The Christian's hope Week 17, 2011

“Dad, why is it called hope? I was taught hope is something you are not sure of, and we are expected to walk by faith. Saying hope seems to imply it might not happen!” Is that what you understand about hope? The reference to hope in Christ isn’t with uncertainty of the event but with time element. “What do you mean?” Do you hope you were in church yesterday? “Of course not; you don’t hope about the past!” Exactly: nor can you hope for what you see in the present: For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Rom 8:24, 25(ESV), hope has to do with a future event.
“Hope to me has some kind of uncertainty built around it. Is the Christian hope an uncertain event? Is there a chance it might not happen?” Not at all my child, not at all: We have this hope as an anchor for our lives. It is safe and sure, and goes through the curtain of the heavenly temple into the inner sanctuary Heb 6:19(GNB). Our hope is safe and sure, however for our own good No one knows when that day or hour will come-not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father Mt 24:36(ISV).
“So what is the hope of believers?” Tit 2:13(ESV) says: waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. “Well what about us, what happens to us?” But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure 1Jn 3:2, 3(GNB). “Wow that’s neat you mean we’ll be like he is, with glory and able to pass through walls and all that?” Definitely He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body Php 3:21(GNB)
“Alright , so our hope is an event that will certainly come up in the future but whose timing we don’t yet know, but the Father does?” We-ell, we won’t ever know the time, God will never release that: The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be Act 1:7(GNB) so never accept any date predictions of this.
Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised 1Co 15:20(GNB). Now this is the one hope Christians have Eph 4:4. If this hope is not in you...