Believer's New Hope Series

Believer’s have “New Hope”

New Hope for Christians

New Hope for Creation

NCBC, 5/16/04, Romans 8:18-25

We live in a land in which many of our inhabitants feel “hopeless”. Amazing with all the prosperity that is seen all around our “Great Land”, yet Alaska leads our country in alcoholism, teen pregnancy, and suicides showing the true “hopelessness” felt by these beloved people of God.

How do we show them hope?

One way one man brought “hope” in a place that there was little or none…

From Parade magazine comes the story of self-made millionaire Eugene Land, who greatly changed the lives of a sixth-grade class in East Harlem. Mr. Lang had been asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth-graders. What could he say to inspire these students, most of whom would drop out of school? He wondered how he could get these predominantly black and Puerto Rican children even to look at him. Scrapping his notes, he decided to speak to them from his heart. "Stay in school," he admonished, "and I’ll help pay the college tuition for every one of you." At that moment the lives of these students changed. For the first time they had hope. Said one student, "I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling." Nearly 90 percent of that class went on to graduate from high school. Parade Magazine.

You see, the “hope” you and I bring is even more important than the hope brought by Mr. Land. The “hope” we bring comes with eternal life. It is something that sees us through the sometimes difficult and hurtful times that come into all or our lives.

Today we will look at the “New Hope” that we receive in accordance with “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit [Rom. 8:1]. Remember this is to those of us who walk after the Spirit, not after the flesh…

New Hope for Christians

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us [Rom. 8:18].

Paul feels that none of the suffering we go through in this present time…

What are you suffering from today???

Praise be to God, if you have trust fully in Jesus Christ, those woes which you go through today cannot even begin to compare to the glories which you and I will be presented with in Eternity with Jesus Christ.

This is interesting in the setting of our country today, all the creature comforts at our availability…yet this does not change the “truth” of God’s word…”this will not compare”.

This also tells us that as Christians, we cannot escape sufferings…it is a reality of this sin stained world…know this yet know also that in glory you will received a great reward.

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4).

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephes. 1:18).

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body [Rom. 8:23].

Nature groans, and occasionally so do we.

If you think that accepting Christ has done away with our every groan, think again.

We go through trials and tribulations with more confidence than most yet we do groan.

Even our Lord and Savior groans while being beaten and HE groaned as the nails pierced HIS innocent hands.

Know this and do not be “devastated” when the trials come.

Some would have you to believe we live in a “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy” world so when the trials and tribulations come that we are told will come, many fall away.

No…that is not the right answer, Christ wishes us to fall on HIM, and HE will give us joy, contentment and growth in our every situation.

No God’s word plainly tells us that we groan within these bodies. As I approach forty something there are mornings and days that I groan.

You might say that I shouldn’t groan! Well, it is scriptural to groan. Paul says, "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven" (2Cor. 5:2). Also the psalmist wrote, "I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears" (Ps. 6:6).

“It is sown a natural body: it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:44).