Hope of the Call

The average man in this world is acting out a loss of hope. Once there was a man named H.D. Thoreau who rejected most worldly pleasures. His lack of hope apparently entitled him to make many snide remarks about hard working Americans. Thoreau said, for example, that most men lead lives of quiet desperation and if they are resigned to their lot in life they are simply confirming their own desperation. He is saying that all well adjusted workers have a false hope because there is really no hope in this world. This incorrect line of reasoning can hurt good workers because the truth is; great hope is available to all people. This great hope is found only in the Spirit life that God is calling us to.  For God wanted them (Jews) to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. Col 1:27 (NLT) All unbelieving people are missing the secret--- that an eternal hope is available to every person in this world.

Every Christian has answered "yes" to the call of Christ and hope is part of this call. As a Christian begins their new life they should realize what is waiting for them in the next life. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven. (This is) where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. Col 3:1-4 (NLT) These facts make it impossible to live a hopeless Christian life. We are like a young person that has not yet come of age and taken possession of their great inheritance. As R.L. Stevenson said in his famous novel “there is a treasure not yet lifted.” When the Spirit, which lives inside of a Christian, promotes us into the next world we will be absolutely amazed. Some day Jesus Christ will share His position and His possessions with those of us that serve Him.

Hope is the fuel that helps a Christian keep going when things are tough. Because our hope is in another world we should not let anything in this world diminish it. The harder this life gets, the brighter our hope should shine. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Heb 12:1-2 (NLT) The Bible tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus who is in Heaven but He also lives inside of us by His Spirit. We have the power to maintain our hope living in us. Paul said it this way; God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. Eph 1:22-23 We should accept the fact that great power resides in a real Christian life.

A Christian life in this world actually is proof of the great hope that is available. The Scriptures talk about the plan of God to remove us totally from sin. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Heb 1:2-3 (NLT) It is amazing that the character of the Almighty and the creation of the entire universe was used to sacrifice his Son, in order to cleanse a Christian from their sin. To repeat, a Christian life in this world is certainly proof of the hope that is available to people. We could say that everything God recorded in the Scriptures was done ultimately for the purpose of cleaning up a few people to live forever as His family.

There are many people that have desired to go to heaven but will never live with God. These people have gone down the aisle of a church and believed that Christ died for them. They sit in the pew and ignore the scriptures they hear week after week. They are refusing to live their life totally for Jesus Christ. Some of these folks have even tried to follow Jesus under their own power. They will never be successful because we are too weak spiritually. The Bible says; “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. Acts 2:32-33 (NLT) There is only one way to live a life that pleases God; a person must allow the Holy Spirit to be poured into their life. The hope of our calling is contained in the power of the Spirit of Jesus living in us and directing everything in our lives.

The more we are controlled by the Spirit, the more eternal hope we have.