10-12 Dec 2020 - Hope Series 29 by Dorothy & Tony Callies
Theme:
Hope of Salvation in Resurrection – Some revised from July 2010
“We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our
weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We
destroy people’s argument and every proud thing that raises itself against the
knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey
Christ.” 2 Cor. 10:4-5 ncv
The King James Version says: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2Cor. 10:4). One
of Paul’s weapon is “hope of salvation.” There’s a reason why Paul brought this
up. In Paul’s times, there were some religious groups who argued that there is
no resurrection of Christ. [The dead stayed in their grave] Today, we have some
religious groups who argued that they do not believe in heaven and hell. Huh?
Then what is hope for them?
The Bible talked a lot about the hope. Biblical hope is an assurance in the
heart, a firm confidence about the future things because Biblical hope is based
on God’s promises and revelation. Biblical hope is linked with a firm faith and
a confident trust in God. So faith, trust and hope come together. I like one
meaning that dictionary gave: person or thing that expectation centers in. So
Christ is the center of our hope, the Biblical Hope.
Peter tells us, “Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain
about the hope you have …” (I Peter 3:15b). I Peter 1:3 gave the answers:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which . . . hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead.” NCV is good: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. In God’s great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a living
hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Now we have hope for the
blessings God has for His children” (I Peter 1:3,4a).
By using this weapon, “the hope of salvation in Christ and the blessed hope of
the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit.2:13)
against the enemy, we, the born-again believers will come forth victorious. We
the believers will be caught up from the earth to meet Him in the air (I
Thes.4:13-18), and we shall see Him as He is and become like Him
(Phil.3:20-21). We have hope of eternal life (Tit.1:2).
Song: “Looking for that Blessed Hope”
Looking for that blessed hope (that joyful hope),
Looking for that blessed hope (that glorious hope);
We know the hour is nearing, The hour of His appearing;
We’re looking for that blessed hope.
(Thoro Harris, Sing His Praise.)
God bless you!
Dorothy
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