through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 1:3
The man said to a friend, "When I die, I have no hope of life after death. I believe this life is all there is. How could anyone be foolish enough to believe in life after death?" His friend said, "I believe in life after death, because I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He gave me mercy as a sinner and put hope in my heart." The man replied, "Well, I don't believe in the resurrection of Jesus." His friend responded, "That's the reason you don't have hope. Only Jesus can give us hope."
The believer's living hope is the living Christ. Abundant mercy comes from His death for our sins at the cross. Abundant hope comes from the living Christ, who is alive forever more. He came that we may have life, that is eternal life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He gives us hope as a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). It is an abiding hope that the unbelieving world simply cannot understand.
If you know someone who doesn't have hope in everlasting life through Jesus Christ, understand that they never will unless they come to faith in Christ. Only the Spirit of Christ can take away our doubt and unbelief. Hope is the gift of God that comes to us through faith in Christ. Unbelief says, "I can't believe in hope after death." Doubt says, "I'm trying to believe, but I'm not sure." Faith says, "I received hope as the gift of God in Christ." Abundant hope is abundantly free as a gift of God's grace.
Prayer: Father, we give You praise for the gift of hope in Christ.
