Public Hope
(Ephesians 4:4)
Our lives are not our own but belong to the Lord, who redeemed us. Our status itself has become a public one within Christ. Therefore, the hope we ought to hold should naturally be a public hope.
1. The Salvation on the Last Day
The hope granted to us within Christ is that we will attain glorious resurrection upon His return. Instead of resting comfortably in the thought, “I am already saved,” we must keep in mind that the day still awaits us and must preserve our spirits. The Lord has freed us from the bonds of sin; therefore, we must no longer live as slaves to sin and fail to stand against it. The lives given to us as believers should be considered an opportunity to prepare for that day.
2. Unity within Christ
Our hope is connected to God’s hope as one, which is for all things to be united within Christ. When all the angels in heaven and on earth doubted the possibility of realizing this hope, it was the church that actually showed that it was possible. The church has successfully united Jews and Gentiles, who could never make peace, and likewise unified diverse people who could not become one. The emergence of the church serves as a testament to the breaking of Satan’s power and signals that all things will ultimately be unified in Christ.
3. The Work That We Should Have Sought First
We, who were in sin, have been transformed and made to have a unified appearance with Christ! The task God calls us to undertake is indeed what we should have sought from the beginning. This hope given to us by God will make the greatest contribution to the complete elimination of evil in the world and the coming of the eternal kingdom of God. Thus, let us always surrender ourselves and work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. The Lord will consider our lives as public lives for His kingdom and will assist us.
March 24, 2024
Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim
