WE, the redeemed of the LORD, have a hope. It is based in the eternal purpose of God made evident and possible by His son.
[Romans 8:28-30 NASB95] 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
It has been the desire and purpose of God to have many sons just like the first and only begotten One. I have offended, or at least shaken, some when I have said in times past that Jesus did not come to be your personal savior. He, of course, in that purpose, did become your personal savior. But we have turned the gospel into that as the beginning and the end. Knowing Him as personal savior is only the beginning of the Father’s purpose in Him, and the portal or doorway to the Kingdom.
Ephesians 1:18 (and following verses to the end of Ephesians 1) shifted my paradigm on this back in the early 80’s and I’ve never been the same. Here is the passage, that begins with a prayer for the church (underlined)
[Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB95] 18 [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly [places,] 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
In this prayer Paul prays for the church to come to an understanding of the hope of God’s calling/or purpose for us, and the surpassing power He intends to manifest in those that believe. But the segment of the prayer that jumped off the page for me those years ago was the phrase where the apostle prays we might understand what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints! The revelation and understanding came to me that Jesus came, in the purpose of the Father, to deliver to Him/Father riches of His/the Father’s inheritance. And that inheritance is us; the saints. In order for there to be an inheritance, there must be a death. So while Jesus’ death (and resurrection) provided you and I with a personal savior and eternal life as an inheritance, His true purpose and design was to deliver us as an inheritance to the Father. I am still baffled by the term riches of the glory of His inheritance! Riches? Glory? What did the Father possibly see in us as such value and treasure to be gained at such a price. It was the pearl of great value; that He would give His Son, that He might have many just like Him. The fellowship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in eternity was so precious that God purposed to bring us into the fullness of Him who fills all in all. He would accomplish His purpose with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly [places,] 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
What a hope we have as the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
We often feel weak, and we don’t know how to handle situations or exactly how to pray. But OH MY! WHAT HOPE WE HAVE. Read again the hope expressed to the Romans in the light of His purpose in Jesus. It is one thing to understand this in a personal perspective. But, there is also a corporate understanding of the purpose of God in Jesus, and in all that we face or may endure in Him.
[Romans 8:26-35, 37-39 NASB95] 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for [us] with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to [the will of] God. 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [is] against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The redeemed of the LORD have hope!
[Isaiah 51:10-14 NASB95] 10 Was it not You who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over? 11 So the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, And everlasting joy [will be] on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. 12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass, 13 That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor? 14 “The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking.
[Psalm 107:1-2 NASB95] 1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say [so,] Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary (suggest reading all of the psalm)