When life gets challenging, where do we turn for strength? In the Christian walk, we’re encouraged to find our endurance, hope, and encouragement in God's Word. Scripture doesn’t just instruct us; it walks alongside us, cheering us on through our struggles and triumphs. In this third part of exploring the purpose of God’s Word, we’ll look at how it acts as a powerful source of encouragement for all who follow Jesus. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, the Scriptures were written for our instruction “so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures” (Romans 15:4). In this post, we’ll unpack how God’s Word sustains us, helping us endure hardships, keep our eyes on a glorious future, and remain hopeful as we journey forward in faith. So, let’s dive in and discover how Scripture is not only a guide but a constant source of strength for every believer.
In Romans 15:4, Paul writes, “For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.” In the larger context of Romans 15, Paul is getting to the end of his discussion of the strong and the weak (Romans 14:1–15:13). As he begins to wrap things up, he mentions that we should bear with one another’s weaknesses and live in such a way to build up our neighbor (Romans 15:1–2). Jesus, in his incarnation, is the ultimate example of bearing with our weaknesses. Paul then quotes Psalm 69:9 to support this claim (Romans 15:3). After he quotes Scripture to show who Christ is and instruct the Roman church on how to live, he reminds them of why the word of God has been given to them—to encourage them as they follow Jesus so that they might endure in hope (Romans 15:4).
Endurance and hope are key terms throughout the book of Romans that can help us understand our need for encouragement from God’s word. Consider a key passage like Romans 5:2–5,
“We have also obtained access through him [Jesus] by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
In this text, the hope of the glory of God is a source of joy, so much so that we can even rejoice in our afflictions. We can rejoice in our afflictions because, by the grace of God and faith in God, that affliction will produce endurance, which will ultimately lead to hope. While Paul’s argument in Romans 5 helps connect endurance and hope, how does encouragement from God’s word help cultivate hope in us?
The word of God helps cultivate hope by pointing us toward our future redemption and God’s faithful love to his people now.
Paul most clearly points us to the hope of our future redemption in Romans 8, where he tells us that our current afflictions are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:12–25). Paul reminds us that God is making all things new, which includes the redemption of our bodies in the resurrection. Paul even says that we will be glorified with Christ, provided that we suffer with him (Romans 8:17)! Just as the cross of Christ led to resurrection life, so too, the bearing of our cross daily by faith in him will lead to a resurrection like his. Paul wants us to know that whatever suffering we may endure as we follow Jesus, it’s worth it. Keep going because our glory is greater than our pain.
And there’s even better news. This glorious future is guaranteed by God himself. In Romans, Paul gives us great assurance that this glorious future is not an empty hope. Paul says that we can be certain of our hope because the love of God has poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), and we know that nothing in all of creation can take the love of Christ away from us (Romans 8:31–39). This sure hope encourages us to endure whatever life might bring our way because, in the end, following Jesus is worth the glory that will be revealed.
If you need hope today to strengthen you as you face difficulty, turn to God’s word for encouragement. First, you could simply meditate on the word of God that has been shared here in this post. If your hope in God has been stirred up, then God’s word is at work in you right now! Second, consider reflecting on one of the most encouraging texts in all of the Bible, Revelation 21:3–5,
“Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.’”
In the end God wins, and he gives us the victory. Amen! So, let God’s word encourage you today that it’s worth it to keep following Jesus, even through all the pain that life might bring.