Hope That Springs
I always find myself struggling with how poorly I perform in my walk with God. My assessment is based on the sin I see in my life – an old habit resurfacing, an errant selfish thought or an emotion that exploded out of control. This happens to me quite frequently and easily leads me down a path to self-condemnation. The struggle with how “good” or how “bad” I have been is a sign to me that I am living under the law and not facing grace. Under the law I am always measuring my “goodness” against my “badness”. That is a comparison game I will never win, and one God never intended me to play.
In that scenario of “goodness” vs “badness” my focus is on me – my performance. It’s an inward focus that feeds on itself and eats at me from the inside out. It creates anguish, self-doubt, self-loathing, frustration and other destructive self-inflicted behaviors that are harmful to my spiritual life. Satan encourages me down those self-destructive paths.
On the back side of temptation – sin, I exist under the law and the law condemns me continually. This looks nothing like what Jesus intended for me. And the truth is Jesus fought this epic battle for me and won it at the cross and at his resurrection. He declared an end (it is finished) to this law induced struggle that reduces me to self-doubt and the appearance of failure.
The final victory that Jesus won for me at the cross and at the resurrection lends me to a moment of repentance, when I simply humbly agree with God’s justification of me in Christ and realize that my destination is to be like Christ! That defines my life, not the moments of condemnation but an eternal declaration by God that I shall be like Christ. Facing Grace is about living in that declaration. In Colossians chapter 1:3-5, Paul makes note of the Colossians’ faith in Jesus and their love for all the saints. The NIV says that this faith in Jesus and love for saints “springs from the hope that is laid up for them in heaven. This effect of the hope of heaven is in stark contrast to condemnation.
That vision, my life, this moment, every sin, every forgiveness, every victory and every tragedy are leading me to be like Jesus. We must keep our focus on this hope that we have. It is a sure hope. An expected end (Jeremiah29:11-13) that God has promised us, and He will keep His promise to make us like Christ.
This is the hope that Paul speaks of in Colossians 1:3 -5 (ESV): We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel.” And in Philippians 1:6 (ESV): 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
The effect of living life focused on our destination of being like Jesus is that faith and love spring up in us. This is starkly opposed to the effect of living life focused on our failures and entertaining self-absorbed guilt, shame and frustration. Paul goes on to say in Colossians 1, that this gospel bears fruit in us and others across the world. There is much dignity in living a life that you know will end in being like Christ. There is a sense of purpose and calling that supersedes your present condition. Faith sees beyond what we are and knows what we are to become. Love sees this in our brothers and sisters as well.
Deepening the contrast between self-focused struggles and living life facing grace, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (ESV):
“4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.”
Love springs from the hope that is stored up for us in heaven. Even if you are on the wrong side of temptation, the hope that is stored up for us in heaven calls us to repent and be restored to living life facing grace. If you are facing temptation let the hope that is stored up for us in heaven inspire you to love enough to resist the temptation and stay in the grace you have been given.
