Hoping and Coping
Hoping and Coping
According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Pet. 1:3)
The Certainty of Eternity
When we use the word hope, we generally mean a wish or a desire. We say, “I hope it doesn’t rain,” meaning “I wish it wouldn’t rain.” But in 1 Peter 1:3, hope refers to a certainty or reality. The word literally means “to expect with confidence.” In other words, because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and our corresponding trust in His work, eternal life is assured, guaranteed, a certainty.
Nobody can take eternal life away from you. God’s permanent will has been made with indelible ink, and it can’t be canceled or changed. Your place cannot be destroyed or ruined. Your status in God’s family is beyond the reach of change and decay. Your position cannot be altered by time or by performance. Your place in heaven is guarded by the power of God, like an army of troops securely guarding a beachhead.
The Reality of the Present
Our present problems diminish when the future reality is secure. It has been said that if you can hope, you can cope. If you know the future is going to be better, the present is better already. Without hope, though, life can seem pretty bleak sometimes. Hope is the great perspective-giver. When our primary focus is on the end of the journey and how gloriously happy we will be, it makes the sometimes painful walk of today much more bearable.
Bottom Line
Where is your focus? God has given you the ability to focus your thoughts on unshakable, eternal realities. That’s where hope is found.