- CHAPTER 10 -
The Gifts of God

At Christmas, people gather to celebrate the birth of Christ. A tree symbolizing life is erected in the home. Lights are strung around illuminating the light of God that shines upon us. Songs of praise are sung to exalt the name of God. Families cease from normal activity and come together in a loving community. In recognition of God’s gift given to all humankind, we also give gifts to others. This day is set aside as a holy day where we acknowledge that God is good.

We celebrate the birth of Christ because on that day, He was given to all humankind. At His birth, an angel appeared to shepherds nearby saying, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) Christ is the gift of God. There was no need for further gifts. Jesus Christ embodies all that we need for salvation and eternal life. He is the cure for our sins and the one who will sustain us until the end.

The cross and resurrection has great significance for us. In this event, Christ opened a door that was previously closed. Through this, we may be forgiven of sin and inherit eternal life. However, this event means nothing if we do not have Jesus Christ. The gifts are indivisible of Christ. The promises of God are fulfilled in Christ. This means that we cannot have any of these gifts unless we have Christ. If we have Christ, we have all these gifts. As such, it is Christ that we seek, not the gifts themselves. Christ comes first in all things. We must reach out to Him and then by Him, we may be all that God created us to be. Jesus is all we need.

The good news, as stated in the Scripture above, is that Jesus Christ has come. He has been born unto us to serve as our Lord and God. He has come to care for us and deliver us. He is our Savior. He is the only hope we have in the redemption of our sins. Apart from Him, there is no other way.

Let us explore these gifts in more detail so that you might know what God is offering you in Christ.

1) Love

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The love of God comes to us in Christ. This is seen throughout the life of Christ. At His birth, Christ was offered unto us as a gift. God came down from Heaven. Imagine living in a palace of great beauty and majesty. You are the Master of this domain. You have wealth and riches beyond any measure. You are free to do whatever you want. From this high position, you decide to visit your loved ones below. You take off the robes. You leave your wallet and money at home. You leave everything behind to live as a pauper in the streets of a slum where the people are infected with a terrible disease. Would you leave the comfort of your home to enter such a place? And yet, God did this for us. He loved us. He helped those in need. He never fought back but went willingly unto the cross. He cried for mercy on His attackers. He suffered and died for us. God’s love was shown and given in Christ. As Christ said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Though we were sinners who continually hurt and attacked God by our sin, He came to earth and endured the cross. Truly, God loves us.

God is offering His love to all people. However, like every other gift, it must be received to be fulfilled. The greatest part of this gift is having our heart filled with God’s love. It is not enough to hear about God’s love, we need to know it. The gift of love is fulfilled when we know God’s love in truth, in other words, when we feel His affection upon our heart. To know the love of God in this way is truly a gift. We don’t have to say, “God loves me,” and try to be convinced. Rather, we know His love as we feel it shine from Heaven warming our heart. This is the gift God is offering: to know His loving intimately and abundantly. God is love and when our hearts are filled with God’s love, we glow and shine like the sun at noonday. We become a blessing to others. We love just as Christ has loved us.

2) Forgiveness

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)

On the cross, Christ brought the forgiveness of sins. We may be forgiven for our abominable acts against God because Christ paid the debt of sin. “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22) This is not a cheap forgiveness that is given without cause or justification. Christ suffered and paid the price we owed. Justice has been done. Amends have been made.

The forgiveness Christ is offering is a righteous forgiveness that justifies sinners (Romans 4:5). Our sins were grievous acts that deserve to be punished. Indeed, they were punished. Christ suffered our punishment. By looking to the cross, we can know we are forgiven. There is no doubt. Christ died for us. Our sins are covered by the pouring out of His blood. By accepting Christ, we accept forgiveness. We are forgiven and feel at peace with God.

3) Liberty

“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)

A slave is someone who works for wages and earns his keep. Those who are slaves in the family of righteousness earn their keep through good works. They do good things to earn their righteousness. They say, “I am righteous because I do right things.” They hope to earn more righteousness than wickedness by doing more good than evil. They are not giving good works in thanksgiving to what God has done; they are trying to earn a place by what they have done. This means that their good deeds are motivated by a deep desire to please themselves rather than being motivated by love. Love, though, is “not self-seeking.” (1 Corinthians 13:5) And so, their righteous acts or good deeds are worthless in God’s eye because God is love.

Christ sets us free from this problem by adopting us into the family. A child does not need to earn her keep. She seeks to do what is pleasing to her father because she loves him. She listens to her father because she looks up to him. She knows she is loved by him and so she is free to go about the house doing what she pleases. She does good deeds, not to earn righteousness, but because this is the nature of her family. Those in the family of righteousness do what is right because that is the nature of the family. And so, by becoming part of the family, righteousness becomes a joy. When difficulty in the family arises, the slave will quit or give up because there is a cost, but the child will stick by her family in perseverance no matter what the cost may be. She will do it gladly because she loves the family.

Within the heart of every person is the desire to be free, however, this desire is often confused with selfishness, the desire to do whatever we want. Sin within us has brought about a huge conflict within us. We want to be free to please ourselves, but we find that we cannot be pleased. The more we try to make ourselves happy, the more we become a slave to ourselves. In other words, if we are our own Master seeking to please ourselves, then we will also be our own slave trying to serve ourselves. This causes conflict because in the search to be free we actually become a slave.

Christ offers us true freedom by setting us free from this sinful state. He does this by adopting us into the family making God our father. God then becomes the center of our pleasure. Rather than having a desire to please ourselves, we seek to please God. We know within our heart that God is good, He knows what is best, and He loves us. This means that we are truly set free. We do not worry about ourselves because God is caring for us. God’s loves surrounds us so that we may be free to please others. We only worry about the needs of others. For example, think of your early childhood. Your parents cared for your needs. You did not worry about what to eat or drink. Your parents provided those things for you. Rather, you were free to go out and play. Likewise, Christ is offering this same freedom. We can know God as our Father who cares for us so that we can be focused on loving others and doing what is right.

4) Life

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10b)

Often times when asked, “How are you?” people respond, “I am here.” The implication is that they are surviving and that is the best they can do. Christ, however, came to offer us life that is more than just surviving. He came to offer us a life worth living. In this way, we want to live. Each day is rich and full of meaning. Life is a gift of God. The fulfillment of life is found in God.

Modern science would have us believe that life exists because it exists. Life is about survival and those who fight for life are those who survive. We see this worked out in nature where animals that fight for food and win are able to eat and live. Animals do not worry about the life of other animals. A dog does not stop and think, ‘I should give this piece of meat to that starving cat.’ Rather, the dog and cat will fight until death to survive. But, is this what life is supposed to be for humanity? Are we supposed to fight and war with one another for survival?

Deeply ingrained within the human soul is the knowledge that living harmoniously is our ultimate goal. We see this worked out in those who give their lives to save others. Soldiers march to war to protect the nation they love. Heroes dash into burning buildings to save the lives of people they have never met. Life, for humanity, is not about survival. God created us for love. We were meant to love. Christ came to offer us a life of love. He came to offer us true life that does not worry about surviving but is focused on living.

Because of sin, the gift of life was taken from us. We live under the gloom of death. Each day, we labor and struggle to live. We know that death will one day consume us and take us into the grave. Fear of this restrains us. As such, we fight everyday to live. This becomes apparent in a variety of ways. The extreme sportsman challenges death by walking the line of life and death. When the sportsman lives, he feels a sense of victory over his death having lived another day. The investment procure builds a mighty retirement and savings to maintain control over death. He fears not becoming poor or facing hardship because his kingdom of wealth stands to supply him with the support he needs. His wealth will give him life. The video game junky escapes life all together by becoming engrossed in an alternative world where they don’t fight to live; they pursue the pleasure of their heart. The addict is comforted by a crutch that frees them slightly from the fight. With each drag of a cigarette, the person is giving into death rather than fighting it. The suicide victim has surrendered entirely to death. They has stopped fighting for life and resolved to take their life. In all these examples, the fight to live encompasses their existence.

Christ sets us free from this bondage of death by offering us eternal life. Christ fills us with life. He said to a woman at a well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14) This means that we no longer fight to live. We are filled with life. Our aim or goal in life is not to survive, but to love. We are no longer concerned about our own life or the pursuit of our own life. We are alive. We don’t need to fight for life anymore. Because of this, we are free to enjoy life.

This means that we don’t climb mountains to prove we can conquer death, but to enjoy the beautiful view from the top. We don’t eat food because it helps us survive. We enjoy our meal in thanksgiving because it is a gift from God. We don’t smoke, drink, or damage our body because we want to live life to the fullest. We want to pursue the true riches of life like love, joy, righteousness, and peace. We want to invest our time in something meaningful that will last for eternity. We want to give our lives, not to make a mark on society or try to become immortal, but because we have life to give. We are not motivated by death, we are motivated by life. This is the gift Christ is offering: a life overflowing with heaven’s greatest riches. This is life in the fullest.

5) Communion/Fellowship with God

“My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Ezekiel 37:27)

When Adam and Eve had sinned against God, they had separated themselves from Him. No longer was the God of Heaven the God of Adam and Eve. They could no longer be called the children of God or the people of God. Jesus Christ came to restore this lost relationship and restore the people to God. In a prayer to His Father, Christ made this apparent saying, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) To live is to be alive with God. He is the source of life and the reason why we live. Without God, we cannot live. And so, to live forever means that we live forever with God as the source or center of our life. We commune with God. This means we know God as our Father, brother, and friend rather than a distant mysterious being in Heaven.

As a Father, we may approach God with confidence at any time to make our requests known. We know that our Father loves us and so He will answer our prayers. He will not give us whatever we want, but what is best for us. At times, He will discipline us. He is a good Father who will do only what is best. As a Brother, God is like us. He has lived as we live. He knows our pains and trials. He was there while we were raised. He will always be by our side because He loves us. As a friend, we can share our deepest secrets with God. We need not fear being honest, but can express ourselves openly. God is always there to rely on, to talk to, and to share with. In addition, God shares His heart with us. Christ said to His disciples, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

As the people of God, we share in all that God is and has. We are a part of Him just as He is a part of us. Christ said to His disciples, “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:19-20) He foretold them of the relationship that would come after His resurrection. The world would not see Him but they would see Him. This signified a spiritual relationship. The Spirit is unseen in this world. But God’s people can see it much like we see the wind. We know the presence of God as He makes Himself known within us. God has chosen to live within His people making them His dwelling place on earth. “And in [Christ] you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)

This is the gift God is offering: to put His Spirit in you and live within you so that you might always have a deep relationship with Him. In this way, you will always know God as Father in truth. After God puts the Spirit of Christ into us, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16) We know God in truth, not because we believe God exists or have deduced that God exists, rather we know God because He lives within us. This means that God has revealed Himself to us in truth, much like a friend reveals himself by coming to live with us.

Before ascending to Heaven, Christ promised His disciples, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) These words may have been said to them, but they are a promise to all His people. God is offering Himself so that we may know Him in truth and may spend an eternity in fellowship with Him.

6) Inner Peace & Wholeness

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Humanity was created for love. The commandments have revealed this to us. First and foremost, we were created to love God with all our heart, mind, body, and soul. This means that God created a special place in our heart for Him to live. Christians have described this as a God-shaped whole in our heart. It is like a lock on the human heart that can only be opened by God who is the right key. Many other things may fit into the lock, but nothing can bring out the fullness of love in our heart except for God. We were created for God and we need God.

Without God, humanity is incomplete. Because of this, we often feel like something is missing. This emptiness produces a deep anxiety and depression at the core of our being. We try to fill this void in many different ways. Some people run from it by indulging in drugs, alcohol, video games, or alternative worlds. Others look within trying to find peace through meditation and self-deprecation. Still, others build kingdoms of wealth, fame, and power to cover up their deep insecurity. Inwardly, however, the problem is the same for all. We are missing the key component to life: the one and true God. And because of this, we lack inner peace.

Christ is offering us true peace that comes in having fellowship with God. Christ said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-30) A yoke is a harness fitting the neck and shoulders of a person for carrying a pair of buckets or the like, one at each end. The yoke of Christ is balanced and easy to carry. This means that Christ will not burden or weigh us down. Rather, He is gentle and humble in heart. He will help us to find true peace and rest where we can enjoy life for the fullness of what it is meant to be.

In Christ, we may know God as one who loves us, and thus, have peace with God. This is lasting peace that thrives even through external difficulty and hardship. This is a far different peace than what the world offers. The world offers peace through external circumstances. The world offers rest through vacations. However, once the vacation ends, the peace also ends and the anxiety returns. The peace Christ is offering gives rest to the soul. Inwardly, the person comes to know internal peace that lasts even through external difficulty. Outwardly, the person may face immense conflict and trial. Inwardly, however, they are at rest knowing that God is with them and loves them. The person feels complete and whole needing nothing more to fill them. As such, they can be at peace with all things even those that try to rob them. This is true peace.

7) Grace

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Grace is God’s favor. It means that God is with us and on our side. He is there to help us in our time of need. He delights in seeing our plans succeed. He is actively involved in every area of our lives, like a parent that loves his children. A father that favors a child will give his child anything they ask for. A friend that favors a friend will stand up in defense of that friend despite the cost it may bring. Grace means that God desires us. It is signified by His love for us. It is His pleasure upon us. It is God with us.

Grace has come to humanity through Jesus Christ. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) When Jesus Christ came to earth, He had the pleasure of His Father upon Him. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, Matthew said, “‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14) Upon Christ’s baptism, the Father said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) This shows that Christ embodied grace. God was with Him. He did not need to earn the favor of His Father as He already had it. The Father was pleased with His Son. Jesus would do whatever pleased the Father seeking to accomplish His will on earth. He carried out the Father’s will even unto death.

Having sinned, humanity displeased God. We had gone astray following chasing our own selfish desires rather than giving love as God desired. As such, God did not favor us. His anger burned against us. Despite this, God loved us. He loves all humanity and wished to make a way that people could be saved. (Titus 2:11) Jesus Christ, who is the embodiment of God’s grace, came to earth and appeared to all men. God is offering His grace to everyone. He loves all humanity and does not choose favorites. However, not everyone has grace. Though God is offering this gift to all, not everyone will accept it. And so, grace does not fall upon everyone. “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)

For those who have God on their side, they are able to conquer their enemies. Scripture says, “Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.” (Isaiah 8:10) On the cross, the enemy thought they had achieved victory by slaughtering the Son of God. In essence, they were saying, “Look at your wonderful Lord and God. He is pathetic. He can’t even save Himself.” And yet, what the enemy didn’t realize is that through His sacrifice, Christ would open a door that grace could then be offered to all men. Because Jesus died for us, we can be offered God’s grace. We may be cleansed of our sin and brought into a new life with God. In Christ, and Christ alone, we may come to know grace as our own. We may live a life of grace like a house founded on a solid rock.

The scriptures says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) And, “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21) Lastly, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalms 90:17) With the favor of God upon us, He is able to work in us to produce what is good and pleasing in His sight. This means that we do not have to fight to do what is right. We don’t have to figure out what is right and try to do it. Rather, God works in us to bring about good through us. We have God on our side to help us do good deeds. He is able to make us stand. He is able to establish the work of our hands in righteousness. He is able when we are not. As the Lord said to the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

8) New Heart

“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” (Hebrews 10:16)

The human heart is wicked. When Adam and Eve sinned, their hearts were corrupted. This corruption spread throughout all humanity. Jesus, seeing into the hearts of men, knew this to be true. He said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:19) All the evils of humanity have perpetuated due to a wicked heart. The problem with humanity is not that we do bad things, but that we ourselves are bad. When God flooded the earth, it was not the actions of the people that caused God to destroy the surface of the planet. Rather, the Bible says, “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5) We may not act upon our thoughts because we are restrained. However, our thoughts are wicked. We are tainted with evil in the core of our being. This means we are sinners. We are filled with sin and all our desires are tainted with evil.

When we try to please our heart, we give into the wickedness of our own heart. Rather than seek what is good and righteous, we indulge in evil thoughts and justify it through the pleasure it brings. In our hearts, we may thirst for righteousness wanting to do what is right. But, our hearts are filled with wickedness manifested in evil thoughts. We may have wanted to stop and help that poor person on the side of the road, but we cannot because we feel the need to get to the restaurant and eat dinner. We may have wanted to resist sexual temptation, but we cannot because our heart is dominated by lust. We may want to quit smoking, but we cannot because we are a slave to our own sinful desire.

This is why we cannot do anything to please God in this state (Romans 8:7). Though we may outwardly do good things, every good thing we do is stained with sin. Our best motives and actions are still corrupted by the evil within us. We are enslaved to a wicked heart that displeases God. This becomes apparent by God’s law. We feel oppressed by God’s law because of a corrupt heart. When we come face to face with the commands of God, rather than feel liberated by their truth we feel weighed down by their demands. The tenth commandment says, “Do not covet.” We should not lust after anything that is not our own. We may want to obey and do the right thing. However, when we try, we find this law burdens us. There is a deep desire that wants to covet. For example, our neighbor might have a brand new sports car we want. It has all the features we would buy in a car. The style is exactly as we would have it. The car is just what we want. And yet, it belongs to our neighbor. We lust after it and think, ‘It is not any fair. I should have this car, not my neighbor.’ We try to not think about it, but from time to time we find ourselves looking through the window at it. The car is nice. It calls to us. We try and fight the desire knowing that it is wrong. The harder we fight, however, the stronger the desire builds. Day after day, we see our neighbor driving by smiling at us. Jealously spurns within us. Inwardly, however, we feel a deep guilt knowing this is wrong. The law tells us that such behavior is wrong. A dichotomy pursues within us. Inwardly, the war wages between what is right and the deep sinful craving of our soul.

The only way to be set free from this is to have a heart transplant. We need to undergo surgery by the doctor. The heart we have has gone bad. We need a new heart that will desire what is right and good. In Christ, God is offering this gift to us. God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) Our hearts will no longer be hardened toward God and His ways. We will no longer desire to do what is displeasing in His sight. Rather, God is offering a softened heart that seeks and desires to do what is right. He will write His laws upon our heart so that we know them and have a desire to obey them.

To have His laws written on our heart means that we will want to obey them. We will love His laws and know them intimately. God will no longer need to dictate them through an external command written on a stone tablet. They will be written internally. We will know them much like a wife knows what pleases her husband after many years of marriage. When the law of God is dictated to us, it will sing in our heart like a love song. We will hear it and shout, “Amen,” in agreement. Having it put on our mind means that we will think about it. We will wonder the depth and meaning of it. We will desire to hear it preached to us and exposited in ways that we can understand. We will want to practice it daily in our lives.

This new heart will bring us a newfound freedom. We will no longer struggle over what is right and wrong. Our nature will be to do what is right. Christ said, “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:17) If our heart is good, then good and loving thoughts will come out of our heart. If our heart is bad, evil thoughts will come out. By having a new heart, we will desire to do what is right and good. We will no longer be weighed down by God’s law because we will appreciate it for the truth that it offers.

Having a new heart liberates us from the slavery of sin. Our heart rejoices in truth and delights in God. We do not look upon God as an overbearing dictator out to control us through weighty commands. Rather, we come to know God as a loving Father who wants our best. We know this because our heart sings at His commands. We are filled with joy every time we obey God. We have peace knowing God is good. We feel the power and presence of God within us as His Spirit makes a home in our newfound heart.

9) Holy Spirit

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you”. (John 14:16-17)

The Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of all God’s gifts. When the Holy Spirit enters into us, all of God’s promises are made true in us. Without the Spirit we may make claim to any of God’s gifts, but this does not mean we have received them in truth. We may say, “I am forgiven,” but this does not mean we have actually been forgiven. We may believe anything about God and His Word, but the fulfillment of those beliefs comes when God Himself makes a home within our hearts by putting the Holy Spirit within us. Those who have received the Holy Spirit “have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:12) The Holy Spirit within us is the guarantee of God’s gifts which makes it possible to have confidence that those gifts have been received. The Spirit within us is what makes every gift possible and true.

Jesus said to His disciples, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” (John 15:26) This means that we may know Christ in truth by His Spirit entering into us. God Himself will come down from Heaven and enter into our soul placing within us a confidence that the Word of God is true. The Spirit will “testify” about Christ which means that Jesus Christ will be proven and revealed to us. We will not have to guess or wonder if Jesus or the gospel message is true. We will not have to depend upon our own facilities to discern the way of truth. We will have an inner peace and confidence supplied by God Himself. In this way, we will be able to say with confidence, “I belong to the one and true God. He is my Lord and God.”

When the Holy Spirit enters into us, it means that we truly have fellowship with God. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16) In this way, we have a true and intimate relationship with God as our Father. We don’t just know Him as an external being far off in Heaven. Rather, God is truly with us. His Spirit lives within us. This means we are never alone. God is with us. We no longer feel like something is missing. We no longer feel empty and void of life. When God has placed His Spirit within us, we are full of life. We know the true meaning of life as being united in fellowship with God as the center of our being.

When God pours His Holy Spirit upon us, the Spirit cleanses us, guides us, and keeps us on the right path. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13) This means we do not have to rely upon ourselves. We don’t need to be intelligent, holy, righteous, happy, good, powerful, beautiful, function, or anything else. Rather, the Holy Spirit supplies us in our areas of weakness. If we have difficulty understanding the Bible, the Spirit will explain it to us in ways we can understand. When we having a crisis, the Spirit is there to comfort us and remind us of what Jesus has said. When we are powerless to sin and our enemies, the Spirit can give us power to overcome. Though our world may crumble down around us, the Holy Spirit whispers peace within our soul. The Spirit is our guide in life whom we can fully trust to keep us on the right path.

Obedience to the Spirit is far different from obedience to the Law of Moses. The law is external and requires human facilities for understanding and fulfillment. To carry out the law, a person must read it and try to understand it. They must remember the law and apply it to daily life. They must use their own human abilities to obey it. For example, the law says do not bear false witness. What does that mean? Does that mean we should never tell a lie? Does this mean all of fiction that is constructed in books, movies, television, and theater is breaking this commandment? Or does that mean we should never lie about something we have witnessed, something we know is true? And how can I know it happened for sure? Does my memory serve me well? Or could I have been wrong about what I saw? How can I be sure that I know the truth well enough to bear false witness? Keeping the written law requires a dependence upon myself. However, when a person has the Holy Spirit they are lead by an internal guide who prompts the heart accordingly and provides the power for success. The person lead by the Holy Spirit does not depend on their own abilities; rather, they lean on the Holy Spirit. The law does not need to be dictated to them. They don’t have to understand it or even try to obey it. Rather, they allow God’s Spirit to direct their path. The Spirit lets them know when they are heading in the wrong direction by speaking inwardly to their own spirit. When temptation comes, the Spirit gives them power to stand strong. They don’t have to remember the law because the person is guided in every moment of life. They know what is pleasing to God, not by mental exercise or reasoning, but by the guiding of God by the heart. This makes obedience to God natural, rather than lawful. The person who lives by the Holy Spirit does what is natural to them because the nature of God is within them. They are lead by a person who loves them rather than a law that controls them.

When a person is lead by the Holy Spirit, they produce fruit according to the Spirit. This means the nature of God grows from within them. God is like a gardener of the person’s heart trying to grow a great harvest of fruit that is shared for the delight of others. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) These things grow naturally from the Holy Spirit working within their heart. Those who are being lead or controlled by the Holy Spirit will produce these things within their life. They will have the appearance of peace, love, and joy within their eyes. They will be patient and kind to those who hinder them. Their works will be filled with goodness. Their lives will be filled with faithfulness. Their demeanor will be gentle and controlled. They will be like Jesus Christ in nature without struggling to produce these traits and qualities. This is their nature because it is God Himself living in them that causes these things to grow.

These qualities may appear in people who do not have the Holy Spirit. However, they are mere reproductions that do not have the luster of the truth. Only God is eternal and true. Those who display such qualities without the Holy Spirit are putting on a show for others while internally they struggle. Such fruit will be shown for what it is. After awhile, it will turn rotten and the truth will be seen. Those who have the Holy Spirit will manifest such qualities for eternity. They may trip and fall at times; however, the Spirit will lift them up again. As such, the fruit of the Spirit is lasting even through the greatest of difficulties. Such fruit is tested and refined. When difficulty and times of trial arise in the life of someone who has the Spirit, others will be amazed how the person produces such fruit. They will be amazed at their patience and peace. They will be confounded at how they are able to be joyful when only sorrow seems possible.

This is not something we can produce alone. This is the gift of God. The Holy Spirit is given for our supplication. In times of weakness, God is able to stand strong when we are not. When we have the gift of the Spirit, then we truly know God. We become a reflection of all that He is. We know Him in truth and Spirit. Then, and only then, do we receive all that God has given us with guarantee. God Himself makes possible what was previously impossible. He gives us everything we need by becoming the center of our life in love.

10) Purpose & Meaning

“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)

God created humanity for a purpose. We are not complete beings content with simply existing or surviving. Those who simply survive are often depressed wishing they could escape from existence. Those without purpose in their life often turn to methods of escape like alcohol, drugs, video games, television, or anything else that brings pleasure and escape. Within every human is a thirst for a meaningful life. This results from being a creature, a being created for something. We are not content to live a life without some sort of purpose. We need a reason to exist. We need a reason to wake in the morning, rise from our bed, and be active. Otherwise, we end up committing suicide.

Surviving is not enough for humanity. God made us for a purpose. Fulfilling our purpose is truly a gift for our pleasure and joy. As humans, we have been created for something. Our perfection comes in doing that which we were created. When we do what we were created to do, we find peace and joy. We are what we were meant to be. For instance, when a knife is used to cut, it is satisfied with cutting. The knife finds no trouble in cutting because that is what it was created for. However, when a knife is used as a hammer, problems arise. The knife is dulled and often broken. When the blade has shattered, the knife is worthless and incapable of doing anything. Much like this knife, we also find satisfaction when we are doing what we were created to do.

Humanity was created for love with God and others. We were not created to be alone. We were created to be shared with others: first and foremost God himself and then other people as well. We were created for love which means being actively involved in the life of others. We awake each morning to serve and be served. We are social creatures who depend upon one another for the fulfillment of life. We need human interaction. Firstly, however, we need interaction with God. Only when God fills us are we capable of loving other as we should

God is the one who binds and unites humanity. He is the reason why we exist and what we were created for. When all of humanity is looking toward God first, we all become united in one cause and purpose. We all live for one reason and therefore are bound in harmony. Together, humanity is like a bicycle wheel. Each spoke plays an important part in bearing the weight. As long as all the spokes are pushing toward the center, the wheel can turn and carry the weight of the bike. However, if the spokes push on one another, the wheel falls apart and loses it shape. It can no longer be a solid wheel. When all of humanity is pushing inward toward God, He is able to hold them together like the spokes of a wheel. We each can play our part toward a greater purpose. However, when one person starts leaning on something other than God, the greater purpose falls apart. The spokes can no longer work together because the spokes are no longer forming a wheel; they are trying to be something other than a spoke.

In Christ, God has given us the fulfillment of our purpose. When Christ enters into our life, He puts His Spirit within us. This means Christ is with us. As such, He helps us fulfill our purpose. By having Christ in us, we are filled with love. Like a glass filled with water, we have something to share with others. However, if our glass is empty, then we have nothing to share. Additionally, Christ transforms our heart. Because of sin, God’s Word taste bad to our soul. When Christ transforms our heart, we love the Word of God. We have a desire to obey. This means we find joy in doing good things. We want to love others because it is the desire of our heart. We don’t murder, steal, cheat, lie, covet or sin because Christ’s love motivates us. In addition, Christ puts a desire in our heart for God Himself. This helps us keep God at the center of our life. We don’t struggle to find God. We have God and know God. Lastly, Christ fills us with new life. We don’t try to make or find our purpose. We are given a purpose. Christ binds us together in a family that we may all participate together in one purpose. He is our King, and we are His people.

God has created each person uniquely that we serve a purpose in a greater whole and community. When we come together as one body or one whole, our fulfillment as humanity has been reached. However, this is not to deny our individuality. Each person is unique in God’s eyes. We each embody something special as God has created in us. This means that God has an individual specific plan for each person as a contributor to a large whole that only God can see. That is why love is essential to our being and why loving God is most essential.

God has created each person with a role to play within His family. We were not created to work, but to live for God. This means work is not drudgery; rather, it is enjoyed as a gift from God. He gives us a job to do that is important for the fulfillment of love. When God puts His Spirit within a person, He also blesses them with a Spiritual gift. This gift is a way to give back to God and to share God with others. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

These gifts give us a way to contribute to the whole. They are a blessing from God so that we may become a part of a larger community. In God’s community, we each have needs and each have gifts. We can use our gifts to meet the needs of others. In this way, we all come together as one loving community in worship to God.

In Christ, we may fulfill the purpose for which we have been created because it is Christ who gives us all we need to accomplish it. He sets us free from the power of sin so that we may live for God. When we live for God, our whole life becomes filled with meaning and purpose. God is the creator of all good things. He is the source of all that is good and eternal. When we live for God, our life becomes based upon all that is good and eternal. We live, not for something that decays or fades, but for something whose value is eternal. In this way, all our deeds and actions have eternal value. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) As such, it is God who helps us so that we may be complete not lacking in anything. Scripture says, “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21) In Christ, we may receive all need to live a full and meaningful life.

It is not God’s desire that we should be bored or that our work should be meaningless. Rather, it is a gift from God to have purpose, meaning, and satisfaction. We are given a work to do that is unique to our created design while also being something worth doing. In this way, we can truly live and “bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (John 15:16)

11) Kingdom of God

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” (Colossians 1:13)

A kingdom is a unified body of people living under one authority and rule. In every kingdom there is a king who looks after the needs of the people and establishes the law of the land. In addition, the kingdom has people who live according to the ways of the king and are unified by the ways of the kingdom.

Since our beginning, humanity has tried to rule ourselves. We have built kingdoms small and large. We build small kingdoms in our individual lives where we try to do whatever pleases us. In this, we obey no authority but ourselves seeking to do whatever we want regardless of others. We also build large kingdoms with groups of people. These kingdoms include governments, societies, cultures, business, corporations, organizations, churches, and empires. The kingdoms of men have been rampant with the thirst for power and control. New kingdoms sprout because one leader wants to do things different and follow his own way. For instance, an employee becomes frustrated with her boss seeing the failings and weaknesses. And so, so she quits and starts her own business. Or in another example, a young child becomes frustrated with the rule and authority of his parents. So he leaves seeking to do what he wants in a far away land.

Innately, humanity wants to be in control of ourselves and even others. At the same time, there is an innate need to be under control. And in this, we find conflict. To be in control of ourselves means that we are also under control of ourselves. If I rule myself, then I am also the servant of myself. Since humanity is not a complete being that can meet our own needs, in other words, we cannot give ourselves life, we fall into a terrible conflict. We are always under control because we have needs we cannot meet. When our needs are met, we have the power to reign. And so, when we try to control ourselves, our thirst for power and control can never be satisfied. We thirst for power over a power we don’t have. The more we try to control ourselves, the more conflicted we become. And therefore, in trying to reign, we have actually become an oppressed by slavery.

Many addictions arise out of this conflict. Let us take cigarette smoking for example. The cigarette smoker has a physical need for cigarettes caused from the body adapting to the inflow of nicotine and caused from mental association or habit. There are often emotional and spiritual needs that arise from the person depending upon the cigarettes in meeting those needs. Smokers turn to smoking to offer relief from stress and develop a dependency on cigarettes as a crutch. As long as the smoker doesn’t try to reign over his smoking, there is no conflict. The smoker submits to the reign of the cigarettes. However, the moment the smoker tries to gain control over the smoking, a battle pursues. Inwardly, the king wants to stop smoking. At the same time, there is a need for cigarettes that gives the smoker the power to be in control. This develops into a huge internal war. The smoker wants power over smoking. However, the cigarettes have been giving the smoker power by satisfying various needs. Since the smoker depends upon the cigarettes for power, and the smoker needs power to quit, this develops an even deeper craving for cigarettes. The more the smoker tries to quit, the more they want to smoke. As such, the battle is great and the smoker is addicted. They cannot quit because it is a contradiction—in trying to master smoking they become even more a servant.

This truth is also displayed on a macro scale as humanity tries to rule ourselves. This is seen in every government and organization that fails to maintain control over the people. Every country has lawbreakers. The bible says that laws are made for lawbreakers. (1 Timothy 1:9) We don’t make laws to keep people from doing what is right. Laws are made to keep people from doing what is wrong. If everyone naturally did what is right, there would be no need for laws. However, because people do what is wrong, every country and organization has laws. The laws maintain justice and keep people united as one body. They help define the people, who they are and what they are about. This means that laws are good. The purpose of laws is good. However, they become oppressive when people do not want to obey them. Anytime a law is imposed upon someone who does want to obey it, that person becomes a slave. For instance, if there was a law that said, “No one is allowed to walk around outdoors between dusk to dawn,” and yet, you wanted to walk around during those hours, you would have become enslaved by that law. You want to walk around, but cannot due to fear of the law. You know that if you break the law, you will be punished. And so, you are in conflict between fear and desire, thus becoming a slave to the law. At the same time, if people naturally did what was right, there would be no law. If everyone in the country naturally stayed indoors between dusk to dawn because they wanted to stay indoors, there would be no need for a law against it. The laws are set forth to maintain control over the people. And yet, there is a huge problem with laws being applied to humanity. Laws are oppressive unless a person naturally wants to obey them. And so, the law produces slavery.

Simultaneously, laws are established by an authority. In a kingdom, they are established by the king and judged by the king. In order to maintain harmony, humanity has a need for a king that unifies everyone in the kingdom according to one purpose shadowed in the law. For instance, let us say there is a country with four groups of people struggling over the issue of marriage. Group A says marriage should be between one man and one woman. Group B says marriage should be between one person and one person including those of the same sex. Group C says that marriage should be between one man and multiple women. Group D says that marriage should not be permitted at all. In this situation, how does the country determine what is right or wrong? Without any king or governing authority, there will be anarchy among the people. To maintain peace, a king must be chosen and a government established. The king must define the purpose of marriage, create laws to uphold marriage, and enforce those laws by judging lawbreakers.

Humanity, however, faces difficulty in this as who is suited for such a position? Every person that lives is limited in knowledge and power. Who could possibly be suited to say what is right or wrong for all humanity? Throughout history, the kingdoms of humanity have been wrought with warfare and bloodshed. In nearly every kingdom, the king takes advantage of the people using his position of power as a means to satisfy his own selfish desires. The king sits on a throne of gold surrounded with fine linens. He is well-fed and has many servants to supply his every desire. All this, while the lowest in his kingdom sit in poverty starving on the street. This dark way of dominion reigns in most every organization. Those in power always have the best while those under power are enslaved. What king has less than his lowest peasant? What boss makes less money than his lowest employee? What politician starves when his people starve? Those who are chosen to institute justice are unjust themselves causing a huge conflict. The people remain oppressed when the king should bring liberty.

Even if the king were righteous, is it possible for a mere man to judge other men? Who could see into the heart of others so as to judge rightly? Every human is limited having needs themselves to be met. For example, if a woman came to the king stating that a particular man beat her in the night without any witnesses, and that man denied it, how should the king know the truth? The woman in anger could be falsely accusing the man. The man could by lying to save himself from punishment. Even with the appropriate evidence, there is no certainty unless the king himself could have seen it from above. To truly have a governing authority that could judge rightly, this authority would have to see all things and know all things. He would have to see into the heart of a person and know their motives. Only then could he make a fair judgment.

God has offered us such a king who has established a kingdom of love. Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords who is establishing the Kingdom of God in “righteousness, peace and joy.” (Romans 14:17) “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” (Isaiah 9:6-7) This is a gift unto us that we may enjoy the rule of a righteous and loving King who not only cares for our every need, but unifies us as one harmonious people. This is a great gift.

This gift is offered by invitation. The invitation has gone out that those who wish to come may come to the King seeking entrance to the Kingdom. The kingdoms of men try to force their inhabitants to live under their rule and authority. They establish laws that force people to obey through fear. In the Kingdom of God, people come because they choose to come. No person is forced into the Kingdom. They come willingly by choice. They are not forced to obey the King or stay in the Kingdom. They are free to leave at anytime.

The Kingdom of God is established in justice and mercy. The King is just. All lawbreakers are punished fairly. The King has the power to see all things including the hearts of people. He knows when someone is lying. Nothing is hidden from His eyes. He is able to judge rightly. At the same time, punishment has already been paid by the King meaning that forgiveness is granted to those who stumble or fall. If someone in the Kingdom should make a mistake, they may confess their sin before the King and He will forgive them. The Kingdom is abundant in forgiveness. There is no end to the King’s mercy.

The Kingdom of Heaven is established in righteousness. Those who live in the land seek to do what is right. They obey the King in love, because the want to obey. They live out the laws of the land, not by letter or institution, but because they have been transformed by the King. The laws of Kingdom have been written on the peoples’ hearts. The people within the Kingdom have been given heart transplants so that the law is written as a deep desire on their heart. This means they know what is right and want to do what is right naturally. The people are not oppressed by the laws and commands of the King because the laws are written inside of them. Instead, they feel liberated by every command the King gives. They want to serve Him because they feel loved by Him.

The Kingdom of Christ is founded on love. Jesus demonstrated His love for His people by dying on the cross for them. He gave His own life for them. In this way, He bought them at the price of His own life. In doing this, He loved them. They feel His love and know His love. He is a King who loves them and wants what is best for His people. This is far different from any other king or ruler. His ultimate goal is not to control the people, but to love them. And so, He only asks what is best for them. The ways of the King are simple. He commands His people: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) The King demands that the people love one another by giving their lives sacrificially for one another. This is the reason why they exist, to be united and bound together as one just as He is one. They are bound together by love—His love given and shown on the cross.

The Kingdom of Christ is established in joy. The people feel loved by the King. He cares for their every need. He helps them when they are weak. He gives them grace to do what is right. Though they are weak, He is strong. Though they stumble, He is able to carry them. The King is complete in and of Himself. This means He has nothing to gain for Himself. He has everything to offer and give. He continually gives what His people need to live in peace, harmony, and joy. This is not a temporal happiness, but a lasting joy that dwells richly in their heart. The King has no desire to control them, but to love them like a Father loves a child. The King wants to help His people be free from tyranny and oppression. He wants to give them an abundant rich life filled with true joy. This joy comes in being complete just as He is complete. He makes their lives meaningful by giving them a purpose to fulfill and help to it. This is true liberty. They have desire to do what is right, help to accomplish it, and the freedom to do it. In this way, their single desire is made complete and they know lasting joy.

The Kingdom of Christ is a great gift because it is a family living as one under Christ. Christians look upward to their Father in Heaven who is only concerned about what is best for them. Knowing He cares for them, they are free then to love their brothers and sisters. No one is greater than the other or less than another. They are not trying to control one another. They are trying to live together in peace, love, and joy. They know peace because they are not trying to be the King. All authority belongs to the King and they want Him to be King. They know love because the King loves them. Love is the way of the King and of the Kingdom. The people live in love. They know joy because the King fulfills their joy. He helps them to achieve the desires of their hearts which He has sown for their own good. This is the life to be desired. It comes in a Kingdom offered to us a gift through Christ.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46)

12) Hope

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

In this life, God is offering many gifts that help us stand and endure. These are to be desired for they fill us with the richness of life here and now. However, our greatest treasure lies ahead of us. If we only have hope in the things of this world, we will be greatly disappointed and depressed. This world is only temporal and one day will be destroyed. We cannot take anything with us into the next life. Every bit of wealth stored up here on earth will be destroyed with the earth. Nothing will last except those whose fate has been sealed by God in eternity.

Christ warned His disciples of storing up treasure here on earth. He told this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

God is offering an eternal wealth that will be delivered at a future date. In this, we have hope. “But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:24-25) The future is filled with great promise because Jesus has plans for His people. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’“ (Jeremiah 29:11) This is a hope that all His people cling to, an assurance and confidence given by the Holy Spirit. It is not a self-made hope, but a hope that is given. Those who have this hope know it because it is guaranteed by God’s Spirit. It is like a having a check in hand though the money may still be in the bank. One day, the check will be cashed and the riches of God will be ours.

So what is it that the people of Christ wait patiently for? What are those gifts? The first is the promise of Christ’s return. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) This will be a glorious moment for all Christ’s people for they will see their Lord with their own eyes. They will rejoice with praises as He comes to set things right. The earth is now filled with death, evil, violence, pain, and suffering. Christ will come to permanently do away with these things. He will make war against the wicked and the Devil. He will restore the earth to lasting peace and establish His Kingdom forever. In this moment, those who had faith will be proven true. They will partake in a great celebration marking the beginning of a new age.

Secondly, the people of Christ look ahead to their home in Heaven. Christ said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3) This is a heavenly home where all the people of Christ live together as one big family with plenty of room and immediate access to God. There will be no questioning or doubting of God’s presence. Having a home in Heaven means that the people will continually be in God’s presence—always before Him. They will see God, feel God, and know God always. He is with them. They will be at home with Him. God will be their loving Father who looks over His children. The people will be family that share everything in common. And yet, each person will have a room. In this place, each person will be able to meet with God privately. This means each person will maintain a unique identity and name while also living together in a loving community of people bound together by God’s love.

Thirdly, the people of Christ await the redemption of their bodies. On earth, we live in fleshly bodies that bring us pain and limitation. In this body, we do not have access to Heaven. We cannot leave earth and enter Heaven. In this body, we age and die. We groan as new pains are produced daily that hinder our ability to achieve our dreams. We are ashamed of our nakedness even as our bodies wrinkle and decay. In these bodies, we see a vague impression of a once glorious body full of beauty and godliness. However, this body has fallen from glory and we are left to wonder what true beauty is. God has promised His people resurrection. Their bodies will one day be transformed into new glorious bodies that reflect the beauty of God Himself. They will shine brighter than the stars in Heaven and be given an immortal spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-57)

Lastly, the people of Christ will have attained the fullness of eternity. Their lives will be eternal. They will no longer cry tears of sorrow or pain. They will no longer thirst or hunger. They will live forever in the fulfillment of their purpose. This will not be a boring life as we may sometimes be tempted to think. In our earthly life, we have faced boredom and emptiness at times even in the most pleasurable moments. This often leads us to think living forever would also be boring. However, this boredom results from a lack of God at the center of our lives. The eternal life offered by God is one of meaning and purpose. God, who has created us, will give us some activity to fill our time that will bring us joy. It will be a way for us to honor and worship God while giving service to our neighbor. This means the activity will be more like a hobby rather than a job. There will be no expectation to complete the work, rather, we will want to do it and find it fun to do. As such, our life will be filled with meaning and purpose as it was intended to be.

When we have received the gift of hope, we can say as the apostle Paul: “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21) The apostle Paul said this while sitting in prison. Hope gives us the ability to endure through immense difficulty. No matter what may befall us in this life, we know that there is a hope to come where all things will be made right. By having such a confidence, we can persist and endure. When we cling to such a hope, we do not fret over the wickedness that may befall us. Someone may threaten our life but we do not fear as we know our life is sealed with Christ in Heaven. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, so will His people be raised. This is not a manmade hope, but a living hope based upon the very Word of God.

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:30-31)