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.
“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, we invite you to come
visit and learn more about “putting on Christ” as your
personal Lord and savior by uniting yourself with Him in His death, burial and
resurrection. 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
let us know your needs.
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