The hope to which
we are called
(Ephesians 1:17-21)
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,
so that you may know him better. I pray
also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may
know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious
inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is like the working of his mighty
strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and
seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and
authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in
the present age but also in the one to come.
What is
“the hope to which we are called”? What is it that we, as Christians, hope for
in Christ Jesus? Have you ever thought deeply about eternity and the life
beyond this one? Have you ever contemplated the realms of existence that exist
beyond what the human eye and mind perceives? The Bible teaches that this
physical universe we live in-- the earth in all its glory, the moon and even
the heavens, are but the outer fringe of all God’s works! (Job 26:7-14)
If you are
amazed at the creation that we live in now---you “ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
Even now, this
world in its present form is passing away and a time is coming when God will
bring about a new heavens and a new earth:
(2 Peter 3:12-14)
as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That
day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements
will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,
the home of righteousness. So then, dear
friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found
spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
The apostle
John saw visions of the future and the new earth. Revelation 21 tells
us of a place and a time when God Himself will live with us. “He
will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning
or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
This is eternal
life that Jesus Christ came to give us by His death on the cross. God wants us
to know what is going to happen. He wants to give us this gift of eternal life.
And this gift begins even NOW for us, in this life, here on this earth! God
wants us to have the gift of His Holy Spirit to indwell us and fill us even now in this age.
This is our hope—
“the
mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now
disclosed
to the saints. 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
1:26-27)
But in order to have the gift that God wants to give us we must
understand God has given us a plan of salvation that we must follow in order to
posses this gift of eternal life. The bible teaches that our sins have separated us from
God and the way God provided for this great separation to be bridged was by the
atoning sacrifice and death of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. --Isaiah 53:5-6
Nearly 2,000 years ago, the news of the beginning of God’s
kingdom started to spread over the face of the earth. On the day of
Pentecost, a great crowd had gathered in Jerusalem and heard the apostle
Peter preach a sermon about God’s salvation and Christ’s resurrection. The
people heard Peter’s words and were cut to
the heart, knowing they had a hand in the death of Christ. They knew
they were guilty but still wanted to have the salvation Peter had spoken of. They
asked Peter what it was they must do in order to possess this
salvation. And Peter replied:
"Repent
and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The
promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom
the Lord our God will call."
(Acts
2:38-39)
This was the salvation plan
God had back then, and it is still the same salvation plan God has for us
today. We can know this by Peter’s words, “The promise is for you and your children and
for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will
call."
“And
with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved
from this perverse generation." Then those who gladly received
his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls
were added to them. (Acts 2:40-41)
If you have not yet obeyed the gospel(2Thes 1:8),we invite you to come visit and learn more about “putting on Christ” (Gal 3:27) as your personal Lord and savior by uniting yourself with Him in His death, burial and
resurrection.(Rom 6:3-4)
Our minister and elders would like to study the Bible and God’s
plan of salvation with you today.
If you are interested in a personal in-home bible study, please e-mail us here and
let us know your needs (keithshep@aol.com)
(1John 3:2)
Dear
friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet
been made
known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him,
for we
shall see him as he is.
Come share in the eternal life God wants you to have
