The Hope Of Glory

"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight; if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister . . . To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27, KJV)

Devotion 2 of 6

THE ROLE OF HOPE

Hope is integral to salvation. It is the means by which we "work out" our own salvation "with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). Without hope, sanctification is laborious, and well nigh impossible. The world presses hard upon the soul that is not confident of its standing with God and inheritance in heaven. It will not be long until such a one will despair and quit the race to glory. It is in this sense that hope saves us. As it is written, "Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance" (Romans 8:23-25, NKJV). This is not salvation in the sense of remission of sins. Hope does not and cannot remove sin. This is "salvation" in the sense of sanctification, or saving ourselves: "save yourselves from this untoward generation" (Acts 2:40). You will not be able to separate yourself from this world if you are unsure of your place in the world to come!

FAITH MAKES US STRANGERS IN THE WORLD

Acquaintance with God through Christ drives a wedge between the human spirit and the world. Those alive to God simply cannot feel at home in this world. With the patriarchs of old, they "confess" they are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Heb. 11:13). Little wonder Peter pled so effectively with us, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). Such urging is certainly in order today. Each one of you must play a vital role in summoning men to live consistently with this call.

CHRIST HAS CALLED MEN TO MAKE A CHOICE

The Lord is not vague about this call; it is clear and to the point. Everyone does well to take it seriously. "If any man comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26). The reason for this requirement is two-fold: (1 First, God is going to destroy this world and its associations. (2 Second, He is calling you to "the world to come" (Heb. 2:5).

WE HAVE BEEN BEGOTTEN TO A LIVING HOPE

Our new birth not only severed our association with the past, it secured our identity with the future. Therefore it is written, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3, NKJV). Jesus did not rise from the dead to secure permanency in this world -- and neither have you been so raised. The new birth begins our adaptation for heaven. The reason why you do not fit in here is that you are being fitted for there!

THE PROSPECT OF THE FUTURE SUSTAINS US

It is our anticipation of a glorious future that sustains us in the good fight of faith. This is the significance of the spiritual "helmet" that we have been provided. "But let us who are of the day be sober, put-ting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:8, NKJV).

WE ARE WAITING FOR THE HOPE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Salvation has made us long to please our God. Yet, in spite of that strong yearning, we must confess that we yet "come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). Many a saint has grieved over the smallness of their own soul, the meagerness of their efforts, and the lack of satisfactory progress. There is not a day that passes that we are not required to confess our sins, acknowledging our continual need of a Savior and Intercessor. But we must not despair. Complete righteousness may not be ours yet -- but it will be! Our faith constrains us to wait for the complete conformity to the image of Christ. Is it not written, "For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Galatians 5:5, NKJV). The Holy Spirit enables us to maintain the race. Through the Spirit's "strengthening" of us in the "inner man," Jesus can dwell in our hearts by faith. "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . . . " (Ephesians 3:17). PRAYER POINT: Father, I sense I do not belong to this world, and I long to be fully confident of my place in the world to come. Enable me to abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit!

-- TOMORROW: A BLESSED HOPE --