Pathway to Hope #6
The Living Hope.
Dear Friend,
Something you may not know about me is that I love rock climbing. Beyond the thrill, I also like the technical elements.
In climbing, one must often rely upon anchors built with rocks, trees or even steel bolts, to use to hang the rope from and protect you from falling. Often, the anchors are only as strong as the object in which they are placed. In other words, if I use massive oak tree as one of my anchor points, it’s a lot safer than a tiny bush or loose rock. Believe me, when you are 100 feet off the deck, these things especially matter!
This illustration applies to hope, too. Just like rock climbing anchors, your hope is only as strong as the object you place it in.
Therefore, we must place our hope in the most reliable object possible. And there is none more trustworthy than Jesus Christ, whom the Bible refers to as our secure rock. In other words, the key to hope is not found in philosophy or even a religion. It’s a person!
Jesus is a historical Jewish man who lived in Jerusalem a little over 2,000 years ago. More than a man, he was also God’s Son.
Though he died, he was raised to life again (resurrected) three days later, just as he said he would, as final proof of his deity. Today, we can have a relationship with him.
Here’s why Jesus is so hopeful: For one, he conquered death.
The thing about cancer that makes it so frightening is that it forces us to face our own demise. Everybody dies, but cancer brings it faster—often much faster.
Jesus, as God, offers anyone who will believe in him the gift of eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life…” John 3:36
Jesus said, “whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24
For those who believe in Jesus, he says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28
When you place your hope in Jesus, you place it in someone who defeated death, because he rose from the dead. As written in the Bible,
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”2
When you place your hope in Jesus, you are trusting the one who has power over death—including your own. This power is now on your side. And he knows the number of your days as he knows every person’s.
I want you to see why faith in Jesus is real. Please see this article which describes Jesus’ life, words, how he was killed and how he rose from the dead: Beyond Blind Faith. This article also explains what exactly Jesus is offering you.
In the final Pathway to Hope, I’ll explain how you can experience this hope each and every day and more about how Hope Has Arrived can help.
Yours for hope,
Chris Lawrence
Founder of Hope Has Arrived
Three action steps:
Ponder: What aspects of Jesus, the Living Hope, most compels you?
Remember: Your hope is only as strong as the object you place it in.
Consider: These words of hope: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.” (Psalm 18:2)
Footnotes: (1) 1 Peter 1:3 NIV (2) 1 Corinthians 15:56 NIV (3) John 6:2b (AMP) (4) John 15:9 NIV (5) Romans 15:13 NIV
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