"A CHANCE" OR THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE?"

As we grow older we should always be learning, especially in regards to our understanding of the Word of God. I have for years spoken of and written about ‘The Scheme of Redemption”. A friend of mine and brother in Christ who has traveled to three different continents mentioned to me that in other cultures the word ‘scheme’ carries the meaning of trying to defraud or cheat someone. So I have begun to speak or write of the eternal purpose or plan of God to redeem mankind from sin. First of all, I would like to emphasize the reason Jesus Christ shed his precious blood and died on the cross as mentioned in the following scriptures. Matthew 26:26-28: “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” Ephesians 1:7: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…”. 1 Corinthians 15:3: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures…” And being a child of God and a member of the body (church) of the Lord and living a life of faithfulness (not perfection as one might understand), we possess the promise that is found in 2 Peter 1:11, “For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The word ‘chance’ carries a meaning of “a possibility of something happening; “the occurrence and development of events in the absence of any obvious design.” Thus, the word chance carries the idea that it might happen rather than the certainty of what is promised as found in the Word of God. The biblical meaning of the word ‘hope’ is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” “The Greek word for "hope" in the Bible is "elpis," which is often used to convey the idea of confident expectation and anticipation. It is used in various passages in the New Testament to describe the hope that believers have in God's promises and in the future.” In fact, the word hope is mentioned 50 times in the New Testament. Here are just a few passages that mention the hope we have in Jesus Christ: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit"(Romans 13:15); “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5); “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior” (Titus 1:1-3); “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it” (Romans 8:24,25). There is no uncertainty in the hope that is found in the word of God. It is not a matter of ‘chance’ but a promise from God who cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18). Many who have a desire to be saved eternally cannot really expect it because they have not had their sins washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 22:16; Ephesians 1:7). Believers in Jesus Christ should obey the commands given in the Word of God in order to receive remission of sins and to have the hope of eternal life when we come to the end of our days on this earth (Acts 17:30, Acts 2:37,38,41,47).