Where Do We Find True Hope?

When we look around at our world, things can look pretty dismal. We see countries fighting against countries, one ethnic people fighting against another, neighbors against neighbors, and family members fighting each other. We see bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness growing in so many people’s lives. We won’t forget. We will get even.

Many have been brought up in these difficult environments of hatred and abuse. It so often creates a cycle of more abuse—abuse of one another or abuse of substances—in order to drown out the hopelessness of our situation. Even then many are left still feeling empty. Finding hope seems to be a lost cause. Now you may respond, “Well, if we can all try hard enough, we can make this world a better place.” The problem is that the greed, anger, pride, and selfishness remain in our hearts. As long as these things remain in the human heart, there is no hope. The Bible describes the human heart just as we see it in the world around us: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

You may be thinking, “Wow! Thanks for that bleak picture and nice piece of encouragement.” Well thankfully, that is not the end of the story. As we come close to Easter, or what I like to call “Resurrection Day,” we find in the person of Jesus the greatest hope and the greatest news ever. The Bible also tells us that at one time we were separate from Christ, without hope and without God in this world. But (the big contrast!) Jesus did something only He could do. As the Son of God, He came to this earth and lived a perfect, sinless life. He was the only one that could bear the penalty of our sin-sick hearts on the cross. When Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, He was victorious over evil and sin.

When we turn away from the wrong things that we have done against God and others and put our faith in Him, He promises to give us new and everlasting life. How can Jesus do this? By taking our sin upon Himself when He died on the cross and giving us His perfect holiness. As a result, we stand before God as pure, no longer separated by our sinful hearts. Through the resurrection of Jesus and our belief in Him, He gives us His Holy Spirit who transforms our hearts. We find true peace and hope. He gives us the power to be like Him—to get rid of the anger, pride, and selfishness. Our desires change. Rather than living for ourselves, we begin to live for God who gave us His Son. Our lives become completely fulfilled in Jesus. Everyday we are grateful because He has done it all for us; it is a gift. We can’t earn it and we don’t deserve it.  That is why what Jesus has done for us is called “grace.”

Do you want hope for today and forever? Then start by confessing your sin-sick heart to God. Put your faith in what Jesus has done for you through His taking away your sin on the cross and rising again to give you a new life. You will have hope that lasts forever. It is the only hope for our world.

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.