Our Hope
A few weeks ago I was sitting amongst thousands of Southern Baptists at our annual SBC pastor’s conference. Out of all the preaching I heard in those twenty-four hours, and it was a lot, there was one thing that stuck with me the most. One of the pastors began his sermon by lamenting to us that the world seems to be crumbling around us and more sinful than ever. That it has never been harder to be a Christ-follower than it is right now! That the world has never been more broken or more lost! While I agree that the world is lost and broken, I was reminded of one essential thing; the hope of Christ!
It only takes us sixty-one verses into the Bible before the world becomes broken and sinful. A page and a half in, and the perfect world is no longer perfect. Adam and Eve sinned against God, and the world has been filled with sin and brokenness ever since that day. We only have to read two more chapters before we read about the first murder; Cain killing his brother. Only six chapters in before God felt that the world was so wicked that He needed to “push reset” by bringing a worldwide flood. Testaments Old and New, are filled with sinful people. People that live for themselves, that seek worldly things that please the flesh. Even believers who fail to live a holy life (see David for examples).
It is easy for us to look around us in 2025 and feel discouraged by the state of the world around us. To think that it has never been more wicked. That the idol of “self” has never been greater. It’s true that mankind is
self-centered, wicked, and sinful; but this shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Everyone who is born into this world is born into sin; with Jesus being the only exception. The sin around us shouldn’t surprise us, but rather remind us of the hope of Christ!
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23
This is our hope! That even though we deserve death, we have life because of Christ and Christ alone. This is a free gift if we but turn from our sin, confess, and surrender to Him! This has been true for two-thousand years and it will continue to be true until Christ’s return. We don’t need to be fearful of the sinful world around us, cause we have hope in Christ. We know that every movement of God throughout history has happened in a sinful world just like ours. The Great Awakening in the 18th and 19th centuries saw the spirit of God move across the world as people sought His redemption, and that happened in a sinful world. The Billy Graham Crusades, which filled arenas throughout the 20th century, saw millions of people hear the gospel and countless souls saved through the blood of Jesus; and that happened in a sinful world. Even our own salvation stories, happened while living in a sinful world!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. - Romans 15:13
Romans 15:13 reminds us that it is through “the power of the Holy Spirit” that we have hope! I believe that the Spirit of God can move just as powerfully today as He could any day in our past.
When that moment comes, and you look around and all seems lost and hopeless, pray. Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would begin to move. Move in you and move you to spread the gospel. That He would “fill you with all joy and peace.” May He give you strength to endure. May we never forget that the power of His saving grace has not and will not diminish!
Love you and mean it!
