But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming…1Cor 15:20-23
There are a few instances in the Bible when a person took his own life. Judas’ death may immediately come to mind; Ahithophel- King David’s former advisor- as well as Saul’s suicides are amongst others. In every case, the individual’s end came at the throes of hopelessness and despair. We see that when hope is lost, man has no reason to live.
Hope is essential to enduring hardships. It anchors us through life’s constant ups and downs, fixing our eyes on what is to come. But not all hopes are equal. There is only one hope that never fails: the divine hope of Jesus’s resurrection. Without this hope of the resurrection, all other hopes lead only to disappointment and death. Apostle Paul was one who lived in the hope of Jesus’s resurrection. Paul was a man with a nature like ours, yet he was able to endure the severest persecutions because of his immovable conviction that Jesus was alive. (Acts 25:19) Here in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes the nature of the hope we have in Christ.
Our hope is in our prize. We glory in the resurrection of Jesus, who freed us from the power of sin. As the best and supreme One, He is the first fruits, and we are His harvest. Jesus rose from the dead before us, making our hope visible by appearing to many of His disciples. As co-heirs with Christ, our hope is identical with Jesus’s hope. We can cling onto this hope, because as He is, so we will be also. (Rom 8:17) This hope is ours today, but we must practice faith for it to operate in our daily lives. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit, who was given to us by God as a pledge for the fulfillment of our heavenly hope. He is the source of our guaranteed hope. (Eph 1:13-14)
Our hope is pragmatic. Our hope must be practical because we live in a fallen world where death reigns. All men die due to God’s judgment on Adam’s original sin. In vain hope, they pursue the world to avoid facing the reality of death, but it all comes to a grave end- man is destined to die once, and after that comes judgment. But God is good. Just as death came through the sin of that one man Adam, the resurrection of the dead has come through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Whereas Adam fell by Satan’s temptation, Jesus was tempted in every way, and yet was without sin. (Heb 2:14) Christians never die, because Christ already died their death on the cross. We have escaped death by believing and trusting in Christ alone. (Acts 4:12) In this passing world, our hope in the living Christ gives us victory over sin and true peace in the inescapable reality of death.
Our hope is limited. Divine hope is limited to God’s children only. Only those who are in Christ will be resurrected to eternal life. This is a precious hope, because by it we will persevere until Jesus returns. (Rom 8:24-25) If you long to have this heavenwards hope, you must ask yourself, Do I love Christ with all my heart? When you love Christ with all your heart, your mind will be set on the things above, where He is. Conversely, little love for Christ will result in worldliness.
Jesus is the object of our faith, hope, and love. We are to see the living Lord by faith, persevere in Him through hope, and love Him with all our hearts. All who confess Jesus as Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead can claim this super living hope.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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