Hope

A friend recently asked “what makes Lutherans so HAPPY over the coming end times?” It brought about a discussion of how Lutherans seem to just “take things in stride” as opposed to other Christians.

With all I could have said on the subject, the answer really comes down to just one word. Hope. Now, being thoroughly Lutheran, I have to ask “what does this mean?” The online free dictionary defines hope as “1. To look forward to with confidence or expectation or the archaic use “To have confidence; trust”

We Lutherans seem to understand the whole concept of hope in Christ based on God’s promise of salvation and that promise is a “sure thing” as it says in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

And because we have that confidence, we also have the "modern" type of hope. We CAN look forward to Christ's Second coming with GREAT Confidence and Expectation! We can do so because, when it all boils down, Jesus did it all FOR us. As Luther said in the Explanation to the 3rd article of the Apostles' Creed: "We can not, by our own reason or strength, come to faith in Christ Jesus, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life."

Because of this hope, this complete confidence and trust we can have in God, we Lutherans should be nothing but happy and joyfully LONGING for the end times to come. It doesn’t mean that bad things will never happen to us, but it DOES mean that because of God’s boundless grace, His absolute love that gave us forgiveness through the death and resurrection of our Lord, that, even in the hour of our deepest need, we can have that hope, clear and true, that we are forgiven and we will see salvation.

Amen. Even so, Come Lord Jesus! Amen.