Hosanna Restoration Church

What exactly is the hope of righteousness? When I looked up the meanings of the words it boiled down to looking forward to the formation of Christ’s character. With this, the thought came to me that, “it’s on the way!”

You may wonder what exactly I mean by this. Well, the truth is that one of two things is on the way in our lives. We are either going to manifest the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit.

In Chapter 4, Paul informed the Galatians that he was laboring and waiting for Christ to be formed in them. He went on to tell them that he had doubts about them. Can you imagine their initial response to that statement? Think of how you might respond if someone wrote to you concerning your faith and told you they had their doubts about you! I don’t know of anyone who would be thrilled by such an announcement.

Deep down, everyone who knows Christ wants to please God, but from time to time we all wrestle with doubts as to whether it is really possible. The first thing we need to accept is just how much God loves us and that we pleased Him when we accepted Christ as our savior. Now He is our Father and He is working in us by the Holy Spirit to see to it that the Christ that lives in us is manifested through us.

As I thought about Paul’s statements concerning the law verses the liberty that Christ has provided, I realized that I do not worry one bit about being caught by the law when I drive down the road. The reason I do not worry is because I choose to drive the speed limit. In the same way, when we choose to live for Jesus we need not fear the law. Now I may miss a sign and end up accidentally exceeding the speed limit and being picked up, but it would not be because I chose to break the law. The same is true in my walk with the Lord. I may not always manifest what I really desire, but when that happens I am arrested by the Holy Spirit and I must repent and move on.

So let’s move to the end of Galatians chapter 5. This is where the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit are listed. Paul told them to walk in the Spirit and they would not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Now that is simple enough. Well sort of. Then again it is sort of not so simple. After all, no one is perfect! No, but Christ is!

Through the Spirit we eagerly wait for all of this to manifest. It is coming. Some things may take a while, but victory is ours in Christ Jesus. As we put the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first, all these things will be added to us. Christ in us, that is our hope of glory. We can trust in God’s ability to finish what He has begun in us. Simply walk in the Spirit and eagerly wait for the blessings of God.