LIVING IN HOPE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:4-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15

This verse from 1 Peter has always been stored in my heart for it is a primer for building relationships in life as the Lord brings us into encounters with people each and every day. We are to be people of hope because we all have the chance to have a hope that no one or nothing can take away.

I was reminded of this truth as I read today’s verses from the 9th chapter of Ecclesiastes. Look at what the word of God is saying to us:

Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. (vv 4-6)

The premise is very simple. Those who are living have hope, receive reward, and be known. The dead do not have hope, will not receive anything, and will be forgotten.

So how do you know if you are living or dead?

The answer to the question comes in Jesus Christ and your relationship with Him. Consider these words from the Book of Ephesians:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:1-9

The truth of life is that we are all walking dead, men and women who are without hope because of our sinfulness. We are a people who like to follow the ways of the world, a world that is Satan’s domain. We yearn to satisfy the cravings of our flesh, to do what it takes to meet our desires. God hates sin and His wrath and judgment is in store for us all.

And we deserve it.  

Not a pretty picture to paint. Definitely not an illustration of hope to share with others.

Thank goodness the story doesn’t end here.

For out of His rich grace and mercy and kindness and love, God did not wish for any of us to perish in our transgressions. He wished for us to have a chance to be redeemed and brought to life, to come alive from our state of death to a place of hope, not just in the here and now but forever. And so He gave up His one and only Son, Jesus, to die in our place, to pay the price for the wickedness and evil we committed. Rather than see us all pass away, He created a way through sacrificing His Son for us to live with Him forever, to ascend into the heavens just as Jesus did after His resurrection.

So how do we find our way from death to life? How do we depart the world’s hopelessness and live in an eternal hope we are expected to share with others?

All one has to do is confess Jesus as their personal Savior, to admit their sins and confess that they know and trust that God saved them through His Son so that they might not die but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Friends, I don’t know if you have done this or not today but I do know this, if you have Jesus in your life and are living for Him, you are alive, more alive that you have ever been as His Spirit brings you to a place of joy and peace and excitement that this world cannot possibly provide, to a place where you are living in hope every day and can’t wait to share that hope with all you encounter, to a place where you can be free to live and love and learn from Jesus who walks with you in this world and is ready to usher you into eternal life when this life ends.

Thanks be to God for the hope we have in His Son.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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