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Sunday, July 31, 2016

Hope and Change

Our current president ran with the flag words, "hope" and "change". The right might respond, "Yes, and we're hoping for a change." But a little peek at politics today should assure you that, while we might possibly get some sort of change, there is precious little reason for hope. Fortunately, I'm not anticipating some sort of salvation from a political source, I take to heart the words of the psalmist: "Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation." (Psa 146:3)

If you share some of my skepticism for politics, let me share a different hope ... a better hope. Paul wrote,
Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1:25-27)
Paul spoke of a "mystery", a mystery hidden from past ages, a mystery that "has now been manifested to His saints." Paul was a minister of a hidden mystery that is now abundantly clear in God's people. What is that mystery? Simply put, "Christ in you."

Politicians may promise hope and change. Political forces may even produce hope and change, although the former is not often fully realized and the latter is not always change we want. The good news is that in Christ there is the real hope, the certain change. In Christ we have the absolute certainty of glory to come. Now that is hope and change. What insures that certainty? Christ in you. We, His saints, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We have Christ in us. Christ -- the "image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15), the "head of the body" (Col 1:18), the one in whom all the fullness of the Father dwells (Col 1:19) -- lives in us.

Don't expect help from the world. It won't be coming. On the other hand, don't expect defeat, either. We have the certainty of the Son of God dwelling in us, producing absolute hope and genuine change.
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. (Psa 146:1-2)

1 comment:

Timothy said...

I feel the same way. No hope in the political system at all. Real hope in Christ alone.