Praise be to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a
living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who
through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that
is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1: 3-5
Hope - such a small word with so much power. Sometimes this small word is all that sustains us – hope. The verse above refers to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus died on the cross to provide payment for our sin debt, a debt we could never repay in our own power. Yet He loved us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His life to provide hope - eternal life for us.
Christ is the Living Hope
through the Resurrection
Are you starting to see the Hope? It sounds good doesn’t it? The sin problem,
the biggest problem in the universe solved just like that? Can it be true? Is Jesus Christ the Son of God
and can his death on the cross gain us forgiveness from God for all of our sins?
Can it fill the void in our souls with
the love of God; with the very thing that we were made for?
That is why Peter calls it the LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Because when Jesus walked out of that tomb, Alive – Resurrected, it meant HOPE for all of us.
That is why Peter calls it the LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Because when Jesus walked out of that tomb, Alive – Resurrected, it meant HOPE for all of us.
· It was the final stamp of approval from God for all that Jesus had said
and done.
· Divine certification of all the claims of Jesus as the Messiah and Son
of God –Lord and Savior
There is no
doubt whatsoever that it happened – that he was resurrected - it is the single
most proven historical fact of all time.
There were witnesses, the changed lives of the disciples, men who fled
when he was crucified, but were ready to die for their belief in his
resurrection after they walked, talked, ate with him and sat under his teaching
for 40 days after his resurrection. His
resurrection means he IS the Son of
God, he DID pay for our sins on the
cross, and we CAN be reconciled to
God through Him.
That IS the LIVING HOPE
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
But that Hope is
only for those who believe in Jesus as the Risen Son of God. That Hope is only
for those who accept Him as their Savior and the Lord of their life. He will NOT save you against your will, he
will not drag you into heaven kicking and screaming. If you reject Him, then He will respect your
decision. He Loves you – nothing can
change that, and he will continue standing at the door of your heart, waiting
for you to simply open it and let him in. But if you reject Him, then you will
be left alone; left to the only hope you can find apart from God which is a
void hope – full of nothing.
But if you do
believe and you turn to Christ for your Salvation – you fall at his feet,
asking for His forgiveness, accepting his payment for your sins and trusting
him with your very life, with your entire being. Accepting Him as LORD and Savior you have
real Hope – The Living Hope of the resurrection. There is NO UNCERTAINTY
INVOLVED – THIS Hope is a SURE THING.
One day He will come back. We will be resurrected and we will spend eternity with HIM.
That is the Hope of the Resurrection!
Scripture to Claim:
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40 ESV
