Adam and Eve's rebellion led to the corruption of nature and the curse of all humanity. The good news, however, is that God's plan of redemption covers all the consequences of Adam's rebellion, including the transformation of a corrupt creation and the restoration of human nature to what it was intended to be. In the end the glory to come will be far greater than the suffering we experience as followers of Christ.
As believers we look forward to a better future through eyes of hope. But isn't hope just some kind of fantasy, a wish that "everything will be pleasant forever"? Of course, not! Paul says that Christians have a solid hope. It is an entirely valid hope, because it is in God's hands, not ours. It is founded immovably on what God has done through Christ. He is the initiator, the keeper, and the guarantor of this hope!
An Arabic proverb says: "Life would be so restricted were it not for hope!" Paul says it even better in (1 Corinthians 15:19): "If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world."
Life is impossible without hope! If we live with our hopes set on earthly matters, life will inevitably be tiresome and tedious. But if the source of our hope is what Christ has done, then we can look forward in anticipation to what is far beyond the scope of our human imagining.
And how does this hope of eternal life affect the way we live now? Firstly, it leads us to worship the God who put this hope before us and added an eternal dimension to our lives. Only he can guarantee such a thing and keep his promise. Secondly, our hope should encourage us to evaluate our behavior and see whether we are truly walking in an intimate relationship with God and with people. Thirdly, Christian hope leads us to respect God's creation and look after it, even as we bear in mind that God will restore this corrupted creation and cause it to be renewed someday.
- 5 MAY -