Hope Series Episode 3

Hope Series Episode 3

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Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

Hello, my walking friend! I’m grateful for another day to move, get some fresh air, and spend a little quiet time with Jesus – aren’t you? Before we get started, take a deep breath and say a quick prayer of thanks!

Today is the 3rd episode in the hope series and our verse to meditate on is 1 John 3:2-3:
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Can you imagine what it will be like to see Jesus face to face? That is one of those moments that I have a hard time imagining. Honestly, it blows my mind. You hear people say, if Jesus walked into my church I would ask him this or that. And I’ve always thought, no, if Jesus walked into your church, you would probably fall down on your face before him! We think of Jesus in his human form and we want to give him a hug because we love him so much. He’s so wonderful! But he is also God, holy and pure. So, yeah, it’s hard for me to imagine what it would be like to meet Jesus face to face.

And can you imagine what it means that we will be like him? What? Be like Jesus? Perfectly us and perfectly holy? Again…mind blown!

But Jesus is in the business of blowing our minds. Just think about what he did for us and what he wants to do in our lives. He died so we could be called his child. His child! He lavished his love on us and made us his children. And, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he wants us to grow up to be like him – to look like him, to act like him, to love like him…and to be pure and holy like he is. You notice I said, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will never have the ability, by our own power, to live a holy life. But because of the hope we have been given – hope that we will one day see Jesus face to face, hope that we will one day be transformed completely into his likeness, hope that he will one day return in glory – because of this hope, we should surrender to the Holy Spirit in us and allow him to purify us.

As we walk this journey of faith, it is comforting to know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him. As Fanny J. Crosby, the renowned hymn writer, beautifully expressed:

“O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.”

These lines from the hymn “Blessed Assurance” remind us that our hope is not in vain. Our future transformation will be a glorious revelation of our true identity in Christ. We will experience the fullness of His glory and see Him as He truly is.

And the Holy Spirit also gives us the power to hope – just listen to Romans 15:13:
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Our verse today challenges us to align our lives with the holiness and purity of our Heavenly Father. Our hope in Jesus motivates us to continually purify ourselves, just as he is pure. It is through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that we are enabled to live in a manner that reflects the character of Christ.

Now let’s take a little time to meditate on today’s verse, 1 John 3:2-3:
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

You are now at the halfway point of your walk. If you need to be back in 10 minutes, this would be the time to turn around and head back.

The second half of our walk is an opportunity for reflection, meditation, and prayer. For many of us, myself included, this might feel challenging. But the spiritual rewards, and transformation, that come from developing this discipline is great and so is the power of the Holy Spirit to help us. So let’s start with some questions that will guide you in the process of reflection.

Reflect on the assurance and security that comes from knowing you are a beloved child of God. How does knowing this affect your hope?

How can you share the love of Jesus with others so they can have the same hope in salvation that you have? Take some time to think of ways now.

What does it mean to you to live a holy life? Do you truly believe that Jesus has the power to transform you into his image? Consider your answer now.

Now let’s listen to today’s verse one last time: 1 John 3:2-3:
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Is there anything else you would like to talk to Jesus about? Anything going on in your life? Remember he is right there with you, walking with you, and he is eager for you to share all that is on your heart and mind with him. Take some time to talk to him now.

Now I am going to pray for us:
Dear Jesus,
I’m so grateful for your love, a love so great that you would die so I could live with you for eternity in heaven. A love so great that, despite the bad choices I make in life, you still continue to love me. A love so great that you desire to transform me from this lowly creature into the spitting image of my father. You are my hope, Jesus, my hope in everything. Help me remember this hope as I live life so that I can make choices that please you. By your power, help me live a holy life until I meet you face to face. I want to love you with my whole heart, which doesn’t even come close to how much you love me. Thank you for your love, Jesus, and for walking with me always. Amen.

Well, my walking friend, you did it! Another 10 minutes of walking and another opportunity to build the spiritual discipline of prayer and quiet time with Jesus, our Savior. I’m grateful for you and I’m grateful you took the time to walk with me today.

For more Walk with Jesus resources, including the Walk with Jesus 21 day scripture, devotional, and guided prayer journal book for walkers, go to WalkWithJesusDevotional.com. You will find the URL for the show notes for this podcast in the episode description.

I hope we can walk together again tomorrow, friend, as we continue meditating on biblical hope. Until then, God bless you as you walk with Jesus.