Thinking about Hope. Not just the church name, but what is Hope exactly? I think you have to start with what the Bible says it is, then see how it fits with your experience.
The first reference we’ll hit is from the apostle Peter:
“In his great mercy he has
given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (Peter 1:3b NIV)
The keys to this truth are in these words:
GIVEN –
It’s a gift! It’s a free gift- can’t earn it. The first picture of Hope is that God is a loving and good Father that wants to give his kids (us) good things.
NEW BIRTH- here and in many other places, we are said to have a new life! When you trust Jesus with your life, He promises to make it new. Isn’t that what everyone really
wants? “If I could only start all over again…” You can! Elsewhere we’re told ‘the old things pass away, everything becomes new’. There is nothing that I know of that makes for real Hope than a fresh start!
LIVING HOPE- Real Hope brings life- joy to living. So many things spring from the fountain of life we get to experience. What’s the opposite of Living Hope? I think the opposite
of Living is Dying. Dying Hopes happen when we place our Hope in things that don’t last. Hoping in a job is fine, but what happens when you lose it? Relationships with people come and go. Living Hope is a Hope in things that are Eternal.
RESURRECTION- Through His death, Jesus paid the price for our sins. Once and forever! This is foundational, and yet, it’s His resurrection that gives us Hope! He conquered
death and assures us that we will too!
How does your Hope stack up against this? If you haven’t got that confidence yet, give your faith a chance! Don’t give up. The great thing about this Hope that we’re jumping in
to is that it’s risk free! Jesus only asks that you come to him with what you have. Even the tiniest seed of faith can grow!
We’re here to help you find this Hope. Message us on Facebook, send an email, or whatever with any questions you have. We would love to help you on your journey!
