Hope & Community

The hope of the gospel unites Christians in the church. As Romans 15 starts, Paul is continuing his instructions that began in chapter 1 2 on how to live as a church. In particular, Paul calls on the church to live in unity with one another. He grounds this unity in the hope of the gospel. It is the good news of Jesus that serves as the motivation to seek the welfare of others. We can live for the good of our neighbors, and not merely for ourselves, because gospel hope gives us a vision for life that transcends merely getting what we want now.

Not only does the hope of the gospel unite us as a community of believers, it is precisely this community that causes such hope to flourish. We learn the Scriptures that bring encouragement in the community of the church. Together, we work to spur one another toward endurance in our faith. The God of endurance and encouragement has given us one another to remind each other of shared gospel hope. Often, it is through our lives together in the church that he grants the endurance and encouragement we need.