Is My Hope A Good Hope?

Now, if you will open your Bibles
again to the book of 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and I'm reading verse 16, and
speaking on the subject, is my hope a good hope? Is my hope a good hope? Verse 16, 2 Thessalonians 2. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself
and God, even our Father, which hath loved us and hath given
us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace." Now,
I hope is a common expression. I hope. Everybody uses the term
frequently. And it's used in religious circles
as much as it's used anywhere else. Well, I hope it will be
all right with me in the judgment. Or I hope to be a Christian someday. Or I hope that I'm saved. Or
I hope that we will all meet in heaven. Or I hope the circle
will not be broken. Now, on what is this hope built?
But I'm afraid that most people can't tell you they just hope. Hoping men live on. Hoping men
grow old. Hoping men die at last. And hoping they face God in the
judgment and then they find out that they're lost forever. But
Christ said, Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have
we not prophesied in thy name? And have we not in thy name cast
out devils? And have we not in thy name done
many wonderful works, hoping? And then I will say unto them,
Depart from me, I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity. Now this is a serious subject,
and it demands our utmost attention. There are several verses of Scripture
in the Bible about hope. Let me read you just a few. Don't
turn to these. Let me move along quickly. In
Romans 8, verse 24, Paul says, we're saved by hope. Saved by
hope. In Romans 5, verse 5, he says
again, hope maketh not ashamed. A man who has a good hope is
not now and never will be ashamed. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1.3,
God hath begotten us unto a living hope. And then our text today,
2 Thessalonians 2.16, God hath given us a good hope. Is my hope
a good hope? If my hope is a good hope, examination
won't hurt me, will it? It will really strengthen me
in that hope. But if my hope is a bad hope,
it's time that I examined it found out and sought a better
hope. The scripture says, examine yourselves whether you be in
the faith. Know ye not your own selves? The preacher can't examine
you. A lady came to Brother Barnard
one time and said, Brother Barnard, do you think I'm saved? He said,
why don't you come see me in thirty years and I'll tell you
whether or not you're Peter said, give diligence to make your calling
and election sure. I do not know your heart. You
have to make your calling and your election sure. No man can
tell you whether or not you have a good hope. You've got to determine
that hope in several ways. Now I'm going to give you some
of the marks of a good hope. I want you to listen carefully
to these. These are five marks of a good hope. Is my hope a
good hope? Is your hope a good hope? We're
saved by hope. hope it make it not a shame.
God hath given us a good hope, and everybody here has a hope.
Well, first of all, if it is a good hope, if it is a good
hope, it is a hope that a man can explain. Turn to 1 Peter
chapter 3, and I want you to read these scriptures. Very carefully,
1 Peter 3, verse 15. I say that if my hope is a good
hope, if your hope is a good hope, hope of salvation, hope
of eternal life, hope of union with Christ, it is one which
we can explain. I didn't say one that can be
explained, I'm saying one that we can explain. In 1 Peter 3,
verse 16. Now listen, 1 Peter 3, 16. But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts. Hold God to be holy. Hold God
in reverence and awe and fear. And be ready always to give an
answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that
is in you. Not with cockiness, but with
meekness. Not with false presumption, but
with fear. Be ready always to give a reason. Give an answer to every man that
asks you a reason of the hope that is in you. Now, if our hope
is sound, if it is a good hope, we ought to be able to show why,
don't you think? If our hope is a good hope, we
ought to be able to reveal on what grounds that hope is based. We ought to be able to give a
reason. why we believe our sins are forgiven,
and why we believe that we are in Christ, and why we believe
that we're going to heaven when we die. I'm not saying that a
man has to be a scholar to be saved. I'm not saying that a
man has to be a theologian to be saved. I'm not saying that
a man has to be a preacher to be saved. Quite the contrary.
Actually, a man may be brilliant in material matters and be lost.
A man may know twenty languages and be lost, while a man scarcely
able to read may have a solid interest in Christ Jesus. I'm
not saying that a man has to be a scholar to be saved. I'm
not saying a man has to recite all of the books of the Bible
and know all the doctrines, the orthodox and fundamental doctrines. I'm saying that a man who has
a good hope knows what that hope is, and he knows why he has it. And then I do not say a man has
to be a public speaker and good with words in order to be saved.
There may be fine words on a man's lips and no grace in his heart.
You know that. I know that. That's elementary.
A man may be able to stand and speak with the tongues of men
and of angels and have not Christ. While a man, another man, may
have a stammering tongue, he may be shy and bashful and timid,
and not be able even to express himself before people, and yet
have a deep love for Christ. What I'm saying is this. When
a man possesses a good hope in Christ Jesus, he knows from what
he has been saved, he was a sinner. He knows by whom he has been
saved, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by Christ,
by his mercy, and he knows to what he is saved. By whom, from
what, and to what he has been saved. And when a man has a good
hope in Christ Jesus, he can certainly, in his own words,
tell you about that hope. So that's the first mark of a
good hope. It is a hope that a man can,
in his own words, maybe not with all the orthodoxy of a Pharisee,
maybe not with fine, beautiful words of an orator, but at least in his own words,
he can tell you who saved him. He can tell you why he hopes,
and upon what he hopes, and for what reason he hopes, in his
words. of a good hope, Psalm 119. A
good hope is not only one that can be expressed, but it is a
hope that is drawn from the word of God. Now this is vital. A good hope is a hope that is
drawn from the word of God. Now listen to David in Psalm
119, verse 49. Remember the word, or remember
thy word, unto thy servant, upon which
thou hast caused me to hope." Lord, you said it, and upon your
word I have hope. You said it, I remember thy word
unto thy servant. This is what you said, and upon
thy word thou hast caused me to hope. Now one other that's
very important is Romans 15. This is an important scripture.
And I want you to look very carefully at it. Romans, chapter 15, verse
4. It's important that you turn
to this one especially. Romans 15, verse 4. Now listen
to it. I'm saying that a good hope is
one drawn from the Word of God, not from feeling and experience,
not from another, but from God's Word. Romans 15, 4. For whatsoever
things were written aforetime were written for our learning.
that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might
have hope. There's the foundation. If our
hope is sure and sound, we ought to be able to turn to some text
in the Word of God as the source of it. Why do you believe that all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God? That's what the
Bible says. Why do you believe that God gave His Son through
the virgin's womb to walk this earth in the likeness of sinful
flesh? That's what the Bible says. Why do you believe that
God will show mercy to sinners? That's what the Bible says. How
do you know God loves sinners? That's what God's Word says.
How do you know that Christ faced the law and obeyed it, went to
the cross and died, was buried and rose again? That's what the
Word says. How do you know that He will Forgive all who believe
on him." That's what he said. If our hope is sure and sound,
we ought to be able to turn to some text in the Word of God
as the source of it, because our hope is false unless it's
based on the Word of God. Well, preacher, there are many
people in purgatory who died not believing in Christ who someday
will be brought out and taken to heaven. That's what I hope. But that's not what God said.
That's not what the Bible said. So your hope is false. It's not
based on the Word of God. A preacher, if we bring our children
to the front of the church and sprinkle them, then they're in
the covenant, they're in the household of faith, they're in
the family of God, and they will grow up to know God. Is that
what the Bible said? No, that's my hope. Does God's
Word say that? Well, no, it doesn't say that.
I can't find one text, and your hope is false. Not enough to
have good feelings. Jeremiah said in chapter 17,
verse 9, the heart is deceitful above all things. Proverbs 28, 26, listen to this. Proverbs 28, 26, he that trusted
in his own heart is a fool. It's not enough to have a good,
well, I just feel this way. Well, the heart is deceitful,
and the man that trusted in his is a fool. It's not enough to
have the good opinion of others. Others may talk of our good works.
Others may talk of our good lives. Well, he's such a good man. She's
such a fine woman. Others may talk of our good deeds,
but that's poor comfort without the warrant of God's Word. Actually,
the disciples were amazed when our Lord condemned the Pharisees.
They were amazed. They said, well, Lord, if these
men aren't saved, who can be saved? Well, he said, with me,
and it's impossible. With God, all things are possible.
I cannot base my hope on feelings or experience or the opinion
of others. I'll go to the pastor, and I'll
ask him if he thinks I'm saved. And he says to me, yes, I believe
you're saved. After hearing what you say, I
believe you're saved. And I go off with a good hope. Where'd
you get the hope? Well, from the pastor. This is
the source of hope. David said, Remember thy word
unto thy servant, upon thy word I hope. The comfort of the scriptures,
through the comfort of the scriptures we might have hope. If you would
determine the certainty or soundness of your hope, measure it by the
word of God. Now my hope must be based upon
God's word. Then, in the third place, a good
hope rests entirely on Christ. Entirely. Turn to 1 Timothy,
chapter 1. 1 Timothy, the first chapter,
verse 1. Listen to this scripture. Now
listen carefully. I say everybody has a hope. We use that word. Think how much
you use that word. Oh, I hope so. I hope so. Well, a good hope, a good hope
can be expressed. A good hope is founded on God's
Word. A good hope rests entirely on
Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 1, verse 1, Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior
and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope, or who is our hope. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is
our hope. Turn to Colossians chapter 1.
Colossians the first chapter, verse 27. Colossians 1.27. Now listen to this. Colossians
1.27. Christ is our hope. A good hope
rests entirely on Christ. Well, I know many of you had
wonderful experiences back there. You just felt real good. You
made a profession of faith. You can't get away from that
time, and that's all right. The Apostle Paul told about the
time he met the Lord, but don't try to draw any comfort from
that experience. Don't base any hope. Well, I'm
saved because I had an experience. Experience is not the hope. Christ
is our hope. Listen to this, Colossians 127.
to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory." Christ in you, the hope of glory. You may have been
very serious that time when you were sitting there and the minister
was preaching and And you decided, yes, I'm a sinner, yes, I can't
save myself, I will believe on Christ, I will publicly confess
Him, and you followed the Lord in baptism, but don't base your
confidence and hope on that particular decision. A decision is not our
hope, an experience is not our hope, a profession of faith is
not our hope, a person is our hope, Christ is our hope. He
loved me. He gave himself for me. He died
for me. He's my mediator. All of our
righteousness is Christ. Isaiah said, Our righteousnesses
are filthy rags. There's no goodness in us. In
the flesh dwelleth no good thing. In the flesh no man can please
God. Our righteousness is Christ.
By the obedience of Christ, many shall be made righteous. That's
what the Scripture says. Christ is our wisdom. No man
knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal
him. Christ said, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.
He is my wisdom. I have no wisdom other than Christ.
He is my atonement with joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have received the atonement. He is my sin offering. By one offering, He hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. My Mediator is Christ. He is
able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by Him.
He ever liveth to make intercession for us. He is my prophet. I know
nothing except as it is revealed in Him. He is my priest. I have nothing except what He
gives me. He is my King to reign over me. Look at this verse in Colossians
127 again. The last line says, which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is where so many miss it.
Paul didn't say, it pleased God to reveal His Son to me. Although
he did, he said, it pleased God to reveal His Son in me. In me. I think a lot of people know
about God who don't know God. I think a lot of people know
about Christ who do not know Christ. I think a lot of people
are well versed in the activities of Christ and the advents of
Christ who know nothing of Christ. And this is a point upon which
all true believers in every age and generation have been totally
agreed, Christ is our hope. They may differ on matters of
church government. They may differ on matters of
church discipline. They may differ on matters of
church tradition, church custom. They may differ on matters of
dress and even outward behavior. But not one has ever left this
world trusting anything but Christ. That's right. Not one true believer
with a sure sound hope has ever left this world trusting anything
for righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, and redemption, but Jesus Christ
Himself. He is our hope. And any hope
that is a good hope rests entirely, not partly, not 99%, but rests
entirely on Jesus Christ, on Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Now the fourth mark of a good
hope. And for this, I ask you to turn
to Romans 5. Romans 5, verse 5. A good hope, a good hope is one
that is felt in the heart. It's one that's felt in the heart.
Now, I ask you some questions. You listen to me before I read
this Scripture. Can a man pass from death unto
life? Can a man be pardoned by God
Almighty renewed and made a new creature and not feel anything? 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 naked man be clothed and
not be warmed? Can a sick man be healed and
not rejoice? Can a blind man have sight restored
and not feel anything? The man who has a good hope feels
it in his heart. Look at Romans 5, verse 5. Listen to the Scripture. And
hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts. The love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts, therefore we have a hope that is not ashamed. Paul said in Romans 12, 12, we
rejoice in hope. Hope makes us rejoice. The man
who has a good hope in Christ has peace in his heart. He's
at peace with God. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. The war is over. We have been
reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Blessed, blessed. Happy is the word. Happy is the
man to whom God will not charge sin. He's happy. My peace I give
unto you, Christ said. Not as the world give it. The
world can't give peace. But I give peace justified by
Christ. Peace. Peace with God. Peace with our consciences. Peace
with our nature. The man who has a good hope has
peace. Oh, he's not always on the mountaintop,
nor is he always in the valley. The man who has a good hope has
entered into a rest, an unexplainable rest. Having ceased from his
own labors, he enters into Christ's rest. His soul is at rest, his
heart is at rest. And then the man who has a good
hope in Christ has comfort. For he knows that all things
work together for good to them who love God, to them who are
called according to his purpose. And whatever transpires in his
life, he says with Eli, well, the Lord did it. Let him do what
seemeth good in his sight. Or he says with Job, well, the
Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of
the Lord. Is my hope a good hope? Well,
if it is, it can be explained, not in the words of an orator,
not in the words of a scholar, not in the words of a preacher
necessarily, but in my own words. If my hope is a good hope, I
can explain it. If my hope is a good hope, it's
based on this book right here. I have no hope except that which
I read in God's Word. I have no knowledge of God except
that which I read in the Word. Read the little article I have
on the back of the bulletin this morning. Every man who has trusted
his own natural wisdom for knowledge of God has gone off into some
far-off type of worship of a far-off thing. Here's where we find out
about God. Here's where we find out about
ourselves. Here's where we find out about
Christ. Here's where we find out about mercy and grace, right
here in this book. That's the reason that I want
you to read the Word. That's the reason I ask you to
bring it to church and follow as we preach, as we read the
Word. Search the Scriptures to see if these things be so. Preachers
today don't use the Bible in their messages. They get up and
read one verse of Scripture, and then they go off telling
all of these stories and illustrations and all of these other things,
rather than the Word of God. If they speak not according to
the Word of God, Isaiah said, it's because there's no light
in them. We must find our hope right here. And that hope must
be established on a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our
hope. And then that hope will be felt
in the heart. And last of all, 1 John 3. Let's look at this scripture.
1 John chapter 3, verse 1 through 3. Now I want you to look at
this with me. 1 John 3, verse 1 through 3. If my hope is a good hope, it
will be manifested in my outward life. One time a person came to a preacher
friend of mine after the service was over. He was about to leave
the church, and this person came to him and said, Well, I've rededicated
my life to the Lord. The preacher said, Well, I'm
glad. This person said, Don't you think that since I've rededicated
my life to the Lord that Maybe I ought to come forward tomorrow
night in the service and tell everybody I've rededicated my
life to the Lord." Well, my friend looked at this person and he
said, No, I don't think you ought to. Because I believe if you
have really rededicated your life to the Lord, you won't have
to tell everybody. It'll leak out on you. They'll
find it out. That's what John is saying here
in 1 John 3, verse 1. Listen to it. Beloved, behold
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we,
my of all people, should be called the sons of God. Therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now,
right now, are we the sons of God? And it does not yet appear
what we shall be, but we know this, that when he shall appear,
we shall be like him. We're going to see him as he
is. Now, watch the next verse. And every man, and every man
that hath this hope in him, every man that hath this hope in him,
every man, every one, Somebody said, well, he's a Bible-reading
Christian. There's no other kind. They said,
well, he's a praying Christian. There's no other kind. They all
pray. Well, he's a Christian that really loves the Lord. You
know some who don't love the Lord? Huh? That's silly, isn't
it? Every Christian loves the Lord.
Well, he's a witnessing Christian. There's no other kind. There's
no other kind. It says, Every man that hath
this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Every one
of them. He that hath this hope in him
will have a changed attitude. His attitude will be changed
toward God. He'll love God, worship God.
His attitude will be changed toward God's law. David said,
I love thy law. His attitude will be changed
toward people of other races. He loves all people. His attitude
will be changed toward himself. He doesn't love himself. He loathes
himself. I hate myself, Job said. I repent
in sackcloth and ashes. If there's light in the house,
it will shine through the windows. I guarantee you. And if the windows
be darkened, it's because there's no light inside. And if Jesus
Christ, the light of the world, lives in a man's heart, you'll
see it in his eyes. That's the windows of the soul.
It'll shine through his mouth. His words will manifest one who
has been visited by the King. If there's light in the house,
it'll shine through the windows. This good hope will change a
man's attitude. This good hope will produce a
godly walk, honesty in business dealings, honesty and integrity
and righteousness in dealing with other people. James says,
you show me your faith without your works. It can't be done.
But he said, I can show you my faith. How, James? By my works. This good hope will make a man
a good witness because he can't help but tell what he's seen. No man can know good news and
not want to share it. No man can hear God's glad tidings
and not want to tell it. No man can see the beauty of
Christ and not want to express it. You folks go on vacations
and you see all these beautiful sights and you come back just
dying to tell somebody what you saw. If you ever see the Lord, you'll
sure love to tell somebody that. Now that's right. Peter said,
help but tell those things that I've seen and heard. I can't. And this good hope will persevere. It will persevere to the end.
That's what my friend meant when he said to the lady, see me in
thirty years. A man who has a good hope now
will have it in thirty years. A man who has a good hope now
will have it in fifty years. A man who has a good hope now
will have reality in eternity. hope will give way to reality.
Is my hope a good hope? Well, in preparing this message
for you, I preached it to myself. And I asked myself this question,
can you express it? Not as well as I'd like to be
able to, but I can sure tell you, I can sure tell you what
God's done for me in Christ. And it's based, I found it right
here in the pages of this book. I'm not going to risk my soul
into the hands of a church that may be apostate. I'm not going
to risk my soul into the hands of a preacher who may be nothing
in the world but a religious huckster seeking his own glory. I'm going to find it here in
this book, and I'm going to rest my hope of salvation on Christ,
entirely on Christ. Sink or swim, I go to Him. If
I go to hell, I'll go to hell believing that Jesus Christ died
for my sins. Can you say that? And I feel
this hope. I was glad when they said to
me, let's go in the house of the Lord. I love God's house.
I was glad when somebody opened the Word and said, let's read
the Bible. I love God's Word. I was glad when somebody stood
before me and said, Christ died for our sins. And I said, oh,
that's so good to hear again. So good to hear again. I feel
it in my heart. I feel peace with God today because
of Christ. I feel a rest, and I know this,
I've got a long ways to go, but God's changed my attitude. I
know something's happened in my heart, and I believe anybody
here that's got a good hope can say the same thing. I'm not,
I'm not what I'm going to be. I'm going to be like Christ.
I'm not what I'd like to be. I'd sure like to be perfect,
wouldn't you? I'm not what I expect to be,
but I'm not what I used to be. I'm not what I used to be. May
God give us a good hope, a good hope. Our Father, speak to us,
to our hearts, not just to our heads, but to our hearts. Minister
to us through Thy Word in this hour. Bless this message to everyone
who has heard it. and give us ears with which to
hear. Accomplish thy glory and our
good. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Is My Hope A Good Hope?

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Is My Hope A Good Hope?

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