This post by kathylarkman was originally published at GRACE PLACE
Sharon Durant, contributor for today’s blog
“…in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time…”
Titus 1:2c
God never lies. If he made a promise, he will keep it. It is his very nature. He cannot deny himself and act against the person that he is. The truly Good News is that, through Jesus Christ, God has demonstrated his power, authority and ability to do all those things he promised.
God is the one with the power to make all this happen, and God doesn’t lie, so since God is the one who has promised me eternal life, this is a sure and certain hope.
By contrast.
I could hope in myself for chocolate cake. It might happen. But it might not. Because I might not get off my backside and mix the ingredients. (Actually, I might not even have butter in the fridge. I think someone already finished it up.)
I could hope for my children to get fantastic degrees and become impressively intelligent and sorted adults. It might happen. But it might not. Because they are only humans and cannot control the weather tomorrow, let alone their future careers.
I can have confident hope in eternal life, though.
I can hope for an eternity with the one who loved me and gave himself for me. For certain. Because God promised it and God does not lie. He has the power, authority and ability to make it happen.
This is why the hope of heaven is more certain than the hope of chocolate cake. Because God does not lie, and he has said it will happen. He cannot stop being the faithful God he has always been and will always be (Yahweh – I am who I am and I will be who I will be). He does not lie. He cannot go against his character.
Plus! He has the power, authority and ability to make it happen. Sin wiped out – by Jesus’ blood.
God with us always – by the Holy Spirit, which God pours out on us without counting how much we’ve had, because we are abiding in Christ (or to put it simply, because we are joined to Jesus).
God’s house forevermore – by Jesus’ blood.
So today, there may not be chocolate cake. Even though chocolate cake is tangible and within my own power to make –which might make it seem more likely than heaven– I know how unreliable I am. I promise my children cake but then I get distracted and do the hoovering, watch some TV and then it’s too late to start baking. My hope in chocolate cake is misplaced because my own character and ability is so unreliable.
But I can sleep in peace tonight knowing there is definitely a confident hope of eternal life, because it depends on the character and ability of someone utterly reliable and all-powerful, who does not lie. My hope lies with God our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.