“Living out one’s salvation”
Chapter 3: 1-8a
Introduction:
Paul also told Titus to remind the assemblies of their responsibilities towards the secular government and authorities which was a pagan government that ruled over a pagan society where the pantheon of ‘gods’ was widespread throughout all the cities and provinces of the Roman Empire. It was important that the assemblies maintained a good witness to the secular society in which they lived. The right approach that God had commissioned was that the local assemblies of New Covenant believers needed to realise that government authorities, or the establishing of a governing authority had been ordained by God and that to keep law and order in society.
And so Paul addresses this matter and then proceeds to remind the assemblies of What they were like before they were saved and that if they had not been shown grace then they would be living no differently than the unsaved in secular society. As he starts to finalise the rest of his letter Paul once again refers to the work of salvation and how it affects the lives of those who are saved. As always Paul’s letter, like the other letters he wrote, always end with a practical application of the doctrines he has been enunciating and affirming.
Chapter 3: 1-8a
(3:1-8a) “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
Exposition:
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
“…to be subject to rulers and authorities” This was a theme that Paul used in his letter to the assemblies at Rome (Romans 13:1). The word “subject” describes “to be subordinate and to subject oneself and submit and to obey and to submit to the control of another and to yield to one’s admonition or advice.” While all governments or the office of governors or kings or rulers are ordained by God (Daniel 2:21), a regime might be very pagan and wicked or even anti-Christian which we see all over the world today. It can be said that any government is better than no government where you would have chaos to say the least. Even in the most despotic governments there are regulations and laws even if they impinge on the freedom of us as believers. Without any law there would be rampant lawlessness. The absence of government is anarchy, and people cannot survive for long under anarchy, and even those who are wicked and unprincipled despots realise this principle even if it is only to keep their position of governmental authority. In his letter to the assemblies at Rome Paul deals with this matter at length and teaches that we are to abide by the law (Romans 13:1-7).
As believers we are “to be obedient” and to submit to the governing authorities, However, if a government leaves it’s God-ordained sphere and commands a believer to disobey God, to go against His Word, and to ignore their conscience then the believer is to act on the principle we find in Acts 5:29 when Peter and John, who were censured for their witness to the Lord Jesus and commanded not to teach about Him in His name. They answered the religious hierarchy that were lawful rulers and authorities, “We must obey God rather than men.” If the believer is punished for their loyalty to the higher authority, being our Triune God, then they are to bear it and give God the glory that they have suffered for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus who suffered for them to bring them eternal salvation and the hope for eternity.
We also read about Peter and John who rejoiced even after being flogged and warned by the Jewish high court not to speak to others in the name of Jesus. We read what they did; “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 5:41-42). So when the will of the government cross paths with the will of God as New Covenant Bible believers we must always go with the will of God before the will of man, even if it means suffering for the name of the Messiah our Lord Jesus. To do this takes the grace and power of God (Luke 21:12-19) (1 Peter 4:12-19).
In the days of the Roman empire when the Caesars were worshipped as deity, at the gates of a city where you had numerous trading stalls, shops and market places, and where you could buy food, there, at the entrance to the city, an image of the emperor with a bowl underneath the stone or marble bust was there where all who entered had to burn incense as an act of worship to the emperor. Of course a New Covenant believer could not do this as one could not call Jesus as Lord and Caesar as lord at the same time.
In the very last days under the rule of the beast empire of the Antichrist one will not be able to buy or sell anywhere in the realm of his empire unless they take the mark of the empire which in light of technology and the rapid development of AI will become a reality for believers. In those days which are rapidly approaching, we who belong to the Lord Jesus and confess His name before men will have to trust Him for our very survival. How He will provide we cannot imagine in our western democracies where persecution is for the most part absent and we have affluence in most areas of our lives, however, persecution is the reality we are going to have to face sooner rather than later, a reality already being faced by our brothers and sisters in Islamic and communist countries.
As for armed rebellion against a government and joining those seeking to overthrow it by violence are not for the believer, however, this does not mean that a believer cannot fight to defend their country in a time of war, or defend their family against violence and oppression, or defend those who cannot defend themselves. Love is protective. Imagine what the world would have turned out like if the allies in WW2 had not fought the Nazi and the Japanese war machines. In the time of the apostles there were many who were Roman soldiers and nowhere were in the New Testament were they told to leave their allotted positions in the army. Military service and slavery were common place within the Roman Empire and all who became New Covenant believers were to stay in their situations of lawful employment in which they were when they were saved (1 Corinthians 7:17-24). And then we read…
“…to be ready to do whatever is good” being ready to take every opportunity to do whatever is a good deed, the word “good” describes that which is “of good constitution or nature, that is useful, favourable to health both physically and spiritually, to be favourable, wholesome and promoting the health and wellbeing of another whether in temporal or spiritual matters, to be good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright and honourable.” It is to be like the Lord Jesus of whom we are told “…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).
We see this way of life reflected corporately in the believing community at Jerusalem after they had all been filled twice with the Holy Spirit as a group (Acts 2:42-47; 4:31-35). When we observe the wicked striding through the earth “the young lions”, neither fearing God nor man, it is so easy to want to see them pulled down. Their judgement will come if not in this life most certainly in the life to come. Even though we may want to see the wicked dealt with we must also be circumspect in regards to how we should respond to such wickedness.
“…to slander no one” the word “slander” describes “to speak reproachfully, to rail at to revile, to make maliciously or knowingly false statements about someone.” Even if what we say is true and sometimes things need to be said we must be aware of slander. It does not mean that we cannot tell the truth about someone, especially if they are causing problems for the local assembly or even within the membership of that assembly. The Lord Jesus called Herod “a fox” Paul excommunicated two men and named them, Hymenaeus and Alexander, who were guilty of blasphemy and heresy, and handed them over to Satan for punishment ( 1 Timothy 1:20). Paul called out Alexander the metalworker that did Paul a great deal of harm. While Paul called his name he also said that the LORD would repay Alexander for what he has done (2 Timothy 4:14). Paul left the judgement to God.
This applies to day to those hyper faith money preachers who also need to be called out by name. To call out by name those who are seeking to deceive the local assemblies need to be confronted, named and removed. Even in our justifiable anger we must be careful not to fall into slander and must always have our facts straight when exposing those who would deceive the wider Body of Messiah. As we read in the book of Proverbs; “For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times. Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him” (Proverbs 24:16-18).
“…to be peaceable and considerate and always to be gentle toward everyone” to be peaceable is connected to being considerate. To be peaceable is to be easy to get along with, not to compromise our convictions of course, but to pursue peace with everyone” (Hebrews 12:14), to be a peacemaker that God calls sons of God (Matthew 5:9). To be an arbitrator rather than one who provokes another. To “be considerate and always to be gentle” is “to be equitable, fair minded, mild and gentle and easy to be entreated.” It is to show true humility. It is to exhibit meekness. Now meekness is not weakness but strength under harness. When Pilate said to the Lord Jesus; “Don’t you realise that I have the power to crucify you or to set you free?” Jesus answered him; “You would have no power over Me unless it was granted to you by My Father in Heaven.” Jesus had the power to act but chose to harness it. This is true meekness. Who was really in control? The Lord Jesus was! Paul now reminds Titus what we were all like before we were saved. And so Paul writes…
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
Before we were saved by grace through faith we like the rest of the unsaved in this world were “foolish” not one who is a fool congenitally but describes “one without spiritual insight and finds spiritual truth unintelligible to his way of thinking” See (1 Corinthians 2:14). “…disobedient” describing “one who cannot be persuaded, who is not compliant and who has contempt for lawful authority; that is obstinate; perverse; stubborn and unteachable.” One who is “…deceived” describes one who “goes astray, who has been led astray from the right way, one who has been led away from the truth into error, who has been led astray from the pathway of virtue, who has been severed from the truth and to be led away into doctrinal error and sin,” such as we were before we came to the revelation knowledge of the truth that is revealed in the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:15-16).
We also were “enslaved” to sin. The word “enslaved” describes “to be a slave, to serve and to do service and to submit to Satan and to sin, to become slaves and to yield to and to give one’s self up to do evil and into the clutches of the evil one,” and being enslaved to “all kinds of passions and pleasures.” To be enslaved to “all kinds of passions” describes “all kinds of cravings and desires and longings and lusting after what is forbidden.” As for “all kinds of pleasures” describes “desires for pleasure or to be pleasured” It is to please the senses of the fallen fleshly nature, to indulge its every appetite, and to be filled with satiating the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and immersing one’s self in the pride of life, being the passionate self-indulgent appetite for possessions, money and prestige in this fallen world.
This is what we were by birth and by nature until God by His grace transferred us out of the kingdom of spiritual darkness and death into the kingdom of spiritual light and life found in the Messiah our Lord Jesus (John 12:46) (Colossians 1:13) (Ephesians 5:8). He, who is the light of the world, and that those who follow after His light will never walk in darkness but have the light of life, not only in this present life, but for all of eternity (John 8:12). However, if we have been spiritually reborn by the Spirit then we are no longer serving Satan and sin and enslaved to the passions and desires of the fleshly sinful nature, but we have been made new spiritual creations deep down on the inside, the old way of living the habitual sinful life has gone because it has been replaced by the new eternal divine life of God from above (2 Corinthians 5:17) (1 John 5:18-19). Once we were slaves to sin but have become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:15-23). So we were by nature and birth children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).
“But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared,”
When the Lord Jesus was revealed to man He was filled to the full with the kindness and love of God. The word “kindness” describes one who is “moral and excellent in character or demeanour, one who is completely transparent in spirit, soul and body, one who is perfectly gracious and given to gracious and kindly speech and actions.” This kind of character fully expresses the love of God residing in the Lord Jesus in who dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). This kindness of God was revealed in His love for sinful man, a kindness undeserved and unmerited by us and that can never be obtained by good works of self- reformation.
As Rabbi the apostle Paul also wrote in his letter to Rome. “For while we were still helpless (enslaved to sin and unable to free ourselves from its grip), at the right time (God’s appointed time) Messiah died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners (living under its power and dictates), Messiah died for us” (Romans 4:6-8).
The word for “love” used here in the Greek text is the word “philanthrōpía’ from which we derive the word “philanthropy” which describes “benevolence towards mankind or a kindness expressed in actions that benefit another.” Its fullest expression of course is in the Greek word “agape” which is “an unconditional divine love, a perfect undeserved, unmerited overflowing love, a love that cannot be contained or limited in its expression, but is eternal in nature and character and beyond human comprehension or human power to produce.” Why should God love us sinners? Who can really know this? Why would He send His one and only begotten and eternal Son who was without any sin at all to die in our place to be treated by God His Father as a sinner even though He wasn’t, He who knew no sin to be made sin for us with our sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God with His perfect righteousness? (2 Corinthians 5:21), a righteousness bestowed upon us through faith (Romans 1:17).
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Scripture is very clear that there is no person who is perfectly righteous apart from the Lord Jesus in who is no sin and in whom there was never any sin when He walked this earth. However, righteousness or the righteous character or nature of God that He accepts is absent from all who have not been spiritually reborn from above. Our best human efforts to be righteous before God are like filthy women’s discarded menstrual rags. Isaiah writes; “Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (like filthy women’s discarded menstrual rags); we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You.” (Isaiah 64:6-7).
As it is also written; “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:1-3). “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).
To be righteous in God’s sight is to be able to stand in His presence with no sense of guilt, condemnation or shame because of our past sins, knowing that the blood of Messiah has atoned for them, and cleansed us from them all, and that by faith in the Messiah to save us and by faith in His blood to cleanse and to keep us clean (1 John 1:7), God has credited to our account in heaven, and bestowed upon us, the Messiah’s perfect righteousness making us fit to enter the royal courts of heaven where God resides (Romans 3:21-26). Without this righteousness from God imparted through the new spiritual birth from above we cannot enter into or even perceive the things of the kingdom of God (John 3:3).
He saved us because of His mercy. The word “mercy” describes “kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted and joined with a desire to help them and to exercise the virtue of mercy to show one’s self to be merciful” also used of God towards men: in “His general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation from the power and penalty of sin by the Messiah, being His undeserved unmerited mercy, whereby at His return to judge the wicked He will rapture and resurrect the righteous.”
A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. “But I don’t ask for justice,” the mother explained. “I plead for mercy.” “But your son does not deserve mercy,” Napoleon replied. “Sir,” the woman cried, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.” “Well, then,” the emperor said, “I will have mercy.” And he spared the woman’s son.”
God’s desire is always to show mercy to those who know their need of it from Him. As it is written; “If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O LORD, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (revered for your mercy and righteous nature and character) (Psalm 130:3-4). And then we read about the process of salvation at work.
“He saved us” In the process of salvation God takes the initiative to call us to come to His Son for salvation, and no one can come to faith in the Lord Jesus unless the blessed Holy Spirit draws him. As the Messiah our Lord Jesus said; “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). In the process of salvation the blessed Holy Spirit in drawing us to the Lord Jesus gives us just enough light to enable us to respond but He will not do the responding for us. This we must do ourselves (John 3:16-18). While God in His eternal foreknowledge knows ultimately who will be saved and who will be lost He still gives men and women the choice (Deuteronomy 30:19). This is consistent in both Testaments. He does not arbitrarily choose some for heaven and others for hell, this is an unbiblical doctrine and does not give due honour to the nature and character of our Triune God. He saved us, we did not save ourselves!
There is a story told of a man drowning in the river who could not make it to the safety of the shore he saw ahead of him and who in desperation called out for someone to save him. As he was sinking fast a helicopter suddenly appeared and hovered overhead and a dark skinned bearded man appeared in the doorway of the helicopter and the man recognised that it was the Lord Jesus, and Jesus said to the man “what do you want me to do for you” He answered “save me from drowning.” The dark skinned bearded man threw him a lifejacket. The man with gratitude put it on and then said “what do I do now?” The dark skinned bearded man said “swim!” Once the Lord Jesus has saved us then we need to work it out in and through our life that salvation He has bestowed upon and in us by His Spirit (Philippians 2:12). In the new birth there is a spiritual washing that occurs deep down on the inside of us. There is a spiritual washing and a renewal which are joined in the process of the work of the new birth.
“…through the washing of rebirth” The word “washing” signifies “a spiritual inner cleansing of the soul.” In the process of salvation the blessed Holy Spirit washes us in two ways. Firstly He applies the blood of Jesus to our soul and secondly He also uses the Word of God in that duel cleansing process. As we read concerning the power of Jesus blood; “Since we have now been justified, (acquitted of all charges against us) by His blood how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9). The Holy Spirit applies the blood of Jesus to the doorframe of our heart and cleanses it from all sin, and when the wrath of God comes upon the wicked in this world He will see the blood on the doorframe of our heart and pass over us (1 John 1:7-9) (Exodus 12:13, 23).
We also read that the Word of God is also part of the cleansing process. As we read; “Husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah loved the church (His Body) and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27). The Lord Jesus Himself also said; “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63).
Every time we read the Word of God and study its pages it brings a spiritual cleansing, not from sin, as this is the work of the Blood of Messiah, however, the Word of God does purify the thought, the motives and the intentions of our heart and puts within us the desire to not commit sin. As we read; “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
So in the work of salvation you have the Word, the blood and the Spirit all working simultaneously and in perfect unison bringing about that spiritual rebirth of the inner spirit man that was previously spiritually dead being unresponsive to spiritual matters (Colossians 2:13) (Ephesians 2:1-10) (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). We can read the Bible from cover to cover, however, unless the Spirit of God blows upon the pages there will be no supernatural revelation from God. So accompanying the washing is the spiritual renewal that follows. The Word purifies the motives and desires of the heart, the blood cleanses the heart from all sin, and the Spirit renews the life of the one who has been saved. Renewal always follows cleansing. And so we read…
“…and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” the word “renewal” describes “a complete renovation or a change for the better.” As we read in scripture “Therefore if anyone is in the Messiah, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). If we have been spiritually reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit then we will have a deep inward desire to love what God loves and to hate what God hates. The new birth brings a thorough and complete spiritual overhaul. We will have new affections that want to please God and to walk in His will and in His ways which is good, acceptable and perfect for the one who allows the Holy Spirit to control the body. If the Holy Spirit gets our bodies with its appetites and desires then He gets the inner contents as well (Romans 12:1-2). After we have received the Word of God and have been born again by the Spirit indwelling we also need to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us for ministry and service for the LORD (John 7:39) (Acts 1:8; 2:33, 38; 8:15-17; 19:2) (Galatians 3:2, 14).
“…whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Messiah our Saviour,”
God is a generous giver and the Lord Jesus Himself said; “So I say to you, ask (and keep on asking), and it will be given to you; seek (and keep on seeking), and you will find; knock (and keep on knocking), and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:9-13). On the Day of Pentecost the Lord Jesus poured out His Spirit upon the 120 believers gathered together in the upper room. From that time on the fullness of the Holy Spirit was available to all who believe in the Lord Jesus for salvation (Acts 2:38-39).
“…so that, having been justified by His grace,” The words “having been justified” describes a past action that has been accomplished. The word “justified” describes “to render righteous or such as one ought to be, to show, exhibit, to demonstrate beyond a shadow of doubt one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered, to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be, to be declared innocent of all charges in a court of law.” When we repented and believed in Him who shed His blood to atone for, to redeem, and to cleanse us from all sin, at that precise moment God declared us innocent in His sight and clear of all charges against us even though He knows and we know that we are guilty and that without any excuses. As we read in scripture; “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have (or let us have) peace with God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah” (Romans 5:1). Having peace with God will produce the peace of God deep down on the inside of us, that peace that transcends all human comprehension and that inner supernatural peace that the world cannot give (Philippians 4:7) (John 14:27). Why did this happen to us who believe? In order that…
“we might become heirs” that we might receive the benefits of belonging to God’s eternal family and inheritors of all of His divine privileges and blessings in that He who gave us the Messiah will He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32). We have an eternal inheritance already awaiting us in heaven. As we read; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Messiah! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Messiah from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5). Our inheritance is the rapture and resurrection of our bodies to enjoy the Millennial kingdom and to co-reign with Him on earth (1 Corinthians 15:51-56) (Revelation 5:9-10), and to ultimately have our place in the New Jerusalem.
As the apostle John writes; “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).This life we live in this world is like a vapour, the eternal life we have now and we will live after we leave this world will carry us on into the eternal realms where there will be peace and joy beyond anything that we can ask or imagine. This is our hope as we read…
“…having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying”
Eternal life is not something we will have when we fall asleep in Messiah and receive after we have left our body. We have it now deep down on the inside. It is the very life and nature of God Himself. As the apostle peter writes; “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4). When we were born again by the Spirit we became possessors of eternal life, we passed from spiritual death to spiritual life. As the Lord Jesus said; ““I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes (present continuous tense) in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25). The Lord Jesus as God the Son, the same as His Father have the source of eternal life within them (John 5:26).
If the Lord Jesus lives in us by the indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit then we have eternal life of the Triune God within us (John 14:23), as He who has the Son has the life of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the (eternal) life. These things I have written to you who believe (present continuous tense) in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:12-13). Our faith is based on the Word of God which will same the same thing tomorrow as it does today regardless of our feelings and roller coaster circumstances of life which are changeable and fluctuate even at the best of times.
As the beloved apostle John also writes; “Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Messiah appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Messiah is pure (1 John 3:1-3). This is our hope of eternal life. The word “hope” is not the world’s definition of “I hope so.”
The word used for “hope” in our text describes “a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” It is connected to faith which is defined as being sure or confident of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see or of unseen realities (Hebrews 11:1). As we also read; “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”(2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
