The Living Hope

The Living Hope

In hope (or in faith) we have an imperishable and undefiled inheritance that does not fade away, an everlasting and eternally active inheritance. The glory of this inheritance is manifold and indescribably great.

When it comes to gold and goods, we will lawfully have an abundance of it in all eternity, using it correctly and perfectly with a good conscience. We will forever delight in working with it to everyone’s satisfaction, in purity and in goodness.

If we think of honor and power, God Himself will give us true and everlasting honor that no one will be able to take away from us, or even attempt to. God Himself will also allocate power to us according to our faithfulness, setting us on thrones as kings and priests for all eternity together with Christ; not out of a desire for power, a desire to rule, or a thirst for revenge (there will be an end to all sin forever), but we will rule in purity and goodness, in righteousness and wisdom, in the best interests and to the satisfaction of everyone.

If we think we are going to have everything according to our own desires, our own taste, and our own will, this is just how it will be for all eternity; for we are partakers of divine nature, and there will be nothing left of our old nature when we are given our divine, glorified body, and a new heaven and a new earth will have been created. Then our will and desire and taste will be in harmony with God’s will. That His will is done will then be the same as our will being done. We will enjoy life to the fullest in a pure and good and godly manner.

In Hebrews 10:34, it says that they joyfully accepted the plundering of their goods, knowing that they had a better and an enduring possession. This is simple and uncomplicated, straightforward and easy; it is a simple mathematical calculation. Everything is relative. What they lost was nothing compared to what they had left over, namely, an everlasting, incomparably great and better possession. Relatively speaking, the goods they had lost to plunder were so insignificant and modest that they joyfully accepted it. Just as a multi-millionaire has good reason to smile when he loses two pennies, so they must have smiled when they were being plundered.

When hope is living and present at the relevant moment, then we react in the same way as the Hebrews did at that time. But if it is only a theory, if we possess only the knowledge of it and, only occasionally (for example, when we are at a meeting), then what will be revealed in such situations is something totally different from joy!

Jesus was also of the same mind. We see this plainly in Hebrews 12:2. He patiently endured the cross, despising the shame for the joy that was set before Him; in other words, for the living hope. It was a living hope that gave the Hebrews this victory, and it was also a living hope that was decisive in Jesus Himself being victorious throughout His life!

We are hoping for a heavenly, glorified body so we will not grow weary while serving. If we are somewhat or possibly quite limited in our physical strength on this earth, we will be “multi-millionaires” in strength over there! If we remember this, we will only smile when we have to rest because we are tired or when we have to leave something undone on this earth.

If we are alone and forsaken, lacking someone with whom we can have intimate fellowship and with whom we can converse, then the thought of our high and holy calling as the bride of Jesus Christ gives us amazing strength and joy that amply outweighs the loss! Imagine—being His bride: the most intimate one of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, throughout eternity!!! There will be a heart-to-heart relationship and conversations that will be astounding!!!

What does it matter if someone takes our goods on this earth, seeing that we are so rich over there! What does it matter if someone robs us of some honor here, seeing that we are so rich in honor over there? What does it matter if we do not have real power on this earth, seeing that we will have such great power in eternity! What does it matter if we do not receive what we desire on this earth, according to our will, when nothing will stand in our way over there? What does it matter if we, because of a weak body, are cut off from so much down here, seeing that we will have a glorified body that never gets tired over there? What does it matter if we are lonesome and forsaken during our entire life down here, seeing that we will be Jesus’ bride—His most intimate one—for all eternity over there?

I hope we are much more than multi-millionaires in everything that we can lose and in everything of which we can be plundered in this world. If hope is living and present at all times, this word will be fulfilled in us: “That they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10. Then Satan’s power, which seeks to influence us through everything that is of this world, is crushed under our feet, and in Christ Jesus we will go triumphantly through everything to which others succumb. Our heart and mind will then be high above all the quarrelling and strife in this world about money, honor, power, self-will, and a good life. Then we can enter into Jesus’ steps with joy. Rom. 15:13.