Common Sense Commentary: God's Word, the Bible, commands every true Christian to "...Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the HOPE that is in you ...." 1 Pet.3:15. You didn't ask; but here is my answer.
I. Our Only HOPE ! (1) The only real HOPE, for anyone, is true, lasting CHANGE which endures forever as revealed in Col.1:7, "CHRIST in you is the HOPE of glory". (2) "The Lord Jesus Christ IS our HOPE." 1Tim.1:1 (3) The Apostle Paul said this "HOPE in Christ" comes with joy and peace to all who believe on Christ. "Now the God of HOPE fill you with joy and peace in believing" ...." Rom.15:13.
II. True, Eternal HOPE comes ONLY through Spiritual CHANGE ! (1) "The Lord Jesus Christ .... shall CHANGE our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body" ...." Phil.3:21.
(2) "Therefore if any man (human) be in Christ, he is a NEW creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW." 2Cor.5:17. (3) "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind ...." Rom.12:2. (4) Jesus said in John 3:3 that without this Spiritual Conversion (CHANGE) there is NO other HOPE ...."Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
III. HOPELESSNESS ! (1) Our natural, fleshly state is, without spiritual CHANGE ... HOPELESS ... "Without Christ .... aliens .... and strangers from the covenants of promise, having No HOPE, and without God in the world ...." Eph.2:12. (2) HOPELESSNESS is a choice .... "Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their OWN hearts, to dishonour their OWN bodies between themselves: Who CHANGED the truth of God into a lie .... For this cause God gave them up unto VILE AFFECTIONS: for even their women did CHANGE the NATURAL use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the NATURAL use of the woman burned in their LUST one toward another ; MEN WITH MEN working that which is unseemly .... And even as THEY did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind ...." Rom.1:24-28. It's a Choice !!!
(3) Secular, worldly promises of "HOPE" are futile and insufficient at the last judgement. "All that forget God; and the hypocrite's HOPE shall perish". Job 8:13. (4) All physical, mental or material CHANGES which YOU or I perform, without SPIRITUAL CHANGE through faith in Jesus Christ, are only temporal and will not suffice at the Great White Throne Judgement of our Creator God. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin? or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."
Jer.13:23.
IV. TESTIMONY of HOPE ! King David was far from perfect and claimed no righteousness of his own. He was, like us, a sinner saved by grace and had no other HOPE except his faith in the coming Messiah Christ. He declared his faith and only hope in Psm.38:15 "In the Lord do I HOPE". David also encouraged other believers when he testified, "Be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that HOPE in the Lord." Psm.31:24.
And so, with Titus, I want to "give an answer for the hope that is in me" " with his words ... I am "Looking for that blessed HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus2:13.
Pass it on. RB
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