Do You Have Hope?

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

1 John 3:1-3 (NIV)

OK, I admit it. I have, on occasion, paid a dollar for a lotto ticket, just for the dream or hope of having enough money to put my kids through college. (Yes, and buy a Porsche.) I also remember greeting people at church as they came in and seeing my wife for the first time . I hoped to see her again. After church a week or so later I saw her again. After the service I went to the church bookstore hoping she might go by there. She did. We met, we dated, we got married and have four great kids. That is a hope fulfilled. 

Knowing Christ and hoping in him is more than just a dream like winning the lotto. Knowing Christ and hoping in him is more powerful than even the strongest love we can have as humans. Our hope in Christ purifies us. Sin always corrupts and pollutes us, physically and spiritually (on the outside and the inside).

Knowing Christ and hoping in him is an eternal experience. Eternity is not a ray, starting at one point and then continuing on forever. Eternity is the  past, the present and the future connected. Salvation is not just that Christ forgives our past sins. Salvation is more than the removal of our past transgressions and even the sins of the present. Knowing Christ as Savior and Lord is knowing that he forgives us all our sins (past, present and future) so we can enjoy his purity. Remember, in a marriage purity is not abstinence, rather, purity is faithfulness to your spouse. 

Knowing Christ, hoping in him is not just refraining from sin. Our hope is in the love of God that he lavished on us by making us his children. My hope, as God's child, is knowing that the Sovereign Lord of the universe has unfailing love for me and in Christ I am his child. 

Father, help us to purify ourselves by our hope in Christ, to live in his love. Thank you for you love for us in Christ. Praise be to you in us today!

Repelling and Remaining in Christ

   And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 

   If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

1 John 2:28-29 (NIV)

My youngest son and I went on a zip-line adventure a few weekends ago. It was a blast! The tour also featured a few rappelling sections. I have to tell you that feeling of leaning out backwards just freaks me out. I could tell it made my son feel a bit unsure too. You just have to trust the guides are not going to ask you to do something you can't do.  

Now we know that the Father is not going to ask us to do something we can't do by faith. Remaining or abiding in Christ is not dependant on my righteousness. But, remaining or abiding in Christ produces the fruit of righteousness. Living by faith in Christ's as my righteousness, is remaining in him. I sometimes get the paralysis of analysis. For example in this case I realize my own sinfulness to the point that even if I do the right thing I probably do it with self serving motives. The truth is that God is not asking me (you) to be perfect, he is asking me (you) to act in faith that he will work all things for the good. 

Yes I was a bit unsure when I leaned back to repel down that tree, hanging in mid air, but the rope held and I repelled down to the next landing. In the same way acting in faith sometimes puts us out in midair trusting that the Lord will keep us from falling. Love as best you can and trust Christ to do what he died and rose again to do, make us children of God righteous in him. 

Father, though our sins be a scarlet and our righteousness like filthy rags, you make us righteous in Christ. Thank you and praise be to you in us today!