~ What The Christian Hope Will Bring ~
Prolog ~ As
noted in the first post in this series, the Christian’s “hope” is easily
misunderstood. The meaning of the root
word in Scripture is of an absolute certainty.
The Second Coming of the Lord
~ “I thank my God always
concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that
you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even
as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no
gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be
blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into
the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:4-9).
The Redemption of Our Body
~ “For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us. For the earnest
expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of
God. For the creation was subjected to
futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because
the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole
creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that,
but we also who have the first-fruits 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 8:18-25).
The Manifestation of the Sons of God
~ “For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us. For the earnest
expectation of the creation eagerly waits
for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because
of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the
children of God. For we know that the
whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 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
8:18-25).
Epilog
~ “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor
ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has
prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His
Spirit. For the Spirit searches all
things, yes, the deep things of God. For
what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in
him? Even so no one knows the things of
God except the Spirit of God. Now we
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God,
that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1
Corinthians 2:9-12).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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