In one of the Bible studies I attended in Washington DC, I heard someone comment, "I know I have eternal life, and I’m not afraid to die. I just don’t like pain." I agree with that comment. What I need to work on is agreeing with the Apostle Paul’s insight in Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us [as children of God]." Paul had hope that was greater than his sufferings.
A wise person once said, "There are three rings in life: Engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering. We are not guaranteed the first two rings in life, only the third." This is certainly true for those families who lost loved ones in the September 11 terrorist attack and the subsequent anthrax victims.
Despite recent tragedies, we must not be so myopic as to think that suffering began the morning of September 11. Millions of people die each year from malnutrition, diseases and natural disasters. Even if we are desensitized to their sufferings, we need only a quiet moment to remind us we too suffer personal losses and shattered dreams in life.
As a pastor I try very hard not to be shocked by what I discover about people: The couple who wear smiles and hold hands at parties but are thinking about divorce; the man whom everyone looks up to because he seems so perfect but is struggling with an addiction he can’t break; and the woman, who was a doctor in her homeland and is now in America, can’t find a job, because she can’t speak enough English.
What do we do when sufferings, sins and situations rob us of hope in life? This morning, we’re going to look at three provisions God gives to us to regain hope in life.
If you’re alive, and you’ve not experienced life situations that rob you of hope, just keep breathing; you will. A friend of mine loves to point out that tomorrow the world will roll over the person who is on top today. Illness and old age can roll over us also. So these three provisions will be relevant to everyone, eventually.
These three provisions are identified in 1 John 2:12-14. Let me read the passage for us.
You need to know John was writing to counter lies that crept into the church by 90 AD. Christians were facing great difficulties and their hope was staked in a right relationship with God. Certain false teachers added hopelessness on top of life’s difficulties.
According to the false teachers, if you didn’t know the secret truths they spoke about, you would have no hope of a right relationship with God. Or if you could not be perfect, you would have no hope of a right relationship with God. And they claim that the way you live your earthly life really doesn’t matter to your relationship with God, this robbing us of life’s meaning. Uncertainty, inability and meaninglessness produce hopelessness.
And so John identifies three provisions that God gives to us to regain hope in life. Let’s look at these provisions.
The FIRST provision that God gives to us to regain hope in life is the provision of pardon for our sins by trusting in Jesus Christ. We read this in verse 12.
Romans 3:23 tells us, "... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The Bible describes the human condition as one that ignores God and does not live up to the intention for which God made us. And this sin condition in us produces guilty and shameful feelings and separates us from our Creator.
Isaiah 59:2 tells us, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
Our sin condition in life robs us of hope. Guilt and shame traps us in our past failures. And our separation from God keeps us from hope in the future, especially in facing God at our death.
Forgiveness from sin helps us to regain hope in life. Acts 10:43 tells us, "... everyone who believes in [Jesus Christ], receives forgiveness of sin...." Once we are forgiven, we are released from guilt and shame.
Furthermore, John addresses his readers, who have been forgiven on account of Jesus Christ, as "dear children." In the Gospel of John 1:12, we are told that those who have trusted in Jesus Christ are born of God and become children of God. This is a spiritual truth. We can have hope because our eternity is secure as a child of God.
If you’ve not accepted forgiveness of sin by trusting in Jesus Christ, you are tied to your past by guilt and shame. And you are kept from looking forward to a bright future with God. As a minister of the good news of Jesus Christ, I invite you to receive God’s pardon. Whisper, "God, I accept your forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Help me to regain hope in life."
I’ve never liked flying because I can’t see those who are in control. For all I know, the pilots are fooling around with the stewardesses. And after September 11, I have an even lesser liking for flying. I remember as Susan and I left our apartment for our trip from California to Washington DC, I told her, "I’m not afraid of dying because I have trusted in Jesus Christ for eternal life with God. I just don’t like the idea of a painful death."
If you are not a child of God made possible by trusting in Jesus Christ, your hope is at best temporary. If you are a child of God made possible by trusting in Jesus Christ, your hope will outlive your problems and pains.
The FIRST provision that God gives to us to regain hope in life is the provision of pardon for our sins by trusting in Jesus Christ. The SECOND provision that God gives to us to regain hope in life is the provision of priority of our relationship with God. We read this in verses 13 and 14.
The "fathers" John addressed are the mature Christians in the church. You’ll notice that both the children and the fathers have the same priority of knowing or building a relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, who is from the beginning.
In the Gospel of John 17:3, Jesus said, "Now this is eternal life (the new life given by God): that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." This is the second provision for regaining hope in life, to build our hopes on our relationship with God.
Most of us are building our hopes on attaining pleasures, achievements, material success and human relationships. These attainments are not wrong in themselves. But when they become the priority of our lives, we are destined for disappointment and emptiness. Only the priority of our relationship with God helps us regain hope in life.
Americans have for too long put their trust in mankind’s abilities, in our military and in our money. We have experienced a rude awakening after September 11.
Psalm 20:7 describes the priority that gives hope back to life, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." We need to put our trust back into God’s relationship with us.
Unfortunately, many people have a wrong relationship with God because of their sin or because of their misconceptions about God. God has provided the solution to both of these problems through Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, our sins can be forgiven. Through Jesus Christ’s life in the world, our misconceptions about God can be corrected.
Most people think that God is like the security guard in a department store, that He’s not interested in us until we do something wrong. This false image of God keeps many people from approaching God. Before we can make the priority of relationship with God our priority in life, we need to know what God is like.
John 14:9 records Jesus claim about himself, "Anyone who has seen me [Jesus Christ] has seen the Father [God]." Colossians 2:9 affirms, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity [God] lives in bodily form...."
What is God like? Look at Jesus; you’ll find out. God is merciful. God is compassionate. God cries. He is not a cold and calculated Judge. He is Holy and Righteous Father, Elder Brother and True Comforter. Knowing God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and Holy Spirit need to be the priority of our lives in order to regain hope.
Someone tells of a man who was given the offer of as much land as he can walk around in 24 hours. The man began to walk in the morning, and he was thrilled to see how much land he had covered by nightfall. Without sleep, he continued to walk. As the next morning drew near, he thought, "I can walk just a few more steps, and a few more steps."
With an hour left, he realized that he might not get back to where he began, so he began to run. He ran and ran until he ran back to the place where he began. When he arrived at the starting point, he dropped dead of a heart attack.
The question was asked, "How much land does a man need?"
Answer: "Six feet between his head and his toes."
Make sure your priority for life is an eternal one; otherwise, your hope will be at best temporary. Whether I am rich or poor, whether I am successful or not in the world’s eyes, knowing that I can have a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ, knowing that God is good, and know that God loves me will bring more hope into my life than winning the lottery or having the praise of people.
Make your relationship with God your priority. Get to know God by reading the Bible and by sharing your thoughts and intentions with God in prayer.
The FIRST provision is the pardon for our sins by trusting in Jesus Christ. The SECOND provision is the priority of our relationship with God. The THIRD provision that God gives to us to regain hope in life is the provision of the power of His Word. We see this in verse 14b.
Regaining hope in life requires that we overcome the evil one [or Satan] and his lies and temptations. If we don’t learn to overcome the evil one and evil desires, we are destined to fail and lose hope in life.
The first five years of my Christian life were a tremendous struggle, because I was constantly overcome by temptation and evil desires. Many Christians told me to read the Bible, to study the Bible and to memorize the Bible in order to overcome Satan’s temptation.
You know what happened when I began to read, study and memorize the Bible? Nothing. I knew more, even about God, but I didn’t overcome the evil one and the evil desires within me.
I didn’t experience the power of God’s Word until I read the question and applied the answer from Psalm 119:9, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to [God’s Word]." Our strength to overcome the evil one and evil desires comes from living according to God’s Word, the Bible.
We live in a communication age with more information than we can handle. If you want 9 steps to financial freedom, 7 steps to raising your child or 12 steps to dealing with an addiction, you will have no trouble finding the information at Borders Bookstore or even online. The difference between human information and God’s Word, the Bible, is the power that comes with God’s Word.
Human information at best can offer principles for certain areas of life and no power to implement the principles. God’s Word offers eternal principles for every area of life and provides power for living life and for overcoming the evil one and evil desires.
One of my favorite Bible teachers is Steve Brown. I’ve read his book on preaching. I’ve heard his preaching on tapes. I’ve even practiced preaching like him, but I just can’t seem to preach as well as he can. If I could somehow have him live in and through me, you would be hearing a much better sermon this morning.
What I just described illustrates the unique power behind God’s Word. We can read it. We can listen to the teaching of God’s Word. We can even apply what we learn from God’s word, but that’s not all. God gives us Christ’s Spirit to live in us and to enable us with power and authority to overcome the evil one and evil desires.
Colossians 1:27 states, "Christ in you is the hope of glory." Our only hope of becoming like Jesus Christ is having Jesus Christ live in us.
In Philippians 4:13 the Apostle Paul confidently states, "I can do everything through him [Jesus Christ] who gives me strength."
Someone tells about a man who decided to give church a try. Unfortunately, he overslept and arrived at the church five minutes before the end of the worship service. He went up to the pastor after everyone left and asked, "Pastor, can you tell me what I must do to have a right relationship with God?"
The pastor said, "I spoke about that very topic this morning. You’re too late."
The man was shocked. He asked, "You mean you won’t tell me what I must do to have a right relationship with God just because I missed your sermon?"
The pastor replied, "No. You’re too late. You can’t do anything to have a right relationship with God. Jesus Christ has done it all on the cross. You simply have to accept God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ in order to have a right relationship with God."
The Bible tells us in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Our hope in life is not found in ourselves but in the love of God demonstrated through the death of Christ.
We can regain hope in life by accepting the pardon for sin through Jesus Christ, by building our hope on our relationship with God, and by committing to live out the power of God’s Word in our lives. These are God’s provisions for us to regain hope in life. They are for me, and they are for you.
