We'll be taking our text from
1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 1 in just a moment. We're going
to work our way to that. The title of my message this
morning is The Reason for Our Hope. The reason for our hope. The Apostle Peter in his first
epistle, chapter 3, wrote this. Chapter 3, verse 15. Peter wrote, but sanctify the
Lord God in your hearts. And be ready always to answer,
to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the
hope. A reason of the hope that is
in you with meekness and fear. Just about everyone I know has
a hope of heaven. They hope to go to heaven when
they die. But ask them why. Ask them why. What reason do they have for
such a hope? What does it rest on? That's
not a small thing, is it? To say, when I leave this world,
I hope to go to heaven, that's not a trifle, is it? That has
eternal, everlasting consequence. To stand before God to enter
heaven, I must be accepted by God. There must be a foundation
for that. What's the reason for my hope?
What does it rest on? The hope of the believer. The
hope of a believer rests on a solid foundation. It couldn't be more
solid. It couldn't be more secure. It's
that foundation that God himself has laid. If not there, if my
hope doesn't rest there, then I really don't have one. And
there's only one. In 1 Corinthians 3 and 11, Paul
wrote this. For other foundations, can no
man lay, then that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. On Christ the
solid rock I stand. Everything else, no matter what
it is, no matter what it is, everything else other than the
Lord Jesus Christ will prove in the end to be sinking sand. It will be a house built upon
sand without a foundation. Isaiah chapter 28 verse 16, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold,
I lay in Zion. Man's not done this. Man can't
lay this foundation. No, God himself says this. I
lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious
cornerstone, a sure foundation. And he that believeth shall not
make haste. Just be calm. Just be calm. Don't panic. And that's the same
foundation that our Lord was speaking of when he said these
words. Remember when he asked his disciples,
whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, well,
there are rumors that you're John the Baptist, which is from
the dead, or at least you're some great prophet. And the Lord
said, well, let's bring it a little closer to home. Who am I to you? Who do you say that I, the Son
of Man, am? And Simon Peter answered, Thou
art the Christ, you're the Messiah, you're the Anointed, the Son
of the Living God. And here's Jesus answered to
Peter, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood
didn't teach you this. You didn't learn this from a
man. No, no, no. Flesh and blood had not revealed
this unto you, but my Father, which is in heaven, And I say
unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock, not Peter, like
the Catholics teach. Now that's not who our Lord was
speaking of, but upon himself, upon the truth of Peter's confession
when he said, you're the Christ, that's the rock, that's the foundation
that God's laid and not man. Of himself, our Lord says, upon
this rock, I will build my church, and as a result of that, the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Verse 19, now therefore, you
are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets. The Church of Jesus Christ, every
believer, whether Old Testament prophet, or New Testament apostle,
or a believer living today, are built upon one foundation, one
foundation, one solid foundation to stand accepted before God
and that's the Lord Jesus Christ, are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone. And now are you in 1 Timothy
1? 1 Timothy 1 and 1, Paul writing to his beloved son in the faith.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our
Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope. Christ our hope. He's not only
the originator of a good hope of salvation and eternal life,
His righteousness and sacrifice are not only the means of a good
hope and His promise the foundation of a good hope, but Christ Himself
is our hope. Christ is our hope. We trust
Him. We trust the living Savior. We
trust that one who loved us and gave Himself for us. We trust
Him who at this very moment sits at the right hand of the majesty
on high, interceding on the behalf of his people. Christ is our
hope. He is our wisdom and our righteousness and our sanctification
and our redemption. We don't trust a plan. People
talk about God's plan of salvation. Nowhere in God's word are we
exhorted to trust in a plan. Oh no, we trust in a person.
We don't merely give mental assent, agreement. and call it faith
to certain facts about the Son of God, but we trust the Son
of God Himself. We embrace Him, we receive Him. John chapter 1 verse 12, but
to as many as what? Accepted a plan, agreed with
a plan? No. As many as received Him,
Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. As many as received Him, embraced
Him, came to Him, believed on Him, trusted Him. To them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed
on his name." Did you notice there in 1 Timothy 1 and 1, those
two words, which is, are in italics? That means they weren't in the
original. They were added by the translators
to make it read more smoothly. But I think it would be better
if we would read it without those two words. Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior, And Lord Jesus
Christ, our hope. Jesus Christ, our hope. Nothing
else between. Paul, someone said, wouldn't
even allow a preposition to come between Christ and himself. Nothing between. Nothing between,
one hymn writer wrote. Nothing between my God and my
Savior. So that his blessed face may
be seen. Nothing preventing the least
of his favor. Keep the way clear. Let nothing
be clean. You remember when Peter and James
and John were upon the Mount of Transfiguration? They saw
the Lord talking to Moses and Elijah. Then afterwards, Peter
was caught off guard. He was caught sleeping. And he
woke up and didn't know what to say. He saw that glorious
vision before him. Then he said, Lord, it's a good
thing that we were here. It's good for us that we were
here. We need to do something. Peter said, we've got to do something. He didn't know what to say. I
think one of the gospel narratives tell us that Peter didn't realize
what he was saying. But let's build three tabernacles,
one for you, and one for Elijah, and one for Moses. And then God
spoke and said, no, no, no, no. He said, this is my beloved son,
hear ye him. Nothing comes equal to him. Nothing
rivals him. God only said concerning his
son, I'm well pleased in him. He never said that about anyone
else. Here's our first thought. If
Jesus Christ is our hope. If Jesus Christ is our hope. Oh, brethren, when I say those
words, I think, oh, if Jesus Christ is our hope, we are a
blessed people. We are a blessed people indeed.
Peter, you're blessed because my heavenly father is gonna make
you wealthy and make you healthy. No, no, no, that's the popular
gospel of the day, but that's not what God said. Our Lord said
concerning Peter's faith in him, my father's done something for
you, Peter. He's revealed to you who I am. Peter, you would
have never known that. You didn't come to that because
you were smarter or wiser. No, no, no. My Father's done
this for you. He's given you faith. He's revealed
to you who I am. You're a blessed man, Peter.
Be happy. Be happy. You're a blessed man. Here's
our first thought. If Jesus Christ is our hope,
then it's a good hope. It's a good hope. It doesn't
get any better. Look, if you will, in 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. You may know now where I'm going. where we read those words about
a good hope. And of course, it's Jesus Christ alone. Notice it
says Christ is our hope, one hope, one hope. Second Thessalonians
chapter two, against the dark background of Paul's epistle
that he's believers at Thessalonica concerning the Surn of Perdition,
concerning People believing a lie. Universal, it seems sometimes
we're tempted to think that the whole world, the whole world
is deceived. And those outside of Christ,
of course, are. But against that dark background,
oh, I can just imagine as these believers sat around and this
epistle was read to them, this letter of Paul was read to them. Oh, they must have shouted, thank
God for his grace. Thank God for the Lord Jesus
Christ. Against that dark background,
and brother, You and I can say the same thing. Against this
dark religious generation in which we live when most of our
loved ones are deceived by the gospel of man's will instead
of God's grace, we are bound to give thanks to God. Are we
not bound? Paul one time, or rather, the
psalmist one time, what shall I render unto God for all of
his benefits toward many? We are bound to give thanks.
We're obligated to. Always to God. It's a debt that
we can never pay. Bound to give God. Give thanks
to God all the way for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God, because God didn't leave you to yourself, because God
didn't pass you by, but God had from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and the belief
of the truth, whereunto He chose you. But that's not all. He chose
you to salvation, but election itself is not salvation. It's
an election to salvation. I still must be called. I still
must be given faith. I still must be given the gift
of life. Therefore, whereunto he called you by our gospel to
the obtaining. Oh, now I know that I'm elect.
I know that I'm elect to the obtaining of the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast.
Don't be moved away. Don't falter. Don't waver. Stand
fast. and hold the traditions which
you have been taught, whether by word or by vessel. Now our
Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, which hath
loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and what good hope,
how, how, what hope can a sinner have of standing before God Almighty,
that just and holy God, that God that demands perfection,
that God that will accept nothing less than perfection, What hope
can a sinner ever have of standing before such a God as that? There's
only one way. There's only one way. Has given
us good hope through what? My works? Oh no, good hope through
grace. Through grace. Unmerited favor. Free grace. Reigning grace. Abounding grace. Only the grace
of God gives us a good hope. Therefore, Paul goes on and writes,
comfort your hearts. Oh, that is full of comfort,
isn't it? And establish you in every good word and work. There's only one thing that can
give a sinner a good hope before God. Grace. Grace. Nothing else ever has. Works
can't do it. Aren't you thankful? I think
of this often, especially at the end of the day. I look back
over the day and I see the sins I committed, the sins of thought
and word and deed, and I think, oh, I'm so thankful. I am so
glad that my acceptance, my foundation of standing before a holy God
is not based upon my words, because I'd have no hope whatsoever.
No, that wouldn't be a good hope at all, would it? This is what
we read in Romans chapter 4. Works can never do this. Nothing
else ever can except God's grace. Romans 4 and 4. Now to him that
worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt. If I've
earned God's favor, if by my works I've earned the righteousness
that God Almighty accept, then it's not a matter of grace. It's
a matter of my works. It's a debt. God owes me. But
that's not the case. But of him that worketh not.
Now the self-righteous man says, oh, I don't want to hear that.
You're destroying my foundation. Oh, I love it, though, don't
you? But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that
justifieth ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness,
even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man. Who's
the blessed man? That one to whom the Lord imputeth
righteousness without words, saying, blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven. Ooh, that is a blessed man. His
sins are gone. Ooh, sins are covered. Blessed
is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. No, he's already
charged my sin to his son. Would God in justice turn around
and charge me with those same sins? Did Jesus not carry them
away? Did Jesus not purge them in his
own body on the tree? Surely God is not so unjust.
to turn and charge me for the very same sins that were borne
by my Savior on the cross when he died as my glorious substitute. Oh no, God's not unjust. God
wouldn't do such a thing as that. What a joy to lie down tonight
and to know that my acceptance before the Holy Lord God is not
based on my outworks. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't
sleep. I toss and turn all night long,
but that robe of righteousness in which sinners will stand clothed
will not be of their own making. But the Father Himself provided
this robe in the person of His Son, and it's God Himself that
will accept that which He provides. Dressed in His righteousness
alone, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ That makes
me faultless. That makes me faultless to stand
before the throne. That makes me without sin in
the very presence of an all-knowing God. In Him, in Christ, there
is no sin. And as Christ is, so are we,
John wrote, in this present world. In Galatians 3 and 9, so then,
they which be of faith, they're blessed. They're blessed. Those
who believe, oh, they still suffer, they still cry, they still hurt,
just as other men, and in ways that other men, an unbeliever,
knows nothing of, like that battle that Paul described in Romans
7. Oh, but they're blessed. They're blessed because they're
blessed with faithful Abraham. They believe on the Son of God.
It is only by grace, a merited favor, that a sinner has a good,
hopeless salvation now and a glory hereafter. A good hope through
grace is the only hope a believer has, but it's a good hope. It's
a good hope. And having that, he has enough. He has enough because the object
of real faith is a real Savior. Behold the Lamb of God, John
said. Behold Him, see Him, and that's
enough. And having that, having Christ,
that sinner lacks nothing. Do we not read in scripture that
Jesus Christ is all? Are we not taught that we are
one with Christ? Therefore, we must be complete
in Him. Why wouldn't we be? If Christ
is all, if all the fullness of the Godhead resides in Christ,
and I'm in Him, I lack nothing. If I do, is there some deficiency
in Christ? Is there something in him that
I must make up by my own good works? Oh, no. Being in Jesus
Christ, I like nothing. That young ruler came to Christ.
What must I do to inherit eternal life? He had his sleeves rolled
up. He was ready to go to work. That's what we all feel by nature,
don't we? There must be something that
I must do. There must be some work that I must perform. Surely
God won't accept me if I don't do something. I've got to earn
this. And our Lord told him, and he
said, Oh, I've done all this. That's not been a problem. What
did the Lord Jesus Christ say? You lack one thing. The one thing. That one thing needful that he
told Martha. The one thing. And that was Jesus
Christ himself. But having the Son of God, having
the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we don't lack anything.
When God gave us Christ, He gave us everything. He gave us the
very best that heaven could give. A child of God can lack nothing
because Jesus Christ himself lacks nothing. He's the one thing
needful to bring us to God. The one thing needful to put
away our sins. The one thing needful to make
us the wisdom and the righteousness and the sanctification and redemption
in him. And who other than Jesus Christ
can do all this for us? Who other than the Son of God
could do this? Listen to this in Jude 24. Now
unto him that is able to keep you from falling. Hello, that's
not a small chore. To keep me from falling? Someone put it this way, if ever
it should come to pass that sheep of Christ should fall away My
fickle, sinful soul at last would fall a thousand times a day. And so it is. Who's able to keep
us from falling? Think about that. Oh, the grace,
the sufficient grace, the reigning grace, the powerful grace that's
necessary to keep me from falling. If that weren't enough, Jude
went on the right unto him that's able to keep you from falling
and to present you faultless. present you faultless? My, so
is that really so? Is that what we're looking forward
to? His grace can present us faultless before the presence
of God? Before the presence of His glory
with exceeding joy? Oh yes. In Revelation John saw
that multitude that none can number and said they are without
fault. Without fault. Where? Before the throne of God. To
the only wise God our Father, there's the answer. who's able
to keep us from falling and present us faultless to the only wise
God our Savior. Be glory and majesty, dominion
and power, both now and forever. Amen. If Jesus Christ is our
hope, then it's a blessed hope, isn't it? That's what he told
Peter. Peter, you're a blessed man.
Look if you will in Titus chapter 2. If Jesus Christ is our hope,
then it's a blessed hope. It's not only a good hope, it's
a blessed hope. Titus 2 in verse 11. For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation, nothing else will. We just sang
it, not the labors of my hands, oh no. But the grace of God that
bringeth salvation, doesn't offer salvation, but brings salvation,
hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lust, we should live soberly and righteously and godly
in this present world. While we do, looking for, looking
for, looking out the window, as old Donny Bell said, just
keep looking out the window. What are we looking for? That
blessed hope. That blessed hope. Oh, what a hope to see Him. Looking for that blessed hope
in the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior,
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar peeper,
zealous of good works. What better hope could there
be than the blessed hope of seeing Jesus Christ in his glorious
appearing, when he comes back to take all of his redeemed ones
to be with him forever. Those he redeemed he called,
those he calls he keeps, those he preserves unto glory, to be
with him forever. After all, isn't this what we're
looking for? Isn't this what we're longing
for? To be with Christ. To be with Christ. To be with
Him forever. 1 Thessalonians 4, listen to
this. Verse 13. But I would not have
you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,
those who have died. Don't sorrow for them like you
would others who died without hope. They died without Christ,
therefore they died without God, and died without hope. But if
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. They're with
him now. That's why he'll bring them with
him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent, go before them which are asleep. For the Lord himself,
there's that glory of glory. There's the heaven of heaven.
For the Lord himself shall be sent from heaven with a shout,
and glorious majesty, with the voice of the archangel, and with
the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds that meet
the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, Paul says, comfort
one another with these words. The Lord himself shall descend
from heaven, not an angel, not a proxy, not anyone but that
one who loved us and gave himself for us. That one who by himself
purged our sin. The Lord himself shall descend.
That one who trod the winepress alone. That one who obtained
eternal redemption for us. that one who was made sin for
us, that we might be made the very righteousness of God in
him. The only one that could do that, the Lord himself shall
descend. That's what he told his broken-hearted
disciples. In John 13, that night, right
after Judas went out to be trained, he said, I'm going away. I'm
going away. Where are you going, Peter? He
said, I'll go with you. I want to go with you. He said,
Peter, not now. Not now. You can't follow me now, but
you will hereafter. You will after this. Oh, that's
true of all His sheep. You can't follow me now, but
you will follow me when the time comes. When the time comes when
He shall call every one of His beloved to be with Him forever.
Oh, that one who has made sin for us that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him. This same Jesus. This is not
that imposter. Our Lord told his disciples one
time when they asked him, when shall these things be, the destruction
of the temple and so forth, and the signs of your coming in these
last days, when shall these things be? The first thing he said to
them, be careful. Take heed that no man deceive
you. Many shall come in my name, claiming
I'm Christ, and they'll deceive many. Don't believe them. Don't
go after them. So great a deception they should
deceive the very elect if it were possible. Thank God it's
not possible. That's not possible. This same
Jesus, the angels told the disciples, that you see going to heaven
shall so come in like matter. Oh to see him as he is. The very
best that we can do. The highest state in this life
that we can reach always leaves that darkling veil between us. Oh I want to see him. I want
to see him. I want to be like him. One of
pleasing. Oh, but there's always that veil
in between my soul and my Savior. John, in 1 John chapter 3, he
wrote, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us. Think about this. That we should be called sons
of God. Therefore, the world knoweth
us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God. Right now. I don't feel like
it. Well, that's all right. We're still the sons of God,
it's not based upon our feelings. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, that's for sure. But we know that when He shall
appear, Jesus Christ our hope, when He shall appear, we shall
be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Oh, face to face
with Christ my Savior. Face to face, what will it be? When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me. Only faintly now I see him with
the darkling veil between, O, but a blessed day is coming when
his glory shall be seen. Face to face, O blissful moment. Imagine that. Face to face, O
blissful moment. Face to face to see and know.
Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who loves me so. If Jesus Christ is our hope,
then it is the hope laid up for us in heaven. That's the third
thing. Look, if you will, in Galatians
chapter 1. If Jesus Christ is our hope, then it is the hope
laid up for us in heaven. Peter said, reserved in heaven
for us, where moth doesn't break in, or rather, thieves can't
break in and steal. Galatians 1 and 3. We give thanks
to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always
for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. and the
love which he hath to all the saints, for the hope which is
laid up for you in heaven." The hope laid up in heaven. Oh, if
that's so, it must be secure. It must be safe. It can't be
lost. It's laid up for us in heaven,
whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.
Our Lord said, where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also. The hope laid up for us is the
very thing hoped for. We have this good hope through
grace and it's also that blessed hope of seeing our Redeemer face
to face. Face to face. Paul tells us this
hope is waiting for our arrival in heaven. Jesus Christ entered
there as our forerunner. He went before us. He has already taken possession
there as our representative. Right now he appears in the presence
of God for us. Christ the first fruit, Christ
the first fruits is the pledge of the full harvest. He's the
first born already and the many brethren will be there with him.
Listen to the prayer of our great high priest in John 17 verse
24. I love this verse of scripture.
Here's our Lord among the things He says to his father concerning
this, his last will and testament was this, I will also, I will
that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I
am, be with me, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast
given me, where thou lovest me before the foundation of the
world. Those you gave me, gave me to redeem, to call, to seek
and to save, to keep, there's more, those same ones Christ
wants with Him in glory, that they may behold my glory. Oh, hereafter the saints in their
own persons, with their own eyes, shall see Christ as He is, and
appear in glory with Him, which sight of His glory will be near
and not at a distance, rejoicing and satisfying them forever.
Remember what Job said? Even in the midst of his trials
and difficulty and heartache, he said, I know that my Redeemer
liveth. I don't know the reason for all
this. His so-called friends tried to figure it out, but they were
dead wrong. Job said, you're miserable comforters.
You're not helping me at all. Job wasn't privy to what went
on between Satan and God. He didn't know the reason for
this, but he knew something better. He knew that nothing he was passing
through affected this, changed this. I know that my Redeemer
liveth, and he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself. And mine eyes
shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within
me. Jesus Christ our hope, a good
hope, a blessed hope, a hope laid up in heaven, Jesus Christ,
our hope. The person who has a good hope
finds all his expectations of pardon and salvation on the redeeming
work of Jesus Christ. What other hope would there be?
The Son of God. He knows his own sinfulness.
He feels that he's guilty, wicked, and lost by nature, but, oh,
glorious but, he sees forgiveness and peace with God given freely
to him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He cast himself
with all of his sins into the arms of Jesus. And rest on him,
Jesus and his atonement on the cross, Jesus and his perfect
righteousness, Jesus Christ and his finished work, Jesus and
his all-prevailing intercession. Jesus only is the foundation
of the confidence of his soul. Christ himself is the only true
foundation of a good hope. He's the rock. His work is perfect. He is the stone, the sure stone,
the tried cornerstone. He's able to bear all the weight
that we can put upon Him. He can bear it. He can bear it.
He only that builds and believes on Him shall not be confounded. Shall never be put to confusion.
Finally, if you have a good hope, child of God, be thankful for
it. Be thankful for it. Who has made
you to differ from this world that's perishing all around us.
Why have you been taught to feel your sins, your nothingness,
while others are ignorant and self-righteous? Why have you
been taught to look to Jesus while others are looking up to
their own goodness or resting on some mere form of religion?
Why are you longing and striving to be like Christ while others
are satisfied to find what they want in this world? Why are all
these things so? And there's only one answer,
grace. Grace made me to differ. Grace taught me to pray. Grace
made my eyes overflow. It's God's grace, free grace,
that's kept me to this day and will not, will not, will never,
oh thank you God, will never let me go. For that grace, praise
God, for that grace be thankful. Go then to your journeys in rejoicing
in the hope of the glory of God. Go on rejoicing in the thought
that though you are a poor sinner, Jesus is a most gracious savior
and that though you had trials here for a little season heaven
shall make amends for it all. Oh heaven will make it worth
it all. Go on, Peter said, go on and hope to the end for the
grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Yet a little time and faith shall
be changed to sight. and hope to certainty, and ye
shall see him as he is, and be like him. A few more passing
conflicts, battles, a few more days of tears, of suffering,
of crosses and cares, then we shall be at home. And Jesus will
welcome us there. In my Father's house are many
mansions. I'm going there to prepare a place for you. They're
not going to stay empty. If I prepare a place for you,
it's because I'm coming back for you to bring you there, that
where I am there you may be also. The harbor lights are already
in view, are they not, by faith? The haven of rest is not far
off. There we shall find all that we have hoped for and find
that it was a million times better than what we ever thought or
imagined or could hope for. Listen to these words in Colossians
3 and 1. If ye then be risen with Christ,
Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affections on things
above and not on things of the earth. For you're dead, and your
life is here with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him, with Him, our
hope, Christ our hope. We shall appear with Him in glory. Father, whatever of earthly bliss,
your sovereign will denies. Accepted at the throne of grace,
let this petition rise. Give me a calm and thankful heart
from every murmur free, the blessings of your grace impart and make
me live to thee. Let the sweet hope that you are
mine, my life and death attend. Your presence through my journey
shine and crown my journeys end. Again, Peter asks or says, be
ready always to give a reason to everyone that asketh you,
the reason of the hope that is in you. Jesus Christ, our hope. Nothing else, nothing better. He's a good hope, a blessed hope,
a glorious hope. God bless you. Thank you for
your time.