Hope already helps us to have peace nowadays, when thinking about our future. While hope always points our attention on the future, it already has auspicious impact on our life nowadays.
In order to effectively use hope of salvation as a weapon, we have to undeerstand who we are in this world and how we should you this world.
Paul wrote: « … and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.» (1 Corinthians 7: 31).
Today Abraham´s example shows us the way of life we should live in this world. It also helps us to understand the role of hope at the battle of the last days. Nothing in this world captured him nor temptation to become rich could influence his relationships with God, because he had the hope of salvation. Having the hope of salvation makes walking in faith easy nowadays. Regardless of what you have or lack you can easily rejoice even nowadays.
«But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.».
We have already talked a lot about the role of faith and walking in love last time. Today we begin to discuss the role of hope of salvation. We need faith today. By faith we possess peace today, regardless of what is happening around us. By faith we enter God´s rest even nowadays.
When we walk in love it brings health and strength to our spirits. A strong spirit helps an individual to overcome all sicknesses. But if we give our hearts to hatred, bitterness, revenge, unforgiveness, it undermines our hearts. And when our spirits are weak, we are not able to withstand difficult situation and we fail in life. That is why it says, „who can bear a broken spirit?” Nobody! If you do not walk in love, you get ill, irritated and your hearts is filled with bitterness.
If you have faith, but do not have love, then, according to Paul, you are “sounding brass and a clanging cymbal” and you are “nothing”. Faith without love does not work. That is why it is so important to learn to walk in love. Otherwise our hearts won’t be able to go through the last day attacks. Faith will not work without love!
What are you going to do when people will hate, persecute and hurt you? Will you get offended and look for the ways to pay them back and do evil? That is the reaction of flesh; that is the reaction of a natural man.
The principle of love protects our hearts, emotions and our life from injuries and bruises. Hatred, evil, betrayal, cruelty and lack of understanding among people will multiply at the last days. Jesus never sinned, while people back-bit Him anyway. But, how Jesus reacted to that back-biting? He never replied with back-biting, never tried to overcome evil with evil. He knew it would not work this way, quite opposite it would have increased the amount of evil, pain, emotional injuries and hatred in the life of a person who tries to overcome evil with evil.
«You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, … » (Matthew 5:43-44).
«But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you..» (Luke 6:27-28).
“At the last days” – said Jesus – “the world will be full of hatred, sin, betrayal, resentment and bitterness.” Those who are not able to walk in love will experience serious problems at the last days – faced the power of sin they will not be able to fight it, get emotional injuries shortening their lives. Such people will end up with heart attack and nervous breakdown caused by the stream of evil, hatred, betrayal, rebellion and ingratitude over-flooding the world at the last days.
At these last days many people feel down, worry about daily needs, love in many of them gets cold but anger, resentments, hatred and cruelty grow up because of illegitimacy, treason and cheating multiply. But my dear friend, it´s meaningless to follow the majority, while your faith shall bring you a breakthrough and victory! You will learn how to live without worries because your faith knows that the loving God cares for you, faith knows how to cast all your worries on the Lord.
“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians, 5: 8)
The breastplate of faith, love and the helmet of the hope of salvation – these are extremely valuable forces that can help us in these last days. That is why our efforts should be directed towards building up faith, walking in love and having hope of salvation. How can we build and cultivate faith, hope and love in our lives? It becomes possible as we feed on the right food, which is the Word of God, and as we practise the Word.
