WAITING FOR THE HOPE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

"For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness." (Gal 5:5, NRSV)

THE GRAVITY OF APPEALING TO THE LAW for justification, or being righteous, is seen in the arresting words of the Spirit: "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (v. 4, NIV). It is not possible to state the case any more strongly! To be under Law results in being Christ's enemy. You move away from the grace of God when you move under the Law! That is because Law depends entirely upon you. The ONLY works it recognizes are those of men – and they must be perfect.

WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO OUR DILEMMA? We love God's Law! We serve it with our minds! We know it is holy, and just, and good! "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" (Rom 7:18b, NIV). Such conflict is not allowed by Law! However, even in this situation, we are not without hope. It will not always be the way it is now! We will not always have inner conflict! The "flesh" is not destined to be a permanent part of our person! Here is the glorious good news. "But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope."

OUR "FAITH," NOT OUR WORKS, becomes the stimulant to hope. We do not look to WHAT we have accomplished, but to WHO has saved us! We acknowledge we are "not yet perfect" (Phil 3:12), but we also acknowledge we are not content to be imperfect! Through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, we live in a state of expectation, being "saved by hope" (Rom 8:24-25). That "works" cannot cause us to "eagerly await" for righteousness is evident to the honest heart. This circumstance is because "works" are in the "NOW," while "faith" looks into eternity, for "things hoped for" (Heb 11:1)!

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE APPOINTED MEANS through which this earnest expectation is accomplished! We "eagerly await through the Spirit." Here, the Spirit is contrasted with Law, while faith is contrasted with works. Neither faith nor the Holy Spirit were prominent under the Law. Paul tells us, "But the law does not rest on faith" (Gal 3:12). The book of Exodus refers to the Holy Spirit two times – in both, the ability to construct the tabernacle is the point of reference (Ex 31:3; 35:31). Throughout the Law, the Spirit was NEVER promised. The Israelites were never told to rely upon the Spirit, nor are they declared to have been led by Him.

HOW DIFFERENT UNDER GRACE! Here, the Spirit so clarifies the promises of God that we eagerly anticipate their fulfillment. We know we shall be "like Him" (1 John 3:1-3), and we are willing to wait for the promise! Soon we will be done with struggle and imperfection, and enter into the joy of the Lord. For now, we wait! We admit that "weeping may endure for the night." However, our faith shouts out, "but joy cometh in the morning" (Psa 30:5). We acknowledge we have not yet attained, nor are we "already perfect." However, we energetically "press toward the mark," confident of good things to come (Phil 3:12-14).

THE SPIRIT ENERGIZES OUR FAITH so we can "wait for the hope of righteousness," enduring the onslaughts of the devil, the disappointments of time, and the trying of our faith. Our righteousness will be complete. We are waiting for that!

– Given O. Blakely