HOPELESS

Sadness

Lack of hope brings sadness, but it can be changed!

Hopeless. Maybe there are days in the believers’ life that they think “not without hope”. Not going to church because of a broken heart and thinking that God is not looking at his people or listen to their prayers is a huge mistake. Perhaps the believer has not understood the immense importance of the blood of Christ for all mankind. The New Testament is very emphatic in demonstrating the benefits that only through the blood of Christ mankind has access to God. Note that this is the purpose of passage of the Epistle to the Ephesians, to the recipients of the letter recognizing what they were and what they became because of the benefits of the blood of Christ (v. 13). How was life before receiving the benefits of the blood of Jesus? According to Paul, everyone was spiritually Gentiles (outside the blessing of Abraham), without hope, and disconnected from God. There is no meaning in life without hope, thank God for Jesus who paid the price to save the world.

Blessing

The blessing of Abraham. In Ephesians 2:11 the apostle Paul reminds all believers and uncircumcised Gentiles about their condition before they met with Jesus. Gentile was the term given by Judaism all that communed not of that religion. Uncircumcised is the person who was not circumcised – which is the physical sign that showed a man participating in the covenant made by God with Abraham. Abraham was the first patriarch who was circumcised and the Lord commanded that every man born in his kindred was circumcised on the eighth day of birth (Genesis 17). The patriarch Abraham and his family were given a blessing by the Eternal God (Gen. 12: 1-3).

Son of Abraham

Every Christian is therefore a son of Abraham (Galatians 3: 6,7). And why, is not necessary to practice circumcision? Galatians 3: 13-14 Has the answer. Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the blessing of Abraham came to those who believed in Jesus, without the necessity to stay under the law. The apostle Paul explains that circumcision is done in the heart (Gal 6:15). Note the text in Genesis 12: 2, where God announces to Abraham: You will be a blessing. To participate in this blessing is to inherit the vocation to be a blessing for many other lives. Through the blood of Jesus, believers are transformed into an instrument to bring the Lord’s blessing to many others.

Jesus Hope

Jesus is the only hope. Hope is a feeling that motivates life on this earth. Even the unfounded hope is motivating. Despair is the feeling of missing or the death of hope. Desperate is the individual who has no hope – breathing threats. Who has benefited from Jesus’ blood will never be desperate – may even be perplexed, but not despairing (II Corinthians 4: 8). Despair is insecurity, loneliness.

Hopelessness

According to the apostle Paul, the blood of Jesus has enabled the believer to approach the Lord: But now in Christ Jesus, anyone who once was far off has been brought near through the blood of Christ (Eph 2:13). The blood of Jesus brings all believers close to him – a sheep that allow the Good Shepherd to take the leadership for sure will never get hopeless.

Connected with God

The apostle wrote that before the benefits of Jesus’ blood mankind was without God in the world (v. 12). Remember that at the beginning of Ephesians 2,

All are confronted with the sad situation before meeting Christ.  The power of Jesus was dead because of the sin. Everyone lived under the influence of spirits that act in the disobedient. Jesus was very categorical in stating: no one comes to the Father except through me (John 14: 6). Through Jesus, anyone can go to the Father, and everyone may have access to him.

The presence of God

In the presence of the lord means to be in the temple of Jerusalem by the place called Holy of Holies, this was established by God in the past. In this room, no one could enter, except the priest, and even them on very special occasions. There was a veil that separated the holy place of the people. For the moment Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, among other supernatural manifestations, that veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, and place most holy was exposed (Mt 27:51).

Precious blood of Jesus

The Epistle to the Hebrews explains that the blood of Jesus opened for mankind a new and living way, through the veil, through which anyone can enter with confidence and join in the presence of God (Hebrews 10: 19,20). One of the features that characterize the authentic Christian is gratitude to God by the blood of Jesus Christ. Why Christian songs and prayers are replete with references to the benefits and gratitude for the bloodshed on the cross. 

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Yes, bless the Lord for the benefits of this powerful blood and mercy for all mankind.

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