2 Thess 1:3, Love’s Hope Reaches Into Eternity.Wednesday June 28, 2023 The Exodus outlook goes from hope to despair over and over again. There is a grand celebration after God’s deliverance of Israel. But days later, despair of not having enough water.
They let what was happening in front of them in real time determine their outlook. God’s plans must determine our outlook.
Love hopes all things – it never exhausts hope. Hope looks to the future with confident and happy expectation.
Hope is a new thing for the believer. Before salvation he really had no hope. The hope of the world is always temporal.
Eph 2:11-12 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands — 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
The love of God would not leave us in this position.
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For the believer, hope is eternal. Our hope spills over death and runs into the unknowns of eternity.
Rom 8:18-25 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
Until that time, our hope flows from our position in Christ as children of God who possess the Spirit of freedom and the Holy Spirit leads us in the way of eternal life in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:12-17).
We will know fully in eternity, but until then we only know in part. So we need hope that God has a master plan that will take care of all the things we cannot know.
1Co 13:8-13 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Remember that agape is meant for others, and so this is a hope for others.
If we stick with the context of agape, this hope is one that looks with confidence to the future concerning our work and service to others.
Psa 33 - the Lord is always looking all over the earth, seeing all people and judging what type of people they are. Out of them all, who hopes in the Lord?
Psa 33:13-22 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; 14 From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works. 16 The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, 19 To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. 22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, According as we have hoped in You.
In the realm of agape, this hope is then turned on another – the ones we are serving and loving.
Our hope is that they will fear the Lord and live in obedient faith. It is always our outlook and our joyful expectation.
In this way, as in all other ways, agape tells us that self has to be removed from the center of thought and consciousness and God and the other must be put there. Why is that?
Hope for another cannot also be wanting something from another for self.
Our hope for them is in our service to them. We consider them and what God would have us do and say and pray so that they would draw closer to the Lord, fear Him, love Him, love His Word, obey Him in faith. When our hearts get clouded with what we want them to do for us, fulfilling our wants from them, there is no room for agape.
We must not put our wants on a scale which contains our happiness on the other side. Our happiness is ever in the Lord. We believe in the ability for our almighty God to do the impossible, we hope and believe in the power of agape love, for love believes all things and hopes all things.
When it looked like God had forsaken Israel completely, the prophet kept hope. Isa 8:17 And I will wait for the Lord who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him.
Isaiah’s hope is for the nation. His hope is properly founded because of the covenants God has made with Abraham and David.
Hope is faith that believes what it does not yet see. Paul writes that hope does not disappoint because we have the love of God poured out within our hearts.
Our hope is God the Father and Son.
1Pe 1:18 your faith and hope are in God.
1Ti 1:1 Christ Jesus, who is our hope,
God’s election of us gives us hope in Eph 1:18; 4:5.
It is so easy to view present circumstances and adopt a morose outlook for the future.
Our imaginations are not God’s plans. Hope is God’s plans.
Hope is in God’s decree, which particulars are unknown to us, but what we do know is that it is good … beyond good.
1Co 2:9
As we have seen, in order for us to love with agape, we ourselves have to be pure. We cannot have hearts mastered by various sins if we are going to agape love others on a continual basis.
Our hope in the coming Christ = desire to purify (cleanse) ourselves.
1Jo 3:1-3 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Hope is the joyful outlook of God’s working whatever outcomes to our love for one another.
Rom 12:9-21 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. 20 "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Rom 15:1-6 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME." 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Th 2:16-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
Application:
What is your outlook?
Is your outlook so frail that some new circumstance today can completely change it?
If that is true, you are more like the Exodus generation than you may think. There is no reason for it other than your own lack of faith in what God has already planned. His plans are wonderful, beyond our imaginations.
Don’t make your imagination of the future the home of your own conclusions. Make it the dwelling of Christ who has overcome all things and promises to always be with you. |