“So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.” Job 8:13
Psalm 31:6 teaches: ” I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the Lord.”
Proverbs 10:28 adds “The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.”
A hypocrite is “a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives.” Vocabulary.com
Beloved, natural faith can become wishful thinking, so thinks the pretender, but is “hope deferred”. It makes the heart sick — how long can wishful thinking be sustained? When a person pushes a belief that is not true in the hope that it will become true, he or she will reap a great disappointment — maybe in the realization of that very false hope.
” …but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. Proverbs 11:27 b
Psalm 78:29 adds, ” So they did eat, and were well filled: for He gave them their own desire.”
O be careful what we wish for, be careful of the state of your soul.
Carl H. Stevens Jr. said in his book “The True Thought on Repentance,” “People who refuse to repent (adjust to truth), simply do not allow themselves to be overwhelmed by what God is doing. Isolated individuals come to church and never really grasp the truth of the Word and their resurrection with Christ. …they don’t realize where God has placed them. Though they have been seated above in Christ and are hid in the midst of Christ’s body on the earth, they don’t participate in the visitation of the Spirit or allow themselves to be baptized as a member in particular.” 1 Corinthians 12:27.”
Folks,
- There is “rest in hope.” Psalm 16:9
- “he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. .Psalm 31:24
- ” Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;” Psalm 33:18
- “in his Word do I hope.” Psalm 130:5
Friends, ” Paul proclaimed in Acts 23:6, 24:15, “of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. ” Then made some bold statements:
- “For we are saved by hope:” Romans 8:24
- Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope;”
- “through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope ” .Romans 15:4
- “he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.” 1Corinthians 9:10
- Paul prays, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling,” Ephesians 1:18
- Galatians tells us, in 5:5 “For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”
Friends, “Christ in you, is the hope of glory:” Colossians 1:27 and there is patience of hope -1Thessalonians 1:3- “hope comes through grace, 2Thessalonians 2:16 “Hope is for eternal life and Hebrews 6:19 “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”
1Peter1:13 “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Saints, “gird up the body itself so as to be braced for action.” Have spiritual self-restraint, lest one be overcome by the allurements of the world and of sense,
and patient hopeful waiting for Christ’s revelation,” — reach unto the end (telos) of your faith and hope, namely, “the grace that is being brought unto you in (so the Greek) the revelation of Christ.”JFB
In closing.
1Peter_3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
When our “hope” becomes manifest to any man, they may ask for what reason we have such hope. Be ready to give an answer. Mine might go this way– behold:
“what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. ” 1John 3:1-3
Friend, I am a Son in the family of God and I am becoming just like my brother, Jesus Christ. One day I will be just like Him. Love ya
