Resurrection Hope: The Best is Yet to Come

Any discussion of hope requires first, knowledge of God’s character and belief in His power to overrule present circumstances regardless of how dismal they may become. We must know how God has worked in the past and we must not deny the present midnight hour. Both are real and both are parts of every Christian’s life journey.

We know that many Christians have lost sight of their God, have become pessimistic and lost hope. Many individuals and churches have succumbed to the idea that paganism and the secular trend of our society is irreversible. Many sincere believers have adopted a sort of fatalistic attitude based on a flawed eschatology that hinders them from considering the thought that our God is POWER. But to dismiss God is to embrace hopelessness, for God is the answer to hopelessness.

We begin by acknowledging the truth of our times. We are living in darkness and consequently, many have discovered their own souls have become increasingly darken. It may not be in some moral demise sense, but rather in the loss of divine hope. Without hope, the soul becomes dark because of futility, despair and hopelessness. Despair nullifies any ray of light within the soul. To lose hope is to disconnect from God and His power. Thus, we become practical agnostics and live a life of defeat.

I have made the discovery that one can lament without losing hope. If one loses hope, one is not in touch with God. Staying in relationship with God is crucial and we can only navigate the journey through the darkness by acknowledging these two polarities: reality is dark (our lament), but God is powerful (our hope).

To possess hope is not to close our eyes to radical evil in the world, but we have learned how to take that evil into the kingdom of God residing in our being and allow God to transmute it into the good.

Christianity realizes that to maintain hope in the midst of seeming hopelessness; we must connect with a Source that can accomplish the needed change. Only God can renew and redeem. Only God can take care of all the dark places. Only God can change people, societies, and nations. Only God can perform the impossible; it is His specialty.

So, what I am suggesting is that it is possible to lament the darkness in the world and in our individual lives, as Jeremiah cried over and lamented the destruction of Israel, without losing hope. Paul lamented the church and human condition without losing hope. As Henri Nouwen says, “Those who dream of better things are not those who hate what is now, but who love the present enough to seek its transformation.”

Christians live beyond the tangible seen realities of earth life. The spiritual dimension of life is real but divinely invisible. It is crucial for our life function, as we know it. The spiritual is critical to the life of the Christian and is the invisible glue that binds us together as the body of Christ and offers a hope for tomorrow. Without the spirit working properly, our spiritual energy wanes according to Proverbs, soul sickness develops. Hope deferred makes the heart grow sick (13:12). It is demanded of us by the Christian faith to understand and live the spiritual life. The concepts of trust, sacrifice, unity, hope are hallmark characteristics of Christians. Hope is a spiritual element many have recognized before:

Augustine of Hippo said, “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”

Hope is essential for the Christian journey, for forward motion. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” To hope then, means to be prepared moment by moment for the solution to appear, and yet not to become desperate if there is no solution in the immediate.

Hope to a Christian is like electricity to light. When we switch on a lamp, it provides light, which enables us to see in the dark, but the electricity itself goes unnoticed. However, without the electricity, there would be no light. The electricity is absolutely essential. So it is with hope. Hope is the invisible spiritual fuel that propels us to future goals; the invisible energy that empowers us to believe in tomorrow, and to persevere against difficult circumstances.

Hope, in the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. He gives hope through His promises. Biblical hope is God centered, that is, God is the objective Source of hope. Thus, we must return to the earlier statement that there is no hope without God. Biblical hope is inseparable from faith in God. Because of what He has done in the past, particularly in preparing for the coming of Christ, and because of what He is now doing through Christ, the Christian dares to expect future blessings at present invisible;

"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us". 2 Corinthians 1:10.

God’s goodness cannot be exhausted. The best is yet to come. Our hope is increased as we reflect on the activities of God in Scriptures:

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" Romans 12:12, and "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope"(15:4).

Christ in God is the hope of future glory:

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Hope is revealed throughout Biblical history and the promises God makes in His word. Faith and love are always included in the concept of hope in Scriptures. Hope says, “God can do all things,” faith says, “Thy will be done,” love says, “Christ crucified.”

Our only hope is in God. We are beyond any illusion of human repair. Hope is spirit respiration in prayer. It settles the conviction that God is able and that nothing is impossible for Him.

Hope laments the earth’s condition but does not forget His people, regardless of how difficult their surroundings have become or how far His people have wandered away. If individual Christians and our society are to be changed, it must begin within the household of faith. God has not abandoned His people.

Christianity in America, despite its profoundly countercultural components, is far from becoming extinct. Fears about its waning influence are understandable and cannot be denied. But, to assume its slow demise is premature and not supported by Biblical principles. Granted, the church needs to experience an inner healing at the level of the spirit and a modified understanding of itself and the nature of God and His dealing in history before it can again engage the culture and carry out effective ministry, yet, “…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it..” Matthew 16:18.

God fills us with joy and peace, despite our circumstances. He sent His Son who conquered death by rising again from the dead. We know that we will share Jesus’ glory in eternity. This is a promise of God which will be kept. This is our hope.

It is our hope that consoles us amidst the tribulations and calamities and iniquities of the present, it is our hope that makes life worth living, and it is our hope that gives the weary spirit the wings of a dove. It is our living hope that speaks to the world of the omnipotence of God, through Jesus Christ and propagates His promise that "the best is yet to come" for truly, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

The whole idea behind resurrection hope is the hope of the believer. It is hope which sustains and carries each believer through life. As Peter declared, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 1 Peter 1:3.

And now,

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13. AMEN!