What is Your Hope?

Be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within you with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15)

If someone asked you to tell them about hope what would you say?

Hope is a forward looking word.  It anticipates something beyond this world.  But what?  Paul talks about people who have hope and those who don’t (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).  Jesus is described as the “hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

Ask most any Christian about hope and why they have it and they will quickly respond;  “Jesus died for the sins of all mankind (Romans 5:6-11)!  He has set us free through his death in our stead. He saved us!"  Of course, there are scores of texts that make that point.  But, what does being saved mean?

But, let’s fast forward this conversation past the part about Jesus' death as atonement for our sin to something else…something that has often been missed in our discussions about hope.  Jesus’ death is a critical piece of the gospel story, but so is the resurrection.  In fact without the resurrection everything else falls flat. 

Hope is not about going to heaven.  It is about living for the resurrection. 

Sound crazy? Odd?  Heretical?

Truth is, we have more Plato in us than we would like to admit.  Ask most Christians and they will say something like, “We die, our body decays, our soul goes to heaven and, after the judgment (whatever that is and however it happens) we are with God in a blissful “spiritual” existence forever.  Most often the conversation about the afterlife is about “going” to heaven and staying there. 

Yet, isn’t it interesting that when the apostle Paul speaks about the next life for the believer he speaks of heaven as a “weigh station” of sorts.  It’s a place we go for “a while” until our final destination occurs. 

The final destination for Paul is the resurrection and a new creation (Romans 8:19-24).

1 Corinthians chapter fifteen is a riveting and thorough discussion about the resurrection.  Paul lays out an exciting vision of the life that is to come.  Adam’s sin in the garden brought death…literally…into our lives.  Scripture emphasizes the fact that we are mortal beings – not immortal.  Only God possesses immortality (1 Timothy 6:16; Romans 8:9-11).  Jesus brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:9-10). 

Believers in the city of Corinth were confused on this point.  They leaned more toward Plato and the concept of the soul (disembodied spirit) than what Paul had taught them in the gospel, namely, the resurrection of the body.  In 1 Corinthians 15:35-57 Paul explains this in detail.  Our future as believers is the resurrection of the body although it will be magnificently different in ways that Paul cannot describe.  “We are waiting to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:1-4).

Death is beaten on the very turf where it beat us…our bodies. 

Jesus’ resurrection was more than a show of divine power.  It serves as a precursor to what is coming.  Jesus is the first born from among the dead ones (Ephesians 1:20-21; Colossians 1:16-18; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23).  The angels said after his ascension that he would come in “like manner as you beheld him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11).  Paul says the “dead in Christ will rise first” and then believers who are alive at his coming will rise with them to meet him in the air (to welcome him!) when he comes with his mighty angels (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). 

The Jews in Jesus day, for the most part, held the belief of the resurrection (John 11:20-25).  Jesus said that a day would come when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice.  Some would come forth to a resurrection of life (1 Cor. 15) and others would be raised to be judged and destroyed (John 5:25-29). 

When Jesus spoke about eternal life he did so with resurrection in mind. 

When someone asks us about our hope, we should tell them what Jesus accomplished for us in his death for our sins.  BUT, we should also emphasize what he accomplished in his resurrection.  He is the only one who was raised from the dead and, as they say, “stayed up.”  He has the power to give us life…literally…in a new body…forever.  His invitation to join him in his kingdom now and forever is the most fascinating and exciting experience we can participate in.  Paul says that the sufferings of this world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). 

Scripture doesn't spell out the particulars of what all “glory” means.  Then again, we are given some small portholes in scripture that give us glimpses of what the resurrection world will be like. Scripture says, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).   

How we envision what Jesus, Paul and others said about resurrection matters.  And, it should be a major piece in our conversation with people about what “hope” means. 

Choosing to be a Christian involves more than pleasing God and proving our obedience to His will.  As much as these things matter – and they do! – there is more. 

God is inviting us to be a part of something. That's the part that is undeveloped in our thinking and sharing of the gospel. We are living, serving, suffering, and teaching the gospel to ourselves and others toward something.  God will welcome us into a new creation.  His kingdom will be full of surprises, magnificence and adventure.  

Assembling with other Christians, standing up under pressure, standing our ground in the presence of evil and embracing the reign of God now should be empowered by this great vision of what God will do one day through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11) at the resurrection. 

Paul said, “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation.  The old things have passed away; behold new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Resurrection.  New things.  I can only imagine.  How bout you?

Randy Daugherty
StephenvilleTexas


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