Christ in You, the Hope of Glory
Dearly beloved, we can rejoice today for the victory that God has promised us over sin and death. Christ is coming!
I Thessalonians 4:15-18
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep.
16 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:
17 Then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The saint’s hope is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only he has the power and authority given him by His Father to raise the dead in Christ and to change the living ones in Christ to be immortal.
He will end the humiliation we suffer today concerning death and corruption.
Death is an enemy. It is not a welcomed friend; it brings people into a worse state, that of corruption and decay. It is the absence of life of any kind.
Christians have the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. The hope of salvation is ours in Christ. All Christians share in this glorious hope.
Philippians 3:20,21
20 For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21Who shall change our vile body, that is may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
Who will perform this? The Lord Jesus Christ will do accomplish it.
When will this occur? It will take place when the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ returns.
What will our bodies resemble? Our bodies will be transformed so that they are like the Lord’s glorious body! We will no longer be subject to death and decay. We will inherit everlasting life and glory at his coming.
Corruption in the grave will not be our end; we will be resurrected from the dead and we will have incorruptible bodies!
We will no longer suffer the humiliation of death; we will be raised in glory!
We will no longer be mortals; we will be raised in power!
We will no longer have natural bodies; we will have spiritual bodies like our Lord’s!
Beloved, God called us to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
God called us in Christ, justified us in him, and we will be glorified together with him! In fact, our Father will freely give us all things with Christ!
Nothing can separate us from His love for us.
Condemnation does not await us; glory awaits us!
II Thessalonians 2:14
Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Beloved, God called us to glory. We will take acquisition of the glory for which we were called when Christ returns to gather us up to him in the air.
We are the sons of God today and when Christ appears we will be like him!
Romans 8:16-18
16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Need some reassurance; speak in tongues, and God's spirit will witness to your spirit that you are a child of God, His heir, and you are a joint heir with Christ.
Who could have imagined such glory as this for those who were so undeserving? Behold the grace of God beloved of God.
I Thessalonians 5:10 and 11
10 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you do.
Rejoice beloved of God and be encouraged; we have the hope of salvation. Christ is coming; it could even be today! It is Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Live today with the reality of his coming before your eyes; it will keep you radiant in this evil age so that you shine as lights.
God has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son. It is only a matter of time before our hope becomes a current reality.
Rejoice, by the grace of God, it is Christ in you, the hope of glory!