Hope In The Immutable Promise

October 16, 2005

Miserable without proper hope

Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Hope acquired through learning the scriptures

Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning [teaching or doctrine], that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Are you hoping in the immutable promise?

Hebrews 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Abraham hoped in what God had spoken

Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Exercised in the Hope

Acts 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they [Ananias the HP & elders] themselves also allow [look for, wait for], that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. 16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

The hope Israel was looking and waiting for

Ezekiel 37:11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: THEN shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

The Hope of Daniel

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt [despise].

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his[Son of Man's] voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [better resurrection]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [judgment].

Daniel’s Righteousness

Daniel 6:5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

Not all in Israel were righteous

Ezekiel 14:13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Don’t hope in past righteousness while committing Iniquity

Ezekiel 3:20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Life in the age to come is the Hope

Titus 1:2 In hope of ~~eternal~~ [agelasting] life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Restoration promised

Acts 3:19 Repent ye [brethren who killed the Christ] therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive UNTIL the times of restitution [restoration] of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Waiting in Hope makes us groan

Romans 8:23 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. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not [adoption & Redemption], then do we with patience wait for it. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: [discouraged in waiting] for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings [because of the wait in v23] which cannot be uttered.

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring [earnest desiring makes us groan] to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Christian's life is meaningless without hope

1 Corinthians 15:30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth [profit] it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

Hope of the wicked

Proverbs 11:7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.

Hope of the righteous - New heavens & a new earth

2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

What we shall be?

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: