"Have You Heard" Newspaper Articles Posted with the Permission of the Streetsboro Church of Christ.
Perhaps you have lived through the experience of having a doctor tell you that there is “no hope” for a loved one. Having gone through this myself, I can attest to the fact that it is a horrible feeling to lose all hope. Hope is defined as a desire and an expectation.
Without Jesus Christ,
none of us have any hope of salvation. When he was writing to the Ephesians,
Paul pointed out that, as Gentiles, they were not included in the Law of Moses.
They were without God and had no hope. “That at that time
you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and
strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world.” (Ephesians
2:12). But they were given hope through Christ; “But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the
blood of Christ.” (Ephesians
2:13).
Thanks to the sacrifice of Christ, we can hope (desire and expect) for salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8). That is not to say that everyone is going to be saved. Christ died for all but only those who are obedient to Him will receive salvation. These obedient individuals desire and expect that their sins will be forgiven. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…” (1 Peter 1:3-4). We can look forward to and hope for an eternal abode where there is no more death, sorrow, pain, or crying.
-- Ralph Price --
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