Steve Cornell
Recently, I was listening to a great song about hope (In Christ Alone, see below). As I listened, I thought about first century Christians who seemed to have little earthly reason for hope yet displayed it so powerfully that others inquired of its source. Have you ever thought of hope as the starting point of conversation for the gospel? The well-known word from the apostle encourages believers to: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (I Peter 3:15).
Why was their hope so attractive? And is this attraction evident in my life? In our Church? When was the last time someone asked you to give a reason for the hope they noticed in your life? Perhaps first century believers were noted for their hope because it seemed incongruent. Circumstantially their lives appeared hopeless yet they were filled with hope. But what about believers who don’t appear to have desperate circumstances? Perhaps hope will not be the main attraction for their context. I am not ready to give up that quickly.
Hope is forged through a process familiar to all believers. It is described in Romans 5:2-5 “…we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Suffering—-perseverance—character—hope (hearts filled with love by the Holy Spirit). The gracious and transformational influences of the Spirit within always lead down this path to hope.
But how would people see hope in my life? I was bothered by this question. Is there a cultural backdrop for hope in affluent societies? Clearly, we see a lot of despair in our culture. Perhaps it comes from the other direction—the Ecclesiastes syndrome—the vanity of vanity experience. But whatever the cause, cultural despair is real in affluent culture. Drug and alcohol addiction, deeply fractured and dysfunctional relationships, addictions of all kinds, alarming rates of suicide… these are dominant features of affluent cultures. Perhaps the affluence itself elevates the despair. After all, we have enough stuff to keep us happy, don’t we? There is an occasion for hope to radiate and to draw inquirers asking for the reason for the hope within us.
In my culture, hope shines in its complimentary features of peace, contentment, simplicity, generosity, joy, security, and servanthood. If my life shines with these qualities, it radiates hope. If, however, people see anxiety, restlessness, greed, selfishness and despair, I have nothing to cause them to inquire. They can find these things everywhere.
But let’s think more deeply about this matter of hope. How should our lives be affected by the event scripture calls the blessed hope–the coming of the Lord. How should anticipation of the return of Jesus affect me? We don’t hear much about this today. I remember the annual prophecy conferences from my younger years. They seem rare now. In fact, some branches on the Christian tree are fearful of focusing on prophecy. They see an overemphasis (like reading prophecy into everything that happens in the Middle East) and they overreact by avoiding discussions about it! They under emphasize large portions of scripture or try to reinterpret them into the present when they clearly deal with the future.
But what happens to a Church when it loses its future focus, its expectation for Jesus’ return? Does it become inappropriately fixated on the here and now? Do they exchange eschatology for trendy environmentalism? Does the outward man who is perishing become so important that the inner man is not being renewed day by day as intended?
What happens to believers who forget that,”…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21).
Let’s put it in full perspective. Hope for the believer (like celebration of communion) has a past, present, and future dimension. At the Lord’s table, we “take the bread” — “do this”– (present), “in remembrance of me …” (past), “until He comes” (future). This is how we should look at hope! It is based on what God did for us in Christ’s death and resurrection (past); it is evident to unbelievers as they look at our lives (present) and hope has an anchor in the future. It radiates with settled and transformational assurance. According to the apostle John, the future dimension of hope has a transformational affect in the present: “…we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (I John 3:2-3). And, scripture reminds us that “…faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).
Jesus inspired hope in his despairing disciples by reminding them that, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3).
Perhaps our hope is deficient because it is not engaged in the fullness of past, present and future. This challenges me. I hope it will do the same for you.
Here is a great song that captures hope based on past, present and future:
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music
Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com
