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Written by Gerry
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This is a question that many of us face at some point in our lives.
- Is there any hope...for married couples who seem to wind up at the same dead-end of unresolved conflict again and again?
- Or what about the person who has fallen victim to alcohol, drugs, or gambling or any of a number of addictive behaviors?
- The person who is in so deep that he or she fears they’ll never find a way out? Is there any hope for them?
- Where is the hope for the mom-to-be that goes to her obstetrician for a routine checkup and hears the words, “I’m sorry. We can’t find a heartbeat?”/li>
- Or for a single mom, who works a full-time job by day, serves as both mother and father by night and wonders to herself-- “How long can I keep this up?”
- Or the person who battles depression and anxiety?
- Or the person who stands by their spouse’s bedside as they lay dying?
- And where is the hope for a generation of young people who seem to be an easy mark for drugs, STD’s, abuse, or the pain of a broken family?
The question is...Where is hope? What is its source? What reason is there to hope?
The dominant theme found throughout this letter from Peter is that there is hope.
And it is a radical hope! We’re not talking about the wistful, nebulous optimism that in the end everything will turn out alright---which is what--in this world--so often passes as hope. We’re talking about Christian hope. Christian hope is a hope that does not rest on humankind but on God and God alone. This hope rests on the living God who is known by His loving deeds. The God who raised Christ from the dead and gave Him glory so that our faith and hope can be in Him. Christ is the only One who offers us this hope which is incorruptible and undefiled and will never fade away! Therefore, Peter can say to us and to these early Christians... “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
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Is there hope?
Romans 8 - Outline