Chapter 10: Living With Hope
There are at least four major components in the hope which results from our salvation in Jesus. As almost everyone in traditional Christianity would agree, the first of these four components is the hope of eternal life that each individual may have as a result of being set free (redeemed) from sin. However, there are three other elements of hope that were largely overlooked during the past century[1].
[1]If you have had a long-term acquaintance with what is called evangelical Christianity, the concept of the redemption of society and the redemption of the universe may be unfamiliar to you. Before you dismiss this as questionable doctrine, however, carefully consider the Scriptures cited in this chapter on which these teachings are based. It would also interest you to know that Jesus' future kingdom (Revelation 21:1-4) is increasingly being recognized among evangelicals as being an eternal kingdom on earth. Further, consider the promise made to Abraham in which God tells him that a specified geographical area on earth will belong to his descendants forever (Genesis 15:18-20). That promise can only be fulfilled if a redeemed, occupied, physical earth exists for the duration of the forever in the promise.
The second important part of redemption through Jesus is that God will exercise perfect justice. Only when his justice is ultimately applied perfectly will there be meaning to either obedience or disobedience (sin) in human choice.
The third vital part of redemption through Jesus is that society will some day be set free so that there will be complete peace between all nations and ethnic groups.
Finally, our fourth hope is that all of creation will be set free and there will once again be a perfect universe.
Perfect justice, a perfect society, and a perfect universe
Let's examine our opportunity for hope in three areas: perfect justice, a society that will truly be redeemed, and a universe that will someday be redeemed. The following description is from the revelation that Jesus gave to the Apostle John. It is found at the end of the New Testament book of Revelation. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus described his work as judge, and the beginning of his kingdom on earth. The Apostle John's words in these verses address perfect justice, and also lay the foundation for our understanding of the freedom that both society and the entire universe will some day experience.
Revelation 20:11 I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. 20:12 I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades [Hell] gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. 20:14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 20:15 If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
21:1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 21:2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 21:3 I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 21:4 He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away."
21:5 He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." He said, "Write, for these words of God are faithful and true." 21:6 He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. 21:7 He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son" (Revelation 20:11-15, 21:1-7).
Our hope in perfect justice
Remember that we said in Chapter 2 that there cannot be true holiness without the freedom to also choose that which is not holy. Neither can there be a reward for choosing holiness without there also being consequences for choosing disobedience. Because justice is a part of the nature of God, he cannot mete out one without the other.
Obviously, Revelation 20:11-14 as quoted above is a description of hell. John is describing hell as a real place in which real judgment occurs. In our popular culture, hell is often depicted as the place where a vengeful God sends those who have done bad things. This is a false characterization of what will actually take place.
- Before time began, God designed us to be holy, while
at the same time giving us choice. Therefore, we can
choose to be disobedient if we are so inclined. Sadly,
throughout history, many have chosen to live apart from
God's holiness.
- Knowing that humanity is completely incapable of
producing holiness within themselves, the Creator became
our Savior at tremendous cost to himself. "The Lord is not slow concerning his promise,
as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not
wishing that any should perish, but that all should come
to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). "For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who desires
all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the
truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). It would be entirely
incorrect, therefore, to portray God as being uncaring
toward those who choose disobedience.
- The essence of hell is not a devil with a pitchfork
who delights in the torture of his victims. Rather, hell
is simply the opposite of God's kingdom. The perfect
coming kingdom will be good for the very reason that it
will be where God is. In contrast, hell will be hell for
the reason that there will be no trace of a holy God.
- Thus, God does not send anyone to either heaven or hell. He will merely honor the choice each of us ultimately makes. For those who want to be holy and be in his presence, he has made provision through salvation that we may be with him. On the other hand, for those who do not want to avail themselves of his holiness, he will permit them to exercise that choice and exist for eternity where he is not present. The name of the place where God is not present is hell. It will be a horrifying place of total chaos because there will be no hint of the holiness of God.
Our hope in a truly free society
In the remainder of Revelation 21, the Apostle John describes the size and splendor of this city called the New Jerusalem. It is beyond imagination in both its wealth and its provision for its residents. Then in chapter 22, we are given a glimpse into the future that should take our breath away:
He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:1-2).
Why is this description so remarkable? Look at the short phrase, "The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
What would a nation that was healed to the standard of God's perfect holiness be like? And what kind of freedom and personal fulfillment would every individual enjoy if all nations on earth were completely healed to this degree?
At this point, we can only speculate because the Apostle John did not give us many details. In today's world, each nation contains at least one culture, if not multiple cultures. Anthropology studies substantiate that in order for a culture to be sustained, there must be language. Experience tells us that the diverse nations of the world have unique ethnic groups, unique arts, unique value systems, and unique festivities. All of these unique qualities of a nation, we believe, will be transferred in perfected form to the coming kingdom of God.
Can you imagine the health of a world in which each nation respects the richness and depth of its own language and culture while at the same time honoring those same elements in every other group of people? It will be a world in which no ethnic group will be viewed as being either superior or inferior to another; in which no one language will be dominant, and where acceptance of others will prevent language from being a barrier. In a way that we cannot yet grasp, cross-cultural communication will be fully functional. Each culture will preserve its arts, its value systems, and every other quality that makes it unique within the bounds of holiness, while at the same time equally guarding that same freedom for all others.
But why, you might ask, would God not just eliminate human diversity in his coming kingdom? He could clone all individuals in some identical heavenly ethnicity, permitting only one language, giving everyone the same taste in art and music, and avoiding all of the headaches of the redemption process that would be necessary in order for all nations to be healed. The answer is very simple. The New Jerusalem under Jesus' rule will display for all eternity his power to set mankind free of sin. He is not merely able to create heavenly clones who will cooperate with each other. He will show forever that his death and return to life (resurrection) is sufficient to set free (redeem) even the most antagonistic of nations and unify the most widely diverse cultures.
We cannot comprehend the hope that this healing of nations will bring. Every individual will have the ability to develop to his or her highest potential. All of humanity's hindrances resulting from poverty, lack of education, and political strife will be removed.
What an immense hope this gives us.
Our hope in a perfect universe
In Chapter 7, we saw the verses that say, "For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:19-21).
First, we note that it was God himself who crippled creation ("creation was subjected to vanity [it was in some way crippled], not of its own will, but because of him [God] who subjected it"). Being inanimate or non-human life with lower cognitive functions, creation does not have a free will and cannot exercise choice. God's response to human sin condemned creation to its present state of imperfection.
It is difficult to know the full extent to which creation was altered. As we look at the universe today, we still marvel at its beauty and grandeur, whether through the astronomical, geological, or life sciences. But somehow our human disobedience to God brought disorder to the created world. Of course, some of that disorder has been caused by our own wanton destruction of our environment and natural resources. Yet someday, when Jesus establishes his kingdom on earth, this disorder will be rectified.
Hope can therefore be compounded. We can have a hope of being set free (redeemed) as individuals. In addition, however, we can have hope that God will exercise perfect justice. Then we can have hope that society will someday be set free so that there will be complete peace between all ethnic groups. Finally, we can add to all of that the hope that the entire creation will be set free and there will once again be a perfect universe.
Discontinuity between the individual and society
In Chapter 1, we said that during a period in the 1960s and 1970s, the brokenness of an individual was often viewed independently from the brokenness of society. It was assumed that an individual's problems could be resolved without addressing the need of society. Today, there is a growing sense that to successfully redeem an individual from a broken society that has no hope, the society must be redeemed just as completely as the individual.
Notice, however, the hope that Jesus is offering to those who are in relationship with him. Our hope is not just that the individual may be redeemed. There is also the hope that society—and even nations—will be perfectly redeemed. The hope for those who will one day live in the kingdom of God is that not only will they as individuals be completely redeemed, but that everything in their entire universe—other people, their unique ethnic group, nations, the earth, and the physical universe itself—will be wholly redeemed.
For all future time, this completed hope will be a testimony to the Creator's ability not only to create, but also through his death and resurrection almost 2,000 years ago, to perfectly redeem everything he made.
Our soul has waited for Yahweh. He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let your loving kindness be on us, Yahweh, since we have hoped in you (Psalm 33:20-22). Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you (Psalm 39:7). For you are my hope, Lord Yahweh; my confidence from my youth. I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother's womb. I will always praise you (Psalm 71:5-6). For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through patience and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and Christ Jesus our hope (1 Timothy 1:1). Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who can't lie, promised before time began; but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior (Titus1:1-3).
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation [for] all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14). whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:6-7).
Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen…Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him (Hebrews 11:1, 6).
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1:4 to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn't fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, 1:5 who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1:6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials, 1:7 that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ— 1:8 whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don't see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory— 1:9 receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1:13 Therefore prepare your minds for action, be sober and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ— 1:14 as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance, 1:15 but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior; 1:16 because it is written, "You shall be holy; for I am holy." 1:17 If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man's work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear: 1:18 knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, 1:19 but with precious blood, as of a faultless and pure lamb, the blood of Christ; 1:20 who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of times for your sake, 1:21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God (1 Peter 1:3-9, 13-21).
If you want to know more about God and Jesus, we encourage you to read the Bible.
If you do not already have a Bible, we suggest that you find a modern English translation such as the Today's English Version (TEV) which is also known as Good News for Modern Man or the New International Version (NIV).
You may download and print the World English Bible which has no copyright from the free website at http://ebible.org/bible/web. You may also download free, uncopyrighted MP3 audio recordings of the World English Bible from http://ebible.org/webaudio/mp3.htm.
We suggest that you begin by reading the New Testament first because it is the part of the Bible that tells the story of Jesus.
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