Can't Help But Hope

Colossians 1:27

In the midst of troubled times, when economies are shaking, prices are sky-rocketing and investments are vanishing, it is easy to grow distressed. Even believers, washed in the precious blood of Christ can find themselves looking at the stormy waves and ignoring the sleeping Savior inside of their vessel. It is easy to forget that we have Him, not only in our boat so to speak, but living in our hearts, and He is our provider.

While the world can find little to be hopeful for, the Christian need look no further than Christ’s finished work, being manifested in their very life. The mystery among the Gentiles is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). It is such a mystery because it defies all natural laws. Only with Christ can you find peace in the storm. Only with Christ can you see the problems that befall our nation and have no fear for tomorrow. He is not around you, or near you, for that would be too far away. He is in you, reminding you that His grace is rich (verse 27)!

Jesus told His disciples that the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer was to convince, or convict them of righteousness. This does not mean that He is in you to tell you to live righteous every day. If you could just ‘live righteous’ by being told to, then the 10 Commandments would do just fine, but we know that Israel had those and didn’t live righteous at all. Jesus further explains it when he tells you why the Spirit convicts of righteousness:

“Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more” (John 16:10).

The Holy Spirit must remind the believer of their righteousness because without Jesus standing by us in the flesh, it will be easy to feel that He is not with us at all. The Spirit works constantly to convince the believer that they are the righteousness of God in Christ, even if they don’t feel like it.

Christ in us is as our hope for all of glory. When we acknowledge that He is there, in spite of our circumstances, we are bringing His glory to light, allowing Him to control our circumstances. Many Christians wander through this life subject to the same things that their worldly counterparts suffer through because they do not rest in Christ’s finished work in their life. Be reminded today that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Need hope? Look inside and find Jesus.

Zechariah told the Israelites to turn to the strong hold when they were in need. Jesus is that strong hold, anchored in Calvary’s cross, unshakable in times of shaking. The prophet completes the statement with, “Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee” (Zechariah 9:12). I love the phrase ‘prisoners of hope’. When you view Christ as your hope of glory, you become a prisoner to that hope. You can’t help but hope!

Remember who you are in Jesus; and remember who Jesus is in you. Christ is in you, even if you don’t feel like it. The Holy Spirit is proclaiming that you are righteous in Christ. Don’t worry about the shaking, for He is greater than it all.

Can't Help But Hope

Colossians 1:27

In the midst of troubled times, when economies are shaking, prices are sky-rocketing and investments are vanishing, it is easy to grow distressed. Even believers, washed in the precious blood of Christ can find themselves looking at the stormy waves and ignoring the sleeping Savior inside of their vessel. It is easy to forget that we have Him, not only in our boat so to speak, but living in our hearts, and He is our provider.

While the world can find little to be hopeful for, the Christian need look no further than Christ’s finished work, being manifested in their very life. The mystery among the Gentiles is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). It is such a mystery because it defies all natural laws. Only with Christ can you find peace in the storm. Only with Christ can you see the problems that befall our nation and have no fear for tomorrow. He is not around you, or near you, for that would be too far away. He is in you, reminding you that His grace is rich (verse 27)!

Jesus told His disciples that the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer was to convince, or convict them of righteousness. This does not mean that He is in you to tell you to live righteous every day. If you could just ‘live righteous’ by being told to, then the 10 Commandments would do just fine, but we know that Israel had those and didn’t live righteous at all. Jesus further explains it when he tells you why the Spirit convicts of righteousness:

“Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more” (John 16:10).

The Holy Spirit must remind the believer of their righteousness because without Jesus standing by us in the flesh, it will be easy to feel that He is not with us at all. The Spirit works constantly to convince the believer that they are the righteousness of God in Christ, even if they don’t feel like it.

Christ in us is as our hope for all of glory. When we acknowledge that He is there, in spite of our circumstances, we are bringing His glory to light, allowing Him to control our circumstances. Many Christians wander through this life subject to the same things that their worldly counterparts suffer through because they do not rest in Christ’s finished work in their life. Be reminded today that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Need hope? Look inside and find Jesus.

Zechariah told the Israelites to turn to the strong hold when they were in need. Jesus is that strong hold, anchored in Calvary’s cross, unshakable in times of shaking. The prophet completes the statement with, “Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee” (Zechariah 9:12). I love the phrase ‘prisoners of hope’. When you view Christ as your hope of glory, you become a prisoner to that hope. You can’t help but hope!

Remember who you are in Jesus; and remember who Jesus is in you. Christ is in you, even if you don’t feel like it. The Holy Spirit is proclaiming that you are righteous in Christ. Don’t worry about the shaking, for He is greater than it all.

Can't Help But Hope

Colossians 1:27

In the midst of troubled times, when economies are shaking, prices are sky-rocketing and investments are vanishing, it is easy to grow distressed. Even believers, washed in the precious blood of Christ can find themselves looking at the stormy waves and ignoring the sleeping Savior inside of their vessel. It is easy to forget that we have Him, not only in our boat so to speak, but living in our hearts, and He is our provider.

While the world can find little to be hopeful for, the Christian need look no further than Christ’s finished work, being manifested in their very life. The mystery among the Gentiles is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). It is such a mystery because it defies all natural laws. Only with Christ can you find peace in the storm. Only with Christ can you see the problems that befall our nation and have no fear for tomorrow. He is not around you, or near you, for that would be too far away. He is in you, reminding you that His grace is rich (verse 27)!

Jesus told His disciples that the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer was to convince, or convict them of righteousness. This does not mean that He is in you to tell you to live righteous every day. If you could just ‘live righteous’ by being told to, then the 10 Commandments would do just fine, but we know that Israel had those and didn’t live righteous at all. Jesus further explains it when he tells you why the Spirit convicts of righteousness:

“Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more” (John 16:10).

The Holy Spirit must remind the believer of their righteousness because without Jesus standing by us in the flesh, it will be easy to feel that He is not with us at all. The Spirit works constantly to convince the believer that they are the righteousness of God in Christ, even if they don’t feel like it.

Christ in us is as our hope for all of glory. When we acknowledge that He is there, in spite of our circumstances, we are bringing His glory to light, allowing Him to control our circumstances. Many Christians wander through this life subject to the same things that their worldly counterparts suffer through because they do not rest in Christ’s finished work in their life. Be reminded today that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Need hope? Look inside and find Jesus.

Zechariah told the Israelites to turn to the strong hold when they were in need. Jesus is that strong hold, anchored in Calvary’s cross, unshakable in times of shaking. The prophet completes the statement with, “Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee” (Zechariah 9:12). I love the phrase ‘prisoners of hope’. When you view Christ as your hope of glory, you become a prisoner to that hope. You can’t help but hope!

Remember who you are in Jesus; and remember who Jesus is in you. Christ is in you, even if you don’t feel like it. The Holy Spirit is proclaiming that you are righteous in Christ. Don’t worry about the shaking, for He is greater than it all.

There is Hope

1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14

Many years ago, I had a preacher tell me that one of the greatest things that you can do when you minister to people is to give them hope. I was a bit too young at the time to understand what that meant and why that was important, but now I believe that man was right. People need hope!

As Paul walked through the streets of Thessalonica, he no doubt saw the large mausoleums, housing the dead. On the tombstones in many Greek communities, the words, “no hope” would often be chiseled. For as great as the Greek mind was with philosophy and the meaning of life, they felt that when man drew his final breath, all hope was lost.

Paul did not want the people of the Thessalonian church to think the same way that the sinners did. He wanted them to have a confidence, that those who had died were not really gone. Only their bodies had died, but that they were at rest in Jesus and they would live again.

Paul once said that if we had hope only in this life, we would be, of all men, most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19). It was his message that there is a heaven, and it is our hope (Colossians 1:5). He did not preach that men died and then just lay in the ground, sleeping away eternity until Jesus come to get them. This message is preached by many even now, and it removes the hope of heaven for your loved ones who have gone on before. Be encouraged that those that you have loved and lost, who were redeemed by Christ’s blood, are in heaven, waiting for you. The scriptures bear this out.

First, Paul said that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8), meaning that whenever your body dies, your spirit man lives on in the presence of the Lord.

Secondly, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him”. In the next few verses, Paul relates to us that God is going to descend from heaven to come back and get both the sainted dead and His living church, in that order. Verse 14 tells us that God is going to bring those who have died back with Him. How can He bring them back with Him if they are still lying in the ground? Only their bodies are there, but their spirits have been with God since they died. This is great hope!

Finally, I do not believe that Paul is condemning the church for weeping over the dead when he tells them to “sorrow not” in verse 13. Rather, he wants them to “sorrow not as others which have no hope”. Crying and hurting over the loss of a loved one is natural, but to feel as if they are completely gone, never to be seen again is to discount the power of the resurrection. You have a blessed assurance that Jesus is coming again, and He is bringing your loved one with Him.

I comfort you today with these words, whether you have lost someone or not. If you have, take comfort in knowing that they are at rest in Christ, in a land where they will never hurt, nor grow old. If you have not lost someone, then take comfort in knowing that He is coming back to get His own. As John the Revelator heard Jesus say, “Surely I come quickly”, he responded with, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelations 22:20).