AS OTHERS WHICH HAVE NO HOPE - J. C. O'Hair

 
AS OTHERS WHICH HAVE NO HOPE

Pastor J. C. O’Hair

We read in Psalms 116:15: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

 
But how about the death of those who are not God’s saints? The answer is Hebrews 9:27 and John 3:36: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
 
There is nothing precious in the death of an unsaved sinner, except a precious soul is forever lost.
 
In I Timothy 1:1 we read that Jesus Christ is our hope. In Romans 15:13 we read that God is “the God of hope.” In I Peter 1:3 to 9 we learn that by faith in the resurrected Christ believing sinners are begotten into a living hope. The ascended, interceding Christ is for the believer an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, a hope (Hebrews 6:18 to 20). Christ is within the veil, appearing in the presence of God for us, to save unto the uttermost all who come unto God through Him. (Hebrews 6:20 to 7:3 - Hebrews 7:25 - Hebrews 7:24). Read John 13:1 .
 
The Greek word translated “hope” is “ELPIZO,” (the verb) - “ELPIS”, (the noun). This is not our expression “I hope so,” in which there is an element of doubt. “ELPIZO” means to expect with confidence. There is assurance for all who trust and rest in the perfect work of the perfect Christ, in harmony with Philippians 3:3, “with no confidence in the flesh”; a “know-so” salvation. (I John 5:13).
 
The adults of the human race are divided into two groups, a very large group of “dead sinners”, and a much smaller group of “living saints.” Read Ephesians 2:1 to 9.
 
We have the awful pathetic predicament of the “dead sinners” in Ephesians 2:12: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” “Alienated from the life of God.” (Ephesians 4:18).
 
This should be enough to startle any “dead sinner”, whether he is a moral, religious, churchgoing “dead sinner” or an immoral, ungodly sinner, in or out of jail.
 
“Without God” is “ATHEOS.” Why is the sinner an “ATHEIST?” Not because he is a blaspheming infidel, who denies the existence of a Supreme Being, but because he is “without Christ.” “Without Christ” means “without hope.” There is only one way from unrighteousness to righteousness, from Satan to God, from earth to heaven. Christ and Calvary. (John 14:6 - Hebrews 10:19 and 20 - I Peter 3:18).
 
Now note I Thessalonians 4:13 and 5:9: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, EVEN AS OTHERS WHICH HAVE NO HOPE.” “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
In I Thessalonians 4:13 to 18 we have in detail what we read in Titus 2:13 and Colossians 3:4: “Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God, our Saviour Jesus Christ.” “When Christ, Who is our Life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”
 
Then for those who have no hope, who refuse, or fail, to accept the eternal redemption obtained by Christ and His shed blood (Hebrews 9:12) we read what Christ’s coming will mean: “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” Christ died and rose again to save us from the wrath to come. I Thessalonians 1:9 and 10. No Christ, no hope.

 Read:
Seven Times a Failure - C. R. Stam

 
Posted By – Cecil Spivey

spivey1953@gmail.com

If you are blessed by this Bible Messages  please E-mail it to your friends.