by John H. Gerstner

The third fruit of justification that the apostle mentions in our text is rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. The preceding joy of fellowship with God was augmented by its promise. In a certain sense, that present joyful fellowship was partly from anticipation of its continuance. This matter of the future of Christian experience comes into focus when the apostle tells us, "We...rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Here he is taking a full view of the future and telling us that the true Christian rejoices in the anticipation of it. Indeed, the word "rejoices" is again not quite what Paul actually said. His term would more adequately be translated as "rejoiced triumphantly." This is not only a note of happiness, but of exuberant happiness. There is a certain confidence as well as a delightful anticipation. These are more than great expectations; these are great certainties for the Christian. After all, Jesus Christ gave Himself so that we might have eternal life. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." That is the point of emphasis in the gospel. This world is not the center of interest in the message of the evangel, but the other world. Secularism has so permeated Christian thinking in our time that it has foreshortened the gospel picture. Many Christians are more absorbed in this world than the next. However, Christianity and true Christian experience live under the aspect of eternity, and the Bible ends with these words: "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." The Lord's return is ever our "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13).

However glorious the experience of peace may be, however unspeakable the felicity of the Holy Ghost may be, even these blessed experiences are as nothing in comparison with what lies before. The famous evangelist, D. L. Moody, used to say, "Some day you will read in the obituaries that D. L. Moody is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. I will have just begun to live." That is no exaggeration. As some other person has said, "The most wonderful five minutes in a Christian's life are the first five minutes after death."

Jonathan Edwards, in an unpublished manuscript, said something like this: "The blessedness of heaven is so glorious that when the saints arrive there they will look back on their earthly pilgrimage, however wonderful their life in Christ was then, as a veritable hell. Just as truly, on the other hand, will those who perish in hell look back on the life in this world, however miserable it may have been, as veritable heaven." This is the Christian's answer to those who think that hell is here and now.

How do we know that we know Christ? If we have the experiences stated earlier, growing out of a sound evangelical belief in the gospel, we know Christ, and we know that we know Christ.

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This is part twenty-four of John H. Gerstner's small book entitled Theology for Everyman, originally published in 1965 (Moody Press, Chicago). That book was subsequently republished in 1991. It has since fallen out of print and we thought it would be good to revisit this book here on the blog. Over the next couple of months, we'll work our way through the book. Here is where we've been so far: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6 and Chapter 7.