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Biblical Hope
NOTE: This article about the Christian’s “biblical hope” is essentially a reproduction of an article on the subject entitled “The Blessed (Hope) Confidence” that was authored by a dear friend of this web site in April of 2004. He is Darrell G. Young, who is the originator and editor of his own web site at www.focusonjerusalem.com. All readers are encouraged to visit this highly educational site regarding Bible prophecy and current events.
Nothing stirs my soul like Jesus. He is more important than anything else in the whole world. Ever since I met Jesus and discovered His unimaginable love for me, and saw what he had done for me by paying such a terrible price to redeem me from human depravity, my entire life has been changed. I simply cannot imagine trying to live in this world without Him. He and His Word are the foundations that shape my entire worldview!
Still, it easy for me to sympathize with the disciples, seeing how they must have felt thoroughly sad as they beheld Jesus ascending up into the clouds into Heaven 2000 years ago. The Bible says that they looked "steadfastly toward heaven" as Jesus was lifted up and left the world.
If I had been there with them and had shared in their intimacy with Jesus, my eyes would have been steadfastly transfixed on Him also. I, as they, would have also wondered if I would ever see Him again. They surely turned to one another and sensed in each other's eyes the same agonizing question, "Are we left here without any hope?"
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11)
The Bible states in I Corinthians 13:13 that the greatest spiritual gifts the Lord left us are faith, hope and charity (love). Unfortunately, many associate the word hope with a negative connotation. It is most often related to our basic perception of luck or chance, e.g., I hope it doesn't rain, or I hope that we win the game, etc.
Another perception we ascribe to hope is that it is merely something we wish for coupled with the belief that its fruition is very small. But these common perceptions about hope as it is utilized in the Bible are opposite of its true meaning. Given man’s usual conception of hope as stated above, the average church member may say that salvation is his hope or that he hopes to make it to heaven when he dies.
But to relegate the Lord's spiritual gift of hope to merely a "future state of happiness,” or worse yet, to only an unsure “possibility” of future happiness, is to equate it to a non-believer’s or heathen’s understanding of the word. The truth is that biblical hope is beyond this human rationale.
A Living Hope
Peter referred to a living hope that dwells inside the believer. This hope is a life-giving mechanism. It emanates from the Holy Spirit and permeates, enlivens and energizes the believer.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:3-8)
All believers have this hope, but it is not a mere wish or “pie in the sky dream.” It is a living (energizing) attitude born of the Holy Spirit that empowers them to live righteously and soberly in this present evil world. It is a firm assurance that enables the child of God to confidently face the sin and degradation around him. It provides spiritual sustenance, because it is a firm expectation that Jesus Christ will keep all of His promises. It is a constant influence from the Governor that churns within the believer and which gives testimony to all spiritual reality. The Governor within is the Holy Spirit.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:2, 3)
Eternal life is a precious gift that every single believer possesses, and for him there is absolutely no possibility of future condemnation. Because of this wondrous gift of eternal life, the child of God knows that when Christ appears once again he will be like Him—this being the sure hope within the believer that purifies him.
A Confident Hope
The word hope in the New Testament is as common as are the precious words of faith and love. Its final outcome is expressed by the Apostle Paul in his letter to Titus with a verse that conveys both an exhortation and comfort.
Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
The English word, “hope,” is translated from the Greek word, "elpis," meaning a confident expectation. The Christian is to confidently expect (i.e., to have full assurance without doubt) that the Lord will not only fulfill every single promise that He has made, but will also appear at the end of the age to gather His own unto Himself before the Day of the Lord. This resident spirit of confident trust stems from the omnipresence of the Lord in the form of the indwelling Spirit of God within the believer.
Throughout all dispensations, God has set before his people a hope that has always centered on Jesus Christ. In the Garden of Eden God introduced the promise of a redemptive hope—His Seed that would eventually crush the head of Satan and deliver man from his sin. Abraham looked forward with a biblical hope (confident expectation) that God would indeed send His blessed Seed, and this biblical hope, the equivalent to biblical faith, was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3).
A God-Originated and Christ-Embodied Hope
And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; [the promised Seed—Jesus Christ] and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope." Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:12, 13)
In this verse it is clear that biblical hope stems only from God, and it is embodied in a single person—Jesus Christ—who was promised from before the universe was formed.
A Salvation-Centered Hope
Biblical hope is equivalent to and manifested in one’s understanding of biblical salvation, a threefold event involving (1) the absolute and total forgiveness of all sin, (2) the on-going process of sanctification while still in one’s earthly body, and (3) the eventual and final transition into heaven in one’s resurrected body. In every age this hope referred to the deliverance from the penalty, power and stain of sin. But this “hope of salvation” never meant something that was simply “wished for” with an attitude of uncertainty. Unfortunately, many church members possess a vague and unsure expectation regarding their salvation. They say, "I hope that I am saved.” Or they say, “I am doing my best to be good, and I hope that is enough to get me into Heaven."
This typical response reveals that they do not possess a "confident expectation," which is the sure hope that is founded solely in the promises of God. Nowhere in Scripture does it depict salvation as being a “hoped for” or “wishful” thing. Rather, it is an absolute certainty regarding one’s place in eternity which is available to anyone who places his faith in Christ's propitiatory work of grace on the cross of Calvary.
As Christians, the restitution of our bodies is future, for it will not be until our Savior's return that He will change our vile bodies into one that is fashioned like unto His glorious body (Philippians 3:20, 21); but our deliverance from the wrath that is to come is an accomplished fact. Salvation is not way off in the distance, as something to be attained through additional efforts upon earth or later when we pass from this life. It is an accomplished fact based on the authority and credibility of God’s Word. Because “God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:10), Christians may possess a confident expectation—a definite assurance—in the matter of salvation.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Romans 8:34, 35)
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17)
That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil. (Hebrews 6:18, 19)
So then, the hope of our salvation is an immutable (unchangeable) fact! This living hope provides every believer an undeniable hope for eternal life as he continues down the road toward physical death.
A Blessed Hope
The Biblical Hope also incorporates a definite future event referred to as the blessed hope. This is when Christ Jesus comes again to receive His children who have not yet passed through the door of death unto Himself. For those, the sting of death—the sorrow for those who have gone on before—will be erased as they meet Christ and their loved ones in the air.
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. (1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14)
The blessed hope is something that is connected to our special and residing confidence as we look towards the future. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, writes about the order of this event and explains that there will be some who will remain alive unto the Day of the Lord—when Christ comes again—and who will not taste death. In verse 51 he says, “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” Now, whether we live till Christ comes or die before His coming, the end in all is still Jesus Christ. He is our hope!
Man was not made for the present, and the present was not made to satisfy man. Time on this earth is but a mere transition. Time is simply a dimension, a space for man to prepare for eternity. It is for the future that man was created, not the present.
There is a song I love to sing, and part of it goes like this: “This world is not my home . . . I'm just a passing through . . . my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue . . . the angels beckon me to Heaven’s open door . . . and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.”
The hope of every believer is to be with Jesus, in our new home, and in our new bodies that He has prepared for us. Our hope is to be taken out of sin's dominion, to a place where there is no more suffering and sorrow, nor pain. The humanists and the atheists call this blessed hope an escapist mentality. But in truth, this escape clause is part and partial of God's divine plan, and is a component of His promises to the generation of the “last days.”
It is therefore scriptural to yearn to be among those that are "caught up" (raptured) and joined together with all those that meet the Lord in the air. Not only is this coming event sound doctrine, but for the Christian, it is something he is encouraged to be anxiously anticipating. And during what I consider to be these “last days,” watching for the blessed hope brings added comfort to the hearts of end-time believers as they see the day approaching!
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. (James 5:7, 8)
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 18)
And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. (1 John 2:28)
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. (Psalms 27:1-3)
The combination of the living hope and the blessed hope is the Christian’s dual-hope in this world; all else is vanity and failure. Mankind’s hope in philosophy has failed. Greek and Roman philosophers once set out to solve the riddles of our universe and to explain by human rationale answers and theorems to all the problems that beset mankind. Philosophers have proposed remedies for every societal ailment known to man, only to end in abysmal failure, as did the very empires from which they sprang.
The human experiment with government and legislation has also proven to be a fiasco. Various societies and cultures have tried everything from democracy, republicanism, monarchies, dictatorships, socialism, capitalism, communism, to isolationism—all to no avail. None of these have offered any hope for mankind’s survival. The insufficiency and failure of human civilizations and their “hopes” serve only to highlight the fact that mankind is incapable of perfecting government and solving the plagues that emanate from his inherited sin nature. Because of our failure as a civilization, we cry out for help; but there is only one source of help that can offer true hope—Jesus Christ. Jesus was born into the world for this very purpose.
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6, 7)
An Imminent Blessed Hope
In my “Focus on Jerusalem” (www.focusonjerusalem.com) commentaries, I have pointed out that 60 years after the Lord's ascension into Heaven to join His Father, Jesus sent His angel to the beloved John while he was on the isle of Patmos to convey the final declaration of His Word (information that his disciples were not able to bear while He was still with them—John 16:12).
The Revelation of Jesus Christ begins with an assertion that the time of the end is near, and it ends with an intimate appeal, “Surely, I come quickly.” This is our Lord's last promise to His people, and it is given as a mandate to them to be continually occupied with the thought of His imminent return. As Paul referenced in 1 Corinthians 15:52-58, the impending and abrupt return of the Lord can be superimposed upon any single moment in earth's time; and it is an event, when it takes place, will happen quicker than the time it takes for a mere twinkling of one's eye. It is the Rapture! And it is the imminent blessed hope of every believer.
Why is the blessed hope a blessing? The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12) are universal, and some are yet to come. Israel's future blessings await the return of their Messiah. Upon His first visitation to Israel, He was despised and rejected by His own brethren, but when He comes back to this earth, they shall welcome Him as a conquering hero, and worship Him as the true Messiah. The real triumphal entry of Christ is yet future. He came before as a Lamb led to slaughter, but He is returning as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and will inherit the throne of His father David. Then it shall come to pass that Zion's King shall come to Israel, having salvation, and Israel will marvel at his grace and his Excellency; and the city of Jerusalem shall be exalted and re-inhabited by Jehovah. Only then can the rest of the nations of the earth realize the blessings of the Abraham Covenant.
During this present dispensation, God is merely calling out a people for His name, and grafting them into the natural tree-branch of the Covenant of Abraham, Israel (Romans 11). Israel has not fallen in spiritual blindness to be uprooted from blessing, but rather Israel's fall has merely served to take that root-blessing to the Gentiles. Israel is not languishing in an indefinite prolongation of blindness and suffering. Israel is slated by God to be restored physically and then spiritually. The "completed rebirth" of Israel will constitute the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel.
The divinely directed transition from the Church Age of the Gentile to the Millennial Kingdom Age of Israel reflects that ultimately righteousness and justice will prevail. Just as apostate Judaism was judged by Christ at His first coming, so likewise, in the “last days” will apostate Christianity be judged by Christ at his “second coming.” It is then that Christ will conjoin the blessings of Abraham upon a re-born Israel and the reborn of the called out Church (Gentile believers). The combined blessings of Israel and the Bride of Christ will produce an age comparable to paradise. The "times for the restitution" of all things will be fulfilled.
And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21)
The times of refreshing can only result from the presence of the Lord when He is back on earth, whereas presently He resides in heaven at the right hand of God. But upon His return, He will then reign from Mt. Zion, and all nations shall flow into Jerusalem to praise the King of Israel. Israel is not hopelessly locked into an endless cycle of worldly programs, holocausts, and series after series of anti-Semitic persecutions. Israel's 20th century restoration signals that God is about to return in accordance with His plan for Israel. In the decades since its reclamation in 1948, Israel has been enduring the birth-pangs of her prophesied travail (Micah 4, Jeremiah 30: 6, 7, Revelation 12:5, 6, 13). Israel’s only hope, Jesus Christ—their Redeemer, is nigh.
O sing unto the Lord a new song; for He hath done marvelous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory. The Lord hath made known His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. (Psalms 98:1-6)
Truly it is then and only then that the saying of Isaiah will come to pass that the earth will be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord like as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9)
The Hope of the Church lies in the future. Jesus forewarned the Church that it would endure tribulation while it is in the world. This is the present portion with which the believer must daily contend. In light of the ever increasing hatred the world has for the Christian, it may be surprising to some, that believers can have hope while being persecuted. The Church, try as it might, will never conquer this world. Having drunk of the water of life (living hope), the believer is actually an alien ambassador in this world; and this world is engaged in open warfare against him and his King.
While Christians in this life have assurance of eternal life, they have not yet begun to enjoy the full and unhindered enjoyment of their inheritance. That realization will come at the appointed time when they shall be united with their King, Jesus Christ. In truth, the Lord Himself is yearning for that day! For nearly two thousand years, Jesus has patiently awaited for the last soul to be added to the body of the Church. It was for this joy that He endured the old rugged cross. It was for this one pearl that Jesus paid the blood-price that was prophesied in Isaiah. For the Church is His good pleasure!
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when You shall make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:10-12)
Jesus and His disciples spoke of being watchful for the imminent hope. In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus spoke to the inquiries of His disciples regarding the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. Jesus specifically advised them, "Watch therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord will come, but know this, if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” An analysis of this passage from Matthew 24 reveals that, although we may not know the hour of His return, we are instructed to keep a vigilant attitude of confident expectation concerning this, our blessed hope. Today, as we see the signs of His imminent coming tick off one after the other, we are encouraged to be even more watchful.
The signs of His coming are like landmarks along a highway. They inform the earthly traveler of the nearness on the horizon of the soon coming of the Lord. As we are able to observe each passing prophetic landmark, it magnifies the spiritual awareness of the watchful servant to a life of confidence and expectation, while in this ever darkening present world. Jesus further exhorted believers to be like a faithful servant, standing on the threshold of evil, with his loins girded and his lamp lighted, peering out through the darkness to catch the first visual sighting of their returning master.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and you yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he comes and knocks, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He comes shall find watching. (Luke 12:34-37)
As believers, we should confidently expect a speedy conclusion to the present economy of this world and the soon introduction of a new order of things. The Lord is set to take upon His shoulders the government of this world. But as we approach that day, the Apostle John forewarned that before the coming of Christ, the Antichrist would appear on earth first. The term, “last days,” refers to the closing decades of this present dispensation, which will allow for the Antichrist to emerge. This time is known in scripture as the “last hour” or “little season,” (short space) before which, Christ will appear to rescue His faithful bride.
Quite often Christians will respond to me, when they discover that I am a prophecy author/speaker, that they do not want the Lord to come just yet. They remark that they would prefer to see their children or grandchildren first grow up and so forth. I have to remind them that our affections should always be focused on things above. With our affections focused in the right direction, it is more likely that we will be successful in recruiting our loved ones to accept Jesus, so that they in turn will be able to focus on Jesus Christ and heavenly issues.
If you then be raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)
A Purifying Blessed Hope
The blessed hope is a “purifying hope.” Upon first glance it may appear odd that Jesus did not reveal the precise time for His appearing since He has made known to us so many things pertaining to the nearness of his coming; for indeed, He has revealed many details concerning the blessed hope in His Word and has made known many events that will transpire at His second advent. With so many details available to the believer through God’s Word, it is obvious that the Lord wants the believer's mindset to be transfixed on that great historical event of His return toward which the world is rapidly moving.
If the absolute fact of our Redeemer's return had not been recorded at all, the most powerful dynamic to godly living would have been withheld from the Church. The imminency factor regarding the Lord's return was revealed as an incentive for every believer to be watchful and prepared. If Christ’s second coming is not imminent, then believers who have lived in the past would have been robbed of the comforting hope that is found in the assurance that Christ could return in their lifetime. It would have also denied every believer the spiritually purifying effect that the imminency-prospect was designed to produce.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)
A Practical Blessed Hope
The imminent return of Jesus is a practical hope. It is the overwhelming motive for spiritual service in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit links it with every precept and practice of Christian character and conduct. The blessed hope arms, strengthens, arouses, encourages and quickens the affections and zeal of every believer. The imminency of the blessed hope produces loyalty and faithfulness to Christ. In our vigil of watching for the Lord, our fidelity intensifies. On the other hand, not being watchful, results in a tendency to worldliness and carelessness in this life. The blessed hope helps the Christian toward a proper separation from carnality.
Blessed hope mechanisms for this life are designed to:
The blessed hope compels us toward the “fullness of time” (“times of refreshing”). Why has our Lord armed us with this blessed hope for such a protracted interval (since the time of his departure and His promised to return)? First, it is because God is longsuffering and patient, “not willing that any should perish.” God is granting fallen mankind the opportunity to completely develop his evil schemes and thereby demonstrate the world's need of a competent ruler! When Jesus appears one day soon, man will not be able to lodge any complaints that God did not allow him time to experiment and test his free will that was so lovingly granted unto man in the Garden of Eden. Man has been permitted to do his utmost in ruling and regenerating this world. God gave man dominion over this entire planet, including its government, and mankind has conclusively shown that he is incapable of governing himself. Mankind has shown, and continues to show even in our modern age, that he is completely unable to grapple with and overcome the forces of evil.
God has delayed his Son's return for just the right moment in human civilization. God calls this blessed moment the point at which the "fullness of time," or the "times of refreshing" will at long last arrive. The gathering together of all things in Christ, both in heaven and on earth, will unite the interests of both heaven and earth under His blessed reign. Then shall we see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man, for then there will be perfect communication established between God and man. Just as the Creator prepared the earth for man, so all of history points to the blessed hope, for those who have believed!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him. (Ephesians 1:3-10)
But those things, which God before had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He has so fulfilled. Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. (Acts 3:18-20)
The Song: Blessed Assurance
Blessed assurance Jesus is mine! Oh what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His spirit, washed in His blood.
Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight, angels descending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior, am happy and blest, watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in His love.
Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long, this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
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