rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you..." (Eph. 1:18).
God has called us to a hope (Eph. 4:4; Heb.7:18-19). This hope is not just wishful thinking. It is a certain hope, a sure expectation - a "living hope" (1 Peter 1:3). This hope is one of the three essential ingredients to the Christian life.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:13).
"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit..." (Rom. 5:5).
In Christ, we have a marvellous hope (Prov. 23:18; Jer. 29:11; 1 John 3:2-3). The Bible lists a number of things which make up our hope. These include:
The return of Jesus (Titus 2:13).
The resurrection of our bodies (1 Cor. 15:19-22; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Phil.3:20-21).
A new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13).
Eternal life (Titus 1:2; 3:4-7).
The full glory of God (Col. 1:27).
This hope produces in us the richness of all that God intends for the Christian life.
Faith and love (Col. 1:5; Gal. 5:5).
Joy and peace (Rom. 15:13).
Boldness (2 Cor. 3:12).
Strength (Isa. 40:31).
Encouragement (2 Thes. 2:16-17).
Patience and endurance (Rom.8:24-25; 1 Thess.1:3).
Self-control (Titus 2:12-13).
Godliness and holiness (2 Peter 3:10-12).
Purity (2 Peter 3:14; 1 John 3:2-3).
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..." (Heb. 6:19).
The Focus of our Hope
Although we are told to live one day at a time, the Christian life needs a wider perspective in order to function properly. There are two kinds of perspectives we can have:
The wrong perspective
"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things" (Phil. 3:18-19).
Some Christians have the same perspective that the world has. Their eyes are on worldly status, comfort and wealth.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God..." (1 Tim. 6:17).
The right perspective
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body" (Phil. 3:20-21).
The perspective which God wants us to have is the perspective of heaven itself: that this world is temporary (Psalm 37:1-2; Isa. 40:6-8). This is because we see beyond the immediate problems to God 's overall plan for our lives ( 2 Cor.4:18; Col.3:1-4). The secret to walking in the perspective of heaven is to have our eyes set on the right things (Prov.4:25-27). The Bible says that the focus of our hope is the Lord Jesus Himself.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Heb. 12:2).
God has called us to a hope (Eph. 4:4; Heb.7:18-19). This hope is not just wishful thinking. It is a certain hope, a sure expectation - a "living hope" (1 Peter 1:3). This hope is one of the three essential ingredients to the Christian life.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:13).
"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit..." (Rom. 5:5).
In Christ, we have a marvellous hope (Prov. 23:18; Jer. 29:11; 1 John 3:2-3). The Bible lists a number of things which make up our hope. These include:
The return of Jesus (Titus 2:13).
The resurrection of our bodies (1 Cor. 15:19-22; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Phil.3:20-21).
A new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13).
Eternal life (Titus 1:2; 3:4-7).
The full glory of God (Col. 1:27).
This hope produces in us the richness of all that God intends for the Christian life.
Faith and love (Col. 1:5; Gal. 5:5).
Joy and peace (Rom. 15:13).
Boldness (2 Cor. 3:12).
Strength (Isa. 40:31).
Encouragement (2 Thes. 2:16-17).
Patience and endurance (Rom.8:24-25; 1 Thess.1:3).
Self-control (Titus 2:12-13).
Godliness and holiness (2 Peter 3:10-12).
Purity (2 Peter 3:14; 1 John 3:2-3).
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..." (Heb. 6:19).
The Focus of our Hope
Although we are told to live one day at a time, the Christian life needs a wider perspective in order to function properly. There are two kinds of perspectives we can have:
The wrong perspective
"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things" (Phil. 3:18-19).
Some Christians have the same perspective that the world has. Their eyes are on worldly status, comfort and wealth.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God..." (1 Tim. 6:17).
The right perspective
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body" (Phil. 3:20-21).
The perspective which God wants us to have is the perspective of heaven itself: that this world is temporary (Psalm 37:1-2; Isa. 40:6-8). This is because we see beyond the immediate problems to God 's overall plan for our lives ( 2 Cor.4:18; Col.3:1-4). The secret to walking in the perspective of heaven is to have our eyes set on the right things (Prov.4:25-27). The Bible says that the focus of our hope is the Lord Jesus Himself.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Heb. 12:2).
