For those who are outside of Jesus Christ and living in rebellion due to their continued disobedience to follow His Gospel plan of salvation, they have no hope for any enduring epitaph for good, for those outside of Christ have no hope of eternal life. But for those of us who are in Jesus Christ we alone are able to have that " . . . peace of God, which passes all understanding . . . " (Philippians 4:7). Why? Because only those who are clothed in the garments of the Savior (Galatians 3:27) have hope of eternity spent with the Creator of the universe, for they alone are no longer considered to be enemies of God (James 4:4)! In fact, we have such a loving and forgiving God that not only are we no longer considered His enemy, we are considered His children! We have been adopted as His sons and daughters (Ephesians 1:5), and we can call out to Him as our Abba, Father (Romans 8:15). But He does not even stop there, which was boundlessly much more than ever we could have hoped. No, our Father is so loving, He is so kind, He is so merciful, and He is so gracious that He makes us joint-heirs with His one and only truly begotten Son, and as His children we, too, can share in the glorification of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17)! So let us examine the hope we have in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our hope in Christ refers to our expectations of reconciliation with God through His divine atonement as a blessed expectation for eternity. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:5, "And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who is given unto us." Paul also stated in 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now He that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God; Who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
Such expectation of the righteous in Christ’s perfect obedience is the source of our great joy and hope. As the Wise Writer stated in Proverbs 10:28, "The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish." Unfortunately, many people today, particularly those who are caught up in the New Age movements, speak of "Mother Nature" as the cause and effect of all that comes upon them in this life. But if our eye is fixed upon the Person of Jesus Christ we will see Him as He is on the throne of God as King of kings and Lord of lords. We will understand truly that God is sovereign, and He is in control. And this understanding sweetens all such mercies to see how they came to us. They come from such a loving, nail-pierced hand – a hand that bore the scars that our sins inflicted – and it should bring us to shame to see the great price He paid in our behalf when we gaze upon that hand held out so lovingly, so pleadingly, for us to surrender our lives to Him! As we are told in Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." That is what comes of true discipleship! We remember the name of our Redeemer, and we call out to Him in faithful obedience!
May the Lord bless you!
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