The Importance of Hope

Excerpted from " Dispensationalism and the Everlasting Gospel"

© September 12, 2001 By Bernie L. Gillespie All Rights Reserved

In the last newsletter, I closed the first part of this article with this statement:

This is why hope is so important in the Christian life. It is the future aspect of our faith. Hope is not "I hope the Lord returns," or "I hope I’m ready when He comes." It is the settled confidence that what God has promised is true. When we say we hope, we mean that we are sure that Christ will return and that He will save us, who trust in Him.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And 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. (Romans 5:1-5 NIV)

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, (Titus 2:11-13 NIV)

Any scheme or view of the end-times which is more filled with fear or terror than it is with hope is leaning away from the Gospel. The end-times are not about the Anti-christ. They are about Jesus Christ. We are not to live in fear and awe of the Beast. We are to look with hope and reverence to the Lamb. The teaching of the Second Coming of Jesus should be a comfort to children, and not a frightening tool to bring them into the church out of fear. Hope is that which grasps the promises of God before they are realized. We hope because God has promised and given us His Word. We are taught in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ that there is war between the Beast and the Lamb. And the Lamb wins! That is why we hope.

We yearn for all of our salvation now. That is to be expected. This present age is never satisfying. At times it is painful, trying and even grievous. This is how the Christian life is. There are two dimensions to the Christian life.83 We have this "treasure in jars of clay." On the one hand we are forgiven, given the Spirit, made alive in Christ, and set free from the power of sin. On the other, we still struggle with the Evil One, we fight our flesh, we wrestle with principalities and powers. We still feel pain and shed tears. Our loved ones still die. This is the reality of living in the "already" and the "not yet."

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11 NIV)

But we are not stalemated. We are more than conquerors. We sit in heavenly places in Christ. We march in the victor’s parade. We are joint-heirs with Christ. We are able to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. . ." (Ephesians 3:20 NIV) The ultimate victory is ours, because Christ has already won it. But the final celebration and the full sharing of the spoils will not take place until Jesus comes again.

Today, we nobly march toward what is ours - into what awaits us. We expectantly desire to grasp what has been promised. Through faith in Christ we boldly move toward what our Father has laid up for us. But, in that Day when our Lord begins his holy peregrination from Heaven, in that eternal moment, all will be changed. We will receive the glory which Jesus secured for us at his Passion:

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But 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.84

One might ask, "Well if most of what we are living for is in Heaven, why live this life out. Wouldn’t it be better to forego this life and go straight to Heaven?’ I must ask a question in response, "Doesn’t the knowledge of our inheritance to come make living this life more special?" To me, this life only has meaning because we are heading into a certain future where Christ will rule and we will be clothed with immortality. Everything we do is filled with purpose because it matures us and prepares us for our future life. All that we do for others in service is not lost in the "ugly ditch of history." It does matter whether we are heroes or villains. It makes a difference that we help instead of hurt. The one without hope lives for the now only. He or she lives for what is personally expedient. They don’t think life is any more than their own personal survival and well-being. But the person who has a future can live for others. Life is about more than me and mine. It is about a cosmic plan of the Creator in which I have a part. Therefore, why fight over the little stuff. The one with hope in the life to come can share what they have now, but they have so much for which to look forward.

There is a reason why when God saves us He does not resurrect us straight to Heaven. There is reason why this life is necessary and must be lived out. God has a purpose for us here. Paul stated, "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. (Philippians 1:23,24 KJV) We have a service in God’s plan that we must perform in this mortal life. He gives us just enough of our salvation now to do what He has called us to do. Then, He gives the hope of the world to come to direct and strengthen us in what we are called to do. He fills our little lives with the profound meaning of the life to come, in order to energize us in our mortal work now.

Since death is hanging over the world, how do we, as believers, live our lives fully in a dying world? I believe a powerful answer to this can be found in a story from the life of Christ. In reading John 11:1-16 we see that Lazarus was an everyday ordinary person like all of us. But, life "killed" him. Maybe it was an accident that got him, or an illness. May be he just worked himself to death. Whatever – something killed him. The Bible says that we are all under the power of death because we have sinned. You are dying.... and so am I. We die a little every day. Just look in the mirror. Check out pictures from ten years ago. Things are happening every day, killing us by degrees: A career crash, a failed marriage, a fatal disease, a child gone astray. Death comes upon all men. The world is groaning under this death we have brought upon it. And Jesus groaned over Lazarus.

When Mary and Martha intercepted Jesus, He comforted them with the Gospel: "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE!" But, they did not understand this. Their grief blinded them to the good news. They thought he meant something which fit better into their preconceived religious notions. In essence, they responded, "I know you could have healed him," (past tense) or "I know he will rise on the last day." (future tense) But, Jesus was saying that he is the Resurrection for RIGHT NOW! The resurrection of Jesus has meaning for the "already."

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (John 11:38-44 NIV)

Jesus raised him from death to live again. But, Lazarus was not raised to immortality. After a time he died again. Jesus raised him only to a mortal existence. WHY? Jesus didn’t tell Lazarus, "This day wilt thou be with me in Paradise." He said, "take off his grave clothes and let him go." In essence he said, "Let him go back to finish his life!" "Let him go back to his work, family, and friends!" HIS LIFE WAS NOT OVER. So often we give up when our life is not finished. Maybe its your marriage. It could be your relationship with a loved one. It might be a career or a ministry. To you it is dead, and you buried it. But Jesus says, "________ , come out." He redeemed you to resurrect your life and give it back to you, so you can finish it.

Lazarus was not the only one raised to "mortality." That is what the resurrection of Christ is to our lives now. Although we do not have the fullness of the resurrection yet, that does not mean that Christ’s resurrection is without power and meaning now. Christ’s resurrection means that we can finish our lives. He raised us from the dead spiritually in order to send us out into the world to do a work for His Kingdom.

When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region. (Matt. 9:23-26 NIV)

As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out– the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." (Luke 7:12-16 NIV)

Once Jesus had raised these to live out the rest of their mortal lives, they were forever touched or impacted by the resurrection of Christ. They were not just "dead men walking." They were alive "in Christ:"

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions– it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1-7 NIV)

The power of Jesus’ resurrection is certainly a power culminating in immortality – eternal life:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:14 NIV)

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24 NIV)

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:40 NIV)

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand (John 10:28 NIV)

We usually think of this "eternal life" as life in the future. Nevertheless, there is a profound present dimension to the resurrection power of Jesus. By the working of His Spirit within us, we are made to live out our mortal existence. Lazarus had not finished his mortal life. Therefore, Jesus raised him so he could finish it. Jesus wants to empower you and me through the Gospel – not only to live in eternity – but to live out or finish our mortal lives. When Christ gives you back your life it’s to say "Your life is not over." YOU HAVE TO FINISH IT!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20

The life we have to finish is now touched by the power of Jesus. We live our mortal life "IN CHRIST," and our purpose is to "reveal him."

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11 NIV)

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Corinthians 4:11 NIV)

Now, we are tasting of the powers of the world to come: "who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age." (Hebrews 6:5 NIV) We are like the Israelites who saw the lush and beautiful cluster of grapes brought back from the promised land by the ten spies. Now we gather weekly as the faithful flock. We come together to be reminded how to live in the "already" and to be refreshed about the "not yet." We hear the Good News. We worship our Savior who sits on His throne in the Heavenlies. But when Christ returns, then time will be no more, and all that will remain will be the fruit of the everlasting Gospel.

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:53,54 NIV)