Hope in Christ
Chad Johnson
December 18, 2009

Hope means to wait for with pleasure or expectation. This differs from a wish or a desire in that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good thing desired, or possibly of obtaining it. Hope is one of the most beautiful words in our language. When a person loses hope they cannot be helped until they see hope in their situation. To be in a hopeless state is despairing indeed. There are three things I want to look at concerning hope. First, those that have no hope. Secondly, living this life with hope. Thirdly, our hope in the next life. The man who does not abide in Jesus Christ is without hope and without God. The wrath of God abides over him. Everywhere he looks he sees no hope. He has no hope here in this life or the life to come. As long as the unredeemed man stays in sin he has no hope at all. He may look like a good member of society, but until he comes to Christ through repentance and faith he has no hope. Oh I pray that sinners would see their hopelessness before God without Christ. A state of no hope is where the unsaved man dwells and he must come to this truth before he can come to Christ.

Secondly those that are saved can have hope in this life. The children of God can go through this life full of hope in the Savior. Romans 15:13 says that we can abound in hope by the power of the Spirit that dwells within us. The Christian should not be filled with doom and gloom. We should live in the hope that is in our soul. We have already won this spiritual warfare. At times we lose battles, but we can have hope because there is victory in Christ. Hope is contagious so let us live our lives in a way that shows others our hope in Christ.

Thirdly, our verse says if we had hope of Christ in this life only we would be miserable. In the context Paul is talking about the resurrection of our bodies. If all we received of Christ was here in this life, at death there would still be great misery. I think of the atheist that has no hope here or in the next life. He believes he will die like an animal and that is it. If there was no hope of Heaven in my soul then I could not go on at times. Colossians 1:5 says we have a hope laid up in Heaven. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Christ is my hope and I have hope in the next life because of Him. I am looking through the eye of hope for a better day in Heaven. If there is no Heaven, then we are miserable creatures. This hope will also purify us. All that are saved should look for the coming of Christ. If we really believed that He could come today we would flee worldliness and coldness of our hearts toward God. Oh let the hope that lies in us cheer us when we are low, purify our lives and help us show the lost world there is hope in Jesus Christ.

Amen.