Fuse Jakarta

W3: Reason for the Hope

FUSE Jakarta

REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES

1 Peter 3:15-16 (ESV) | but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

1 John 2:25 (ESV) And this is the promise that he made to us —eternal life.

OBJECTIVES

To know that our ultimate hope is in our salvation which gives us eternity with Christ.

CONTENT

Hope is a vital component of saving faith, because it relates to our future, an eternal life. Our hope in God’s salvation is different from any other worldly hope because it is unshakable & blood-bought.

  • WHY OUR HOPE IN CHRIST IS DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER WORLDLY HOPE?
    • When we put our faith in Christ, God identifies us with His Son, for Jesus’ sinless, righteous life and He accepts Jesus’ death as payment for our death-deserving sin. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21.
    • It is the fundamental of our faith, that our hope of eternal life rests solely and exclusively upon our faith in Jesus Christ, because only His sinless blood is worthy enough and able to cleanse our sin. As Romans 8:1 says, there is now no condemnation when we are in Christ Jesus.
    • If God is judging us on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness, how could we ever be condemned? Our hope in Jesus Christ is indeed the only way.
  • OCCUPY OUR HEARTS AND MINDS WITH HEAVENLY LIFE
    • Being healthy, being able to work, and enjoying life are great blessings to mankind. But, as people grow, they soon realize that things of the world don’t quite keep their promise. They only lead us wanting more and leaves us feeling unsatisfied, moving onto the next.
    • “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”― C.S. Lewis. God’s intention is for us to live in His presence, in Heaven. We are not of this world (John 15:19).
    • That is why our ultimate desire was never meant to be and can’t ever be satisfied by earthly pleasures. Deep in our hearts, we are longing for a union with our Creator. Knowing this helps us to shift our focus to heavenly life, on how to please our Lord while we are on earth.
  • HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE WITH CHRIST GIVES US JOYFUL FEARLESSNESS
    • Christians are known for their perceived fearlessness. But the world wonders, where our fearlessness and our joy in affliction comes from. The answer is hope in our salvation by Jesus Christ.
    • The death of the righteous is unlike the death of the unrighteous. Though Christians have no immunity from death, death is to them a friend rather than a foe—the beginning rather than the end. To those who are faithful, Christ will give a crown of life (2 Timothy 4:8). 
    • This enables us to be fearless in our strive to glorify Heaven while we are on earth. To be able to stay hopeful in tribulations and to be firm in our faith even when the world tells us otherwise. To spread the Gospel with a sure heart, to be advocates for the Kingdom. Relentlessly defending our faith with great joy knowing we have guaranteed hope in Christ.
 

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTION

  • What experience did you go through that made you realize you can only put your ultimate hope in Jesus Christ? 
  • How do we introduce the gospel and eternal life to ‘worldly’ people? Share and discuss.
 

RESOURCES