Christian Hope

NOVEMBER 11, 2020 STUDY NOTES SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN HOPE BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES INTRODUCTION Last week we studied, 1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. According to that verse hope is a very-important part of our daily life, but what is hope? “Hope” is defined in the dictionary as: A feeling that what one desires will happen A person or thing that expectation centers in The ground for expecting something desired To wish and to expect something to happen and the desire for it to be true People who have hope in other people are putting their trust in others They live with the anticipation of what someone else is going to do There are two sources of hope: Human hope and Biblical hope, which is “Christian Hope” Earthly hope or worldly hope is a “hopeless end,” and Christian hope is an “endless hope” Man’s hope for the world is being optimistic about the decisions of world leaders But hope in the people of our day and the times of our day are uncertain and doubtful Worldly hope can be identified as: insecure; questionable; unstable; unsettled; doubtful Because we cannot be certain about people today, especially the world leaders of today We cannot be sure that the best of things that could happen are going to happen today It appears that the current events of our world today are not in the best interest for us Worldly hope or hope in man is a doubt filled hope Worldly hope leads to discouragement and disappointment, but what about “Christian Hope?” CHRISTIAN HOPE IS BIBLICAL HOPE: There are three fundamental biblical virtues found in, 1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Christians often talk about Christian faith and Christian love Many lessons and sermons have been presented on faith and love Love has been strongly emphasized as a-result of, “the greatest of these is love” There is no greater love than the “Love of God” and especially when it works in the Christian life Faith is also a major subject for the Christian because of verses such as, Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Faith and love are most important subjects and should be thoroughly studied from Scripture Too often the subject of “Christian Hope” has been overlooked or neglected “Christian Hope” is of utmost importance to Christians living in our world and our times Christian faith, love, and hope must be understood in-order to maintain a Christian lifestyle We are living in difficult days, especially for those who desire to live daily for Christ Christian Hope must be understood in-order to continue to live for Christ in these days, 1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; The meaning of “patience” is endurance and steadfastness It means to continue-on in difficult times and under pressure The word “patience” has to do with endurance as to things or circumstances that we face in life Biblical “patience” means that a Christian continues to maintain a living testimony for Christ The Thessalonians continued to endure because of their “hope” in Christ Their “hope” was not in man but in the person and work of Jesus Christ Christian “hope” is faith looking forward to the next thing that Jesus is going to do for us 1 The word “hope” is found 85 times in the New Testament It is always used with the expectation of something good within the context of each use The N.T. clearly reveals who we are to place our hope in and what our hope is waiting for Our “faith” is in Jesus who died for us, our “Love” is in Christ who lives for us Our “Hope” is in the Lord who is coming again for us, Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. GOD WAS THE HOPE OF ISRAEL O.T. hope encouraged believers to look ahead eagerly with confident expectation Believers were called upon to live in the hope of the coming Messiah who would fulfill all things They were called upon to live a life of patience because there was hope for the future Old Testament believers did not fully understand God’s plan-for the future But they could trust their future to the covenant God Their God had always proven faithful to His commitments and promises of the past He could be trusted to fulfill all promises of the future, God was their “hope” The Lord was the hope of Israel, Jer 14:8 O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Israel could hope in the Lord because of His loving-kindness, Psa 130:7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. Israel was not to abandon their hope in the Lord, Psa 131:3 Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever. Give attention Christian of today, give attention America, our “hope” must be “in the Lord” All who would abandon Him were looked upon as hopeless, Jer 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. They are as hopeless as names written in the sand waiting for the high tide to come in Israel was to set their hope in God and keep His commandments, Psa 78:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: History has recorded for us the results of disobedience to God’s commandments History has revealed for us the results of obedience to God’s commandments History tells us that our “Hope” must be in God OUR HOPE IN GOD The psalmist was confident in the Lord and placed his hope in Him, Psa 38:15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. We must continue to be faithful, we must be patient, we will hear from God We are going to face disturbing days even in America, Psalms 42 speaks of a troubled soul Why was the psalmist disturbed in his heart? What he needed was hope in his heart, Psa 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. There is a repetition found in, Psa 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. There is even another repetition in, Psa 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. The psalmist is attempting to convince himself and us of the importance of hope in God “Hope” in God is our present help and our future praise of deliverance As a result of the eternal plan of God fulfilled in His Son, we can place our hope in God’s Son 2 1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. OUR HOPE IN CHRIST Through Christ Christians have a glorious hope, Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: The “mystery” is “Christ in us,” which is “the hope of glory” The thought is that God is present within us and God is doing something in our life every day Christ in us is our hope for today, for tomorrow, for the future, and for all eternity In Christ we have a “living hope” which is sure, certain, real, and eternal, 1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and 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, Our hope is alive, hope that is worth living for and worth dying for The reason our hope is alive is because Christ is alive, without a living Savior there is no hope The Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior and our hope, 1Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; OUR HOPE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT There should be no disappointment in the life of a Christian because of our hope, Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. The Holy Spirit within us assures us of our hope in God’s promises which will be fulfilled, Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. The righteousness which we hope for will be fully realized when Christ returns All Christians have a common hope for the present and the future within the Holy Spirit, Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; OUR HOPE IN THE GOSPEL OF OUR SALVATION The truth of the Gospel allows us to look forward in hope to the future, Col 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; The hope of the gospel is the good news of salvation for today and for our eternal state in heaven The hope of the Gospel is a confident expectation of all that is ours in salvation, Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; The hope of our salvation is a protection of our thinking and our mindset, 1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. Our hope is salvation, the hope of salvation should-be upon our minds at-all times The hope of salvation past, we are saved from the penalty of sin through the cross Salvation present, saved from the power of sin through the priesthood ministry of Christ Salvation future, saved from the presence of sin through the return of Jesus OUR HOPE IN THE WORD OF GOD Hope is one of the reasons why the Word of God is so important to our daily life The Word of God establishes a hope which comforts and guides us, Psa 119:49 Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. Hope in the Word of God establishes a personal testimony, Psa 119:74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word. Unless we are faithful to the Word of God there will be no faithful testimony A personal testimony even in the time of affliction and persecution, Psa 119:81 My soul fainteth (longs for the deliverance found only in salvation) for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word. 3 Hope in the Word of God is a shield of protection, Psa 119:114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. Our hope of salvation and deliverance is found in the Word of God, Psa 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. The hope of Scripture encourages us and allows us to be steadfast, Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. OUR HOPE IN THE PROMISES OF GOD All who hope in the promises of the Lord will be strong and courageous, Psa 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Turning from hope will result in a sick heart but hope in God’s promises is like a tree of life, Pro 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. Christians can persevere through our hope in the promises of God, Heb 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: HOPE FOR US AS WE LIVE IN A SINFUL WORLD We live in a sin-controlled world, the average American lifestyle lives for the lusts of the flesh Christian hope fills our spirit with eager expectation and allows us to be patient in difficult days Christian hope is a fortified refuge, Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Holding on to our hope is like a safe harbor where a ship can drop anchor Hope in the promises of God is our anchor of the soul OUR HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE Hope focuses our attention on what awaits us, and we eagerly anticipate its fulfillment, Rom 8:24 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? Once we have received what we have hoped for, hope ceases, Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Christian hope is an eternal hope within the eternal plan of God, Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; If there is no hope in Christ, Christians are to be pitied, 1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. HOPE IS FOUND IN THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD Praise God, we find hope in His loving concern for us, Psa 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; Hope assures us that God is the keeper of His people, Psa 33:22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. Hope stands in awe and reverence of God’s mercy upon us, Psa 147:11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. “His mercy” has the thought of God’s lovingkindness toward us, His acts of kindness upon us It speaks of the truth of His character, His goodness and faithfulness The classic text on the-subject of God’s mercy is Psalms 136, read it, it reveals why we have hope The grace of God gives hope for today and the future, 2Th 2:16 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, Our present relationship with God is to be a life filled with hope Spiritual Hope fills us with eager expectation and allows us to be patient Hope is our waiting through faith to experience what God has promised We will experience all that God has promised through God’s grace 4 To stand in grace is to stand in hope, Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. THE HAPPINESS, GLADNESS, AND JOY OF CHRISTIAN HOPE Christian hope can be called “Spiritual Hope” Spiritual hope is filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and encouragement, Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. The psalmist speaks of the happiness of hope, Psa 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Because our hope is in Christ we can rejoice even in times of trials, Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Happiness is based upon happenings, joy is in Jesus, rejoicing is hope in Jesus “Abounding Hope” in the promises of God fills the Christian with joy and peace, Rom 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. Christians can boast about our hope in Christ, Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Our “rejoicing” is because of our confession of Christ The word translated “rejoicing” literally means “to boast” Christians are to hold fast to what they believe and boast about it We are not boasting about who we are or because of what we have done Our boasting is because of what Christ has already done and what He is yet to do We boast because of “hope” in Christ and Christ is “the end” THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NO HOPE Those who are lost know nothing about the guidance, confidence, strength, and gladness of hope There is no security in the hopes of their life in this world or their life after death What kind of a hope is found within a life of alcohol, narcotics, sexual sin, and worldly treasures Earthly hope is nothing more than wishful thinking Without Christ there is no hope, Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: For those who die without Christ there is no hope, 1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. There is no hope for the godless because they have no faith in God and hope is founded upon faith, Pro 10:28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. Every time you find the word hope in the NT, you find it in the context of something good CONCLUSION (A summary of what we have studied) Christians of our day must learn the truth of Christian Hope, we need it in our day Our present day is likely the beginning of the most difficult days our world will ever face Our present relationship with God is to be a life filled with hope to prepare us for those days Again, and again, the Old Testament encourages us to hope in the promises of God Hope does not mean that we know all that is ahead But hope leaves what is ahead to our God who does know We do not know what tomorrow holds, but we know that God holds tomorrow Christians should be a living testimony of hope, Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) The word translated “faith” in the King James is the word normally translated “hope” “Hope” is the expectation of something good Human hope is a hopeless end, Biblical hope is an endless hope 5 Biblical hope is not doubt filled hope, Biblical hope is Spiritual Hope Spiritual Hope is filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and encouragement Spiritual Hope fills us with eager expectation and allows us to be patient Christian Hope is the confident expectation that allows us to patiently endure each day Spiritual hope focuses on God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God We must hold on to our hope which is in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ The one who has hope in Christ can hold on and endure the trials of life Christian Hope rests on our faith or belief in Jesus Christ Our hope is based upon what we believe about Christ Our “profession” is the way that we daily acknowledge our hope in Christ, 1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: There is a reason why Christians make the decisions we do and live the way we do Peter sums it up in one word, “hope,” the hope that is in us, which Peter has already spoke of It is a living hope, 1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and 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, Our “hope” is in Jesus Christ who is going to return to the earth, 1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; If the end is going to be Jesus, our day today must be Jesus The psalmist had a good question, Psa 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. The psalmist had an answer, Psa 71:14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. Listen to the song 6