And be ready always to give an
answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope, the hope of eternal life. That's
what we're talking about. The hope of salvation that's
in you. There's a hope in you. And you be always ready to give
an answer to every man that asketh you a reason. of the hope that's in you and
do it with meekness, humility, and reverence. Now some people
object to using the word hope in reference to our redemption. I was in the presence of a man
in Nashville, Tennessee one time, and first time I was ever in
his presence and the last time. He was a professing Christian. And he asked a person in our
circle if that person was saved. Are you saved? And the person
replied, I have a good hope. And quickly he answered, the
Lord took all the hope out of it and made it a sure thing. He thought that was real clever.
I hope he didn't take the hope out of it. Christ is our hope. And that's a good word. If you
use that word as an uncertainty, it's not a good word. But if
you use that word in reference to God's mercy and grace in Christ
with an expectation, it's a good word. Somebody said one time,
where there's life, there's hope. Now, where there's God, there's
hope. A sure hope, a good hope, a blessed hope, where God is.
And so there's several references, and I'm going to read a few from
the Scripture. If you'll turn with me, let's
just go through a few passages where this word is used, the
word hope. Hope. In Romans 5, verse 1 and 2, Romans 5 verse 1 and 2, Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory
of God. Because God has justified us
by His grace in Christ, we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We're going to enjoy the glory of God. The glory Christ said
that you've given me, I've given them. We have a good hope, don't
we, for the glory of God because we're justified by His grace.
And then Romans 8, turn over there. The word is used again
here, Romans 8, 22. It says in Romans 8, 22, "...for
we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now. And not only they, but we ourselves
also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit." We groan. We
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting. Waiting for what? for
the adoption. That is, the redemption of this
body, waiting for the resurrection. That's what we're waiting on,
the resurrection and the new body. For, we're saved by hope. We have a hope for the resurrection
because Christ arose, we're going to rise. We're saved by hope,
but hope that is seen is not hope. But what a man seeeth,
why doth he yet hope for? And that same thought is over
here in I Peter 1, if you'll turn over there. I Peter 1, hope
of the resurrection. Waiting for the resurrection
in hope. In I Peter 1, verse 3, listen. I Peter 1, verse 3, "...Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto living hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you. My hope, I rejoice in hope of
the glory of God. I rejoice in the hope of the
resurrection of this body. When this corruption shall put
on incorruption, this mortal put on immortality, Death swallowed
up in victory. That's my hope in Christ. And then Galatians chapter 5,
the word is used again. Our hope. In Galatians 5 verse
4, listen. Paul's been talking here about
standing fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us
free and not going back to the law Getting under the bondage of
the law again, he says in verse 4, Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, you've
fallen from grace. For listen, we through the Spirit
of God, wait. We wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith. For in Jesus Christ, Neither
circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith
which worketh by love." We wait for the hope of the glory of
God, for the resurrection and redemption of this body, and
to be presented righteous, holy, unblameable in His presence,
presented by our Lord Jesus Christ. That's our hope. That's a good
hope. And then, over in Titus, the word is used twice. This good hope, this blessed
hope, Titus chapter 1. Read it with me. Titus chapter
1, verse 1 and 2. Listen. Paul, a servant of God,
and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness,
in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began." Titus 2, up there in the same page,
verse 13. We're looking for that blessed
hope. What is that hope? We're going
to see Him when He comes and be like Him. That's what John,
John used the same scripture, the same word, blessed hope.
Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of
the great, our great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. And then, let's look at one more
here, 2 Corinthians 3. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. Verse 11 and 12. In 2 Corinthians 3, verse 11
and 12, Paul is talking about, we have a ministry, not of law,
but of grace. Not the old ministry of ceremony,
but the ministry of Christ. And he says in verse 11, For
if that which is done away, The Old Testament tabernacle, priesthood,
sacrifices, if that which is done away was glorious, and it
was glorious, His glory overshadowed the mercy sickness. God's presence
was there. If that which was done away is
glorious, much more that which remaineth,
a revelation of Christ, the fulfillment of all these things is glorious,
Seeing then, that in Christ our great High Priest, in His perfect
blood, not on a mercy seat in a tabernacle made with hands,
but in heaven itself, seeing then, we have such hope. We use great plainness of speech,
great boldness. What a hope! If that which is
done away, all those Old Testament figures and promised pictures
and patterns, and it was glorious. If that was glorious, oh, much
more of that which remaineth. And seeing that we have such
hope in that glorious Redeemer, high priest, we use great plainness
of speech. Now then, that's when Peter says
to us, now you be able, when someone asks you, to give them
a reason for the hope that is in you. And just to say, well,
I was there when it happened. That's not too good a reason.
I said, are you saved? Yeah. How do you know I was there
when it happened? That's not too good a reason for hope. Or
someone else said, well, I'm a Christian. I'm a church member.
I made a profession. That's not too good a hope either.
That's not too good a reason. But if you'll turn with me to
the book of Lamentations, I'm going to read for you tonight Jeremiah's reason for his hope. It's just as if we were asking
Jeremiah, what's the reason for the hope that you have? Hope
of glory and the hope of resurrection and the hope of eternal life.
Well, the first thing he does in Lamentation 3, verse 18, the
first thing he does is let us know that it's not in him, not
of him, and not from him. He says in verse 18 of Lamentation
3, he said, I said, my strength and my hope is perished from
the Lord as far as I'm concerned, as far as my deeds or works or
righteousness or anything to be found in me. Like Isaiah,
he would confess, and he has in these preceding verses, from
the sole of his feet to the top of his head, there's no goodness
in him. As far as this flesh is concerned, in my strength
and my hope, it's perished from the Lord. And verse 19, then
remembering my affliction, my affliction, my nature, my sin,
my misery, the wormwood and the gall, My soul hath them still
in remembrance, and is humbled within me. And this fall, an
imputed guilt, an imparted guilt, and sin, I recall to mind all
that, but something else. Therefore have I hope, and I'll
give you the reason," he said, for my hope. Here it is. I have hope. I have hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we're not concerned. Our hope is not in us, or anything
we've done, or anything we will do. Our hope is in the fact that
He's merciful. Not in our merit, in His mercy. Not in our morality, in His mercy. Not in our works, in His mercy. Paul said in 1 Timothy 1, you
stay there in lamentation. Let me read you 1 Timothy 1 twice. Paul said this in 1 Timothy 1,
verse 13, I was a blasphemer. I was a persecutor. I was injurious. I sought to destroy God's church. I did it. I did it ignorantly. I did it in unbelief. but I obtained
mercy. Mercy. God was merciful to me. He said over here in verse 16,
how it be it for this cause I obtained mercy. A man can build his hope
of eternal life on only one of two things, either his works
or God's mercy, but not on both. God will be merciful. He told
Moses. Moses said, Lord, show me your
glory. He said, my glory is my goodness, and I will be merciful. I'll be merciful to whom I will
be merciful, but I will be merciful. And that's our hope. That's the
foundation of our hope, that God will show mercy. That's what
David said in Psalm 130. He said, Lord, if thou should mark iniquity,
who would stand? But there is forgiveness with
thee, and the Lord is plenteous in mercy. Listen to our Lord
in Matthew chapter 9, when he was eating with the publicans
and sinners, and the Pharisees came around and they asked his
disciples, why does your master eat with publicans and sinners? And our Lord heard them, and
He said to them in Matthew 9, 12, they that behold need not
a physician, but they that are sick. Now you go learn what that
means. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. I'm come to call not the righteous,
but sinners to repentance. That's our hope. God is merciful. That's what He says here. I have
hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that
I have hope. He is merciful. He delights to
show mercy. And all who sought mercy, when
He walked this earth, found it. That was David's plea in Psalm
51. Listen to this. In Psalm 51,
David... David... This is what he asked
for. He asked for mercy. He said,
Oh God, have mercy upon me. according to thy lovingkindness,
according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out
my transgression. Have mercy." The publican in the temple cried,
Lord, be merciful. And Christ said, this man went
down to his house justified. So that's our first foundation.
If we lay in, if somebody says, Give me a reason for your hope.
Here's my first one. God's merciful. God is merciful. He's merciful to sinners. He
delights to show mercy. God is merciful. All right, here's
the second one. Here in our text, Lamentations.
I have hope because, verse 22, his compassions fail not. His love. That's what compassion
is. That's what it is. It's love.
His love fails not. It's new every morning. Somebody said, God's love for
His people in Christ is as old as the beginning. I've loved
you with an everlasting love. But it's new as tomorrow morning. I have hope because He's merciful. Because He's love. If you want
proof of His love, Brother Chuck read it a moment ago, herein
is love. Here is love. Not that we love
God. He loved us. And sent His Son
to be a perpetuation for our sins. But God committed His love
toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us. But God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love, wherewith He loved us even when we were
dead in sin, quickened us with Christ. It's love. That's the
reason for my hope. He loved me. Firm as thy throne,
thy promise stands, my Lord, my hope, my trust. If I'm found
in Jesus' hands, my soul can never be lost. His honor is engaged
to save the weakest of His sheep. All that the Heavenly Father
gave, His hands securely keep. Nor death nor hell shall ever
remove His beloved from His breast. In the dear bosom of His love,
they all forever rest. That's my hope. God's merciful
to sinners. And He loves us. And His love
led Him to die for us. And His love led Him to hedge
us about and overshadow us and keep us till He calls us to His
home. My son Paul called this morning. Paul loves animals. He's got
three horses. Five cats, six ducks, thirty-five
chickens, thirteen wild turkeys, and who knows what else. But
he's got a dog. And he told me that last week
he went to the pound. He and Mindy and Hannah went
to the pound. And they were looking at the
animals. And they had a dog there. I asked Hannah what kind it was.
She said a mutt. But they looked at that dog,
and the man in charge said, we're fixing to put her to sleep. Paul,
Mindy, and Hannah said, you going to kill that dog? He said, we
got to. We're going to put him to sleep.
That's all he needs is another dog. So he said, we'll take her. The man said, you want the dog?
He said, I want the dog. I don't want you to kill the
dog. I'll take the dog home. The man said, you'll have to
sign an agreement that you'll give the dog a good home. And
you'll love it and take care of it. So will you sign the agreement? Paul said, I'll sign the agreement.
He signed it. They took the dog home. Named
her Annie. Now they've got another dog.
Of course, he loved that dog. God found you and me. under a
sentence of death. And he loved her. He said, I
passed by you. In your pollution and blood,
you mutt. And I loved you. You didn't love
me. That dog didn't love them. He
didn't know them. They loved him. Her. And set
their love on her. And bought her. And assigned
her to grief. that they'd take care of her.
And God did that for us. That's my hope. He passed by
me and saw me in my affliction and under sentence of death and
loved me and he said, I'll take that one. You don't want that
one. I do want that one. Don't you touch it. I'll take
it home with me. And I'll sign a covenant of mercy
and I'll keep him till the rivers water roll at my feet, and then
I'll bear him safely over where the Savior he'll meet. Guarantee
it. Guarantee it. Put my life, my
secret. That's my hope. You can talk about what you did,
and what you gave, and how many sermons you preached, and all
that, and the fact you belong to this church or that church,
or made a profession. My hope is the Lord's merciful,
and my hope is the Lord's love never fails. He'll never stop
loving us. That's two good reasons, isn't
it? All right, here's the third one. My hope is this, verse 23,
great is His faithfulness. Now, I know that Revelation 20
or Revelation 2.10 says to us, be thou faithful unto death.
I know that the Scripture said it's required in a steward that
a man be found faithful. But by God's grace, by God's
grace, we will. But by God's grace, our hope
is not in our faithfulness, or in our continuance in faith.
I could never have any confidence in that, could you? I could never
derive any sure hope in that. But I can find hope in this,
He's faithful. He's faithful to His Word. Let
me show you something here. Numbers 23. Numbers 23. It says here in Numbers 23 verse
19, God is not a man that He should lie. We do. In fact, the very sentence
there, God is not a man that He should lie. All men lie. But
God doesn't. Neither the Son of Man that He
should repent, hath He said, shall He not do it? Hath He spoken,
shall He not make it good? I am the Lord, I change not.
Therefore, you sons of Jacob will never be consumed. Do you
know where that's found? Malachi 3.6, I am the Lord, I
change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob,
are not concerned. God's faithful. He's faithful
to His Word. He's faithful to His purpose.
If God be for us, who can be against us? He's faithful to
His Son. All that my Father giveth me
shall come to me. He's faithful to His promises.
All the promises of God in Christ are yes. Let me show you that.
Turn to that scripture. Hold lamentation and turn to
2 Corinthians 1. This is a passage that needs
to be marked in your Bible for your comfort and consolation. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse
18 through 22. Listen to this. God is faithful, but as God is
true, 2 Corinthians 1 verse 18, as God is true, our word, our
preaching toward you was not yes and no. For the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and
Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in Him, yes. For all the promises of God in
Christ are yes. And in Him, amen, so be it unto
the glory of God. God is faithful. And it says
here in our text, Lamentation 3, verse 23, great is His faithfulness. It's great grace because it's
a gift of a great God which cost a great price and will be a great
deliverance from great wrath to greater glory. Great is His... Want a reason? Give me a reason
for your hope. You say you have a hope of glory
and a hope of resurrection? God's merciful. God's merciful. God's loved. God's faithful. I'll fail, but He never will. I may be filled with unbelief,
but He never is. I'll never leave you. And then
verse 24, another reason for our hope is this, the Lord's
my portion. He's my portion. A lot of people
say, well, that means He's my provider. Well, He is. He provides. Every good gift
and perfect gift comes from God. But this means more than that.
He's my provision. He's not only the provider, He's
my provision. This word, portion, is He's my
inheritance. He's my part. Where He is, I
am. What He has, I have. All the
fullness of God resides in Him. And I'm complete in Him. And
in order for one of His sheep to be shut out of glory, He'd
have to be shut out. You see, He is my inheritance. I wish I could make that plain. When people speak of eternal
glory and heaven, they usually speak of a place. But the Scriptures
speak of a person. When Christ turned to the thief
who begged Him to remember Him, He said, Today, you shall be
with Me in Paradise. The Apostle Paul said, describing
heaven, he says, I desire to depart and be with Christ. And David, describing that same
experience, said, I shall be satisfied when I awake with His
likeness. It's like Ephesians 5. Let's
turn over there a minute and see if we can get a little light
on this. Ephesians chapter 5. He is my portion. He is my life. I'm crucified
with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not out of it, Christ liveth
in me. He is my inheritance. He is my
part. And here in Ephesians 5 verse
24, let's begin there. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church
and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse
it with a washing of water by the word, that he might present
it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or
any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. For he that
loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his
own flesh, but nourisheth it, nourisheth and cherisheth it,
even as the Lord the church. And we are members of his body,
of his flesh, of his bones. For this cause, now talking about
Marriage shall a man leave his father and mother and be joined
to his wife and they too shall be one one flesh One person one
union This is a great mystery it is indeed But I speak concerning
Christ and the church at one That's the foundation of he is
my portion He is my part. He is my inheritance. He is my
husband. He and I are one. He's the head,
I'm the body. And it's impossible for them
to be separated. In order to keep a child of God
out of glory, you'd have to keep Christ out. In fact, actually,
God says we're already seated with Him in the heavenlies. He's
my portion. Want a reason? For hope? God's merciful. A reason for
hope? God's love. A reason for hope? God's faithful. A reason for
my hope? He's my portion. I'm in Him.
We're one. We're one. The love wherewith
the Father loved Him, He loves us. The glory the Father gave
Him, He's given us. Now in these four reasons, Jeremiah
hasn't mentioned anything he's done. Or anything he's felt. It's all who God is. And here's
the fifth one. I have hope, therefore I have
hope. Verse 25. Because God is good. This is
the foundation of hope. God is good. God is good. God is good unto them that wait
for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. God is good. He said, Ask,
and you will receive. Seek, and you shall find. Knock,
and it shall be opened unto you. Our God is good to those who
wait and seek Him. He's good. Turn to the Scripture
which We studied last Wednesday night Psalm 136. Just a moment. Psalm 136. God is good. And Brother Milton brought a
message from this wonderful psalm and he used this verse first.
The first verse of Psalm 136. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord
for He's good. God is good. For His mercy endureth
forever." Endureth forever. From this point on, forever.
But now, wait a minute. His mercy is forever. The word endureth there is in
italics. And it can be lifted out. And
if you just lift it out, it says, Oh, give thanks unto the Lord. He's good. He's good. For His mercy forever. Both ways. Both ways. No beginning, no end of His mercy.
He's good. And then David said in Psalm
27, look over here. Psalm 27. Oh boy. He says here in Psalm 27 verse
13, David said, I would have fainted. I would have fainted. Unless I had believed to see
the what? Goodness of the Lord. That's my hope. Not because I'm
good or you're good. He's good. Not because we're
worthy. He's good. I would have fainted
unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the
land of the living. Wait on the Lord and be of good
courage and hope. And He'll strengthen your heart.
Wait, I say, on the Lord. Don't run before. The Lord is
good to them who wait. Hold that right there and look
at it. Wait on the Lord. I had fainted unless I had believed
to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. So
wait on Him. Now our text, Lamentation. The Lord is good to them that
wait for Him. Don't try anything new. Don't
resort to any Quick solutions come along. To
some voice it speaks of a quick solution to the problems. Wait
on the Lord. He's good. Wait on Him. He's good, but you've
got to wait on Him. The Lord is good to them that
wait for Him. to the soul that's seeking Him.
He's good. He's the only good. There's nothing
good anywhere. You won't find any good anywhere.
There's no good anywhere. None good. No, not one. He's good. If I can be still
and know that He's God, wait on Him. That's my hope. He's merciful to the miserable,
to the Godly. Sinners. He's love. And He's faithful. And our God, our God's my portion. My inheritance. My part. And
He's good. He's good. And then the sixth
and closing. Verse 26. It's good that a man should both
hope and quietly wait, for salvation is of the Lord. You know, we learned that from
the believers in the Old Testament. They waited for the coming Christ,
promised by God. And in the fullness of time,
He came. He came as He promised. He performed all that He promised.
We today, Wait for the promise of His return. He said, I go
to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place,
I'll come get you. That where I am there you may
be also. So let's just look to Him. Salvation is of the Lord. It's of the Lord. And because
it's of the Lord, let me read you a verse over here in Romans
4. Because it's of the Lord, it's sure. You mean, when you say you hope,
you have a good hope, that you're talking about something that's
sure, it's exactly right. Exactly right. It's sure, because
it's of the Lord. And here in Romans 4, listen
to verse 16. Therefore, it is of faith, salvation
is through faith, that it might be by grace to the end, that
the promise might be sure to all the seed. And that's the
only way it can be sure, is to be by grace. According to God's
purpose, election, sovereignty, predestination, it's sure. If it weren't of grace, it wouldn't
be sure, but because it's of grace, it's sure. And it's sure
to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law. but
to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father
of us all. Thank God for good hope.