Living 4 Him

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and we have a priceless inheritance kept in Heaven for you.”  1 Peter 1: 3-4

Hope is a positive state of mind that drives us forward, believing the best.  When Jesus rose from the dead, he didn’t just give us something to look forward to, but he dispensed “living hope” as Peter describes; a hope that reaches past the boundaries of this earth to a life beyond imagining, yet a hope that also accompanies us each moment in the daily details of living.  Let’s drink in a healthy dose of living hope today!

In John 11, Jesus comforts Martha, Lazarus’ sister, with these words “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;  and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (vs.25-26) The resurrection of Jesus brought every word of this scripture into our lives.  When Jesus died, his story did not end.  In fact, his story burst into a brand new beginning, paving a path to eternity for himself and for us! 

Like Jesus, we live out a purpose on earth, and when that time has ended, our story will not end, but we will rise to the heights of Heaven living in the glory planned for us.  Because Jesus lives, we will, too! In Adam Hamilton’s book, The Message of Jesus he says it like this:

“By raising Christ from the dead, God made it clear that evil, hate, sin, and death do not have the final word. Though the darkness tried to extinguish the light, it ultimately could not overcome it.  In the end, light overcomes darkness, love conquers hate, and life extinguishes death.”  Heaven is part of our living hope!

Heaven is where God’s perfection exists in radiant glory. (See Matthew 5:48)

Heaven encompasses the complete freedom that Jesus died to give us. (See John 8:36)

Heaven is God’s home. (See John 14:2, See Matthew 6:9)

Our days on earth are greatly enriched by the hope that Heaven is ahead of us, a time when every promise from God will be fully known and understood. But the hope of Heaven is not all we have; we have help from Heaven in the form of God’s Holy Spirit, another gift received from Jesus after his death and resurrection.  Jesus promised his disciples that he would not leave them alone, stating in John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever.” We are never alone in our earth journey, but we are helped by the Holy Spirit, God living in us.

After his resurrection, in Luke 24:49 Jesus spoke, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” With these instructions he bestowed a gift, his presence, remaining as a teacher, a guide, and a companion; the Spirit of God. The work of the Holy Spirit is so varied and deep that we will spend the weeks in May learning more about the spirit and how its work in our lives. 

For now, let’s cling to the final words that Jesus spoke in Matthew 28:20  “I am with you always.”  Remember, the scripture says ALWAYS. 

Jesus is not just with us when we pray. 

He is not just with us when we have hard times. 

He is not just with us when we start the day. 

He is with us ALWAYS.

Through his Holy Spirit, Jesus is present in our lives helping us live out God’s glorious plans for us.

One last word on resurrection . . . . We would be remiss if we did not recognize that the joy and hope we abundantly receive from God originates from his great love.  He was not satisfied to abandon us to the brokenness of this world, but kept us wrapped in his bonds of glory through the death and resurrection of his son. Every choice God makes is motivated by passionate love for his children.  When we let this truth soak into the depths of our souls, living hope floods our hearts with God’s richest treasures.  Hallelujah!  Christ is risen!  Christ is risen indeed!

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul): Read 2 Corinthians 5: 1-5 to gather a sense of the living hope that waits for us in Heaven. 

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world): Begin each day with this prayer of living hope.

God of beauty and love, You have given me an incredible life on earth and you are preparing me for an incredible life in Heaven.  May your Holy Spirit guide me in every way. Give me a heart that believes into eternity while I walk in your presence day by day.