Random thoughts from a Wednesday

Compassion & Trust
Personal disasters may be small in the grand scheme, but they are no less devastating for that. Even the smallest wounds should be tended by loving hands. If you care in the small things, people will trust you with their tragedies.

Love & Joy
Love is sharing of an intimate, unpredictable kind. Its beauty cannot be fully seen. Its worth cannot be fully expressed. It is ultimately selfless and abundantly joyful. Joy is more predictable, though less known. Joy is a constant, unending delight in God - even in sorrow, even in the darkness to be felt. It is there, delight battling despair, coming out victorious, though perhaps bruised and bloodied, but all the purer for its wounds. Joy is marked by maturity, by a "settledness" that comes from love - we have joy because Christ loves us with love incorruptible.

Hope & Light
If Christians share Christ only in the good times, and fall into despair and hopelessness in the bad times, then what are they doing? We are not only lamps in light, but in darkness as well - especially darkness. That is where the world will see us shining, and wonder at the sight. They may look at the world and see nothing but shadowed tragedy, but there is light. Christ is the great Challenger of darkness. He has overcome it. Through Him, we have also overcome it. God is not only God in our joy, but in our sorrow too. He keeps His flame burning in us, and we need not fear the pitch.

Hope

Simmering silent in my heart's secret corners, there lie my hopes. 

They hide in the depths and the dark.

They have been bruised before.

Not crushed; despair has never yet quite won over my hopes. 

There has been no total devastation.

Hope might be a flickering flame, but it is a stubborn one.

It will not so soon be snuffed.

Five women & God's grace

1

When others sinned against me, I sinned to gain security. I used deceit, cunning and immorality to ensure my deceased husband's inheritance, as well as my own future. I banked on the immorality of my father-in-law rather than trusting in the Most High God. Still, in all my sinfulness, God moved with grace, using me despite my sinful works, despite my fears, and allowing me to bear a son who would be in the line of the Messiah.

2

I am a prostitute from a pagan nation. I lived my life in immorality, in godlessness. Then I heard about the LORD, the one who delivered his people from Egypt, who brought them through the Red Sea, who defeated powerful nations. My heart melted within me at the word of this God, the God of the heavens above and the earth beneath. How I rejoiced and mourned when God spared me by his mercy and grace! Could it be that I, even I could be in the line of the Messiah? 

3

I am a Gentile. By God's grace I was saved, living with Naomi and refusing to go back to Chemosh and spiritual death. I forsook the idols of my people. God moved mysteriously and graciously, and in his providence I found myself married to Boaz, a righteous and worthy man. In my life I saw something of the final redemption through the Messiah. 

4

I am an adulteress. Called by the king, I went and lay with him. O, God - pregnancy! Proof of our iniquity, and my death sentence. To cover our iniquity, my husband, my righteous husband Uriah, was betrayed and slain. What have I done? My lament, my guilt, O my husband! O, my child. This consequence is great. I sinned against the Lord. But, O - God's grace. God gave us another son, a son beloved of the Lord. Could it be that my son, the son from my womb, is an ancestor of the Messiah? 

5

I am young, unmarried, and vulnerable. I am neither rich nor powerful. An angel appeared to me and told me wonderful things, things that were confusing and amazing. The Holy Spirit? Overshadowing? A Son - a Son of the Most High? Let it be so, according to your word. 

O, those months. The visit with Elizabeth; the joy in knowing Joseph believed me, that he would stay! - the long, aching travel; the inn. No room in the inn. Where am I to bear this child? The time has come!

My beautiful boy. Look at you - so small and frail, needing me. What is the grace of God, that I should bear the Saviour of the world? I need him. The whole world will need him. The shepherds came and told us their story, how the choir of angels sang. A Saviour. Christ the Lord. My baby. I will treasure these things and ponder them. Could it be that the promises of God have been fulfilled? The time of waiting is over - the Messiah has come!

Though you have not seen Him

I have such a great hope. It is the very hope that helps me to endure trouble, to battle against stress, and to live with joy instead of depression.

My hope is in Christ, Whom I have not seen.

I have not seen Him, but I love Him.

When I think of all He has done for me, all He has transferred to me, all He has died for in my name and for my sake, I cannot help but love Him.

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 ESV)

Blessed are those. Blessed are those. We walk by faith, not by sight. We hope in the promises of Christ Jesus. We believe in Him and rejoice in His name. We live and rest and delight in abiding in Christ, echoing John in his utterance: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

He is the Master and King of creation,
Gathering people from every nation
Redeeming them by His own shed blood
Overpowering sin with a gracious flood
Of forgiveness and peace, of mercy and love
Coming down from the Father of Lights up above.
There is no other being remotely above Him
And though I have not yet seen Him, I love Him.

God's power

I do not like deep water.

I can swim, but I prefer solid ground beneath me.

If I am forced to swim, I like seeing the bottom. As soon as it gets a little bit shadowed or dark, I begin to imagine that some deep-sea (or deep-lake) monster is going to rush up and grab me, dragging me down into the pressurized darkness, cracking all my bones. Deep water makes me nervous.

The monstrous, roiling waves, capable of overpowering the greatest of ships constructed by man, capable of destroying cities, of overturning houses, of pummeling rock to sand to be lapped up against the shore...this grand, terrifying body is subjected to the God I call Father.

Wow.

Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
(Psalm 42:7, emphasis mine)

I am not comforted by the sea. Yet I am comforted by the fact that the sea is God's sea. The waterfalls are God's waterfalls. The deep that calls to deep, the deep that thunders nervousness in my chest, is the deep that answers to the Creator's call.

When life sends wave after wave of trial and trouble at me, I know that these waves are not battering me in spite of God's attempts to protect me.

God is sending the waves.

And God is protecting me.

God will bring me through what He has in store for me, even if my journey consists of travelling down to the pressurized darkness of the deep. Even if I cannot see the bottom, even if I cannot see the end in sight, I will praise God, because He holds me, and the waves answer to Him.

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Kept in heaven

I love Scotland. I've never been, but I love it. The music, the accents, the plaid, the mountains, the lochs, the history...I cannot remember a time where I did not plan to travel there some day. (I also want to marry a Scottish man who plays a cello and lives in a castle, but I hold that quite loosely.)

I think of my love of Scotland in terms of my love of heaven. Born again to a living hope...

I have an inheritance (kept in heaven) by Jesus Christ, my Saviour (in heaven), Who entered into heaven to appear in the presence of God on my behalf (Hebrews 9:24). One difference between Scotland and heaven (there are not many ;) ) is the fact that my citizenship is actually in heaven. To go to Scotland would mean being a bumbling, delighted foreigner. To go to heaven would mean going home.

I have never been to heaven, but I love it. I love the Saviour Who awaits me there, Who will bring me into His kingdom, Who keeps my inheritance.


“Many shall come from the east and west—and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:11)

But there will be nothing to make believers afraid in the kingdom of heaven. Though the sins of their lives ‘were as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; and though red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ Their sins will be ‘remembered no more;’ ‘sought for, and not found;’ ‘blotted out as a thick cloud;’ ‘cast behind God’s back;’ ‘plunged in the depths of the sea.’ If we were in the presence of a stern judge, or of a king clothed in awful majesty, we should not dare to sit down. Once joined to Christ by faith, they are complete in the sight of God the Father, and even the perfect angels shall see no spot in them. Surely they may well sit down; and feel at home!"
— J.C. Ryle

No Regrets?

Recently I read a quote from a grand ol' theologian who lived quite a number of years ago. In general, I love to read what he wrote. His words are a blessing and an exhortation. 
However, this particular quote gave me some pause. It said something to this effect:
"Let us strive to have no regrets on our deathbed." 
I know I will have regrets on my deathbed. I just will. I will regret not being braver, of saying nothing when I ought to have said something - or saying something when I ought to have said nothing at all. I will regret that I let opportunities pass by. I will regret that I have not loved as deeply or truthfully as I could have. I will regret every time I was unjustifiably angry. I will perhaps regret, as Andrew Fuller did on his own deathbed, that I will not have enough strength left to worship God. 
But it's not about my regrets. 
Life is not about being able to lay down your head for the last time and say, "I'm happy with what I've done and been." 
Life - and death - are about Christ Jesus. It is about what He has done for me. 
I will have regrets. Yet all my regrets will be demolished by this one thought: 
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:57)
All my regrets are washed and overcome by my Saviour. As I lay dying, if I am not taken swiftly, I hope that my mind will not dwell on what I have accomplished (or failed to accomplish). I hope my mind will be dwelling on my Jesus, praising Him for His gift of salvation, and smiling upon the last few moments of life that are all that remains between me and seeing His face. 

Day by Day

Day by day and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure

Gives unto each day what He deems best-

Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me

With a special mercy for each hour;

All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,

He whose name is Counsellor and Power.

The protection of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on Himself He laid;

“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”

This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation

So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,

That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation

Offered me within Thy holy word.

Help me Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,

E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,

One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,

‘Till I reach the promised land.

I have always loved this hymn for a nearly inexplicable reason. Somehow there have always seemed to be lines between the lines; whenever I sang or read this hymn, I was struck with this sense of great faith in the midst of great tragedy. It is not a hymn that I can sing or ponder without being deeply moved, near to tears - and I never really knew precisely why, but to me the writer speaks from a position not of simple, easy knowledge of the promises of God, but of God's faithfulness despite pain and suffering.

So I looked it up.

The hymn was written by Lina Sandell, a Swedish woman who has been likened to Fanny Crosby in that she wrote many great hymns in her lifetime. When she was twenty-six years old, she was with her father on a ship to the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, travelling across Lake Vattern. The ship gave a sudden lurch and her father, a devout minister, was thrown overboard.

He drowned before Lina's helpless eyes.

This hymn was written after that tragic event. Lina's faith in God's sovereign help and unchangeable promises grew and flourished in spite of it. In this hymn she shows a resolute hope, clinging to the promises of God that, as she says, He has laid on Himself. God protects His children from now into eternity. We may go through trying times and even death, but we can trust our Father's pledge. We can cast our cares upon the One Who bears them all.

Terrifying Holiness and Immeasurable Tenderness Bound in One

"He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." (Matthew 17:5-7)

The thing that has always hit me about the Transfiguration in Matthew 17 is Peter's response to seeing Moses and Elijah discoursing with Jesus. I've often found it hilarious that he blurts out this inane comment about setting up tents for the three, as though they were equal - it was like he just had to say something, anything.

But what hit me this morning was not the usual good-ol'-Peter thing. It was the above verses that stood out this time.

Do you ever consider that both perfect, terrifying holiness and steadfast, immeasurable tenderness are bound up in Jesus? Think about it. He was transfigured before the disciples, showing a measure of His glory in spotlessness; His face shining like the sun, His clothes "white as light". On top of that, the voice of the Father booms out of a bright cloud! Imagine that. It was only natural for them to fall on their faces in terror. When sinners are confronted with the glory of God, that seems to be the general response.

But then there is a change. The emphasis switches from the holiness of God to His tenderness.

"But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear.""

In Christ we need not be afraid. We can approach God's glorious throne unashamed. We need not be terrified of His holiness.

God's holiness and tenderness are bound together. Though He is holy, though He is Perfection, He reaches out. He touches; He is not separate from us. God is no longer unapproachable, because He has approached us.

Have you ever been hurting (whether emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc.) and felt a sympathetic hand on your shoulder? You must know that the simple touch gives as much comfort as the spoken word, if not more. Even animals are comforted in feeling a tender hand. It's something about that physical connection that adds to the words, "have no fear".

"For I, the LORD your God,

hold your right hand;

it is I who say to you,

"Fear not, I am the one who helps you.""

(Isaiah 41:13)

"When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." (Revelation 1:17-18)

Some day all of God's people will feel His touch, as He wipes every tear from their eyes. Faith and hope will find their glorious end in His loving presence. I don't know about you, but I hope for a bear-hug. :)

We're Drawing Close to the Finish Line, or What Has Been Taking Up My Time Lately

I always seem to have an excuse for not blogging regularly. This time it is a solid excuse.

I have been very busy. Too busy to think many thoughts. Except this one: how can I most efficiently destroy those who used my honey (that I needed for my tea) on their PANCAKES this morning? This is the question that is running through my mind.

However, that can be pondered for about two weeks. I give myself these lengths so I can go over every scenario at my leisure.

Our living room is all painted, and the furniture is brought back in. It's been a wild time of renovation and painting. I have new painting clothes: scrubs. They're comfortable. And green.

I think someday I will be adept at this mudding and painting business. Maybe by the time I get my own house I'll be a pro. Ha! I doubt that'll happen. Maybe I'll *hire* a pro to clean up after me.

It's raining right now, which makes it a good t.v.-watching day. We watched soccer after the living room was finished, and now apparently we're going to watch the Lord of the Rings, after I make rice.

Off to make rice I go.

Security of Salvation

I've been musing over this for the past little while. The idea of being secure - having assurance of salvation - is one that I hold quite dear. I believe it is an encouraging truth for the believer.

The perseverance of the saints is often cast in a negative light. I don't think it should be, as it is something that should be received with joy and praise unto God. So, I'm going to outline as much as I can here in this post. It is of course a much weightier topic than one small post can justify, but bear with me as I try to explain it. I do not have the space to get into the biggest aspect of this argument - that of adoption - but I may at some point in the future.

Are We Secure?

The first question of course is whether or not we really are secure in salvation.

Friends of mine do not believe so. As far as I can tell, they believe instead that, while God is certainly at work in salvation, we can indeed fall away and no longer believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour. It is up to us to follow Christ and remain saved.

While I can agree with that in some measure, I do not believe it gives credit where credit is due. It is not us, after all, who are the instigators of our salvation. We do not make ourselves a new creation. We do not give ourselves a new heart. God does these things. God is first and foremost in all things, including the salvation of our souls.

More than that, we have promises from God in Scripture. The main one I want to highlight here is the idea of being sealed with the Holy Spirit, since that pertains to the idea of security.

Ephesians 1:13 "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

The definition of sealed is:

"established irrevocably;

closed or secured;"

It would seem to me that this means our salvation is kept by the power of the Holy Spirit - and we could only lose our salvation if the Spirit broke away.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 "And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

Can We Therefore Be Assured?

Security and assurance are slightly different - security is from God's perspective; we are saved, and He will keep us for eternity.

Assurance, on the other hand, is our understanding - and acceptance - of this fact.

I believe that we can be assured of God's saving, powerful grace. We can take Him at His word, and trust in His promises, and be confident in our salvation.

Hebrews 13:6 "So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”"

Trust me, I have gone through rough times. I've never been afraid I lost my salvation; but I have wondered in the past whether I was truly saved or not. I still have struggles every so often, wondering if I'm fooling myself into believing I am saved when I don't really trust in Christ.

The remedy for such worries is to look to Christ. As Mom has said so often before, we have to preach the gospel to ourselves. If I wasn't saved before, I can be now. Trust in Christ! Trust in Christ.

We can therefore have confidence in the power of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. We don't have to worry whether we are doing or believing enough in order to remain saved.

Does That Mean We Don't Have to Try to Be Godly?

In no way does the perseverance of the saints mean that we don't have to strive toward holiness.

This is where the idea of "once saved, always saved" has such negative effects. Some take this to mean that they can then do whatever they want, live however they want, etc. and they will still be saved.

Perseverance of the saints argues against this. The whole idea of it is exactly opposite to "once saved, always saved" in this sense. For those who believe such things, I would say that the Bible states love of God equals obeying His commandments. We are responsible to change our lifestyles, to live in a way that is acceptable to God.

Some might say "Fine! I'm saved! Now I can go out and do as I like!"

But in the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-6) Jesus says, No, you may not. He goes on to say there are characteristics we must have. We must look like Christ!

We should seek after holiness and put sin to death, not say "that's just the way I am". Those who would take such a "cheap grace" view would do well to reflect on these:

1 John 2:3-4 "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him..."

2 Cor 13:5 "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?- unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"

James 2:14-17 "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

All through Scripture there are commands to put things off - put off the old man, put off evil...and then put on; the new man, righteousness, etc. (Romans 13:12; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 2:11; Colossians 3:9; Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:24; Ephesians 6:11; Colossians 3:5 ; Colossians 3:10; Colossians 3:12; Colossians 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:8)

We are to battle every day with our sin nature.

2 Peter 1:10 "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall."

We do have to work out our salvation, but we must remember that we are not alone in doing this. While we are working on our salvation, God works in us too, for He is over all:

Philippians 2:12-13 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Therefore

So, to cast perseverance in a more positive light, I hope you can see that we have hope in Jesus Christ as our Perfect, Eternal, Victorious Saviour. He will, He can, He has.

"My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do."

There are those who fall away. For some, this means they were deceived, and did not truly accept Christ or rely on Him. For others, for believers, falling away is something different.

It is not losing their salvation, but stepping into a dark, rebellious time; a time in which they have wanted nothing to do with God, where they'd prefer if God left them alone. This I have seen. I have also been there.

This kind of falling away of believers can also be something like a denial of God. In times of distress or pressure, we don't always have the strength to stand up for the truth. This also is a type of "falling away".

Mark 14:26-31 "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same."

But this does not equal a loss of salvation. Salvation is secured. Christ paid the price. The Father has adopted us. He has given us a place. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Hound of Heaven will by no means let us go so easily.

We need to remember something. If there is someone we have known as a brother or sister in Christ, who has suddenly come to a point where they say they no longer believe, we can do two things:

1) Act upon their former proclamation, and consider them to be a believer who has come to a rebellious point. Hold them accountable for their sins. Exhort them from Scripture. In short, still treat them (with all kindness, gentleness, and humility, mind you) as a believer.

2) Pray for their souls.

Remember this promise from God: those who abide in Him, abide in Him eternally.

2 John 1:9 "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

Hope Part 3 (7) - God is a God of Hope

If all the previous things about hope are true, then this new truth is kind of a given. 

Christ is our hope, and Christ is from God, with God; He is God. 

Our faith and hope are in God, because He can fulfill our hopes. 

Hope springs into being prepared and purified by God, for God, through God. 

Hope is a mindset; we focus our minds where? On God, right? 

Hope is concrete through the Spirit, Who is God. 

Our hope is for eternal things, where God abides. 

So here we are. God is a God of hope. Is it so? 

Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

We've seen already that Christ is our hope, and that the Holy Spirit makes our hope concrete. What does the Father do to give us hope? Is it not He Who gives us "all joy and peace in believing"? 

Isn't it an aweing thought to think that the whole Godhead, the whole Trinity, is at work bringing you hope? I can't fathom it, because it's too rich and wonderful for me to understand.

Our tireless, ever faithful, ever gracious, ever loving God has us in His hands. Not only that, but He has us in His hands with a mind for us to know we are in His hands. He gave us His Word so that we might draw encouragement from it. He doesn't want us to blindly "believe" in Him and then continue in our worry and strife and every day madness. He is our hope; He is our rest; He is our peace. He calls us to peace. 

Psalm 42:5 - "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation..."

Am I saying we should never be cast down? No, not one bit. I don't want to add to a legalistic list of things to do in order to be godly. I can't check off a list - "Wear proper clothes, check; speak properly, check; rest in God without worrying, check..." 

It doesn't work like that. We go through pain. We go through torment, heartache, deception and distress. We feel it. Our souls can be in turmoil. Our souls can be cast down. 

But God is a God of hope. He doesn't leave us there. 

We break, we hurt, and then we say "God, help me!" and He does. We're never ignored when we call out to God. He's never busy. Remember the story of Elijah? God was right there. 

He's right there with us, too. After all, He paid a pretty high price for us. He's our Shepherd. Our Saviour. Our Lord. He means to keep us, and that's His promise. 

Psalm 65:5 - "By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas..."

You know what's a beautiful thing? I'm not responsible for my salvation. God knows if I were, I would lose it. There wouldn't be any hope. Since God is the God of my salvation, there is hope. Because He will never lose what He means to keep. 

Jeremiah 14:22 - "Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O Lord our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things."

So what is the response to knowing that God is a God of hope, and that we can put our trust in Him? 

1 Timothy 4:6-10 - "If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."

Train yourself for godliness. Respond to the hope God gives. Don't just take it as head knowledge, but take it as heart application. God doesn't want us just to know; He doesn't just want "hearers of the word" (though we must necessarily hear it), He wants "doers of the word".  We're created for the glory and praise of God. We're meant to bring Him glory. We're meant to praise Him. 

Know the Word, know the hope of God; know God. There is no thing more important. 

He is your hope, and He is endless, unchanging, and always good. What an amazing God. 

Hope Part Two (6) Our Hope is Not For Earthly Things, But Eternal

1 Corinthians 13:13 "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; 

but the greatest of these is love."

Hope is a very interesting thing, you know. I know that in doing this series on hope I have been blessed to have a bit more; but I also know that I'm hardly scratching the surface. God is a God of hope, and hope goes deep. 

I want to bring the previous five posts all into this one, if I can. If we look at the previous posts, we can see clearly that we hope for eternal things, not earthly things. 

Many people in the world hope for earthly things. And really, Christians do, too. We hope for financial peace; safety and health for family and friends; perhaps fickle things like hoping for a better car or a bigger house, winning the lottery, finding Mr./Mrs. Perfect (on the outside, at least)...the list goes on forever. We hope for things to go the way we want them to go. We hope that we can do what we want to do. 

But is that where it ends? Is hope limited to these earthly things? 

No! There is eternal hope! Real hope is as deep and wide and unimaginable as real love. The world gets it wrong on so many levels. 

Christians have the source for knowing a glimpse of true hope: Scripture. 

Scripture shows us what we ought to really hope for. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

I know for a fact that our outer self is wasting away. 

I'm twenty years old, and already my knees kill me, my ankles are weak, my back hurts a lot of the time, my shoulders are in pain constantly, my neck is sore, my jaw is out of place, my toes are swollen and puffed up from the cold, my fingernails crack and split right where it hurts the most, my hair falls out, my eyes are bad, my ears are stuffed, I have a cavity, my nose is runny, my hips are aching, and the list could go on and on. 

I remember that just ten years ago I could do just about anything; I could take hard knocks, fall down, and bounce back up again. Nowadays it's more difficult. I'm looking forward to the NEXT ten years...

All this to say, the outward is wasting away. BUT, it doesn't end there!

The inner self is being renewed day by day! These afflictions that plague me are light and momentary. Beyond that, there is an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison! What hope this fills me with! 

I can suffer pain in this life and know for a fact that it will not always be so. How can I know it for a fact? 

John 6:47 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life."

John 10:28 - "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."

Jesus - our God, our Saviour, our Lord, our Hope - has promised it. What He has promised will come to pass. Jesus' promises are never a "Maybe..."; they are always, ALWAYS a "will". It's for sure. 

John 17:3 - "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." 

Jesus has the right to make these promises, and the right to be sure about them, because of his sacrifice: 

Hebrews 9:12 - "...he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption."

1 John 2:25 - "And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life." 

1 John 5:11 - "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

Life is in God's Son. My life is in You, Lord...as long as my life is in Him, it is eternally kept. What an amazing promise; what a ground for hope. 

1 Peter 5:10 - "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

We will suffer. We do go through a light momentary affliction - it may seem like a long time of suffering, the pain might seem intense and unbearable, but it is nothing - NOTHING - in light of the incomparable weight of glory awaiting us in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Does it make you praise God in awe when you read that He WILL Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you? Does it not make you wonder at His grace? His promise is sure! And what a promise it is. 

Jude 1:21 - "keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life."

Our hope lies in eternal things. Earthly things can't save us; they have made no promises, and even if they did, they wouldn't be rock-sure. 

Jesus' promises are rock-sure. What He has promised, that you may look forward to with all hope and comfort. 

What is the response to such eternal hope?

2 Thessalonians 2:16 - "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word."

Hope Part Two (5) Hope Is Concrete Through the Spirit

If we recall to mind that Christ is our hope, that we have hope through the encouragement of the Scriptures, that hope springs into being prepared and purified, and that hope is a mindset, we can then move on to the assurance part:

Hope Is Concrete Through the Spirit. 

The Spirit plays a big part in our hope. It is the Spirit Who was sent by Christ; the Spirit Who shows us the truth in the Scriptures; the Spirit Who prepares and purifies us. The Spirit pokes and prods us when we do wrong, and it grieves Him when we turn away in spite of His warnings. 

The Spirit Himself was a promise. Jesus gave His disciples this hope:

John 14:16 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever..."

John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me."

So, the Holy Spirit was Himself a hope to the disciples of Jesus - a hope to us. The Holy Spirit is our Helper! He is here. He is our Helper in guarding the good deposit (the good news of Jesus Christ) entrusted to us. 

2 Timothy 1:14 "By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you."

We are not alone; God did not pay such a heavy price for us and then abandon us to fend for ourselves. He is here, He is active, He is loving. 

Romans 5:5 "...and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

The Holy Spirit is a promise that has been fulfilled. Believers have the Holy Spirit with them right now. So, the Holy Spirit is almost a good faith deposit. It's as if God says "This promise has been completed. I promised you the Holy Spirit, and He is with you. Now you can have hope that my other promises will be fulfilled."

Sometimes I find myself depressed, despairing about things, fretting about other things. Sometimes I feel on the verge of crying, other times on the verge of punching through a wall. These times are dark, they are deep, they are vicelike. They tear and grip and laugh. 

But the Holy Spirit is stronger than these times. He whispers, gently, softly, lovingly, the truth of the Scriptures. He whispers directly to my heart. He leads me to see my sin, to see my failure to trust, to see my lack of faith. He is not condemning, rather He is reminding. "Look to Christ," He says "Don't look at anything but Christ. Christ is your hope. Christ is your peace." 

Then the depression, the darkness, lifts. There is no "logical" reason why this should happen; nothing has changed. The same worrisome things are still there right in front of my face. The same unknowns are still vying for my attention. But my attention is lost in Christ, because the Holy Spirit reminds me of the hope that is found in my Saviour and Lord. 

Galatians 5:5 "For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness."

The Holy Spirit reminds us of God's promises. 

Romans 8:6 "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

Life and peace. Life and peace. 

Know this: the Spirit waits to make your hope in Christ concrete. 

The Spirit reminds us of Christ, He brings to mind the Scriptures (even while we hide God's word in our heart), He purifies and prepares us, and He renews our mind so that despair can find no place. 

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Hope - Part Two (4) Hope is a Mindset

I hope you remember the previous three posts, because they are necessary for this next one. 

As a reminder, they went in this order

1) Christ is our Hope

2) We Have Hope Through The Encouragement of the Scriptures

3) Hope Springs into Being Prepared and Purified

Now, we're on number four, which is that Hope is a mindset. It's not going to be as long, but it's necessary nonetheless. :) Besides, sometimes shorter posts are better, right? 

Hope is not something that you "feel" in that feathery fluff sense. 

1 Thessalonians 5:8 - "But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation."

This is something I noticed when I read this verse: our helmet (what protects our head, our mind) is the hope of salvation. Hope! Faith and love protect our heart, hope protects our mind! Isn't that something awesome? 

We can think things through with the hope that God's word is true. We can move forward in life in the hope that God will provide for us. We can speak out for God in the hope that we will glorify Him. The list goes on! 

Many of our actions stem from thoughts, and many of our thoughts are grounded in hope. 

1 Peter 1:13 - "Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Hope has to do with the mindset. We hope for things that will be brought to us, therefore, what we do is determined by this knowledge. Do we strive to do great things for Christ? Do we glorify His name every moment? 

Lamentations 3:19-24 - "Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.""

Here are some practical applications I will leave you with:

1) Call to mind the promises of Christ. Doing such a thing is a counter to depression and worry. Call to your mind the steadfast love of the Lord; call to mind His endless mercy; call to mind that Christ Jesus died for you, loves you, and is your Lord and Saviour. These will give you hope, and renew your mind. 

2) Make a point of hoping in the Lord. I don't really think it comes easily. We are fickle creatures who easily fall away from faith and hope, turning instead to worry. Don't do it! Hope in the Lord. He is your portion. 

Hope - Part One (3) Hope Springs Into Different Things

1 Corinthians 13:13 - "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

1) Hope Springs into Being Prepared

Hope is not a dead thing. It is not a "latch-on". We don't say we hope in something without actually hoping in it.  We don't hope in something if we know it is not real, or if it is going to fail. We have an expectation of victory. We believe in something only because we know it will be successful. 

I want to look at this verse again:

1 Peter 3:14-16 - "But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."

Notice that this doesn't mean we need to get into a theological debate with everyone we meet - this is for people who ask. God makes people willing to listen to the "reason for the hope that is in you". We're not supposed to thump people over the head with our Bibles, no matter how fun it is, or how satisfying a sound it makes. (Just in case it's not evident, that right there is some dry humour. Don't kill me.)

Notice how honouring Christ as holy comes first? We need our hearts right before God before we can even begin to try to be prepared. It's...preparation for the preparation. Prepreparation. 

What does it mean to be prepared in hope? 

Psalm 42:5 - "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation"

Psalm 42:11 - "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

The difference between being prepared in hope and having false hope is in one word: shall. 

The author of this Psalm says that he shall again praise him. The Psalmist has the view that God will save him.  How different would those verses look if it said "I might again praise him"? That would change the meaning entirely. We don't hope in things (or Beings) because they might help us. 

Being prepared in hope means having confidence. Not in yourself, but in God. 

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

What helps to prepare our hope? Something people wouldn't consider at first: Suffering. 

Romans 5:1-5 - "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love  has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

We hope for unseen, eternal things. Things that we cannot even begin to imagine: Eternal life with God. Perfect fellowship. Sinlessness. We are prepared through suffering, and we are prepared as we are purified. 

2) Hope Springs Into Being Purified

1 John 3:3 - "And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."

I very often consider myself as a sinner. I know what I am, and that is a wretch so vile and putrid that I even hate myself. When I look into the deepest pits of sin in me, I want to crawl away and hide in some remote and uninhabited place. I want to be alone to suffer, not the right type of suffering but the wrong type.  

I shouldn't stop there, though. I am a wretch, but I am a treasure. This person that I both hate and adore is loved with the right love by the Right Lover. God sees me as I am and loves me anyway. God sees the worst of me and says "I died for you". God fills the deepest pits in me with His righteousness, His precious righteousness that was poured out at such a price. 

God died for me. God died for you. What should we do with this knowledge? Take it and be done? Or does it lead to something else? 

Knowing that Christ died in order that I might live is such a knowledge! It fills me with hope that is inexplicable. Through Christ I am reconciled - through Christ I am an heir of God. Through Christ I may now spend eternity with God, being able to worship Him without an indwelling of sin! 

God doesn't leave it at dying for us. He wants a relationship with His people. He wants us to turn from sin, and seek His face. We seek Him through suffering and through joy. Through peace and war. I'm reading a book by Francis Schaeffer called "The God Who is There" (which is an excellent book which everyone in the whole world should read RIGHT NOW), and from the title alone you can guess what it's about. God is there, He is not hiding from us, expecting us to find our own way. No. He is sovereignly and lovingly directing us right from day one. To me, that is quite encouraging. It gives me great hope. 

Titus 2:11-14 - "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

Hope leads to purification. The grace of God trains us to renounce "ungodliness and worldly passions..." 

Do you see? Hope is not solitary. Hope stems from faith, faith in a God Who is there and Who is purifying us! As we move forward in our lives, the Holy Spirit is at work in us. Jesus our blessed Hope (and the only Source of True Hope) is purifying us. As He purifies us, we should prepare. (This is where the "faith and good works" discussion could fit nicely. If you want to see my take on that, look at my post about "Faith Alone" by R.C. Sproul.)

We're in a process. God is "at work" in us, right now. 

1 Thessalonians 2:13 - "And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers."

Hebrews 13:20-21 - "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Have a look at this passage:

Romans 8:31-38 - "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Here are the statements of hope I find in this short passage of Scripture:

1) God is for us.

2) God justifies.

3) Christ died for us.

4) Christ is interceding for us.

5) Nothing will separate us from the love of Christ. 

We might read the above passage and say, wait a minute. It's talking about a lot of bad things. It's talking about us being killed and persecuted, going into famine, going under the sword, all kinds of nasty stuff! How can it bring hope? 

But look again, because none of that nasty stuff is bigger than God. This is what is outlined. No matter what may happen to us on this earth, God is for us. No matter who may condemn us, God is the One Who justifies. No matter what charge is brought against us, we know that Christ died for us. 

The final two are the most powerful. Right now, in Heaven, at this very moment, Christ is interceding for us. Our Lord and Saviour is praying for us! The question is, what is our response? Do I sit here and think "Oh, that's nice", or do I seek to glorify God in all I do? Do I seek to go out into the world proclaiming the name of Christ to all who will hear? What am I here on earth for if not to serve my King and my God?? 

The final point. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. That not only fills me with hope, but peace as well. Jesus loves me. It's true. He loves me so deeply that nothing can break that love. I cannot be separated from Him, not by anything. He loves me, and He is at work in me, sanctifying and purifying me. He is chipping away the cords of sin. He is replacing those cords with cords of His holiness. 

Feeling hopeful yet? ;)

(Part One over! I hope (grin) these posts were an encouragement, but I'd like to remind you that the greatest source of hope is the one given to us by God. The whole Scripture is a story of hope.)

Hope - Part One: (2) We Have Hope Through the Encouragement of the Scriptures

1 Corinthians 13:13 "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; 

but the greatest of these is love."

Romans 15:4 - "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Hope is an interesting thing, isn't it? There are so many places that it springs up - so many sources of hope in our lives. We are hopeful creatures. Even as small children we hope for things. 

There is one source of hope that is constant, unwavering, and perfectly right. That is the Word of God - the Scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

God inspired men to write the Bible. This means that the Bible is God's letter to us - it is a letter of hope, and for one main reason: because it is a letter about Christ. (See? This is why this is #2. I think...sometimes.) 

Read:  1 Peter 2:6 - "For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”" 

That is quite a statement to put your hope in. Whoever believes in Christ will not find out at the end that they were wrong. God has promised and His promises cannot be broken. 

Numbers 23:19 - "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"

Often we do not turn to the Scriptures enough. We think we can handle things on our own, make our own choices by our own strength - well, what strength do we honestly have? Apart from God, our strength is naught. 

A lot of people seem to think that you need to have some kind of "emotional experience" - a feeling - in order to connect with God. Not so. God has provided a way for us to know Him personally. Don't lay your Bible aside and read a book about how to find God. God is not hiding. 

Psalm 78:5-8 - "He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God."

God did not inspire the Scriptures for His own sake - He doesn't need an external source in order to remember His deeds. He did it for us. Because we are fickle - we forget. 

If you take the time to read Psalm 119, you will see that it fits in quite well with hoping in the Scriptures.  I will post these three verses here:

Psalm 119:74 - "Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word."

Psalm 119:81 - "My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in  your word." 

Psalm 119:114 - "You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word." 

We read in God's Word about things that have not yet happened - God tells us they are going to happen. We are going to live with Him someday. We are going to be made perfect. We are going to be able to praise Him as we desire to, without the desire to sin barring our way. 

Romans 8:25 - "But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

Wait with patience for the promises of God. He is faithful. 

Colossians 1:21-23 - "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, a doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister."

Don't lose hope! Don't shift. Jesus will do what He says He will do. 

So, where's the so what in all of this? So we have hope in the Scriptures as being the faithful Word of God. We have hope that they are Truth and that what God says in His Word is what will happen for us. So what? 

1 Peter 3:15 - "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,"

I'm going to quote myself. These questions are from the Outline I did of 1 Peter: 

How can we be prepared without a mind that is both humble and prepared for action? 

How can those outside of the faith see a difference in us unless our conduct is honourable? 

How can they see the hope that is in us unless we trust Christ the Lord completely?

The real question is, how can we prepare ourselves for when someone asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us? Preparation comes from one place: Scripture. 

So, children, here's the moral for today. Read the Scriptures. Meditate on them. Memorize God's Word to you, because the closer you have them the better use they will be. The more you know of the promises of God, the more you know of the Attributes of God, the more your hope will grow and strengthen to the point that nothing on Earth or in Heaven could possibly break it. Don't forsake the hope that is so ready to be yours.