HOPE
Hope.......the expectation of future good.
1 Peter 1:3:5 (3) Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. (5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Titus 2:11-13 (11) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. (12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; (13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:16,17 (16) Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting *consolation and good hope through grace, (17) Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
*Consolation - comfort fortified with encouragement.
Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Hebrews 6:17-20 (17) Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of the promise the *immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: (18) That by two *immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (19) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth that within the veil; (20) Whither the fore runner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
*Immutable/immutibility - never changing or varying: unchangeable.
1 John 3:2, 3 (2) Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is. (3) and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure
.THE GROUNDS OF OUR HOPE: OUR SOURCE: The Lord, His word, His promises....He is truth, we trust in Him.
The scriptures show us where our hope is to be placed.
Psalm 38:15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord.
Lamentations 3:24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
*We place our hope in Jesus Christ who IS the word and the truth. Where else can we find truth? It is ONLY Jesus Christ! He IS truth, and He IS the word.
Psalm 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous *judgments endureth for ever.
*Judgments - God's judgments are divine and right always..His decisions on right and wrong or anything else.
Psalm 119:81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
*We put our hope and trust in the word which has been for ever settled in heaven. It will not change.
Psalm 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settle in heaven.
*Truly we can say with the Psalmist...Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
*How wonderful that we have such hope! We trust in Him alone who IS truth. He is our ONLY hope~ We put our trust in Him alone who so loves us and died for us while we were yet sinners that he might reconcile us to God so that we could be redeemed and our sins forgiven and we could receive the gift of eternal life.
Romans 5:8 But God commended his love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
*What MAN can give us such hope? What MAN can make such promises? What MAN can GUARANTEE our future state after death? What MAN can FORGIVE OUR SINS? NO! NOT THE POPE or any other human being! What MAN can give us the gift of ETERNAL LIFE? What MAN can you fully TRUST in?
Jeremiah 17:5,7 (5) Thus saith the Lord; cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth fromthe Lord. (7) Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
*Faith, trust, hope in any other is vain...useless and worthless. Hope, truth, trust, faith can ONLY be found in Jesus Christ...there is NONE OTHER.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Romans 8:24,25 (24) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? (25) But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.\
OUR WONDERFUL PROMISE FROM GOD....
Isaiah 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
I Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
*These things are as yet in the unseen and we with patience are waiting with precious hope!
**NOTE: It was prophesied in the Old Testament that the Gentles would be saved:
Isaiah 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Isaiah 42:1,6 (1) Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. (6) I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.
NEW TESTAMENT
*But, when Jesus came, he sent the disciples to the lost sheep of Israel.
Matthew 10:5-7 (5) These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. (6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (7) And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
*Later we see the reaction of the Gentiles and of the Jews. Acts 13:32-49 (32) And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, (33) God hath fulfilled the same unto us their chldren, in that he hath raised up Jesus again, as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. (34) And as concerning hat he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. (35) Wherefore he saith also in another Psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption, (36) For David after he had served his own generation by the will of God fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: (37) But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. (38) Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (39) And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (40) Beware therefore lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets: (41) Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. (42) And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. (43) Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. (44) And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. (45) But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with enjy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. (46) Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. (47) For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. (48) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (49) And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
Acts 11:1,18 (1) And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. (18) When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Acts 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
*THE ATTITUDE WE SHOULD HAVE
Romans 15:9-12 (9) And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, for this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name. (10) And again he saith, rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people. (11) And again, praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him all ye people. (12) And, again, Esaias saith, there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust.
Titus 3:4-7 (4) But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, (5) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of *regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (6) Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. (7) That being *justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. *Regeneration - born again\*Justified - the guilty being counted as just (innocent) before God.
*God help us never to take our salvation lightly. WE are Gentiles and it is only by the love and grace of God that we have been given the opportunity for salvation.
*Let's end with Romans 15:13 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.
*The scriptures are for our consolation - may we be comforted and encouraged by what we have read and heard.
As I was doing this study I felt the Holy Spirit impress something upon my heart that I want to share: The only hopeless man is the man who does NOT have Jesus Christ.
God bless you, I love you.
Study done for
Treasure Keepers Kenya
by Mama Jo
April 2014