7-5-2026 The mysteries of hope

Q: What does the Bible say about reconciliation in Christ?

The Bible teaches that reconciliation is accomplished through Christ, who presents believers as unblameable and holy before God. Reconciliation is a central theme in the Scriptures, particularly highlighted in 2 Corinthians 5, where Paul emphasizes that we are ministers of reconciliation. This means that Christ has taken upon Himself the sins of the elect, ensuring that none are charged with their trespasses. Ephesians 1:4-5 further clarifies this by stating that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, allowing us to be presented as holy and without blame before Him. In essence, our reconciliation is secured by Christ's atoning sacrifice, where He becomes our substitution, and this gives believers a profound assurance of their standing before God.

Q: How do we know that hope in Christ is true?

Hope in Christ is assured by His resurrection and the promises of God found in Scripture. The truth of our hope in Christ is firmly rooted in the historicity of His resurrection and the faithfulness of God's promises throughout Scripture. Romans 8:38-39 affirms that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This assurance provides believers with a strong foundation for their hope. Additionally, Hebrews 6:19 presents hope as an anchor for the soul, highlighting its stability and security found in the character of God. Our hope is not a mere wish; it is based on the accomplished work of Christ and the assurance of His continued intercession for us. This hope is uniquely Christian because it is based on evidence and the revealed truths in Scripture.

Q: Why is the concept of election important for Christians?

Election assures believers of their security and identity in Christ, emphasizing God's sovereignty in salvation. The doctrine of election is pivotal for understanding the nature of salvation and God's sovereignty. Ephesians 1:4 states that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, indicating that salvation originates from God's will and purpose rather than human effort. This truth provides profound assurance to believers that their relationship with God is founded upon His unchanging love and grace. Understanding election leads to a greater appreciation of grace; it acknowledges that our salvation is not based on any merit of our own but entirely on God's sovereign choice. Consequently, believers are encouraged to live in light of this truth, expressing gratitude for their unmerited favor and sharing the message of hope with others.

Q: What does Biblical hope mean?

Biblical hope is a confident expectation grounded in the assurances provided by God, rather than a mere wish. Biblical hope differs significantly from common notions of hope, which are often rooted in uncertainty or desire. True hope, as outlined in Scriptures like 1 Peter 3:15, is a confident assurance based on the faithful character of God and the completed work of Christ. This hope is anchored in the promises of God, providing believers with a strong expectation of future glory and redemption. Hope is intertwined with faith, as it trusts in God's plan and provision. It is not elusive; rather, it is an assured confidence that believers can cling to amidst life's tribulations, knowing their future is secure in Christ. Therefore, to have biblical hope is to actively trust God's promises with full anticipation of their fulfillment.

Brother Darwin Pruitt. Come, brother. Brag on Christ for us. I won't go over how thankful I am again tonight. I'll just say, get up with what David said. This will be the third study in a series of messages on the mysteries of God. Paul said in the Corinthians that a man saw a count of us as ministers of Christ. Does anybody here know what that is? A minister of Christ? In 2 Corinthians 5, he tells us that we're ministers of reconciliation. And then he tells us what it is, to wit.

Isn't that what that says? their trespasses unto them. Why not? They committed them. Why doesn't he charge them with their sins? They're their sins. He hasn't compromised his justice, and he's not going to. Why won't he charge them with their sins? They committed them. that God will not charge any sin against him. Because God has appointed his son the substitute for chosen sinners, anyway. Every sin you committed, he charged to his son. He charged to his son. He chose us, he says in Christ, back in Ephesians 1, 4, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy.

Boy, I used that word every way it can be used, and misunderstood it when I was in religion. I thought holy was how you dressed, and how you talked, and how you combed your hair. You might put a W on the beginning of that word, holy, because what holiness is, is the whole character of God. Amen. So before you look yourself in the mirror and admire how holy you are, you need to think about what holy is. He told us in Christ that we should be holy, and holy we are in Him.

What else without blame? Boy, go look at yourself in the mirror and try to say that. No sin appears on the books of God under the name of God's elect. You can read it over in the book of Revelation. No sin. to be without blame, and before Him in love. And that's not talking about God looking at you and seeing how much you love Him.

He's talking about just like I sit in the chair, and no matter what my grandkids do, I just look at them and fall. Little old tykes running around playing in the water. No wonder sometimes that they called them angels, little angels. Because you love them.

God looks on chosen sinners with pure, unaltered love. How come? Because his love is sealed in election. It's sealed in the person of Christ. He chose us In Him that we might be hope. In Him that we might be without blame. In Him that we might be before Him in love. Sealed in Christ.

Romans 8, 38, it says neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature. shall be able to separate you, or us, from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing. I want to separate myself when I say something or do something, but there's nothing there can separate you from that love if you're a believer in Christ.

Ministers of Christ, ministers of reconciliation, what's the reason agree with him 100%. Then what's this reconciliation that we preach? Why do we preach? Well, I'm in hopes to reconcile you to his reconciliation. That's why I'm preaching. There is no other reconciliation that isn't accomplished. But men don't know it, and men are opposed to it, and they need to be reconciled. And that's why we preach. Well, a man saw Calvus as ministers of Christ, and then listened to this, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 1 Corinthians 12. Mysteries of God. I preached an introductory message on this at home, and then last week, the 1st, several individual messages that I hope to preach on these. In the scripture, these mysteries are listed separately.

I'll give you just a few of them. He talks about marriage, and then he says, this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ in the church. So there's a mystery about marriage, isn't there? Sure there is. What about this one? Great is the mystery of godliness. You mean godliness is a mystery? Oh yeah. And then he talks about the mystery of Christ. Christ is a mystery. Anybody that's had anything to do with false religion ought to know that. It's a mystery. I didn't know about anything to do with Christ. I didn't know it. We just used the name. I never did understand it.

And the word ministry, according to the concordance, means beyond the range of unassisted natural comprehension. What's that mean? That means you can't understand it unless God reveals it to you. That's what that means. made a steward of these mysteries. How come? Because that's how God does things.

And I've learned that over the years. He does things His way. Boy, Solomon was a wise man, wasn't he? He was head and shoulders above other men. God said he was. Gave him that wisdom. And Solomon said there's a way that seemeth right. He wasn't talking about some over in Africa, he talked about, he said, there's a way that seemeth right unto a man, and the end thereof is destruction.

That's to be revealed. And these mysteries, all of these mysteries, are the fundamental truths of the gospel of Christ. In Colossians chapter one, that's going to be my text, This morning, Colossians chapter 1, in verses 21 and 22, he tells us what reconciliation is. We're reconciled in the body of his flesh through death. And he presents us unblemishable, unapprovable.

Wow, what a word. No room for improvement. My first wife and I went to Washington, D.C., and we went to that big art gallery, you know, and we were in this place looking at these big paintings. And there was this huge man, and he was like this, and he was standing over by the wall. We were sitting looking at one of these paintings, and they were absolutely gorgeous paintings. And Kathy said, what's he doing over there?

And I said, when you take those watercolors out of your purse and go there to touch it, that's why he's over there, because you're not going to touch up that painting. And we're not going to touch up the perfection of Christ. He's not going to allow that. And he presents us unapproved. No room for improvement. And then he warns us not to depart from the faith nor be moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you heard preached.

And every other believer who believes heard preached, whereupon said, I'm a minister. I'm a minister. And he said, I rejoice in my suffering. for you, and fill up that which is behind the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church."

It costs something for a man to be a steward of these mysteries. It has a cost to it. It's not a hindrance for me. And he never went on up to be a prisoner of Rome. He always rejoiced that he was a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ. In one place he even said, the Lord put me here in this prison and opened the door to the palace and I preached to the king. That's why I'm a prisoner. And that's what he's talking about here.

It costs something. It costs your relationship with your family. It costs a relationship with your friends. There's only one way to tell men the truth, and that's to tell men the truth. Amen. And it costs. And he said down in verse 25, whereof I may administer according to the disposition to fulfill the Word of God. Well, I don't have to hear a preacher. God said you do. He said you do. Take it up with the boss. Take it up with him. Take it up with the Lord.

And this book teaches that the sovereign God has ordained a man to steward these mysteries for each of his elect. I don't mean by that that there's one man for one man. I mean that you understand what I'm saying. He appoints a steward for all his people. All his people. And then he said this ministry, this stewardship, is for you and also to fulfill the word of God.

Now pay attention when I read this verse. Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but is now made manifest to who? The saints. Who are they? That's those folks who are sanctified once for all by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10.10. Sanctified. Among the Gentiles, pagan idolaters, heathen rebels, men and women just swallowed up by the world. That's where God found me. Pagan. So what is the mystery? Christ in you. The hope of glory.

So here it is, very next verse, that we may warn every man and teach every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Jesus Christ. That's why we do it. That's why we do it. I learned a new word yesterday in the preaching of the gospel David taught me, period. Period. God requires perfection, period.

The message of hope is a mystery, he said, hidden from the world, hidden from the wise and prudent, for which Christ offered thanks and revealed unto babes. Newborn babes, Peter said. Born again, that gospel seed, these newborn babes. What did he tell them to do?

Desire the sincere milk of the word. Back in religion, they talked about men coming down and they call that milk. That's not milk. Predestination is milk. Election is milk. Substitution is milk. God's sovereignty is milk. They desire the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby. Peter remembered the Lord's exhortation to them, didn't he? He said, if you love me, feed my land. Well, we going to pay them, the sincere men of the Word. You know how Peter started off his very first epistle? Election. Elect. Isn't that what he said? Oh, don't use that word. You'll confuse everybody. You don't need to worry about it. They're already confused. You could confuse them if you wanted to. What are you going to feed them?

The revelation of the mystery. All right, so how is hope? That's where we're going tonight. This message is about the mystery of hope. So how is hope a mystery? Well, it's a mystery by definition, really. That's right. You start talking to men, they don't even know what hope means.

Hope in this world is just a desire. I got a ball game tomorrow. Hope it don't rain. I hope this cake comes out. Hope I didn't leave something out. That's not hope. That's not biblical hope, let me say that. We're having a Bible conference. I hope somebody shows up. or less a wish. The Bible dictionary I read said that hope is the optimistic state of mind based on expectation of a positive outcome. And this biblical hope combines desire for an end with a strong assurance on good evidence that you might have it. a reasonable expectation as hope.

First Peter 3.15, the apostle says, sacrifice the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always, always to give an answer to every man that asks you for a reason of the hope that's in you and do it with meekness and fear.

Do you hope in life after death? Do you hope in a future resurrection they're going to lay that body down in a box and bury it six feet underground, or they're going to put you in a little furnace and bring ashes back handy to you? Do you believe in a future resurrection? Is that your hope, that someday God's going to raise that vile body?

He's going to raise it, and he's going to give you a new body like unto his. Job had that. He said, I know I'm going to stand on this earth with the Lord in this body. Do you hope that God put away all your sins and justifies you? Boy, I hope someday I'm justified. Well, if you're not justified now, you're not going to be justified then. Justification is an accomplished work. It's finished. If his elect weren't justified, there's no way Christ was coming out of that temple. He was delivered by our offenses and raised again for what?

Our justification. You hope when you close those eyes for the last time that you'll open them again shortly in the presence of Christ? Why? You see what I'm saying? Hope has a reason. Hope has a reason. It begins with a reason. So what's your reason for expecting all these things?

You'd be ready to give a reason to any man that asks. If I ask you, what are you going to say? Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to say. Christ alone. That's my reason. That's my reason. Christ alone. The second thing that makes hope a mystery is the need of it. I can't find a needy sinner. I was an artist, so I can't find one. It's the hardest thing in the world to find a needy sinner. Can't find one.

Pharisees looked at our Lord, and he was seated down there with a bunch of tax collectors. Boy, you talking about somebody hate somebody. It don't matter what age you are. And he's looking down at these tax collectors, these publicans, and sinners, vile sinners. And they said, why have you and I been eating with publicans and sinners? And the Lord got wind of it. He heard what they said. And here's what he said to them. He said, the whole need not a physician. We got the revelation of the mystery, the greatest mystery the princes of this world have not. They sought it and didn't know it. And Paul said if they'd known it, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of Glory.

But nobody's interested. Why? Why? I've invited two people since I've been here, and they both told me, no, flat out, no. Why? They don't have a need. I'll tell you when you'll come and listen when you have a need. Read the Bible. Who went out to hear Christ out in the wilderness? Huh? People with a need. They were lepers. They were dying. Lord, if you will. Huh? Gotta have a need. That's the mysterious part about this thing, hope. Nobody wants it because they don't have a need.

And he said, you go learn what this means. I'll have mercy and not pacify you. I'm not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Christ came into the world to save sinners. You know you have a need of Christ. Most lost men take faith and repentance are optional. And what really matters is how you live. I've always tried to do the right thing. That's my hope, he said.

I said, well, that's not mine. And the problem with that is that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. They miss tomorrow. And this too, they're not righteous. Oh, I'm going to trust in my righteousness. You better not, because there's none righteous. I'll try to be as good as I can. That's not going to work either. There's none good, none awful.

When I get ready, I'll seek the Lord. No, there's none that seeketh after Him. If hope was not a necessity, why would the father subject his son to such suffering and humility? Huh? There has to be a great need of it. Hope is a mystery by definition. Hope is a mystery in the need of it. And then thirdly, hope is a mystery in its dispensing. Where you going to go and get hope?

About in a year's time, where you going to go? When I get ready, I'll go down there. No, you won't. There ain't no hope down there. Where you going to go? Verse 25 of my text in Colossians 1, Paul that God give him for them, not only to fulfill the word of God, but also to reveal the mystery hidden from ages and generations. Well, I don't have to hear a preacher. No, you can go to hell. That's the other choice. You're going to hear it. How can you hear, he said, without a preacher? Why would he do that? because he's sovereign and he's going to demonstrate his sovereignty and how he saves sinners. That's right.

Amen. And they're going to publicly bow, they're going to publicly be baptized. I wish I could put our baptistry, I wish I could put it right out in the front yard and build a glass room around it so it would be public. We turn baptism into a pride And I'm not trying to be cruel or judgmental or unreasonable. But you're not going to hear without preaching. And I have to sell.

To borrow that phrase again, period. Read the thing. and then turn loose to do whatever they want to do, they keep right on ministering until the congregation comes in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man. That's what it takes to save you, that perfect man.

They prepare a gospel table and feed hungry sinners. Then you don't need a gospel cook. Boy, if you're hungry for the gospel. My mom served, called all the family here on Sunday afternoon. She'd fix a chicken dinner. She did it every Sunday. You'd think you'd get tired of it after a while. No. No, you could smell that fresh biscuits in there, bacon, and that chicken cooking in that skillet. It'd fill the house full of aroma. We were ready to eat when it was time. But if you don't have a gospel appetite, you don't need a preacher. But if you do, you have to have one. And I'm telling you this, all men had not faith. That's what makes hope such a mystery to them.

It's how God dispenses it. Presence of man and I love this old Mephibosheth. You remember Mephibosheth? He was a son of Saul. Ruined by the fall down, he crippled. They're killing all of Saul's relatives. They're gonna get rid of David's king. But he made a covenant with Jonathan. Jonathan said he brought over a fidget ship and he felt he was a cripple, he can't do anything, can't even wash himself. And David serviced, washed over the fidget ship down, cleaned him up, put the royal robe on him, picked him up, carried him into the king's table. And here's what he said, he looked at Ozaiba and he said, Ozaiba, you're gonna kill the ground. You're gonna be a servant to my fidget ship. And while you're out there chillin' in the ground, my baby chef's gonna set at my table forever.

Isn't that something? We're talking about how it's dispensed. That's how it's dispensed. God in his providence, he'll work it out. He's gonna bring you in where the table's set, put the robe on you. And here's what you're going to say. You better find it. He said, Ollie said, he said, who am I that you should look on such a dead dog as I am? Let alone sit me here at a table and give me service. But I'm sitting here at the king's table.

What about this verse over in 1 John 2, 19? The apostle said, they went out from us. Who's he talking about? He's talking about the apostles, the preachers, pastors of those little local churches. He said, they went out from us. From what? From the preaching of the gospel. But they weren't us. of us, they no doubt would have continued with us. Can you imagine a 50-chef calling for a servant to get him out of the table?

I don't want to eat tonight. Election, I don't want to hear that if you want. I'll go back to my room and you all eat whatever you want to. The pool's so low that even the honeycomb don't eat. Boy, that hungry's so low, that woman's appetite, he'll eat. And he does it as an acting pastor or sometimes evangelist. And I'm telling you from experience that that's what it is. Men who are hungry will eat. You know what the object of hope is? God. God. Christ died, it says, the just for the unjust to bring us to God. That's where the hope is.

Peter said he's forewarned, aimless, for the foundation of the world, but manifest in these last times for you who that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. And then Paul paints a beautiful word picture over in Hebrews chapter 6 of a man fleeing to the city of refuge. The avenger of blood right on his tail and he's running and he goes in to the city of refuge to lay hold on a hope set before him. That's what he's telling us.

And then, biblically, hope's a mystery as to the preeminence of Christ. Christ is preeminent in gospel hope. You don't have Christ, you don't have hope, period. Christ in you, that's what the text says, the hope, the hope of glory. And yesterday and whatever days I have left is to point you to a perfect Savior. That's what we're trying to do, point you to Christ.

Quit looking in here and start looking up there. He's not here anymore. He rose from the dead. God approved his resurrection, left him here for over a month. Seen him over 500 brethren in one night. And then the apostles themselves, the very foundation of our faith in the New Testament, the apostles themselves watched him step onto a cloud and ascend into glory. And they probably still could stand there looking up if the angel hadn't told them to.

What are you looking for? He's coming back. This same one you see leaving is going to come in like manner. Only this time, he's coming in all the glory of his Father's house. My preaching of the Spirit for you is to accompany these words is to give you knowledge of the Son of God and leave you hoping in a perfect man and be brought to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Now, I'm going to tell you something, and it's going to make somebody mad, but I don't care. Get mad. It might be the best thing that ever happened to you. Get mad.

Talking and talking and talking about being born again and receiving a new nature and this old flesh is just constantly improving and you're such a better man. That's not salvation. What's born in you is Christ. Well, how does that reflect me being born? Because you're in union with him. That's why. And that hope is born in you. That's the new man. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Isn't that what he said?

Oh, wretched man that I am. Who's going to deliver me from the body of this flesh? Because there's a fixed principle in there. And when I would do good, evil, present, I can't do what I want to do. So with the mind, what mind? The mind of Christ, I serve the law of God. Huh?

How do I serve it? Exalted and honored in Christ, you can't exalt them all any higher than you give them Christ. As you receive Christ Jesus the Lord, how do you do that? As your righteousness, as your Lord, as your substitute, as your wisdom, sanctification, so walk ye in him.

Isn't that what it says? That's a natural right there. I don't know where this new Now you call it nature or whatever you want to call it. Well, why then are people so different? I'll tell you why. He shines the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and you see him. What is there about the person of Christ that would drive you away? Nothing. He's altogether low. Or what is there about him that would make you think you need something else? What is there about him that would cause you to doubt anything? He did it all. I don't know. I don't know where they're going with these things. They leave me behind when they talk about that.

My hope is Christ, period. And Christ is in me. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. Exactly. If he's in Christ. If he's in Christ, old things passed away. All my old limitations are gone because I'm in union with him. All things have become new for the same reason. I'm in union with him. Oh, you mean I can enter in now? Yes, you can. Old things pass you by. Well, I quit drinking. That's what he was talking about. No, that ain't what he was talking about. Poor old guy was out mowing the grass down in Boogie Abbey years ago. He was an old man, and he was sweating and tired.

And I brought him a glass of water and started talking to him and asked him if he was a believer. He said, well, he said, I haven't always done the right thing. But he said, one thing I can tell you, alcohol has never touched these lips. I said, maybe you ought to go home and get a branch. Might help you.

But that's not righteousness and that's not salvation. Salvation is Christ. Christ in you. Isn't that what that says? The hope. The hope of glory. Point men to a perfect savior. All my hope rests in Christ, Christ alone. All right, let me give you this and I'll wrap this up. What let's hope a mystery is how it works within. Turn with me to Romans chapter 5. I want you to see this because this Holy Spirit work his men to give them hope. How did he do this?

Now here's how he starts in verse 1, Romans chapter 5 verse 1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also. Why would a man rejoice when he's in trouble? Knowing that tribulations work with patience, and patience, experience, and experience I'm just a little fella, probably no more than seven or eight.

Went out and got on a school bus, and one of my buddies was there, and he come running up there where I was, and he pulled me over there, and he said, hey, he said, we're rich. I said, what do you mean we're rich? He had a little paper sack, and he opened it up, and it's full of money, paper money. He showed it to me. He said, we're rich. And I said, where'd you find that? And he said, well, I found it here on the bus. He said, where were you?

So after school, we went down to the local store down there, and we spent. We divided the money up, and we spent it. I bought a cowboy suit. I had a six-gun. Boy, I looked like Roy Roberts when I got on. I was decked out. And I walked in the door, and my mom said, where in the world did you get all that stuff? gave to me for my birthday. He said, your birthday ain't till December. Where'd you get that stuff? Well, I got it at the Western Auto. Well, how did you pay for it? Well, I found this money. He said, where'd you find it? I said, on the school bus. He said, come on. Went up to the school. Come on. Found out that just a year later he'd raised money to buy uniforms and had lost her and her parents. And I still don't know to this day if they had it made up, but I don't believe they did.

And now you imagine, I'm eight years old, and I'm in this house, and this big burly man comes out. I mean, he was huge. My dad was a big man, but this man towered over him. He come out, boy, he just went to read me a riot act. I got a good notion to take you up and let them prosecute you, and you could just lay over there in the gale for a few days. And girl, my little lip was shaking. You know, I was just devastated.

And finally, when my dad saw, or at least thought I had enough, he come up, took his hand, and put me behind him. Whatever he owed you, put it on my bill. I'm responsible for it. Whatever else you have to say, say it to me. That's what this is talking about. We're getting in trouble. And I'll tell you after that, my affection for my dad, it just went off the map. And the same thing applies to us.

God gets us out of trouble, shows us our security in Him. He's responsible. And when that hope That's where that hope's born. And then when the hope's born, it's the love of God. The Holy Ghost sheds abroad the love of God in your heart. That's why he learned.

Time to be in trouble, he learned. And he said, I rejoice. If I get in trouble, I rejoice. I know where this is going. I know where this is going. And we're born in trouble. Well rejoice. Have them believe rejoice. He's always in trouble. That's how you can rejoice.

7-5-2026 The mysteries of hope

What does the Bible say about reconciliation in Christ?

How do we know that hope in Christ is true?

Why is the concept of election important for Christians?

What does Biblical hope mean?

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7-5-2026 The mysteries of hope

What does the Bible say about reconciliation in Christ?

How do we know that hope in Christ is true?

Why is the concept of election important for Christians?

What does Biblical hope mean?

Sermon Transcript

About Darvin Pruitt

Comments

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