| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church I’d like to talk about Hope today, and the reciprocal, which is Hopelessness. But before we can really do that, we have to examine the progression to these. Let’s look at hopelessness first. One common denominator in the progression to hopelessness, is Grief. It can include but is not confined to regret. All Grief stems from loss in some form (real or imagined). It can be over anything from a promotion we didn’t get that we were sure was ours, to the loss of a loved one, spouse, or worse yet, a child. It can run in severity from mild disappointment, to anger or rage, and will ultimately lead to hopelessness, then even depression. We are all susceptible to it, and if left untreated, will cloud all our relationships and judgements through the lens of hopelessness. So what about hope? Romans 15:4 says: “for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Too vague? Vs 13 says: “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost”. You see, He is the God of hope. The dispenser of hope. Titus 2:13 calls His coming “the blessed hope”. The implication here is that there is no hope apart from Him. In Christ, we abound in hope. And He knew what He was talking about as He was - “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” So who is it that has hope? It is he who has appropriated these truths; that - “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” - Rom 3:23. That “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” - 6:23. That - “God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for (instead of) us.” 5:8. That in making Him Lord of our life, we change, or more accurately, He changes us. No change? Then you are not His. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” - 6:6. Nugget: I’m not talking about sinlessness, but in Christ we will Sin-Less. These are those, according to the Bible, who have hope. Not because (or in spite) of circumstances, but because He is our hope, and remains forever. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:37-39. Where is your hope today? God Bless. |
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