My Hope Is Jesus

[ ] 3/10/2013 #1019

MY HOPE IS JESUS

1 Timothy 1:1-2

INTRODUCTION: A nation or an individual without God is also without hope. People in America are becoming more anxious about the future of the world. Is it any wonder when we continue to turn away from our Creator? How can the teachings of atheism and evolution offer any hope? They cannot for they have no message of hope! The gospel is a message of hope found in the Person of Jesus Christ, “who is our hope.”

In our English usage of “hope” is a desire or a feeling of that which we want to happen. The word “hope” in the Bible speaks of our confidence in God. Our confidence is based upon what the Lord has done for us in the past and what He will do in the future.

I. BASIS FOR OUR HOPE

A. OUR HOPE IS IN GOD OUR SAVIOR.

The title “God our Savior” appears only in the Pastoral Epistles. In the O.T., God is the great deliverer, the source of salvation. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus is spoken of as the Savior. It is correct to think of God the Father as our Savior for man’s salvation was planned by Him.

It was God the Father who “so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son.” (John 3:16)

It was God the Father who “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all.” (Rom. 8:32)

It was God the Father who “commendeth His love toward us.” (Rom. 5:8)

It is God the Father “who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.” (Eph. 1:3)

B. OUR HOPE IS IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

While God the Father planned our salvation, it was the Lord Jesus Christ who came to earth to be the sacrificial Lamb. Jesus paid the debt of sin by taking the sinner’s punishment. Our only hope of getting to heaven is found in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is our hope for the present and for the future.

II. BLESSINGS FROM OUR HOPE

A. WE ARE SAVED BY HOPE. (Rom. 8:24)

Sinners are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As saved sinners, we have hope (confidence) in the finished work of redemption by Christ on our behalf.

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” Romans 8:24

B. WE HAVE A LIVING HOPE. (1 Peter 1:3)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

We have a living hope for the Lord has given us life through the new birth. We have received the gift of eternal life. We now have hope beyond the grave.

C. WE HAVE A REJOICING HOPE. (Rom. 5:2)

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Col. 3:4

We have joy in our hope. Someday we will see the Lord of glory and we will share in His eternal glory.

D. WE HAVE A GLORIOUS HOPE. (Col. 1:27)

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27

The Christ who lives within us is the reason we have “the hope of glory.” We belong to the Lord Jesus. We are as assured of heaven since Jesus is in heaven seated at the Father’s right hand.

E. WE HAVE A WITNESSING HOPE. (1 Peter 3:15)

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” 1 Peter 3:15

Peter wrote to a people who were suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus. We have hope in the midst of suffering. We have hope of a better future because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Suffering may be our lot on earth but not in heaven. We have a witness to the lost when they see us going through troubles and trials with hope.

F. WE HAVE A PURIFYING HOPE. (1 John 3:2-3)

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3

The risen Christ will someday come for His very own. We shall see Him in all His glory. He is coming for us. Since we have this hope in Christ, we want to be ready at His appearing.

G. WE HAVE A BLESSED HOPE. (Titus 2:13)

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13

We are keeping our eyes on that eastern sky for we know our redemption draweth nigh. Jesus will make His glorious appearance soon.

H. WE HAVE A STEADFAST HOPE.

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” Hebrews 6:19

Someone has said: “Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea, but in the highest heaven. It is fixed in the surest of all places—in the sanctuary of heaven itself.”

John Phillips: “Our hope is an anchor cast upward to the inner sanctuary of heaven, where it lays hold of Christ and cannot be moved.”

Anchors are used to keep ships from drifting with the tide. When we are saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, our souls are anchored to the rock of ages. We are anchored to the Lord Jesus Christ who keeps us from drifting.

I. WE HAVE A GOOD HOPE.

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.” 2 Thess. 2:16

In this verse, Paul listed the Lord Jesus Christ first and then God the Father. Paul emphasized the unity between the Father and the Son.

He prayed for the church of Thessalonica. In his prayer he reminded them of the love, encouragement, and comfort received from the Father and the Son. The good hope was given to us at the moment of our salvation through grace.

Grace ensures that you will never be disappointed because “He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil. 1:6

LESSONS FOR LIFE:

If you are a child of God, remember that you have hope even during your darkest day for your hope is Jesus.

The world has no hope to offer for it has no hope. We must give the message of the gospel to the hopeless masses without Christ.

According to Scripture, the person without Christ is without hope and without God. (Eph. 2:12) If you are without Christ, come to Him in repentance and faith. Jesus will save those who come to Him.

I was blessed by the personal testimony of Dean Mattern which was given at the Gideon’s meeting on Friday night. He told of his childhood and how his dad (a devoted atheist) said that there was no God. He shared how his father and mother divorced and how he became involved in street gangs. Dean became involved in all kinds of sins. He was addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex and other vices. Dean was arrested numerous times and put in jail. He described his hopeless and seemingly useless life full of sin. Dean began to search for the meaning of life. He read books of various religions and was involved in several of them. Dean turned 21 in a jail cell in Alabama. He used the tobacco from other prisoner’s cigarettes butts to roll his own from whatever paper he could find to use. He was tearing pages from the book of Leviticus to roll his cigarettes when he started to read the Bible. Dean read the gospel of John over and over again. Dean became a believer in Jesus Christ the Savior his father had told him who did not exist. He would later become a preacher of the gospel. Today Dean lives his life just witnessing to people who need the gospel. The power of God’s Word saved this man from sin and hopelessness to a life filled with hope and purpose. He experienced like many of us that Jesus is our only hope.