that we lose our patience, nor so patiently that we lose our expectation, but eagerly and patiently together. Yet it is hard to keep this balance. Some Christians overemphasize the call to patience. They lack enthusiasm and lapse into lethargy, apathy and pessimism. They have forgotten God’s promises, and are guilty of unbelief. Others grow impatient of waiting. They are so carried away with enthusiasm that they almost try to force God’s hand. They are determined to experience now even what is not available yet. God give us a patient eagerness and an eager patience as we wait for his promises to be fulfilled!”

Pastor Charles Spurgeon writes, “This is our present position, patiently waiting for “the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ,” patiently waiting for “the manifestation of the sons of God,” for “it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” If we could be all we should like to be, there would then be no room for the exercise of hope. If we had all that we are to have, then hope, which is one of the sweetest of the graces, would have no room in which to exercise herself. It is a blessed thing to have hope. I believe the New Zealand word for hope is “swimming thought,” because that will swim when everything else is drowned. Oh, happy is that man who has a hope that swims on the crest of the stormiest billow.”

Pastor George H. Morrison illustrates, “One might take the instance of Zacchaeus, that outcast from the commonwealth of Israel. He had been taught there was no hope for him, and he believed it until the Lord Jesus came by. And then, like the dawn, there came the quivering hope that his tomorrow might differ from his yesterday, and in that new hope the saving work began. In the movements of the soul, hope may be the forerunner of faith. And our Lord, bent on evoking faith, that personal trust in Him which alone saves, began by kindling hope within the breast. That is how He often begins still. He does not begin by saying, "Trust in Me." He begins by kindling these hopes of better things that are lying crushed in every human heart. Despair is deadly. It is blind. It cannot see the arm outstretched to help. Our Lord begins with the quickening of hope.”

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for kindling these wonderful words of hope in my heart that day under the tree at the Young Life camp, I have never been the same…We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don’t yet have—for a man who already has something doesn’t need to hope and trust that he will get it. But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently.

Previous word studies from Romans Chapter Eight…

Romans 8:1-3

Romans 8:10-11

Romans 8:14-15

12 word studies from Ephesians Chapter One…

Weekly LinkUps…

28 comments:

  1. I don't think I ever heard that story before about the sunlight and the tree. This reminded me of one of my favorite verses about faith, which is really trusting God. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. -Hebrews 11:1

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    1. My sweet little girl, Tracy, who's now a Mommy of our two adorable grandsons...thank you for your sweet comments...I love that you've had what verse from Hebrews 11:1 on your mirror for many, many years...it's inspiring to me...I love you to the moon and back ❤️

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  2. Beth I really loved this post. I listened to the song over a few times this morning and shared this post.
    Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus......absolutely.
    Oh for faith to trust Him more.

    So many people are needing to hear this : "Christ Jesus our Hope."

    Trusting in Him as we wait patiently waiting for “the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” for the fulfillment of our HOPE.....Oh happy day !!

    Thanks Beth...as always, a great comparative bible study.
    You rock !!

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    1. Precious Mary, you lift me up on eagle's wings with your sweet words of encouragement...many blessings to you dear friend ❤️

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  3. Those in-between times - there is much pain and beauty, grace and suffering - it amazingly is where the important stuff happens - isn't it! Living in faith and hope in the in-between! Blessings, Beth! What an encouraging reminder!

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    1. Oh yes! I so agree with you, it is those in-between times...where we are most of the time....the precious present...Oh for faith to trust Him more! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  4. Romans 8 is my favorite chapter of the Bible. Thank you for digging into Romans and sharing with us what you are learning.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and letting me know...there are such powerful, heart-warming words of life in Romans...it is a joy to dig a little deeper with each post...hope you enjoy it as much as I do...many blessings to you and your sweet family ❤️

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  5. Thank you for your message of hope. I can never hear it enough. I especially liked John Piper's words today. Knowing that I am a mess first thing in the morning doesn't mean that is where I will stay. calling on God in my brokenness and believing He will heal gives me hope. I ma blessed by these words today.

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    1. Mary, yes, I love John Piper's words also...especially "a quiet and peaceful heart knowing that every sin you have ever committed and ever will commit is forgiven, and you are reconciled to the Almighty by the death of his Son"...the entire gospel message in just a few words! Many blessings to you!

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    2. I love that you shared this at The Weekend Brew.

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    3. Thank you, Mary, it is a blessing to be part of The Weekend Brew community ❤️

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  6. "We are saved by trusting." Yes. God made it as easy on us as he could. Trusting his provision is the least--and the best--I can do. Thanks, Beth.

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    1. Lisa, I so agree with you...I think that first verse is what hooked my heart all those many years ago under that tree...I trust Him with my eternal salvation, I can trust Him with whatever I am looking forward to! Many blessings to you!

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  7. Such a full and beautiful post. Love the amplified you quoted..."For in [this] hope we were saved. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for what he already sees? But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure." Aw....to wait with patience and composure. Oh how I want to wait like that! Blessings and gratitude from all of us at UNITE Link party. ~ Jen @ www.richfaithrising.com

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    1. Love that Amplified version also! God is so good to supply just what we need when we need it, all we have to do is ask Him! Many blessings to you!

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  8. Did you read Sharon's post in the link up? It's the first one. I just went back and left another comment on her post telling her to come over here. Love it when God weaves a theme at the link up!! I think this is such an important lesson, especially for my tween. She has something coming up that she has very little control over and all she can do is pray and wait. I'm going to read her the Living Bible translation of this verse!

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    1. Thank you, Jen, for connecting-the-dots between Sharon and I...I LOVE her blog, and have commented many times about how much we have in common...will be praying for you and your sweet tween...let her know that The Living Bible is one of the translations you can choose on www.biblegateway.com ... it's wonderful :)

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  9. Oh Beth. How wonderful that Jen brought me over here today. What a blessed encouragement to read your words. I love your story under the tree, and I love when God makes a verse or two *leap out* to us. You brought back some good memories by quoting Romans 8:24-25 in the Living Bible and the Phillips translation! So good reading a familiar passage in multiple translations, and then to add great commentary to the reading.

    Hope - it's so easy to lose sight of our future glory when we're all caught up in worrying about the future of earthly circumstances. I sometimes lose myself in the current anxiety and fear, and then, exhausted, I fall prey to despair. The enemy is very good at slinging his arrows when we're especially vulnerable. He tries to steal hope, kill hope, destroy hope. But, bless our dear Lord Jesus' name, HE is our Hope!!

    Thanks for uplifting me today, and for once again lifting my eyes to the heavens.

    Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus...indeed.

    GOD BLESS!

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    1. Sharon, thank you so much for sharing that with me! I so agree with you, our Lord Jesus Christ is our hope! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  10. What a wonderful post Beth and a wonderful testimony from your youth. Its these moments that stand out and mould us to be the people we are now. Hope, what a wonderful word. Thank you for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings

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    1. Thank you, Terri, I look forward to your encouraging comments! Many blessings to you and your sweet family ❤️

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  11. Beautiful words about our great salvation! Thank you for all the different perspectives you gave!

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    1. Michele, thank you so much for stopping by ... Many blessings to you ❤️

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  12. Such hope-filled words that echo some things God has been teaching me. So grateful for when he weaves together truth in my heart. Thanks for linking up this post at #ThreeWordWednesday.

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    1. Kristin, it is amazing to see how God connects-the-dots in every "planned coincidence"...many blessings to you ❤️

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  13. bless you for the encouragement.

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    1. Denise, it is a blessing to know that what the Holy Spirit uses to encourage me is also encouraging to others...many blessings to you ❤️

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