Nothing has been more significant in my life than understanding my need for Jesus Christ as a Savior—as my very own, personal Savior. God granted me this moment of understanding, and in my belief, I was gifted with eternal life. I trust that through the work of Jesus Christ on my behalf, I will spend my eternity in heaven. He is my hope. This gives me peace that reaches beyond any of my circumstances.
God continues to increase my understanding of His sovereignty as I study the Scriptures. His Word gives me a perspective that keeps eternity in view. This perspective affects all that I do—all that I am. It gives me purpose as a wife, as a mother, as a sister, as a daughter, as a friend. It also gives me purpose in my efforts as a homeschooling parent.
This life is truly just a vapor. Our souls, however, will live for eternity. Dismissal of this truth will not nullify it. Our hope for the eternity to come must be in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
“yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
James 4:14 (ESV)
Here are some of the many wondrous truths that give me hope and give me purpose:
He is our creator. (Not only that, but He has created us in His very own image.)
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27 (ESV)
We are all sinners. (This is what prescribes, necessitates, dictates that seemingly insatiable need that we have—for hope.)
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
“as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one”
Romans 3:10 (ESV)
Our sin has ramifications. (Our transgressions put eternal separation between us and our holy God.)
“For the wages of sin is death . . .”
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
“the soul who sins shall die.”
Ezekiel 18:4 (ESV)
God’s only son, Jesus, died on the cross for my sin and your sin. (Here it is—Our Hope. Our Savior.)
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 (ESV)
“. . . the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7 (ESV)
Jesus Christ overcame death. He was resurrected. (He is risen!)
“But God raised him from the dead”
Acts 13:30 (ESV)
“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”
Romans 6:9 (ESV)
There is nothing we can do to earn forgiveness for our sins. Jesus paid our penalty on the cross. (What a burden we carry when we try to earn what can only be obtained by God’s grace.)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 (ESV)
To receive eternal life, we must simply accept, in belief, that Jesus’ work on the cross paid for our sins. (It is magnificently simple.)
“And they said, ‘believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved . . .’”
Acts 16:31 (ESV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
He is our Hope. (He satisfies that seemingly insatiable need for hope. Nothing—no one—satisfies, but Jesus.)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Romans 15:13 (ESV)
“. . . we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain”
Hebrews 6:18,19 (ESV)
Have you claimed God’s Truth for yourself? Are you confident you will spend your eternity in heaven? If you are, then may this be a sweet reminder of God’s goodness toward us. That “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 ESV).
If you have uncertainty when you contemplate your eternity—if there is anxiety rather than peace—reach out to me. I will be glad to search the Scriptures with you. Or get in touch with your local Bible-believing church. They will also be happy to help answer your questions. Nothing is more consequential in your life. True hope is found only in Christ.