The Hope That Fuels How We Live Today
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16
It’s a certain kind of hope. It is not wishful thinking. It is living with "the sure and confident expectation of receiving what God has promised us in the future." It’s the hope we possess and live with because we are united to Christ. The confident expectation of being rescued from the eternal wrath of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus fuels us to live today in a certain way as we wait for His glorious return. Does your life today reflect Jesus, the One you are united to? Are you waiting, alert, and ready for His return?
While we wait, the hope that comes from being united with Christ fuels how we live:
1. It fuels us to stay fully invested in the mission (vs. 1-2)
- With a fresh perspective – “our visit with you was not without results or in vain”
- With ongoing boldness – “with the help of God we dared to tell you the gospel in the face of strong opposition”
Have you tapped out from being fully invested in the mission? Don’t give up! Stay fully invested in the mission, filled with the hope that comes from knowing your life is hidden with Christ. You are a conduit for Jesus to minister to others. Sometimes, we may not immediately see the fruit of our efforts, but we must keep boldly sowing and believing because of the hope we have in Christ.
2. It fuels us to please God, not people (vs. 3-12)
- We are approved by God on the basis of being united with Christ (cf. Rom. 8:1)
- Embracing the approval we have in God, through our union with Christ, fills us with hope and changes how we live
What do you crave more, the approval of others or of God? Be careful how you answer, because God is our witness and the One who tests our hearts (cf. Gal. 1:10). Chasing after the approval of people will leave you exhausted and never satisfied. But embracing and resting in the approval of God, through our union with Christ, will leave us filled with hope, freed up to live to please Him and love others (cf. Mt. 22:36-38)
3. It fuels our trust in the Word of God (vs. 13-16)
- It is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16; 10:17; Heb. 4:12; 1 Pt. 1:23-25)
- It is the power of God that transforms people to live lives worthy of God (cf. Jn. 17:17)
What are you trusting in to reach those walking in darkness? Are you trusting your charisma, your knowledge, your debating skills? We must delight in God’s word, we must recognize and trust its authority to bring salvation to everyone who believes, and its power to transform lives. We must proclaim its message while we wait in hope of His return.
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