The Hope of the Church

The Hope of the Church THE HOPE OF THE CHURCH
John H. Banister

It was hope, more than anything else, that gave the Apostolic church faith, courage, assurance, and joy in the midst of severe persecution and martyrdom. To the early Christians, hope was more than a religious subject to be studied and discussed; it was a real, living, and vital thing. The abounding joy, indomitable heroism, unquenchable zeal, and conquering faith which characterized them were possible only because they looked past their present circumstances and saw the “hope beyond the veil.” It was this hope which proved to be the real anchor of their souls in all life’s trials and tribulations! The Apostolic Christians abounded in hope and, when everything else was lost, they clung tenaciously to it. They rejoiced in their hope. In a world of suffering and martyrdom they were supremely happy because they knew that things would be better “farther along,” and that eventually they would be in glory with the Lord! In these times of fear, doubt, and unrest, we Christians need to capture this blessed hope. So many of the professed followers of Christ are living in sadness, sorrow, worry, doubt, and fear, all because hope is not as real, to us as it should be. We are of all men most miserable if we fail to utilize to the full this precious hope. The hope of the Apostolic church was three-fold. They hoped for their Lord’s return; for their resurrection after death; and for heaven their eternal home. This three-fold hope is emphasized in Paul’s famous passage to the Thes- salonians: “But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). In this passage note that Paul assures them that “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven”: that when this takes place “the dead in Christ shall rise first,” and after that “we shall ever be with the Lord” in heaven! The Apostolic Christians were absolutely certain of the second coming of Christ. This was the “blessed hope” to which they looked forward with anticipation (Titus 2:13). Christ had told them that he would some day return for them (Jno. 14:1-3) and, at his ascension, the angels had promised that Jesus would come again! They believed this and all their hopes were based on it. Many of them expected Christ to come even in their day. To them the second coming of Christ was not a subject merely for religious debate; rather it was a living, vital hope that caused them to count all things as loss for the sake of Christ. Though they knew not the hour of his return, they lived as though every hour would be that hour—as though every day would be their last day on earth! They watched and prayed unto the coming of the Lord. Like the wise virgins, they endeavoured to keep their lamps trimmed and burning bright so as to be ready when the Lord returned! Christ’s coming was so real to them, that they ceased to be overly interested in this world. They became increasingly interested in the next world realizing that their real treasures were in heaven and not on earth. Like Abraham, they realized they were “strangers and pilgrims” on the earth and they looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. This they desired and for this they worked and prayed! They knew this world was not their home and that material things could not give the bliss and satisfaction for which they sighed. Because of this blessed hope of meeting Christ, they set their affections on things above and not on things on the earth. They sought the things above and looked not at the things which were seen but at the things which were not seen. To them this world was only a temporary stopping, place. Their real home was with Christ in heaven and, in their earthly sojourn, they never forgot that they were marching to Zion! The Apostolic Christians had more than the hope of Christ’s return to cheer them! They had the hope of the resurrection as well! Death was abroad in the land. Many of them became martyrs and others knew that, ere long, they too, would go the way of all the earth. Though they faced the ordeal of death, they were assured of a glorious resurrection! Jesus Christ had been raised and he was the first fruits of the dead. Though in Adam all mankind had died, yet in Christ all would be made alive. This was their hope. Because Christ lived, they would live also. They believed that death, to Christians, was not a defeat, but a victory; not a loss, but a gain. Death would be a promotion, an advancement to a better state! Beyond death was life—life eternal! To depart was to be with Christ and, to them, this was “very far better.” They had no fear of death. Though the earthly house of their tabernacle would be dissolved, all was not lost. They would have something better, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens! In the resurrection they would experience a glorious change. Though sown in corruption, their bodies would be raised in incorruption. Though sown in dishonor, they would be raised in glory. Though SQwn in weakness, they would be raised in power. Though sown as natural bodies, they would be raised as spiritual bodies. As they had in life borne the image of the earthly, they confidently believed they would some day bear the image of the hea-venly ! Whether they died or remained alive unto the coming of the Lord, they knew that they would experience this glorious change. If dead, they would be instantly raised at Christ’s coming. If alive, they would be immediately changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. This change was absolutely necessary, for they knew that the corruptible must put on incorruption and the mortal must put on immortality. Of this future change these early Christians had not one doubt. Because of this they rose above the fear of death and, when facing it, died with the assurance that they were falling “asleep in Jesus” soon to waken “on the happy golden shore, where the faithful part no more.” They knew the time would come when death would be swallowed up in victory. They believed that death would eventually lose its sting and the grave its power. With this triumphant assurance, they shouted the hallelujah, “Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.” In this hope they exaulted and because of it they were steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. They knew that their labors and sufferings would not be in vain in the Lord. Because of this hope they courageously faced death and patiently waited the time when it would blossom into glorious fruition (Romans 8:23-25). The Apostolic Christians had a third hope to inspire them, the hope of heaven. The second coming of Christ and the resurrection would have been of little comfort to them without this hope of heaven. Whether one wants to live eternally or not, depends on the kind of life to be lived there. Under some conditions life is unbearable and not worth living. Endless life would not be attractive if it were nothing but eternal misery, sorrow, and shame! God, however, did not promise them such a life as this! Rather he promised them, and all faithful Christians, eternal life, ihis means more than endless life, it is life in its fulness, life at its best. Heaven is to be a place of perfection, of happiness, and of holiness. It is to be a place where the spirits of just men are made perfect. It is to be an eternal city, a better country, a new garden of Eden, a sabbath rest for the people of God. Moreover, heaven is an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and a place that fades not away smce it is reserved for all who are guarded by the power of God through faith! This the early Christians believed. To them heaven was a very real and distinct place which Jesus had gone to prepare and to which he would some day bring them. They therefore looked forward with joy to the time when they would spend eternity in heaven with God, Christ, and the redeemed of all ages. Because heaven was so real to them, they lost much of their interest in material and secular things and developed an “other-worldliness’ which constantly beckoned them on to their eternal reward. Because of this hope, they cheerfully and patiently endured persecutions, sorrows, trials, and tribulations. Their earthly afflictions were light, and but for a moment, but they would work for them an eternal weight of glory. Because of this they felt that their present sufferings were not worthy to be compared with the glory which was to be revealed in heaven. This hope of heaven caused these primitive Christians to live pure lives, for they wanted to be like Christ and see him as he is (1 John 3:2-3). It caused them to greatly rejoice in a world of suffering and sorrow (Romans 5:3). It brought comfort and assurance in the hour of bereavement for they did not sorrow as those who had no hope. It caused them to count all earthly things as but loss for the exalted privilege of gaining Christ and being found standing in his righteousness at the last day. The church of today must capture the hope of the Apos-tolic church if it is to effectively accomplish its mission in the world. Individual Christians, too, must do the same if they would overcome their worries and fears! The only cure for worldliness is to get Christians to set their hopes and affections on heaven and the life beyond. When this is done, worldly things will cease to attract and entice. The only cure for the gross materialism—the striving for things of a material nature—that now pervades the church and threatens its spirituality, is1 to get Christians to realize the transient and unsatisfying nature of things material and the eternal and satisfying nature of things spiritual. The only cure for worry is to get Christians so absorbed in spiritual and heavenly things that secular and material things will matter but little. To teach them, through prayer and trust, to cast all their anxiety on the Lora and find his peace that passeth all understanding! If we Christians today would overcome our fears—fear's of poverty, war, sickness, old age, death, etc.—we must, l5ke the Apostolic Christians, have a triumphant faith, fervent love, and abounding hope of the life beyond this veil of tears. To lose our interest »n things of the flesh, we must cultivate an interest in things of the spirit. To lose our love for material things, we must fall m love with spiritual things. To be absorbed in heaven and eternal life, we must lose, to the extent of subordinating it, our interest in this world.

We members of the. church should live every day as though it were our last day on earth; as though Christ were coming now! We should live each day with the thought that life is short, death is certain, and the judgment is sure. Though it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment, we Christians need have no fear of the outcome. If we are living for Christ, if we are faithful, God in his mercy will save us and give us an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom above. This is the hope of the church, this is the hope of every true Christian.