12/16/2020
Do we maintain a hope in God and Jesus Christ that is with us every minute of every day? Has our faith produced a transformation in us that is irreversible, or does the old person we once were continue to struggle against us as we are tempted to fall back into sin? Our hope in Christ is not like a tide that is meant to rise and fall within us, no, it is a living hope that is alive in us always. We are meant to lean on our faith; loving, praying, and hoping in the Lord as we push back against every worldly temptation.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
1 Peter 1:3 ESV
When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, God transforms us... He begins to change us from the person that was established with the sin of Adam and Eve, back into who they were designed to be before that horrible day when they disobeyed God, and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Our hope, and faith, should never fade, or wander astray, but be like an inheritance established by a God’s will... that is absolute and irrevocable.
“to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
1 Peter 1:4-5 ESV
We live in the time of COVID-19, but despite the death that it threatens us with we do not yield to it. Nurses, doctors, researchers, and caregivers of every description, stand toe to toe against it, and continue to fight for the lives of those being infected. Parents nurse their sick children, and husbands and wives fight to heal their spouses. This is similar to how God fights for our souls against the virus of sin. He never abandons us. Our part in the healing process is to maintain our hope in Him, and guard our faith in Jesus Christ. Like with the COVID virus God is holding out a vaccine to us, but like the earthly vaccination against COVID we must choose to accept the divine inoculation of the serum that is Jesus.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Revelation 3:20-21 ESV
God has given us the cure for our sins in the form of His Son Jesus Christ, our part is to accept Him, and maintain the hope, and faith, that He offers us in the face of sin’s temptation. The virus COVID-19 doesn’t go away just because we are vaccinated against it, no, it remains in the world, and attacks us, but our bodies are able to defend themselves against it. When Jesus redeems us, sin still remains around us, but by our hope and faith in Him we are transformed, and our bodies, minds, and souls, are able to successfully resist the temptation. We live in a world that will make us sick, both in viruses, and in sin, but have hope brothers and sisters for Jesus has overcome the world...
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV
So, back to my initial question: “ Do we maintain a hope in God and Jesus Christ that is with us every minute of every day?”. Think on this today, and ask yourself if your hope in Him gives you a strengthening of your faith, the ever increasing power of hope, and an absolute confidence in His healing power that will allow you to accept Him as your inoculation against all temptation and sin. Are you ready to be transformed and made able to resist all temptation?
“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
1 John 3:3 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for not abandoning us to the spiritual sickness of sin. Thank you Lord for sending us your Son Jesus in whom rests our hope, faith, and the cure against every unrighteous thing. Increase our hope Lord so that with every breath we take we are strengthened in our faith in your Son’s ability to change us into true believers who can resist temptation and sin as we maintain our constant hope in Him, and you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who has sent us your Son to suffer, die, and be resurrected, so that we will have a living hope in life everlasting. Praised be your name as we pray without ceasing, and hold to our faith in Jesus, our living hope without end. You are merciful Father, and we lean into our faith, and the healing transformation you have promised will lead us to eternity with you. Your grace flows through Jesus, and soothes the torment of temptation and sin that pummels us from all sides... in your armor we are protected, and led by Christ we are meant to be victorious... come soon Jesus, and Father, call your hopeful Christian soldiers home on that day in celebration... marching through the gates of the New Jerusalem, to dine with you in victory forevermore.
“And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Romans 15:12-13 ESV
Rich Forbes