Intersections

There is an old saying that “it’s not what you know but who you know” that makes the difference in getting ahead.  I think this trusty statement is generally pretty true.  I know I have benefitted far more from my relationships with many brilliant friends, mentors and associates than from any claim I may have to knowledge or intelligence!

This statement is especially true of “getting ahead” in an eternal sense.  Last week, I proposed to you that one element of the true meaning of biblical hope is the certain expectation all believers have in spending eternity with God in Heaven.  I have this expectation of eternal life not because of anything I have done to earn the right to enter Heaven nor from any special knowledge I have attained.  It’s not what I know but who I know that makes the difference.  I know Jesus Christ and my faith in Him “gets me ahead” in this life and most importantly in the next life.

I spent the entire roller coaster series that preceded this series talking about the Romans 5:3-5 passage on troubles, patience and character leading to hope.  I intentionally skipped the introduction in Romans 5:1-2 that names the source of hope.  Paul assures me that the most important element of biblical hope is a person!

Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who through our faith has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory.  We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience.  And patience produces character, and character produces hope.  And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

I could quote scripture after scripture testifying to the hope of Jesus Christ but the two sentences underlined in this passage summarize it better than I can.  This is the essence of the good news Jesus brought into the world.  He is the hope of the nations according to Isaiah as quoted in Matthew 12:17-21:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
   the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
   and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out;
   no one will hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
   and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
In his name the nations will put their hope.”  — Isaiah 42:1–4

Hope is a place and a person…

Until next week,

Meet me at the intersection!

Previous Intersections Articles

Hope is a Strategy! (Part 1)	A Roller Coaster Life for Hope	A Roller Coaster Life for Character (Part 2)

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