The Hope Within

Wayne Matthews

June 4, 2016

Welcome, everybody, to this seventh-day Sabbath.

The title of today's sermon is The Hope Within.

The word "hope" actually comes from two words. Its overall meaning is "to wait for," or "to look eagerly for," which is another way of looking at it, "a cord to measure something, to tie together." It's actually about an expectation of things longed for or desired for. So, really, the hope, that what lies within us, really is something based on a spiritual level. Because people have hope in life. They say they hope for something or a lot of people use the term "wish." "I wish for." Well, "wish for" and "hope" are not the same thing at all. The hope that we have is based on God's word. And that's the key difference. There are different types of hope within mankind. We hope for something because it's based on fact because it's based on God's word.

So the word "hope," when we read it, when we look at it, we see it differently than someone else. Someone may hope to win the lottery; in other words, to be wealthy. They hope to be wealthy or they wish to be wealthy or they desire to be wealthy. Well, that is a hope that they have, but it's based on a false foundation because the possibility of that happening is very, very remote. Where our hope is actually based on God's word; it's based on fact. We hope for the return of Jesus Christ. It's based on fact. We have faith in Jesus Christ. We have faith that God will send Jesus Christ. Well, it's all based on God's word; it's based on fact. It's a reality. So we hope for something and it's all based on God's word. It's not just something willy-nilly. It's not based on an emotion or a feeling. It's all based on a solid foundation.

We wait for the return of Jesus Christ. We eagerly look for the return of Jesus Christ because it's based on fact. It's based on God's word. We have an expectation that God will send Jesus Christ back to this earth. We hope in it and we have faith in it. Hope is the confidence or an expectation based on God's word, like "to hope in God." We "put our trust in God," we hope in God that God will fulfill what He has said within us. Whether it actually happens within us or to us is based on our choice.

Now, we're going to look at this word "hope" as we go through the scriptures because there are different definitions that come out based on what God has said about the word "hope." We'll start in Job 27:6-11.

Job 27:6. We're reading this based on the fact that we do understand that Job is in his own righteousness, which is his self-righteousness. It's not the righteousness of God. It's not God living and dwelling in him. It's his own integrity or his own way of seeing things. But it's not based on God's holy spirit living and dwelling in him. Verse 6—My righteousness I hold fast, which is, "What I believe, what I think, my integrity," in other words, "I'm right. Everything I'm doing is right." And he can't see any wrong within himself. My righteousness I hold fast, and I will not let go. "I'm not going to give up on my opinion about this matter. My heart, "my inner thinking," shall not reproach me, in other words, it won't criticise myself, as long as I live. Because "I'm right. Everyone else, they're doing it wrong. But I'm not. I'm obeying God's law. I am right in my own eyes. I am self-righteous." He doesn't know that but he's saying, "I'm right. I'm doing everything right according to God's word."

Verse 7—May my enemy be like the wicked, and he who rises up against me like the unrighteous. They're not obedient to God. For what is the hope of the hypocrite… Now, it's an interesting question, really, because what is the hope of the hypocrite? Now, Job in his own self-righteousness, he sees himself as being right or right in his own eyes. So he sees his hope as being in God. He hopes in God. He trusts in God. So his hope is different than someone that doesn't trust in God or rely on God. So he's asking this question, For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he may gain much, he may gain a lot to himself from what he does, if God takes away his life? God is going to intervene into his life and he will lose his life at some point in time. If God takes away his life, what is his hope? He doesn't have any because he's been destroyed.

Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him? Well, Job would say, "Well, no, he doesn't, because he doesn't have a relationship with God, therefore, God will not intervene into his life to save him. God will actually take his life."

Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Well, no, he won't because he doesn't turn to God. He doesn't know God. Will he always call on God? Well, no, he won't. So the hope of the hypocrite, Job is saying there is no hope. There is no hope because God is not going to intervene into his life to protect him.

I will teach you about the hand of God. From this we can see that mankind can have hope, but that hope is futile because it's not based on God's word and they don't have a relationship with God so that God can intervene and deliver the hope, the hope of whatever that may be according to God's word. Where we, brethren, have been called in hope. We have a hope within us. We're going to look at that real hope in future scriptures. But we have a hope. Well, Job said he had a hope. He trusted in God, he believed God, and he had this hope in God. Well, we have this hope in God based on God's holy spirit. Job had it based on his own reasoning, and at an appointed time he did come to the point where he did see the true hope, the hope in God's word because he saw that he was nothing. God provided him His holy spirit so that he could "see" things in a spiritual level.

Well, we can look at things on a physical level, about all the hopes that mankind has, like they hope for peace. Well, it's not real. It's a false hope because it's based on the natural carnal mind. We have a hope for peace but it's based on God's word. We have this hope for the return of Jesus Christ and then the millennial rule of Jesus Christ and the 144,000. We have this hope of the removal of Satan. Well, these are all strong hopes. They are spiritual hopes. They are real because they're based on God's word. Where mankind doesn't have the same hope. He sees his hope in himself. He hopes that the United Nations will bring peace, for example, in Syria or wherever. That's man's hope. Well, our hope isn't the same. They are poles apart because ours are based on fact.

Let's look at Job 8:11-14—Can the papyrus grass grow without a marsh? Because it needs water. The answer to this, really, is no, because the grass grows in a marsh and it needs all that moisture to grow. So can it grow without a marsh? The answer is, no. It could grow in a pot if it was watered. Can the reeds flourish without water? The answer is, no, it'll wither up and die. While it is yet green and not cut down, it withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God. So the outcome of anybody who rejects God is they're going to wither, they're going to shrink up, they're going to die. Because this is about life and death, which is the previous sermon series we went through. Because anybody that leaves God out of the picture, they will wither up like the papyrus grass because they're not having the power of God's holy spirit flowing through them. The reeds won't flourish because they don't have water, and water being symbolic of God's holy spirit. So without God's holy spirit the outcome is they will wither and they will die. And, "so are the paths of all who forget God." Anybody who cuts God out of the picture, anybody who bases their hope and their foundation on anything other than God's word, fact, and truth, they are going to wither up and die. They're going to rely on themselves rather than relying on God.

Continuing on in verse 13—And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish. Because it's not based on God's word. The hypocrite, someone who is acting out something, who is relying on the natural carnal mind, who has his double standard in life (in other words, relying on self, they're lying and they're deceptive), their hope is based on their own selfishness. Their hope is based on mankind, the natural carnal mind. And what is the outcome? Well, God has said clearly in His word, which is based on fact, "The hope of the hypocrite," anybody without God's holy spirit, not relying on this flow of God's holy spirit into their life, not repented of sin, who is committing the unpardonable sin (which is this rejecting God, rejecting the flow of the water, rejecting the flow of God's holy spirit into their life) "they shall perish." Yes, they will face a second death.

Verse 14—Whose confidence shall be cut off, and whose trust is in a spider's web, which is like a spider's house – can be easily broken. It can't rely on that because something can just knock it down, it can be blown down, a branch can hit it. Or a hand can knock it down. Anybody can walk through it. Because it's not trustworthy. You can't rely on it. It's not going to hold together. It's a false hope. Because a spider's web, really, has a strength within itself, but compared to other things it is so weak; it doesn't have any real strength. So there is no confidence in the spider's web. We can't trust in the spider's web because it's easily broken. Our hope and our trust is in God and it's based on God's word.

Job 11:20, just over a couple pages. Job 11:20, just picking up a thought process here. Job 11:20—But the eyes of the wicked will fail. Now, "the eyes" is things that they desire, they look to, "they're going to fail." It's not going to be fulfilled. …and they shall not escape, because the wicked will not escape the punishment. The only way to escape a punishment is repentance, because other than that, they're going to face a punishment. They're going to face an outcome. Now, the wicked, and their hope, what they desire, what they hope for – which is based on a false foundation – what is the outcome of this? Loss of life! The breathing will lose their life. Because there is a choice here. It's life and death. So the wicked, anyone who has this hope and foundation based on things of the natural carnal mind, well, all that is going to fail and they won't escape the punishment of this desiring to have a relationship with something other than God. And the hope that they have, which is all based on the natural carnal mind, it is going to have an outcome. Well, their hope in the end, the deliverance of that hope (it's not going to happen), what's going to happen to them? They will lose their life because it's based on a wrong foundation.

Our hope is based on God's word. That is the difference.

Psalm 31:23. And this Psalm covers the aspect of who we really are and where we put our true hope, what we believe in and what we have hope for. And we're going to look at that at Hebrews, about faith and hope and how they're connected. Here is David saying something with regards to hope. Verse 23—Oh, love the Eternal, all you His saints! Referring to us, brethren. We are begotten sons of God. We have been called out of this world. We're part of the Body of Christ. If we have God's holy spirit living and dwelling in us we are to, "Love the Eternal, all you His saints." Well, we love God and we demonstrate that love by having faith, which is believing God. Because faith is simply believing God's word. What God says, we believe it. And we hope in God's word. We hope in God, that God will deliver it to us at some point in time. That is our hope.

For the Eternal preserves the faithful, those that are faithful are those that are obedient to God, those who are disciplining the self, and they're faithful. To be faithful is simply to believe God and implement that belief into our life. Now, to be faithful, for example, on the Sabbath. We believe God's word. That means we have faith. And God talks about the Sabbath, the seventh-day Sabbath, that we are to rest on a physical level and on a spiritual level so that we can be fed by God's holy spirit. Well, we love God, "all you His saints. For the Eternal preserves." God looks after, "the faithful." If we are implementing the truth into our life we are being faithful to God. We won't rebel against God. We won't go against God. We won't be unfaithful. We'll be commandment keepers. We'll be Sabbath keepers. And we'll be working on ourselves, disciplining ourselves. Well, God says He will preserve us on a spiritual level. Powered by God's holy spirit we will remain alive spiritually. Even though we're physically alive now, there is a spiritual life within us. We have the down payment of God's holy spirit, which is life. It's here with us now with the hope that we'll be given true life in the future, spirit life in the future. Now, that is the hope that lies within us. We hope for a new life, a second life as a spirit being. That is our hope. That's what lies within us. That's why we are faithful. That's why we are obedient. Because we love God and we desire to have God live and dwell in us for eternity.

Continuing on in verse 23—For the Eternal preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. So here we have two ways – faithful or unfaithful. Humility, which is to do with faithfulness, and pride, which is to do with being unfaithful. Well, either way there's a reward. One leads to life. The other one leads to death.

Verse 24—Be of good courage. So be very confident about this, about God's word, having this hope in God. ....and He shall strengthen your heart, which is your inner thinking, powered by God's holy spirit, all you who hope in the Eternal. Now, we hope in God. We hope in God's word. And our hope, the hope that lies within us is that at some point in time God will honor His word in our life.

Now, God is going to do what He said. God is going to give spirit life to those that are faithful and who endure to the end. Those that have this hope will be rewarded. Now, if we lose this hope, we then go back to the natural carnal mind, and therefore, God will still implement His word in the person's life, because God's word is fact, God's word is true. We hope in that. We also understand that if we lose that hope in God, which means we're not going to be faithful and we're going to go the other way, we're going to rely on our own understanding, we're going to become proud, well, there is an outcome. We hope in God for something that God has said He is going to give. He's going to give spirit life to those who love Him and who are faithful to Him, who have humbled themselves and have fought the fight and endured to the end. Well, that is our hope. We hope in God's word. We don't hope and rely on the physical things of life because they're all temporary and they're going. Our desire and our hope is in God, that He will honor His word in our life. Now, He's going to do it. Whether or not it happens in our life is our choice based on the decisions we make in life.

Hebrews 11:1. We're going to look at the connection between faith and hope. If we look at the word hope, hope is based on what can happen according to God's word, and it is not wishful thinking. Now, one way to look at this would be if we had a hope that Europe wouldn't unite, well, that's not hope. That's just someone with carnal mind wishful thinking. Because we have a hope based on God's word. God has said it will. Well, it's going to happen. Well, that's our hope. We have this hope within because we know the outcome. If Europe unites, as God has said that it's going to happen, and therefore, if we don't hope that it's going to happen, we're hoping against God. We've got a desire against God's word. Therefore, all our hope, the hope that lies within us must be based on fact. It must be based on God's word. And if God said something is going to happen, why would we hope against it?

Hope is based on the confidence that God can and will deliver what He states. So we have this hope. We have the hope in the return of Jesus Christ because we have this confidence that God will deliver what He has said. Now, trust is to believe in God's power to deliver the hope, or the expectation which is based on God's word. Whereas faith is believing God's word and then living it. In other words, implementing it into our life.

Now, with that context between the three, because they are connected, we're just going to read Hebrews 11:1. And it comes into a greater clarity for us if we keep this in mind. Faith is believing God's word (what God has said) and implementing it or living it; we're actually doing it. For example, the Sabbath. We believe God's word. We are commanded to rest on the seventh-day physically but also spiritually, for our benefit. Because God created the Sabbath for our benefit. Well, faith is believing God's word. We believe He did that and He created the Sabbath. Well, then we implement it into our life. We then live it. Living God's word is faith. We believe God. We have this confidence and belief in God's word.

Let's look at Hebrews 11:1—Now faith, or this conviction that we have, is the substance, or the confidence, the confidence in God's word, of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We don't see the return of Jesus Christ because it hasn't happened yet, therefore, we have faith in God's word that He will deliver it, and we wait for it, we hope for it because it's the evidence of things not seen. It hasn't been delivered yet. So we have faith that God is going to do it, and our hope is that it's soon. That's the two joined together.

For by it, faith, which is that conviction and that's why they live their life the way they did, because they were convicted of it, because they believed God's word. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. They lived what they believed. Now, they hoped for things. Because they hoped for it, based on God's word, they lived their faith.

By faith, which is that conviction of the things and the confidence they had in God's word, By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, because it came from God's thinking, so that the things which are seen, which is all the physical, were not made of things which are visible, which is they were made by a spirit being. So it was brought into a creation. That's what we believe. We believe God's word. Because God said He did it, we believe Him and we have this faith because of it.

I won't turn there, but in Habakkuk 2:4 it says, But the just, which is somebody who believes in God's word, has God's holy spirit, shall live by his faith. Now, we believe God's word, therefore, we live our life a particular way. We live our life believing God, and therefore, we see what God has promised (which has not been delivered yet), well, we hope to be part of that. That's our hope that lies within us. We know God is going to do it. We believe it. But it doesn't mean to say that we are going to be part of it, because if we don't have God's holy spirit, if we're not doing the things that we're supposed to be doing, which is remaining faithful, well, we will lose our hope. But we have the hope that God will deliver what He said to us individually. But whether it happens to us or not, well, it's based on our choices and our relationship with God, what we do, what choices we make. And we hope for something that we don't see yet, because we can't see it. We cannot see the return of Jesus Christ. We cannot see living in the Millennium. We can see it in our mind's eye, but it hasn't happened yet. But we hope for it. We have the confidence it's going to happen.

Ephesians 4:1-6—I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling for which you were called. We have a calling from God the Father and we've been invited by Him into a relationship with Him. We are, therefore, students of God. We're not worthy of and by ourselves, but God has called us to come into this relationship with Him. And here Paul is beseeching us to walk worthy, or to walk in a worthy manner because of the calling. So "to walk worthy of the calling which you were called." So we've been called by God the Father into a relationship with Him and a relationship with Jesus Christ and a relationship with one another in the Body. And we should be walking a particular way, which is to walk in a worthy manner. So it's the way we walk, the way we live our life, in other words. Because to walk worthy is to live our life a particular way. Now, to walk worthy is also to have faith. Because if we've got faith we will live our life a particular way. We believe God, therefore, we live our life a particular way. Well, living our life a particular way, which is in obedience to God's word based on fact, we are walking worthy or we're walking in a worthy manner before God, because it's to do with our behaviors and how we live our life and how we develop attitudes about things. Because we can develop attitudes about things in a wrong way. They're not working worthy according to God's word. They can be our own attitudes or the world’s attitudes towards situations. Where God has called us to have an attitude about things based on God's word, not on our own understanding.

Verse 2. And how are we to live our life or to walk in this worthy manner? What attitudes should we have? Verse 2—with all lowliness, which is an attitude of mind, which is one of humility, with gentleness, with longsuffering, which is to have this patience about things. And it's all based on God's word. It's not based on human emotion; it’s all based on God's word. …bearing with one another in love, which is God's holy spirit living and dwelling in us. So if we are walking worthy or we are walking in a worthy manner or living our faith, we'll be doing these things. We will be humble before God and humble before mankind. We will have this attitude of gentleness and meekness. We will be patient. We won't be trying to get our own way. And we will be forbearing, or bearing with one another, which is this attitude that we've got about reality. We're allowing for the differences of who we really are. Because there are hundreds of ways to do the same thing, and they can all be right. Whether somebody eats a particular food and another person says, "I like that, and I don't like that." Well, all irrelevant. Well, this is that longsuffering and walking together and knowing who we really are, knowing we are begotten sons of God and we've been called into a relationship with God all for a purpose, which is this hope that lies within us. The purpose of life. We're living life for a reason and we're living a life in hope. We have a hope for ourselves.

Now, the hope within us, really, is about spirit life. Because we hope in a resurrection. We hope for the return of Jesus Christ so the 144,000 will be resurrected. It's going to happen. When we look at life, our hope is that at some point in time God will say to us, "Now I know you," and we will be given life at some point in time. That is a hope that lies within us. It's all to do with a resurrection to a spirit life.

Verse 3—endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, which is referring to this attitude that we have to have towards one another, which is about being at peace or a oneness of mind. Same purpose. Same will. Same mind. Same attitude. Here we are living what we believe.

There is one body, one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling. Well, what is the "one hope of our calling?" It's to do with salvation. Our hope is that we will be saved from what we are at some point in time. The reason we are called is to be saved. The only reason we're called is to be saved, to be saved from what we are. To be called means we're on this path of salvation. And what happens? The one Body, the Body of Christ, we have the one spirit, the spirit of God living and dwelling in us, just as you were called in one hope, the one hope is salvation. The hope of a resurrection. The hope of spirit life. That is the one hope of your calling. …one Lord, Jesus Christ, one faith, one belief system. We have faith. Well, there's only one faith. The one faith is living what God has said we should do – not having faith in something that is false – having faith in the truth, having faith in God, believing God's word, what God says.

Therefore, someone can have faith in the world, which is a belief system. For example, Catholics have faith. It's not based on fact. It's not based on God's word. It's still a faith. It's a false one, but it's still a faith; it's something they do. Now, what do they do? They live what they believe. Well, how do they do it? Well, they go to church (so-called), they go to a building to (so-called) worship God (not that it is worshipping God) and they go there on a Sunday. They live what they believe, and they believe that going to church on the first day of the week, going to a building and kneeling down and doing all these signs and saying all these words, they believe that it'll get them into heaven and they'll avoid purgatory and hell and all that other stuff. Well, that's their faith.

But God says there's only one faith. It's either the first day of the week or it's God's Sabbath, according to God's word, what God said He created things, six days, and rested on the seventh and implemented the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Well, that is faith. We either believe God or we don't. So we have true faith because we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, one Savior. We believe in one belief system. We have faith in God's word. And one baptism, not sprinkling of water and all the other things they do. No, one baptism based on repentance, based on spiritual repentance. That is the one baptism. …one God, Yahweh Elohim, and Father of all, the Creator of all things. The Creator of Jesus Christ. The Creator of all the universe. The Creator of all mankind. The Creator of the spirit realm. The Creator of spirit beings. …who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Powered by God's holy spirit, that's exactly what can happen.

So there is one hope of our calling, and that hope is salvation. That at some point in time we'll be given spirit life. And that, really, is the purpose of life, to be given spirit life at a point in time. What an incredible hope!

Now, mankind can't have this hope. They hope in lots of things. Often we will see funerals in society and people will say all sorts of things, and their hope (it's a false hope), is that the person that's dead has gone up to heaven. And they look up in the air and they say things or they go to the grave and talk to the person. That's their hope. It's a false hope. But they do have hope. But it's a false hope. It's based on a lie. Where our hope is based on the calling that we've been given, which is to do with the hope of salvation. They don't have the hope of salvation. They may hope lots of different things.

Well, we, brethren, are so fortunate that we have the true hope, because it's spiritual in design. And we have the hope, we believe God's word, and we hope that those things that God has promised will be given to us at a point in time. And we understand that it is based on our choices.

Psalm 119:162—I rejoice at Your word, talking about God's word, as one who finds great treasure. Because it is so valuable. We see that this is an opportunity to believe God and we rejoice at God's word because we "see" it and understand it because of the power of God's holy spirit, and we do "as one who finds great treasure." We rejoice in this. It's an incredible thing that we've been given the truth. I hate and abhor lying, which is the pride of life. We hate it. We despise it. We don't want anything to do with it. But I love Your law. We enjoy God's instructions. We desire God's instructions. We desire to hear what God has for us. And as we see now more and more being given to the Church, greater understandings been given to the truth, we can see a separation between truth and lying. And within us we hate and we abhor, we just despise lying. We despise pride. We're sick of it. And we're only doing that because of the power of God's holy spirit when it lives in us, that we choose to yield to it. "But I love Your law." We love God's ways. We want God's way to come to this world. We want God's law to be given to mankind. We want God's law, which is God's instructions, the truth to be given to mankind. We desire it. We love it within ourselves. We rejoice at the truth. We're excited by it. But we hate to see what's going on in the world and we hate this within our own selves. The times that we do lie or exaggerate, well, we reject it. And the way we reject it is through repentance.

Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments, because of God's word. Great peace have those who love Your law, because we're implementing it into our life and it brings this peace of mind. We are at peace because we know the future. We're at peace. We're at peace within ourselves because we are in a state of repentance. And we have this because we love God's law, because we're yielding to God's law, because of the power of God's holy spirit in us, and we're yielding our spirit to God's spirit. We enjoy God's instructions and we want God to live and dwell in us, and therefore, there is this peace, because we're not subject to the penalty of sin because of our repentance because God has granted it to us. And nothing causes them to stumble. Because any time we do stumble in the way we sin we repent. Well, we get back up, therefore, we're not down, we're not out, we're not in a state of non-repentance. We're in a state of repentance, therefore, nothing will cause us to fall where we can't get up. We can always repent. Now, this always is done by the power of God's holy spirit, by us yielding to God's spirit.

Verse 166—LORD, I hope for Your salvation. Now, this is the hope that lies within us. "I hope," you hope "for God's salvation." We want to be delivered. We know that if we repent God will deliver us from the wages of sin, which is death. "The Eternal, Great God, Yahweh Elohim, I hope." So the word here is "to wait, to be patient." Hope is the confidence, the outcome of God's word, which is, we hope in God. Because God says something, it will be delivered. So God says He will deliver us from sin. God says if we repent we will be forgiven, therefore, "I hope in Your salvation." I do Your commandments. My life keeps Your testimonies, I love them exceedingly. If we are in a state of repentance we have this hope in God's word. "I hope for Your salvation." We desire to be saved. That's what we hope for. The hope that lies within us is this very scripture here, Psalm 119:166, "The Eternal, Yahweh Elohim, I hope for Your salvation." We desire to be delivered. We desire to be delivered from what we are. And that's our hope. And God says this hope is real, it's genuine, because it's based on fact. Where God has said He will deliver us, He will save us, well, that's our hope that it applies to us. Well, it will be given to us if we endure to the end and we remain faithful and we have the faith of Jesus Christ living and dwelling in us.

So when we look at this scripture where it says, "LORD, I hope for Your salvation," it's really saying that he is watching and waiting patiently to be delivered. And that's what we do. We are patiently waiting to be delivered. We desire this deliverance for all mankind. And now, that is a good hope. That's a righteous hope because it's based on God's word. And God says He is offering salvation to mankind in a point of time. Well, it's going to happen. Well, we have that same hope. We have that hope for our family. We have that hope for all mankind, that at some point they will be offered deliverance. And God says He will offer it and it's up to them whether or not they want to accept what God's word says, the truth. It's up to them. They have a choice to make. Well, we hope for God's salvation in our life and we're in the Church now for the point of salvation. And therefore, we are desiring to be changed, to be changed to spirit.

Titus 1:1-3. This scripture is written by Paul, and it's encouraging brethren to stay focused on God's way of life, which is referring to the truth, and therefore, what the truth leads to, this obedience to God's word and what it really leads to. Titus 1:1—Paul, a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth, which is about what we believe. We acknowledge the truth, and therefore, if we acknowledge the truth, we implement that truth into our life, therefore, we live what we believe. We have faith. That's what faith is, living what we believe. …acknowledgement of the truth, which is according to godliness, which is the way that we live, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. This is the hope that lies within us, the hope of eternal life or everlasting life as a spirit being with Jesus Christ. That is our hope. "In the hope of eternal life which God," Yahweh Elohim who cannot lie – so it's a promise, it's based on fact, it's based on God's word; therefore, this is not a false hope. This is not just wishing. This is hope of something that will actually take place. God has said it. God's can't lie. God is going to have a family, therefore, our hope is that we will be with God in His Family. That is our hope. "…which He promised before time began." Before the creation of anything God had established that He would have a family.

But has in due time manifested His word through preaching. So this is how we now have faith, and this is why we have hope, because it's by the hearing of the word. If we hadn't of heard the word all of our hope would be worthless. It would be empty. We only have hope because we have heard of God's word. Then God provides His holy spirit so that we can "hear" spiritually, and that we can "see" spiritually. Therefore, our hope becomes fact. It's a real hope. It's a spiritual hope. And that hope is the fact that God will deliver what He has said. He cannot lie and He has promised life, spirit life. That is our hope. Our hope is in God. God has said many things in His word. He has made many promises in His word. We believe God, and because we believe God we live a particular way of life. We live our faith. And we have this hope that it will be delivered to us individually. Because this is the truth, it's factual, it is going to happen. Well, that's our hope that it will happen to us individually.

Continuing on in verse 3…but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which has happened to us, that's how we heard, through the preaching, through the ministry, which was committed to me (Paul) according to the commandment of God our Savior. Because it's God who saves through Jesus Christ.

So we have this very same hope that has been delivered to us. We've heard the word. We have the hope of eternal life living and dwelling in us. It's just a matter of timing. Whether it's part of the 144,000 or whether it's in the future at some point in time, that is the hope that lies within us and we yearn to have that hope delivered in us. We yearn for it. We want out of this body because of what it is and what its potential is. Its potential with the natural carnal mind is great evil and we can be subject to that. Well, we have been so blessed to have been called and God is saying to us we are to stay focused. We've been called, we've been chosen by God for a particular purpose, which is to live a particular way of life based on God's word. We believe God. We implement it into our life all for the hope of eternal life. All for the hope of being in God's Family at a point in time. Well, God has established it before the foundation of the world, therefore, it is going to happen. We live our hope, therefore, we live a particular way of life, which is about Sabbath keeping and disciplining the self and overcoming the self and getting rid of our selfishness, getting rid of pride and living humility.

What is our hope? What is the hope that lies within each and every one of us, those that are part of the Body of Christ and have God's holy spirit living and dwelling in them? Well, the first part is that we believe God, therefore, because we believe God and we have faith in God's word our hope is that of life everlasting in Elohim. The hope we have is about being glorified in God's Family, a resurrection to spirit life to be in the Family of God forever, to have life (true life), spirit life forever, never to have to face death. That is the hope that lies within us. To be saved from what we currently are. That is our hope.

1 Thessalonians 5:8. Doing a few scriptures today. 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Encouragement to what we should do as members of the Body of Christ. Verse 8—But let us who are of the day, which is to be called to have the truth, to have God's holy spirit living and dwelling in us. We're "of the day" because we "see" the truth, we "see" the light. What are we to do? …to be sober, which is to be clear minded about matters, to be aware of what's going on around us spiritually. …putting on the breastplate of faith, which is believing God and then living what we believe. We implement it into our life. We live faith. We believe God, we live it. …and love, which is to have God's holy spirit, His righteousness living and dwelling in us, which means we will think differently than the rest of the world. Because the world doesn't have God's love. We have it. And to have God's love is to have God's holy spirit living and dwelling in us. We'll have a different attitude about everything. And I mean everything. Because everything we do is based on fact, which is based on God's word, the way God sees it, the way God says things should be done. So we're putting on this breastplate, which is this protection that we have, a spiritual protection of faith and love. We have God's holy spirit, we believe God, and we implement it into our life. ...and as a helmet, so it's a helmet that we would put over your head to protect ourselves. …the hope of salvation. That is our hope, to be saved.

Verse 9—For God did not appoint us to wrath. We haven't been appointed to condemnation, to be destroyed, but to obtain salvation, because of our faith and our hope, to obtain it. That's what God has called us for, to be successful. God has called us out of this world to be successful because He wants to give us life. He wants to give us spirit life. That's God's desire. And now it's up to us what we choose in life. …but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so this is what God did for us through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died for us, that whether we wake or asleep, which means we're alive or we're dead, we should live together with him. Now, that is our hope. That is the hope that lies within us, that at some point in time we should live, have spirit life, that we should live together with him, with Jesus Christ in Elohim. That's our hope, that at some point in time we'll be changed to spirit. And we've been called by God the Father to be given this, to obtain salvation. And it can only be done through Jesus Christ.

We live our faith and we have this hope that soon that will actually happen to each and every one of us that are in the Body of Christ. That's the purpose of the calling. Well, this same hope is going to be delivered to those that live in the Millennium and those that live in the Hundred-years. They're going to have a hope, the same hope we have, which is to be given salvation, to have life, true life in the Family of God. And that's what God has called us for.

Verse 9—For God did not appoint us to condemnation (to wrath). He didn't create us and give us His holy spirit to the point of, "Oh, I'm just going to destroy them." No. But to obtain salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Well, from this day forward, as it has from 31 AD, the same principles apply to all of mankind. We're going to have to stay in the truth, going to have to live faith and have this spiritual hope based on the foundation of God's word, not the natural carnal mind, which is all a false hope.

Romans 8:11—But if the spirit of Him (God the Father) who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you… which it does. If we have God's holy spirit and we're yielding to God and it does dwell in us, which is to be present and active, if it's there in our life and we're yielding to it, He (God the Father) who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit which dwells in you. This is a promise and this is our hope. This is a wonderful scripture because this is a promise from God, that if we have God's holy spirit, God the Father, who did raise Jesus Christ – we know that to be fact, we believe that, we have faith in that – and because He did that He will also give life, true life to our mortal bodies by His spirit. Because God's spirit living and dwelling in us will give us that life that we need, spirit life forever, "which dwells in you," which is to be part of the 144,000 or at a point in time to be resurrected to spirit. That is a promise of God. That is our hope. We believe God's word. God's word states it, therefore, we believe it. We have faith in it. Now we have hope that it will apply to us. It can apply to us, but it also cannot apply to us because of our choice. Not because of God's, because of ours, because we've made a choice not to yield to God's holy spirit. Well, if we have God's holy spirit living and dwelling in us we know, we believe God's word. It's based on fact. That's our hope. Well, we hope, we desire that is to happen to us. Well, it will if we endure to the end yielding to God's spirit.

Verse 12—Therefore, brethren, because God has made this promise and we have this hope lying within us about this change, because it's happened to Jesus Christ and God says, well, it's going to happen to us if we endure to the end and remain faithful, therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, we do not owe the flesh anything, which is the natural carnal mind. We're not in debt to it. We've got to get rid of it. We've got to fight against it because of this hope of a resurrection. …to live according to the flesh. We shouldn't be living according to our own desires and having false hope and having selfishness rule our life. Well, because of the promises of God and because of the hope that lies within us, we should fight against ourselves. We want to get rid of self.

For if you live according to the flesh, the natural selfishness within us, if we give into it, you will die. We will die. We won't have this resurrection. The hope that we should have, it won't be given to us. It'll be the opposite, be like what it said before, the wicked will be destroyed.

Verse 13—For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but, something completely opposite, which is the hope that lies within us, but if by the spirit (God's holy spirit) you put to death the deeds of the body, which is the selfishness that lies with us, whether it's in thoughts, words, and actions, you will live. This is the hope that we will live. We've got to be fighting against our own selfishness. We will live. We'll be given spirit life. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, which is to have God's holy spirit active in a person's life and to be yielding to it, what God's spirit reveals to us and we give into it, we don't allow our selfishness to dominate, these are sons of God, which is God living and dwelling in us. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage, which is all about the prejudices of life and the selfishness in us, again to fear. So we didn't receive a spirit from God that puts us in fear and not having any hope of salvation, but you received the spirit of adoption, which his about sonship, which means we can be called begotten sons of God, by which we cry, Abba, Father. We have this relationship with God. We have hope of what God has said. He is our Father. He has made a promise. Well, we have faith in Him – we believe what He said – well, we have the hope that it will apply to us, that at some point in time God will give it. God will give us spirit life.

Verse 16—The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, marvelous scripture, those, to be a begotten son of God because we have God's holy spirit living and dwelling in us, and if children, which we are, then heirs—heirs of God. We can inherit what God has promised because we are now heirs of the promise, the promises to Abraham, which was about spirit life. Well, this is our hope. We are children of God, begotten sons of God if we have God's holy spirit, well, we're then heirs, we're part of God's will, in other words, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Jesus Christ has already inherited the promise. The hope of salvation has been given to Jesus Christ. He is in Elohim. He is part of the God Family. And we have that same promise. We have that same hope. We are joint heirs with Christ, if indeed, because it's the "if," if indeed we suffer, that we might also be glorified together, changed to spirit. We have to fight against ourselves. We have to fight pride. We have to deny self and we have to overcome sin. We have to continually repent. Well, if we do all those things, because God has said it in His word, we are then begotten sons of God, we are heirs of the promise, and we're joint heirs. And as long as we fight against self we will be glorified with Jesus Christ.

Verse 18—For I consider the suffering of this present time, what we're going through now, which is getting rid of sin, because physical suffering is physical suffering, but there is another level of suffering and it's to do with fighting against pride, battling in the mind. We have to do that. We have to fight against it. Well, Paul is saying that he considered the suffering, both physically and the battles that go on in his mind of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Well, this is an incredible… This hope that we have about a resurrection and this revealing of a spirit being, what an incredible thing that God has promised to us. Well, any suffering, whether it's physical, and there's many in the Church that go through massive physical suffering. It's terrible the pain and the agony of it all. Well, there's also another suffering that we all have to engage in, which is this getting rid of self. It is painful. Denying self, denying pride, taking on the thinking of God can be painful for self. The battle in the mind is a suffering because we've got to deny self. We've got to get rid of it. And self hates being put down. Self loves to fight, to be right in our own eyes (self-righteousness), to be like a Job before his conversion, well, we're right, "I'm going to hold on to my integrity." Well, that's not suffering! Pride just lifts itself up. But we are to suffer – and by that I mean there is no spiritual suffering in pride. It's wrong. But pride just does its own thing and it's no putting self down. Through humility we can put the self down and the self will suffer. That still can't be compared to what will be given to us. The battle that we are in might seem difficult, but compared to what is on offer, which is verse 11, it just can't be compared. A resurrection to spirit? How can you compare this temporary life, this physical life of either physical suffering and also this spiritual suffering once we're called into the Body of Christ, getting rid of self, because we can't get rid of self unless we're called to get rid of self. It's actually impossible. A man can't overcome himself. He can adjust himself on a physical level, but the spirit of the law, the spirit of the matter cannot be done without God's holy spirit.

So the suffering of this present age, of having God's holy spirit and denying self, getting rid of self, it cannot be compared to what God is promising us and what God can deliver to us. We have faith that He can. Well, we have the hope that it will apply to us.

Verse 19—For the earnest expectation of the creation (mankind) eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God, the 144,000 at the return of Jesus Christ. For the creation (mankind) was subject to futility (vanity), because it was God's will, not willingly. In other words, there was no other way that it could be achieved. God could only create a family of spirit beings with His thinking, the power of God's holy spirit living and dwelling in a person forever, through a particular way, through mankind, having man be made with the natural carnal mind where he would have the choice to reject it. And that's what verse 18 was talking about, this suffering. There has to be a choice to reject selfishness. And if that is the case, powered by God's holy spirit, God has promised at a point in time that the hope that lies within those people that has been called to it, that they'll be given salvation. There was no other way to do it. This is what this scripture is virtually saying. …not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope. In other words, knowing it would happen. God made mankind this way with the hope that they would choose Him so that He could give them life. Isn't God's plan incredible? Absolutely incredible!

Verse 21—because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption, because mankind is in decay, because of sin it's decaying, into the glorious liberty of the children of God. There's going to be a freedom given to the creation. All of the creation, mankind, but also the creation. If they're delivered under the authority of God, which is the children of God, begotten sons of God, those in Elohim, in God's Family, can you imagine the freedom that is going to be given? Because God cannot sin. God's Family cannot sin and they don't desire sin, therefore, there will be freedom because they will no longer be in decay. They won't be able to be destroyed, but they'll be given life. Amazing plan God has.

Verse 22—For we know, we "see," that the whole creation (mankind) now groans under the burden of sin and laboring of sin, of selfishness, and labors with birth pangs together until now. So we've had 6,000 years of this going on and this groaning and laboring because of sin. Well, it's going to be delivered. Mankind is going to be delivered. It's going to be given the opportunity to make a choice. Because at the moment, they have choices, but they're not spiritual choices. They're all physical choices. People can choose to obey God's law now on a physical level and there is a reward. But the true deliverance can only come when they are called and given the hope of salvation. Then they have the opportunity to live by faith. And that's what mankind, for the next 1,100 years, is going to have to do. To choose, to live God's way or to live selfishness.

Verse 23—And not only they (mankind), but we also who have the firstfruits of the spirit. We've got this down payment. We are some of the first to have God's holy spirit. Now, we understand there's 144,000 that have had the firstfruits of God's spirit. …even we ourselves groan, which is because we battle and fight against ourselves, within ourselves. We don't like our selfishness. We want to get rid of our own selfishness. We're tired of our selfishness, therefore, we do groan within ourselves because we repeat the same sins often. We often will say things and then we'll go, "Oh! I've said it again!" We groan within ourselves, going, "Oh no! I'm sick and tired of doing the same things!" So we groan within ourselves because of our pride, because of our selfishness. Well, as we fight this is what that groaning is. …even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly awaiting for the adoption. Well, this is that hope. We "eagerly wait." That's hope. …eagerly await for the adoption, the redemption (the change) of our body. That's what we hope for. We desire to be in God's Family. We desire a sonship. We desire to be appointed as a son of God – not only just on a, from a begotten son of God, but to a son of God, to be in Elohim. Well, we understand that is God's purpose for us based on verse 11. Verse 11, again, "But if the spirit of Him," God the Father, "who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you," which it does based on the power of God's holy spirit, based on a calling and we're fighting and we're groaning and battling against ourselves, "He (God the Father) who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies by His spirit which dwells in you." It's a promise. It's our hope. It's the hope that lies within us. And it will happen. How incredible is God?

Verse 24—For we were saved in this hope, which is the hope and the confidence we have of a resurrection, but hope that is seen is not hope. In other words, if it has already happened, and it's already happened, well, we're not hoping for it anymore because it's actually happened to us. For why does one still hope for what he sees? Well, he doesn't because it's actually happened. But we hope for a change. We hope for a resurrection. And it hasn't happened so that is our hope. But if we hope for what we do not see, than we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Which is about this enduring to the end. We, brethren, have this hope. We hope for something we haven't seen, but the real difference between our hope and the worlds hope is we hope for something that God has promised. It is fact. It will happen. Well, that's our hope. "But if we hope for what we do not see," for example, the resurrection, the Millennium, the Hundred-years, all of these things, "then we eagerly wait for it," we wait for these things to happen, the resurrection, the Millennium, the Hundred-years, "with perseverance." We are willing to endure to the end. And all of that is tied up with repentance, because this hope we have generates something within us. This desire to be part of something which is in the future, it is driven by this repentance. We repent because we know we have to repent of what we are – our selfishness – so that we can continue in life, which is this endurance or this perseverance, because we eagerly wait for something. Well, we wait to be changed to spirit. We desire it. And because we do we continue to fight against ourselves, which is we continue to repent.

Likewise the spirit also helps in our weaknesses, which we have many. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered, which goes on within the mind because of the way we think.

Verse 27—Now He who searches the hearts knows (sees) what the mind of the spirit is, which is about our motive and intent, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know (we see) that all things, that is everything, works together for good (for our spiritual good) to those who love God, those who have God's holy spirit, to those who are called, we have been called for this relationship with God, we have been called according to His purpose, for God's will and purpose in our life.

Verse 29—For whom He foreknew, which is the Church, He (God the Father) also predestined, which is predetermined in His plan, which involved mankind, to be conformed to the image of His Son, which is to take on the very mind of Jesus Christ, to be like Jesus Christ, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. That Jesus Christ might be the firstborn, the very first to enter Elohim, "among many brethren," which is referring to us.

Verse 30—Moreover, whom He (God the Father) predestined, these He also called, which has happened to us, whom He called, these He also justified, and they're justified by faith, which is faith in Jesus Christ. Because we're justified because of our belief, our faith in Jesus Christ. …and whom He justified, these He also glorified, which is something that will take place in the future, but has taken place in part now because we have the mind of God. So we have this glory living and dwelling in us, but it hasn't yet been manifested. The glory that we seek, the hope that lies within us has not yet been manifested.

Romans 8:31—What then shall we say to these things? All the things that we've just read about God's promises to us, about a resurrection, about having God living and dwelling in us, the fact that all things will work to our spiritual good, and the fact that God will deliver what He has promised, that He has predetermined an outcome, which is this glorification, which is this hope that lies within us about a resurrection. "What then shall we say to these things?" If God is for us, which He is, who can be against us? What will work against us? Well, we understand that Satan is used to work against us for a spiritual benefit, which is God's power to use Satan to an advantage, which is this glorification of us. We can enter Elohim, he can't. He faced the wages of sin, death. We can choose life. It's a matter of what we choose. If God is for us, the most powerful being of the universe, therefore, well, who can be against us? God is for us. Nothing is greater than God.

He (God the Father) who did not spare His own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He (God the Father) not with him (Jesus Christ) also freely give us all things? Well, that is it. We're going to be given all things as Jesus Christ has been given. Not the same power and authority, but we're going to enter Elohim. Things are going to be given to us, the promises of God.

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? Which is God's called out ones. Who shall judge and condemn them? Well, we shouldn't because of what we've already just covered. It is God who justifies. When a person is called they are then justified by faith, because it's God living and dwelling in a person that enables the faith, that enables the hope. They believe God. Well, why would we condemn and judge anybody else? Because what God has done for that individual, who are we to criticize another person? The reality is we would be judging and condemning God Himself. God is the one who justifies through faith.

Who is he who condemns? Who is he that looks down and pulls down another person? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. So why would we judge and condemn anyone when we look at what God has done for us and what Jesus Christ has done for us? How would we criticize God or Jesus Christ after all they have done for us? And the fact that God calls a person, who are we to step in the way? Because if we do we're really judging and criticising God Himself. Because God has the power; He was the one who made Jesus Christ High Priest, and he is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father. And God is the one who forgives. Well, who are we? We're nobody. So, therefore, we shouldn't judge and condemn anybody that God has called.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Well, we understand no one can. It'd have to be our choice to separate ourselves (because of our pride) from God and Christ. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" He's already demonstrated his love for us. Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, which is being without anything, or peril, or sword? Death, war, any of those things? As it is written: For Your sake (for God's sake) we are killed all day long. We suffer, we fight against ourselves because we want the promises of God. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. In other words, we are suffering, we give up on our own righteousness. We give up on ourselves all for the fact that we love God and we desire the promises of God. "We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yes, we sacrifice ourselves. We've been called to this. We've been called out of the world for the purpose of sacrificing self.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors, we're overcomers, through Him (God the Father) who loved us. All the things that God has done for us, that is incredible if we just stop and consider it. This is our hope that we will be delivered from what we are. And it is a promise but it is up to us. It's based on our choice.

Verse 38—For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, which is any spirit being, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, what are yet to come, what we're to face, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in or is demonstrated through Jesus Christ our Lord. Because of Passover.

So God has already demonstrated His love for us and there is nothing, absolutely nothing in any realm, spiritual or physical, that can separate us from this love that God has. God has set His mind on us. God loves us and nothing can take us from the love of God. He will always love us. Whether or not we choose to love Him is the decision that we have to make. So nothing is going to separate us. God wants to give us the promise of a resurrection. God wants to give us life. Well, in the end it boils down to nothing will change God's mind about His plan and promise. It will be delivered. The choice is ours whether we want to be part of it.

Our hope, called by God for this hope, our hope is in being saved. That is the hope that lies within us. Well, it will be delivered. The choice is ours.

1 Peter 1:3— Blessed be the God, which is Yahweh Elohim, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy (God's mercy) has begotten us again to a living hope, because it is a living hope. Because it's the fact that we trust in God and that we believe God, we have faith in God's word. Well, we live this hope. It's a vision that we have for the future. We see it in our spiritual eye – it hasn't happened yet – but we "see" it, therefore, it is a living hope. It's something that lives within us. Well, what is that living hope? …through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We now have this hope, the fact that God the Father has raised Jesus Christ from the dead and our hope is that at some point in time we will be resurrected like Jesus Christ to enter Elohim.

Verse 4—to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. So it's from God the Father. It's not that we're going to heaven. It comes from God the Father, from heaven. Where God the Father is, that's where it comes from. It comes from Him. It's reserved for us because God has established it. It's for us. It's there waiting and it will be given to us. It'll be given to us and we will inherit the earth. So the promise of this resurrection comes from God. It's God that gives it. It doesn't fade away because it's real, it's fact, it's going to happen. So we, brethren have this hope. "To an inheritance incorruptible." It's not something that can be decayed or taken away. "And undefiled." It's not polluted. It's real. It's genuine. It's factual. "And does not fade away." It's not going to disappear. It's reserved for us by God the Father. He will give it to us and we will inherit the earth as spirit beings. We will be in Elohim as spirit beings living on this earth. …who are kept by/in the power of God, so we are kept by this power of God, God living and dwelling in us, His holy spirit. How? …through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. First of all, we see Jesus Christ resurrected, the first of the firstfruits. He has entered Elohim. Then the 144,000 who have had faith. They have believed God. They've lived it. They've implemented it into their life. And they live their life in hope, the hope of a salvation, which is reserved for this last time, talking about the 144,000 that will be resurrected at the return of Jesus Christ. Well, there is another resurrection that is reserved for us, brethren. It will be revealed at a particular time. There will be a resurrection to spirit.

In this you greatly rejoice, in the fact that we've been called and we have this hope of a salvation, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved (tested) by various trials (by various battles), that the genuineness of your faith… whether we're really going to live what we believe. So what's being tested is our faith. Do we really believe God's word? Do we really, really believe? Well, we're going to be tested in that faith, whether we believe the truth, whether we believe this is God's true Church, whether we believe in the return of Jesus Christ. Do we really believe those things? Well, if we do, we're going to live it. We're going to implement the change in our life that is necessary – obedience and faithfulness to God. Well, what is this that we're being tested in and it is difficult for a short time? Because it's only a short time, really. You have been grieved (tested) by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes… because it's physical, it's only temporary, it's going to go. When were changed we'll always believe God because we'll be living the faith, we'll be living God's way of life. We will be in Elohim. …though it is tested by fire, so our faith is tested by trials, great trials, to see whether or not we will genuinely follow God in faithfulness, may be found to praise, to the praises of God, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. At the return of Jesus Christ the 144,000 will be resurrected. Now, they will have been through this. By the power of God they will have lived their faith, and their faith, their belief in God's word was the hope of a resurrection. Well, it's going to be revealed, and therefore, when they are resurrected they're no longer going to have hope because the hope that they had will be revealed in them. They will be returning with Jesus Christ as part of the 144,000.

Verse 8—whom having not seen you love, which is talking about God. Though you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, which is spirit life—the salvation of your life. So that is the hope that lies within us, is this salvation, being saved from what we are.

Verse 10—Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, which is talking about this favor, this calling, and then the resurrection, searching what, or what manner of time, the spirit of Christ which was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you, which is that preaching of the gospel, and therefore, they could believe because of the preaching, through/by those whom have preached the gospel to you by the holy spirit, because it's powered by God's holy spirit, sent from heaven, because everything comes from God, things which angels desire to look into. Which was about the future, about prophecy. The angels don't know everything. They hear things when God introduces things to them and God introduces things to the Church.

We understand that everything comes from God. We understand that God is going to deliver a family. And that is our hope. That is our faith. We believe God's word because He says it. Well, we hope that we are part of it at a point in time.

1 John 3:1—Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! This in itself is a marvelous thing. We're called. We're begotten sons of God. We're called children of God. Now, the natural carnal mind just doesn't take this on board to the degree that it should. We, as begotten sons of God, should really stand back and consider we are called "children of God" for a reason. Because we're heirs of a promise. This is the hope that lies within us, that we are going to inherit something from God. Therefore, the world does not know us. It doesn't know us because we are children of God. We live our faith. The world doesn't recognize or know who we really are. We are begotten sons of God. We are children of Elohim. We've been called, baptized, we've received God's holy spirit, which then gives us the ability to inherit life. Because God wants to give it. Now we have to choose whether or not we want to inherit it. Therefore, the world does not know us; because it did not know him. It didn't know God the Father and it didn't know Jesus Christ. They didn't believe Jesus Christ, therefore, they didn't believe God.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know, we "see," we see in our spiritual eye, that when he (Jesus Christ) is revealed, we shall be like him. We'll have the same mind. We will enter Elohim. Now, there's a 144,000 that this applies to, but others, at a point in time, will be like him, have the same mind and be in Elohim. …for we shall see him as he is. For everyone who has this hope, the hope of this change, the change to spirit, covering verse 3 again, And anyone who has this hope in him, any one of us, brethren, who have been called to have this hope, anybody who has it, purifies themselves (purifies himself), just as he (Christ) is pure. We, then, fight against ourselves to purify ourselves. How? Through this moral purity, which is by repentance. We purify ourselves through faith, faith in the fact that God says He will forgive us our sin, therefore, we repent. And if we repent we are purifying ourselves, by the power of God's holy spirit, just as Christ was pure and is pure. Because Christ never had to repent of sin because he never sinned. But we can be like Jesus Christ now through repentance, by being sinless for a period of time. Whereas Christ was always sinless, well, we can purify ourselves to be just like Christ, just like Christ was pure. So we are now to take on the very image of God by having God's holy spirit living and dwelling in us, by having the mind of God. We are to transform our thinking to conform to the image of Jesus Christ, and we have this hope that lies within us, that at one point in time we're going to be changed. Because? We are continually repenting. Therefore, anybody in the Body of Christ who has the hope within them will be purifying themselves, to purify themselves so that they are just like Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:13—Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We shouldn't be worried about this, because the world will hate us because of who we are and what we believe. We believe God. The world will, therefore, turn on us and dislike us. They will actually hate us, which is to have ill will towards us because of who we are, and that is involving what we believe. We are what we believe, therefore, we shouldn't marvel the fact that others dislike us or don't want anything to do with us, because that is natural that they do that, because it's from the natural carnal mind and we are developing this new way of thinking. We have this new mind developing and growing within us. We think differently than what they do.

Verse 14—We know that we have passed from death to life, from this selfishness to a new way of thinking, because we love the brethren. So if we love the brethren, we're not judging and pulling down and not condemning. We understand that God called them for the purpose of salvation. Well, we understand that, and therefore, we love the brethren because we desire for the brethren what we desire for ourselves. We hope that everybody in the Body endures to the end and receives life. Well, if we desire that, we ourselves have passed from death to life. We've been baptized, and therefore, we now can have the potential to have spirit life in us, because we received God's holy spirit at the point of baptism and the laying of hands. Well, we've moved from death to life. We actually have a life living in us. Well, it yet has to be manifested to spirit, but we have this hope lying in us that that's what's going to happen. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren, because we have this desire towards the brethren, we practice love towards them, we sacrifice ourselves for them, therefore, we've passed from death to life.

He who does not love his brother dwells/abides in death, because we're still sinning. Because if we don't love, we're sinning. Whoever hates his brother, which is to love less or to have ill will towards them, is a murderer, so we're spiritually killing them. We have ill will towards them, and you know (you see) that no murderer has eternal life abiding/dwelling in him. We don't have God's holy spirit because we're still in sin. We haven't repented of it.

Verse 16—By this we know love, so by this we can perceive God's love for us, because he laid down his life (Jesus Christ did) for us. He died for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, which is the physical things of the world, and sees his brother, his brothers within the Church, in need, there is a need, a true need, not a want, a need, and shuts his heart, shuts his thinking, his intent from him, from his brother, how does the love of God abide in him? Well, it doesn't. Now, this is not talking about somebody in the body giving up everything and giving something to another member of the body. This is about sacrificing self. This is about compassion, having mercy, having forgiveness towards another person. It's not about just giving up everything. This is about an attitude, doing good on a spiritual level, for our brothers, for one another.

"But whoever has this world's goods," physical things, "and sees his brother," in the Church, "in need," that can be physical needs, "and shuts up their thinking," in other words, closes down and is hard-hearted towards the person, well, "how does the love of God abide in him?" Well, it doesn't. So we are to live love to one another. We are to think spiritually towards others. We're to have a right attitude towards one another. We desire that everybody endures to the end. Those in the Body of Christ that have been called to the promises of God. We hope that they will be rewarded with life. That's our hope. That's our desire. So this is an expectation that we have that they will endure to the end. That's what we desire. That's our love for them. We desire the best thing for them. Well, the best thing for them is that they are given life. That's our hope, that we have life, but we have hope for others as well.

Hebrews 10:23—Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. So we've got this confidence in God's word. True hope is having confidence in God's word. God is not a liar. Whatever God has promised it will happen. Well, we hold fast to the way of obedience to God, to our confession. We confess it by the way we live. "Let us hold fast," let's endure to the end, "the confession of our hope," the hope of a resurrection, the hope of life, "without wavering." Let's not waver. Let's not doubt. Let's have this boldness and confidence in God's promises. …for He (God the Father) who promised, what He has promised us, life in Elohim, is faithful. In other words, He will deliver that promise. It will happen. With or without us, it's going to happen. So let's endure to the end. Let's have this confidence. Let's live our life in faith implementing God's thinking in our life because we hold fast to the promise and God is faithful.

Verse 24—Let us consider one another in order to stir up love, to stir up agape, and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, before God in prayer, as the manner of some is, but exhorting, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Well, brethren, we see the day approaching. We can see what's going on in the world. So let's not forsake coming before God and praying to God, asking God, requesting God according to His will. And let's not give up on one another, because we all have this same hope, the hope of life. We all have the personal hope of individual salvation. Well, let's also have the same hope for one another. We desire what God has promised be given to others. But in the end it is their choice. So let's encourage one another. Let's not give up on one another with regards to the hope of our salvation. So let's implement the change that is necessary within our life to demonstrate that hope.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1