A Good Hope

Q: What does the Bible say about hope?

The Bible describes hope as a good gift from God, central to the Christian faith. In Scripture, hope is described as a profound and essential element of the Christian faith. Paul, in Romans 8, articulates that we are saved by hope, while Peter speaks of a 'living hope' in 1 Peter 1:3. Hope is not merely a wish but a confident expectation based on God’s promises. In 2 Thessalonians 2:16, it is emphasized that God has given us a good hope through grace, solidifying hope’s significance within the realm of redemption and assurance in Christ.

Q: How do we know God's grace is sufficient for hope?

God's grace provides a good hope that is not based on our works but His gift. The foundation of a good hope is God's grace, as articulated in Ephesians 2:8-9, where it is stated that we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. Paul further reinforces this by indicating that eternal life is a gift from God, not a reward for human efforts. This grace is unearned and unmerited, making it the bedrock upon which the assurance of our hope stands. It is through God’s grace that we can confidently cling to the promises of salvation and everlasting life.

Q: Why is it important to base our hope on the Word of God?

Basing our hope on the Word of God ensures it is stable and trustworthy. A good hope is anchored in the Word of God and not in human feelings or experiences, as emphasized in Romans 15:4. The Scriptures provide the foundation for our belief, offering comfort and assurance through God's promises. Emotional states can be deceptive and fluctuate; however, the unchanging nature of God’s Word stands firm. Trusting in the authority of Scripture provides clarity and confidence in our hope, as it reveals who God is and what He has done for us through Christ. This is vital in a world filled with uncertainties and shifting beliefs.

Q: What is the role of Jesus Christ in our hope?

Jesus Christ is the foundation of our hope, as He is our Savior and Redeemer. Jesus Christ is central to our hope, as stated in 1 Timothy 1:1, where He is referred to as our hope. Our salvation, justification, and eternal life hinge upon His person and work. His sacrifice provides the basis of our hope, illustrating that we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6) and that through Him, we have access to God. Our hope is not built on personal merit or religious deeds but entirely on Christ’s righteousness and His finished work on the cross, leading us to a confident expectation of glory.

Q: How can I explain my hope to others?

You should articulate your hope based on Scripture and your relationship with Christ. Being able to explain the reason for your hope is an essential aspect of the Christian witness. Peter encourages believers in 1 Peter 3:15 to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within them, underlining the importance of a clear and humble testimony. This means articulating how God's grace has impacted your life, your trust in God's promises, and your faith in Christ. A good hope is not only felt but can also be conveyed effectively to others through the lens of Scripture, ensuring that the explanation is rooted in the truth of the Gospel rather than subjective feelings.

I want you to listen very carefully
today while I read one verse of scripture taken from Paul's
letter to the church at Thessalonica. Now here it is. It's found in
2 Thessalonians 2, verse 16. I'll give you a moment to find
that scripture because I want you to read it with me. 2 Thessalonians
2, verse 16. The title of this message is
A Good Hope. a good hope. Now here's the scripture,
here's the verse. Paul said, Now our Lord Jesus
Christ himself, and God, even our Father, who hath loved us,
and hath given us everlasting consolation, and a good hope,
God hath given us a good hope through grace. May he comfort
your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. Now here's the subject, a good
hope. We use the word hope quite frequently
in every area of our lives. I hope so, I hope things get
better, I hope this, I hope that. But people especially use the
word hope in connection with spiritual matters and things
pertaining to the future. And I don't condemn it at all.
I don't condemn the use of the word hope. It's a good word.
Hope is a good word. It's a scriptural word. In fact,
let me show you several places where it's used in the scripture.
Paul said in Romans 8, this is the great 8th chapter of Romans
where he deals with redemption through Christ. He says, we're
saved by hope. We're saved by hope. So that's
a good word. And then Peter used it in 1 Peter
1, verse 3, he says, God hath begotten us again unto a living
hope, a living hope. And then in Colossians 1, 27,
the Apostle Paul again says, Christ in you is the hope of
glory, is the hope of glory. And then our text talks about
God has given us a good hope, was saved by hope. God has begotten
us unto a living hope, and Christ is our hope, and here God has
given us a good hope. Now, as I speak on this subject
today, I want very much for you to listen carefully to what I'm
going to say. Let's examine ourselves. Let's
examine ourselves. You know, the Scripture says
this, examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. Know ye
not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
you be a reprobate? Examine yourself. What is your
hope? What is my hope? Is your hope
a good hope? Is my hope a good hope? I hope
to be in glory. I hope to be resurrected. I hope
to be raised from the dead. I hope to stand with the people
of God, someday conformed to the image of Christ. Is my hope
a good hope? Now, examination, if my hope
is a good hope, examination is not going to damage it at all.
It's going to strengthen that hope. If my hope is a good hope,
if I examine myself by the word of God, if I examine my hope,
it's not going to damage it. It's not going to destroy my
hope. It's going to strengthen it. But if my hope is not a good
hope, then I better examine it, and I better find a better hope.
I need a good hope. I need a living hope. And that's
what we're going to talk about today. Now, I want to give you
five marks. I've gone over this very carefully.
I've preached from this subject before many times. And I've gone
over this subject very carefully. And I've examined my own confession,
my own testimony, my own profession of faith in the light of these
five things that I'm going to give you today. And I want you
to do the same thing. Let's look carefully at the marks
of a good hope. What are the marks of a good
hope? Well, here's the first one. And I'm going to show you
this from the Word of God. A good hope is the gift of God. A good hope is the gift of God.
It's not of works. It's not the results of works.
It's not the reward for good works. It's the gift of God. Now listen to the text again.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ and God, even our Father, hath given
us, hath given us a good hope for grace. That's what it says.
God gave us a good hope. Everything pertaining to redemption
is the gift of God. Everything pertaining to salvation
and eternal life is the gift of God. It's not of works. It's
by grace, it's the free gift of God. The scripture says eternal
life is the gift of God. The wages of sin is death, the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And Paul
wrote in 1 John 5, this is the record, this is the testimony,
this is the truth. That God has given us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son. Eternal life's not a reward,
it's a gift. It's not the results of service
rendered to God, it's a gift. Even, my friends, repentance
is the gift of God. Read the Scriptures carefully
and you'll find the Scripture saying this, the goodness of
God leadeth us to repentance. And then it says, now hath God
granted repentance to the Gentiles. It's God who convicts us of sin. It's God who shows us our unworthiness
and our sinfulness. It is God who grants repentance. Faith is the gift of God. Faith's
not the product of the human will. It's the gift of God. We're
born not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man. We're
born of God. For by grace are you saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. It is
not of works, lest any man should boast. We're his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus. So I say to you, a good hope
is the gift of God, through grace. I am what I am, Paul said, by
the grace of God. Who maketh thee to differ? What
hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now, if you received
it, why do we boast as if we didn't receive it? Our Lord said
a man can receive nothing except it be given him from above, except
it be given him. Every good gift, and is not eternal
life a good gift? Isn't repentance a good gift?
Isn't faith a good gift? Every good gift, every perfect
gift is from God, with whom there's no change. Grace, my friends,
is the free, unmerited, unearned favor of God. The grace of God
is giving us, God giving us what we do not deserve. Everything
I have in the spiritual realm is the gift of God and I don't
deserve any of it. And salvation from beginning
to end, from Alpha to Omega, is not of works, it's of grace. Otherwise, grace is not grace.
If my hope is a good hope, it is not of works. It is by the
grace of God. Now that's the first, that's
the first mark of a good hope. I didn't do it, God did it. I
didn't do it, God did it. Whatever is done in me, whatever
is done for me, whatever is done to me is the gift of God, not
of works, lest any man should boast. All right, secondly, the
second mark of a good hope. A good hope is not only the gift
of God, But a good hope is based on the Word of God. The Word
of God. Not on feeling, not on experience.
But a good hope comes from the Word of God. It's the gift of
God, and it's based on the Word of God. Listen to this scripture
in Romans 15 forward. Now listen carefully, Paul writing
again. For whatsoever things were written aforetime, and that's
the scriptures, were written for our learning. that we through
patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. These things
were written for our learning, all of the scriptures, that through
patience and comfort we might have hope because of the scriptures,
because of what God says. David and Paul both said this,
I believe, therefore I've spoken. The foundation of my faith is
the word of God. And the Apostle is saying here
in Romans 15, a good hope is not based on feeling. A good
hope is not based on some experience. A good hope is not based on my
thoughts, what I think. But a good hope is drawn from
the written word of God. For example, here, let me give
you this example. He had said, I will never leave
you. I will never forsake you. So
that we can boldly say, the Lord is my helper. How can I say the
Lord is my helper? He said it first. How can I say
the Lord will never leave me nor forsake me? He said it first. He said I'll never leave you.
He said I'll never forsake you. So I can boldly say, confidently,
assuredly say, well the Lord is my helper. It's like Paul
said, whom he foreknew, he predestinated. Whom He predestinated, He called.
Whom He called, He justified. Whom He justified, He glorified.
Now, what shall we say to these things? Well, we say, if God
be for us, then who can be against us? How can we say that God's
for us? He said it first. How can we
say it doesn't matter who's against me? God said it first. I can't
say anything He didn't say first. A good hope is based on the Word
of God. You can't trust feeling. The
heart is deceitful above all things, the Bible says, and desperately
wicked. Listen to what Solomon said about
this. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool. He said, I tell you, I just know
how I feel in my heart. He that trusteth in his own heart
is a fool. Well, this is what I believe.
This is what I feel. He that trusteth in his own heart
is a fool. Because the heart's deceitful,
above all things. Luther wrote this. Listen to
it. Feelings come and feelings go. And feelings are deceiving. My hope is in the Word of God. Anything else is not worth believing. Now that's good, isn't it? You
can't trust feelings, but you can trust God. You can't go by
how you feel, but you can go by what he said. Feelings come
and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving. Feelings are influenced
by sickness or health, by cold or
warmth, by someone's frown or smile, by the environment, by
so many different things affect feelings, but nothing changes
the Word of God. Feelings come and feelings go
and feelings are deceiving. My hope is in the Word of God.
Nothing else is worth believing. I'll tell you another thing,
you can't trust your thoughts. My thoughts are not God's thoughts.
My ways are not God's ways. The Bible says over and over
and over again, there's a way that seems right to people, to
men, and the end is death and destruction. But my friends,
God's word is sure, and God's word is as unchanging as God
himself. My word will not return unto
me void, he said. It shall accomplish that whereunto
I have sent it. So a good hope is based not on
feelings, not on experience, not on my thoughts, not even
on tradition, not what's been handed down from ages and generations
of things, not so because it's old, My hope is built on the
word of God, on the word of God. That's the foundation of a good
hope. In fact, Peter, the apostle, you remember Peter, James, and
John were with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration when
they saw his glory, even his clothes glistened. And Moses
and Elijah appeared and talked with him. That was some experience.
That was a most unusual experience. And yet, When Peter was telling
about it over in his epistle, he said this, he said, I was
there and I saw his glory. But he said, we have a more sure
word of prophecy, where unto you do well to take heed, and
that is the word of God. We have some, Peter told about
that marvelous, magnificent experience in seeing the glorification of
Christ with his own eyes, and yet he said there's something,
there's a better hope, there's a more sure foundation, and that's
the Word of God. Because these eyes will deceive
us sometimes, and these ears will deceive us, and these hearts
deceive us. You know, I see men and women
sitting around on television talking about religious matters,
but they seldom read the Word of God. They seldom, very few
of them even have one in their hands, and I feel like we need
to quit talking so much in this day and start reading and preaching
the Word of God. Just read it and preach it. What
does it say? What does the Word of God say?
The only true and sure foundation of a good hope is the Word of
God. So where are we? Here's the third one. A good
hope is the gift of God. I am what I am by the grace of
God. I can take no credit. He has to get, he gets all the
glory. Secondly, a good hope is based
on the word of God, not feelings or experiences. Thank God for
that. And thirdly, a good hope rests
entirely on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Not on my works,
on his works, his person and his work. First Timothy 1 verse
1 says this, listen to it now. I'll establish a point, and then
I'll show you that point in God's Word. A good hope rests on the
person and work of Christ. Paul said, I'm an apostle of
Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior, and our Lord
Jesus Christ, who is our hope. Christ is our hope. Our hope
is not a profession. Our hope is not a religion, our
hope is not a denomination or a creed, our hope is not a feeling,
our hope is a person. Christ in you, Colossians 127
says, that's the hope of glory. God accepts us in the beloved,
chose us in Christ, loves us in Christ, redeems us in Christ,
we live in Christ, we're seated at the right hand of God in Christ,
and Christ in us. That's the hope of glory. We'll
be in glory because he is. Where the head is, the body won't
be far behind, and he's the head of his church. John Flavor once
wrote an outstanding outline on this subject, Christ in You,
the Hope of Glory, and he gave five things. He said, number
one, everything God has for a sinner is in Christ. He said, point
two, Those blessings and riches, heavenly riches, are mine by
faith and by union with Christ. Everything God has for sinners
in Christ, and it's mine when I'm united to him. And I'm united
to him thirdly by faith. And that faith comes by hearing
the Word of God. And the Word of God is made effectual
to the heart by the Holy Spirit. Now we may disagree on church
government. People may disagree on customs,
and dress, and forms of worship, and days, and whether kneeling
or standing, and even on prophecy. But there's a common faith, and
there's a common salvation. And that common faith and common
salvation is the person, the righteousness, the blood, the
intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord. That's salvation. John
clearly writes, He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting
life, and he that believeth not the Son of God hath not life,
shall not see life. The wrath of God abideth on him.
A man may argue church government, he may argue forms of baptism,
he may argue all these things, but he doesn't have Christ. You
see, our Lord said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man
comes to the Father but by me. 1 John 5, 11, this is the record. God has given us eternal life.
This life's in His Son. You see, Christ is our surety.
He's the covenant head. We died in Adam, we're made alive
in Christ. Christ is our righteousness.
He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him. Christ is our atonement, by whom
we have now received the atonement. He's our sin offering. By one
offering he perfected forever them that are sanctified. He's
our mediator. There's one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God, one Father, one mediator between God and
men. And that's the man Christ Jesus.
And Christ is our life. When Christ shall appear, then
shall we appear. When Christ who is our life shall
appear, then shall we appear with him in glory. Do you see that? We live by the
faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. So
my friends, a good hope is the gift of God. It's the work of
God. Secondly, a good hope is based
on the Word of God. And thirdly, a good hope is in
Christ Jesus. We're accepted in the Beloved
and only in the Beloved. And then fourthly, a good hope
is one that a man can explain. I'm not saying a man has to be
a public speaker to have a good hope. I'm not saying even that
he has to be a theologian. But I'm saying that a man who
has a good hope will be able to give you a reason why he has
a good hope. That's what Peter said in 1 Peter
3, 15. He said, but sanctify the Lord
God in your heart And be ready always to give an answer to every
man that asketh you a reason of the hope that's in you. Be
able always to give an answer to everyone who ask you what? A reason of the hope that's in
you. And do it with meekness. Don't
do it with arrogance. Do it with humility. Well, do
it with pride, do it with fear and trembling, because it's a
gift of God. It's nothing you earned or bought
or merited. God gave it to you. You say,
and I say, that our sins are forgiven. For what reason do
you have such a hope? We say we're children of God.
What's your reason for that hope? We say that our names are written
in heaven. How do you know that? We say that when Christ, if I
were to die tonight, I'd go to heaven, that Christ would raise
my body and I'd be like him. What's your reason? Man asks
you, give me a reason for these hopes. You say, well, I feel
that way. That's no reason. Well, I just
think it. That's no reason. Give me a reason.
What is the reason for your hope? Certainly not your goodness.
The Bible says there's none good, nor not one. None good but God. God good. It's not your righteousness. There's none righteous, the Bible
says. None good, none righteous. No, not one. Man at his best
state is altogether vanity. God looked down from heaven to
see if there's any that didn't understand. It's not your works. Surely not your works. That's
not the reason. For by works shall no man be
justified. By the deeds of the Lord shall
no flesh be justified. Was not your religious deeds?
That's not the reason. Because many people are going
to stand at the judgment. Christ said many shall say unto
me in that day, well, Lord, I preached in your name and I pastored a
church and I did many wonderful works and I cast out devils and
healed the sick. And he's going to say, I never
knew you. I never knew you. It's not your church office,
is it? Judas was an apostle. Demas was a companion of the
apostle Paul. If someone asks you, give me
a reason for the hope that's in you. Give me a reason. Well,
Job gave a reason. Job said, I know that my Redeemer
liveth, and on this earth he'll stand at the latter day. And
though after my skin worms destroy this body, in my flesh I'm going
to see my God. He's my Redeemer. He redeemed
me. That's my reason. David gave a reason, he said,
the Lord's my shepherd, therefore I shall not walk, and therefore
surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life, and I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever, because
the Lord is my shepherd. He's my Redeemer, He's my shepherd.
And the Apostle Paul says, I know whom I have believed. Not what,
not when. He didn't say, I know when I
believed or I know what I believed. He said, I know whom. Salvation
is a person, faith and a person. I know whom I have believed and
I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which I've committed to
him. And Peter said, for as much as you know, you're not redeemed
with corruptible things such as silver and gold from your
vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ. That's my hope. I give that with meekness, and
with humility, and with fear and trembling. God Almighty,
according to the good pleasure of His own will, having loved
us, we didn't love Him, He loved us. Here in His love, not that
we loved God, He loved us. And He sent His Son into this
world. Our Lord, our Master, our Redeemer, our Creator was
made flesh. and walked this earth as a man
in perfect obedience and righteousness before God's holy law. And worked
out for us and imputed to us a perfect holiness and sanctification
in him, through him, because of him, before God. And he is
able through his life and through his death to present us holy,
harmless, unblameable, undefiled in the presence of a holy God.
That's our hope. And we didn't earn it and we
didn't deserve it. And we can't even keep it by
our own strength. We're kept by the power of God
through faith. He that hath begun a good work
in you will complete it. So our good hope is one that
a man can tell you. He can tell you, Christ is my
hope. Christ and his work. And then fifthly, a good hope
is felt in the heart. A good hope is felt in the heart
and it's expressed in an obedient walk. Listen to Romans 5, 5. Hope maketh not ashamed, because
the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
which is given unto us. God has given us a good hope,
and he has shed abroad his love and his grace in our hearts.
And we're different. We're changed. If any man be
in Christ, he's a new creature. He's a new person. He has a new
walk. He has a new attitude. He has a new life. And that's
evident. Can a weary man lie down and
not be rested? Can a thirsty man drink and not
be refreshed? Can a hungry man eat and not
be satisfied? Can a sick man be healed and
not rejoiced? And neither can a man be forgiven,
and pardoned, and brought into a saving relationship with God
himself through Christ Jesus, and not, and pass from death
unto life, and not feel the joy of it. and the peace of it, and
the rest of it, and endeavor in his daily walk to bring glory
and praise to his God who loved himself, loved him, and gave
himself for us. Now that's a good hope. That's
a good hope. Let me give you those five things
again. First of all, a good hope is the gift of God. Not of works,
it's the gift of God. A good hope is based on the word
of God, not on feelings. But what God said, a good hope
rests on and in Christ Jesus. A good hope can be explained
with humility. And a good hope gives a good
walk and joy in the heart. A good hope.

A Good Hope

What does the Bible say about hope?

How do we know God's grace is sufficient for hope?

Why is it important to base our hope on the Word of God?

What is the role of Jesus Christ in our hope?

How can I explain my hope to others?

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A Good Hope

What does the Bible say about hope?

How do we know God's grace is sufficient for hope?

Why is it important to base our hope on the Word of God?

What is the role of Jesus Christ in our hope?

How can I explain my hope to others?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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