THE POWER OF THE CHRISTIAN HOPE

I JOHN 3:1

A. "AND EVERYONE THAT HATH THIS HOPE IN HIM PURIFIETH HIMSELF, EVEN AS HE IS PURE"
  1. To John, the Christian hope was:
    1. Paramount - excelling all other ambitions
    2. It is active and very powerful
  2. Its high aim is:
    1. Purification of the believer
    2. It sees its pattern in Jesus Christ the Son of the living God B. THE CHARACTER OF THIS CHRISTIAN HOPE
  3. The Christian has a peculiar hope to himself:
    1. It is the hope of being like Jesus; "We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is"
    2. Now some would not put it that way; they would hope to walk the streets of gold, pass within the pearly gates; listen to the harpers harping with their harps
    3. But such a hope is based upon the gratification of self - Matt. 15:5-6
    4. One of the greatest fallacies under which men live is hoping for heaven when they are themselves out of sympathy with heaven
  4. The Christian hope goes beyond the present life:
    1. It is set on God - Col. 3:2
    2. It is unworldly, does not appeal to mercenary instinct
    3. Its motives are high and pure; note how high its aim is, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there by any praise, think on these things" - Phil. 4:8
    4. If the future is not a hope it will be a fear, that simply means, that if the future is without hope, then Christians are of all men most miserable
  5. The operation of Christian hope:
    1. The Christian hope has a purifying power
    2. The influence and power of the Holy Spirit brings about a process of purification in the lives of the Christian believers - 2 Cor. 7:1-3
    3. This hope will supply courage and strength to all who have a living relationship with the God of our hope C. LET US CONSIDER, IN CLOSING, THE PATTERNS OF THIS HOPE
  6. Jesus Christ is the pattern:
  7. Paul states this truth in these graphic words, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" - Heb. 12:1-2
  8. The pattern is an everlasting challenge:
    1. The promise of likeness to Christ, does not mean that we shall be free from temptation automatically
    2. So long as we are in this present world we will be subject to temptation, but we need not yield to it
  9. This raises the question - how is our purification affected:
    1. The answer is and must ever be, purification of character is the work of the Holy Spirit "Not by might, or by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord" - Zech. 4:6
    2. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin John 16:6-8; Examples: Think of what happened on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:37; 5:33; it was the Holy Spirit that cut the Jews to the heart when Stephen preached Acts 7:54
  10. The outpouring of the later rain will bring about complete transformation of character in the lives of God's remnant people:
    1. There will be searching of hearts as it was during the ten days preceding the Pentecost Acts 1:12-14
    2. There will be a definite contrition among God's people; deep sorrow because of sin; if that were not so why would they cry to God day and night?
    3. This experience will come before probation closes - Rev. 22:10-12


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