James 2:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: James 2:1 

“My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” – James 2:1        

In this verse, James is laying out the command that we are not to show favoritism toward anyone.  We are all one body together and we all have different functions within the body.  And none of these are more important than another.  Let us look at the next couple of verses that lays it our perfectly.  “For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, you sit here in a good place, and you say to the poor man, you stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” James 2:2-3. This is not right in any shape or form.  How can we judge someone by their appearance?  If we do, we are not judging by God’s standard but by our own.

Lets look at these two examples.  I will assume that we do not know either.  First, if we show favoritism to the rich man, it is probably because we feel it will be to our advantage.  We will be with a prominent and probably important person.  If we can develop a relationship with him, it could help lift our stature in the eyes of others.  They will see that we are with him and this may help us to gain greater esteem.  And by placing this rich man away from us at the same time we believe this will add to that advantage.  We may not think this way, but if we favor one thing over another, it is because we believe we will benefit from it.  And unfortunately it is the same with people.

Now, lets look at how these two people would take what we have done.  The rich man will see he has an advantage because we have accepted him immediately.  But what of the poor man?  Will he feel accepted?  No.  And this is probably how his whole life has been.  We just look at him and determine there is no advantage of being with him, so we set him aside and leave him alone.  How does this make the poor man feel?  Probably rejected once again.  Is this how we wish to be treated?  “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31.

Now, I am not trying to accuse anyone.  I am simply describing this idea to an extreme.  What I am saying is that all people need to know they are as accepted as anyone else.  When I was growing up, I was ostracized by most of the kids in school.  I grew up in a poor family, wore hand-me-downs or cheap versions of clothing.  I wanted friends, but many would not give me any time, but hung out with the popular ones.  Finally, I found someone in my same position and I finally had a friend.  It was hard and debasing.  No one should ever treat anyone this way.  And God does not want us to favor one person over another.  We are equal in His sight.  He loves us all equally and provided salvation to us equally.  We are to be like Christ; therefore we are to treat everyone the same.  I pray we can, as children of God, fulfill this and show love to everyone we meet.  Who knows what incredible work can be accomplished by this simple act of love.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Galatians 5:16

Verse of the Day Devotion: Galatians 5:16 

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16

Paul sets forth here a dichotomy.  We either walk by the Spirit of God, or we will walk according to our own desires.  These are in opposition to each other.  Paul states here in the next verse. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” Galatians 5:17. We either do one or the other.

Paul lays out how we can deny our fleshly desires.  God has given us His Spirit to live within us, and we are to live under His influence and obey His will.  We are not to resist His leadings but accept them and resist where our desires could lead us.  If we would yield our hearts to the Spirit, we would be able to overcome all our corrupt and carnal propensities.  If we find ourselves resisting the Spirit, then we find ourselves being led in the other direction, following the ways of our flesh.

This situation laid out here is why it is so important that we fully submit to God and all His ways.  Satan is the great tempter.  He first tempted Eve in the garden, convincing her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and then she gave the fruit to Adam who also ate of that tree.  What the devil did was stimulate the desires they had to be in control.  And he does the same thing today.  We, as Christians, desire that God be in control.  However, there are times when we let down our guard and we take control ourselves.  We listen to ourselves and our desires rather than the Spirit inside us.  Lacking self-control, we can succumb to the temptations the Devil brings our way.  Instead, we should always listen to and follow the Spirit of God and He will give us wisdom in our situation and guide us in His ways.  Instead of resisting the Spirit, we should resist the devil and his temptations. As James put it, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Too often we go the other way, submitting to the devil instead of God.  It is important that we examine ourselves and see where we are, especially when we find ourselves giving in to our fleshly desires. Instead of following God, we find ourselves subconsciously resisting Him.  Often times we do not realize we are doing it.  That is why we are to consistently resist the devil because when we do, he will flee, and we will then be open to hearing God.

Be in prayer about this.  It is important that we seek the leading of the Spirit at all times.  It is easy at times to let our guard down.  But we must remain committed to God and His ways.  This is the only way we can resist the enemy of our souls and defeat him.    

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

John 15:18

Verse of the Day Devotion: John 15:18 

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” – John 15:18           

Jesus has just finished telling His disciples that He had chosen them to be His disciples and that He loved them.  “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:9-10.  He really wants them to understand how much love He had for them.

However, He now gives them a warning of what will happen to them when they are sent out into the world to spread the good news to all men.  He tells them that the world will hate them.  Now the focus verse above says, if the world hates you.  This is not saying that there is a chance the world will hate them.  He, in essence is saying, that the world will hate them, and if they do, remember they hated Him first.  By being His disciples, they were exposed to the hatred the world had for Him.  And the hatred would be proportional to their faith and holiness that they exhibit to the world.  He then explains why.  “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” John 15:19  The world would love them if they were still of the world.  They would be in unity in regard to their hatred of Christ.  But, because Christ took them out of the world by choosing them to be His disciples, they now profess what is contrary to their beliefs. 

We must also remember that we also are not of this world but are now children of God.  We are sent out to the world to present the truth, which goes against the ways of the world.  We can see now what the world thinks of us.  They hate us because we present the truth of Christ.  Look at the persecution that many Christians are enduring in countries like China, North Korea, many parts of India, the middle east and elsewhere.  These Christians suffer greatly at the hands of their governments and religious leaders.  They are hated because they believe and preach the truth, which runs counter to the atheistic and idolatrous people who live there.  These Christians need our fervent prayers to help them remain strong in the midst of this intense persecution.

But think about this, we here in America and other countries like Canada are beginning to face this hatred of us because of our strong faith and devotion to Christ.  We saw the bakery where the owners almost lost their business because they refused to create a cake for a wedding of two gay individuals.  Students at a prestigious law school were told they needed to intern at a law firm of their choosing, as long as it was not a Christian law firm.  We see Christians taunted and ridiculed for standing up and living their beliefs.  Much of the press speaks against the Christian faith, as well as many in our government who tell us that transgenderism and abortion are human rights and we have no right to speak against it because of our faith.

Lets all stand strong and profess and live out our faith before a world that hates us.  We are called to spread the good news to all nations and all people.  And because of this, we are speaking against their beliefs and life styles and thus, they do not accept what we say.  However, some will, and it is for these that we reach out to the world.  And we should rejoice for we are blessed.  “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.”  Luke 6:22-23.  And also remember, the hated Jesus before they hated us, therefore, we are in good company.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. Note: 

Deuteronomy 12:32

Verse of the Day Devotion: Deuteronomy 12:32 

“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.” – Deuteronomy 12:32        

This is a very Important command to follow, however, this command is increasingly becoming more ignored in today’s culture.  And I am referring here to the church.  God has given in His Word what we are to do, and what we are not to do.  And it breaks my heart to see additions and subtractions from His Word that takes away from the message we as Christians are to put forth, both in the words we say and the lives we live.  I pray you look read through this devotion and understand I am simply pointing out areas in which we can improve in order to clarify our message and not being accusatory.

When I have visited various churches, there have been things that the scriptures tell us to do, but no one preaches or teaches them.  However, many things are not taught for fear of offending people.  For instance, loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute or hate us.  Yes, these are difficult things, but we must not ignore them simply because we choose not to love those who treat us badly.  God calls us to love everyone, however, if we pick and choose who we will love, then we are ignoring the verses which tells us to love everyone.  “If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” James 2:8-9.  In the same sense, if we only fellowship with certain people and not with those who, we believe, are of a lessor class, then we again are leaving out one of His commands.  “Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.” Romans 12:16

Also, we must not add to God’s Word.  Today, we hear that homosexuality is an approved practice within the church because He made some people that way.  And because of this, we are not to call it a sin.  And we see the same thing regarding abortion.  I have even heard it said that abortion should be a right in the church.  We must not fall for this because this is adding to God’s word by including them in what God approves.

I want to encourage us all to ensure we do not take anything away from His Word, such as acts of love pointed out above, or to add things to His Word, such as making sinful acts acceptable.  This is so important, and when I see where our church is regarding these things, as I stated above, it breaks my heart. People are being taught that there are certain things in His Word that do not apply today because we live in a different time than when the scriptures were written.  And thus, we are approving of sin and in some ways encouraging its practice.  It is important that we read and study His Word and sit under solid bible teachers who will ‘rightly divide the word of truth.’ 2 Timothy 2:15.  People need to hear the whole truth.  And God has provided it to us.  We just need to teach it properly and accept it fully.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Romans 12:4

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 12:4 

“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,” – Romans 12:4          

Paul is laying out here how we are to view the Church, not necessarily a local church, however it can also apply to it, but the corporate church.  The body has many parts, all of which are essential for the body to operate as it should.  Lets look at how Paul addressed this idea to the Church at Corinth.  “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?” 1 Corinthians 12:14-17.  Paul is stating here that the body is made up of many members, not just many of the same member.  In other words, the foot is not the heart, and the pancreas is not the brain.  And this is because the foot cannot do what the heart can and vice-versa.  And the same with the pancreas and the brain. 

Paul uses the example of the eye and the ear.  If the whole body was an eye we would not hear anything, likewise if the whole body were an ear we would not see anything.  Now, since each part of the body is important, “And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:21.  Each part of the body is there for a reason, and each is as important as any other.  And this was done by God.  “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” 1 Corinthians 12:18.

Lastly, each member of our physical body has a different purpose.  The eyes are so we can see and the ears so we can hear.  If our eyes go bad, we cannot just let the ears take over so we can see.  Both are equally important, but for a different purpose.  There are certain parts that can takeover for another, such as when the arms and hands go bad, the leg and foot can take over in certain functions, but as a whole, this is not the case.

 The same can be said regarding the church.  God has placed each one of us where He wants us and performing the function He has called us to perform.  Some of us will preach and some of us will lead worship.  And some of us will handle the books of the church, while another my clean the church.  “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8.  Each of our ministries are different.  Some teach, some exhort, some show mercy, and some give.  We should never look down on others because they cannot do what we do, or place others on a pedestal because they can do what we cannot do.  We are not meant to work independently, but in unity; with each other.  If we can do this while seeing each other as equal partners, who can tell what we can accomplish in this world..

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Psalm 139:23

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 139:23 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts.” – Psalm 139:23  

This is a prayer we should pray regularly, although I believe it is one that is hardly ever lifted to God.  David here is calling out to God to search him and know his heart.  This is interesting because in the first verse of this chapter he declares, “O LORD, You have searched me and known me.” Psalm 139:1  However, he is being more explicit in our focus verse and asking that He would show him his heart.  David is asking God to examine the innermost parts of him; that with great scrutiny and reveal this to him.  Why?  Because David does not want to be under any delusion regarding who He is in the deepest depths of his heart.  That he is true in everything he sees about himself, whether good or bad.  For how can we know we need to change if we are not honest about what is in our hearts.  God already knows him completely, therefore this request regards David’s desire to know the reality of himself.

David is asking God to lay bare the true state of his heart.  The idea is to not just know his outward conduct, but also what he thinks about, what are the thoughts and beliefs that move him to act as he does.  What is it that occupies his thoughts and imaginations.  What is it that he enjoys and what controls his will.  He has asked God to try him, so that the results of these tests will be revealed to him.  David knew there were things in his innermost being that needed to be changed and he was wanting God to reveal these things.  David wanted God to show him the real David, for in seeing this he could follow the path God wants him to take. “And see if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:24.  David desired to live life as God wanted.  He wanted God, through showing him what was truly inside him, to guide him in the way that leads to everlasting life.

David was a very brave soul to ask this of God.  For we all have thoughts, beliefs and ungodly ways that affect us, even if we do not recognize them.  Many Christians believe they are good because their actions and deeds are good.  However, this Christian walk goes beyond doing and actually consists of who we are as well, which is found in our hearts and minds.  We can fool ourselves and others by our deeds, but when we look deep inside of us and allow God to show us the hidden things within us, these will show us reality, which can be scary, but should be looked at as a path to growth in our relationship with God and a deepening in our Christian walk.   

So, I encourage everyone who reads this to pray the same prayer David did, and understand God’s response may not be what we expect or want to hear, but it is necessary in order to be the Christian He desires of us, real in both deeds and intentions.  For as I alluded above, how can we correct something if we do not see anything that is wrong?  We all have areas that need improvement.  Let us call out to the Almighty God who loves us with an everlasting love, to show us what is in our hearts.  And when He does, He will also show us what we need to change.  Remember, David said, “And lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:24b.  If this is what we want, then we must go through the pain and anxiety of seeing who we truly are so we can become who we ought to be. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Colossians 3:2

Verse of the Day Devotion: Colossians 3:2 

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” – Colossians 3:2         

Now that we are saved, our minds should be thinking on our new life, and not the life we have left behind.  We see what we should be focused on in the first verse in this chapter. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1.  We need to set aside our old self, our old nature.  Paul puts it this way.  “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:22-24.  If we are born again, then the old man was killed, crucified.  “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Romans 6:5-7. 

So, this begs the question.  If our old man with its old ways is dead, then why should we set our minds on the worldly ways of our old man?  The answer is easy, we should not.  Our minds should be focused on God; what He desires from us, what we can do for Him here.  We should direct our thoughts to Christ, where He dwells and His will for us.  We should not be focusing on the things of this world such as wealth, self-honor and pleasure.  The theologian Albert Barnes in his commentary on Colossians stated, “Our affections should not be fixed on houses and lands; on scenes of fashion and gaiety; on low and debasing enjoyments.” That man, the one who’s mind was fixed on earthly pleasures and ways has died. 

We, as Christians, should love the things of God, and detest the things of this world.  Now, I am not saying we should neglect our needs here, essentially food, clothing and shelter; or we should not enjoy some things here, such as a concert or a ball game.  It is that we should not make these things the center of our life.  These are not sinful activities, except if they take precedence over the things of God.   It is sin we should not think on.  “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”  Colossians 3:5.  We must see these things as dead and no longer enticing us.  We once focused on these things, but we should not now.  We are new creatures.  We think differently, we act differently.  We used to live to satisfy ourselves, now we must live to satisfy God, and in so doing, He will satisfy us.  This is setting our minds on the things above.  This is denying the things of this world.  And I have no doubt life will be so much better when we follow the words of this verse.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Isaiah 43:18

Verse of the Day Devotion: Isaiah 43:18 

“Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past.” – Isaiah 43:18         

The Lord is speaking through Isaiah regarding the things of the past.  What is he referring to in regard to the former things?  Just before this verse Isaiah starts regarding delivering them from Babylon, “Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, for your sake I have sent to Babylon, and will bring them all down as fugitives, Even the Chaldeans, into the ships in which they rejoice.” Isaiah 43:14. He tells them that He sent the Medes and Persians with their king Cyrus to deliver them from Babylon.  Before that, we read “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.” Isaiah 43:3. Egypt as a ransom may refer to when God delivered Israel from Egypt with various plagues, especially the last one regarding the death of the first born and ultimately the charioteers and their chariots in the Red Sea.  The reference to Cush and Seba probably refers to a time when the king of Assyria diverted from Palestine and Judea to deal with Egypt and Ethiopia. 

What Isaiah is saying is that though these events were amazing and worth being remembered with thankfulness, praise and rejoicing, and no doubt bringing encouragement, they are not to be compared with what God is going to do and must not take precedent over future workings of God. “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:19 God has great plans for Israel.  And He will declare them to Israel before they spring forth.  “Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth, I proclaim them to you.” Isaiah 42:9. The metaphor here refers to plants and flowers and the springing up out of the ground from the seed.  The idea is that before there is any indication of life in a certain place, there is the seed and at this time God will proclaim it to them. 

And this new thing is the coming of the Messiah.  Note the first four verses in chapter 42.  “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.” Isaiah 42:1-4.  This servant He refers to is the Messiah, and He will bring forth a future deliverance to Israel, but not as the past deliverances.  Before it was deliverance from those who held them captive but coming will be a deliverance from their sins which now holds them captive.  They were not to dwell on past deliverances but focus on the great one coming.

This speaks to us today as well.  God has done many things in our past that has helped and guided us.  But we must be careful not to dwell too much on these and assume what He will do for us will follow the pattern of the past. God may be doing brand new things in our lives that are completely different than anything He has done before.  Dwelling on what He has done may affect how we see His new work or may make us miss the new work altogether; just as Israel missed the future divergence by Jesus because it did not match past works.  If He is doing something new in our lives, then let us see it as a totally new thing, asking Him to make it clear, so we can fully understand.  I think we will be amazed by how God works in our lives. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Psalm 32:11

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 32:11 

“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” – Psalm 32:11       

This verse points out a great and mighty truth that we as Christians should understand, for we have a relationship with the all-powerful, all knowing God of the universe.  That mighty truth is that we have a reason to rejoice no matter our situation.  And we must always be glad in Him.  And the main reason we have for rejoicing is stated in verse one and two.  “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered!  How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! ” Psalm 32:1-2

We have all sinned.  We have done what is wrong, and we were guilty of going against the commands of our creator.  And because of this we were separated from God because of our sins.  We did not have any way of making things right, therefore we were destined to eternal separation from the one who loved us.  However, God made a way.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  John 3:16.  God sent His only begotten Son to earth to pay the penalty for what we did.  We were guilty and were destined to eternal death.  We could not pay the penalty, so Jesus did. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

God, in the form of a man in Jesus gave Himself for us.  He did not have to do this, but He wanted to. It was because of His love and mercy that He addressed our situation, and all we have to do is believe and accept the work Jesus did on the cross.  Do we really understand this?  The fact that the eternal God, creator of all things including the rebellious creatures called human beings, came and died in our place shows the immense love He has for us.  Do we deserve this love? No.  But He loved us just the same.  He made a way for us to be in fellowship with Him by imputing Christ’s righteousness on us, if we believe and acknowledge our guilt, not attempting to hide it from Him. “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.” Psalm 32:5

And because of all He did, we should rejoice and be glad for He saved us and made us His children and will soon take us home to be with Him for all eternity. There will be no sin, sorrow, weeping or dying.  It will be a place of constant joy and peace, where God reigns and we live in His presence forever.  This is why our lives should be a fountain of gladness, rejoicing and shouts of joy.  If what God did for us is not a cause of perpetual celebration and rejoicing, then we need to get on our knees and ask Him to show us again.  He gave us Himself, and there is no greater gift I can think of. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Romans 8:25

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 8:25 

“But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” – Romans 8:25     

Paul here is building upon the idea expressed in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.  This verse lays out the definition of faith we see throughout the New Testament.  Paul now speaks of hope declared in the above verse.  Hope signifies the expectation of some future good.  Not something that has already happened or is occurring right now.  In this context it is something that we are sure will happen, and we are comfortable that we will, at some point, receive it.

So, by definition then, we hope only for those things we do not see.  And when we put it together with Hebrews 11:1 we see how faith and hope work together.  Hope is the expectation of a future good.  Faith goes beyond expectation and is, as the writer of Hebrews states, the substance or reality of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not yet seen.  The fact that God exists and that He has created all there is, and that we have a relationship with Him, is the substance of our expectations.  We hope for things in the future because of what has happened previously. 

Back to Romans 8, we see in the verse just prior to our focus verse the following, “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?” Romans 8:24.  We are saved in hope because we do not see all that our salvation entails.  Yes, we see our life changed, how our focus becomes Christ and not ourselves.  We understand that our sins are forgiven, and we are united with Christ. We see these present changes in us.  However, there is more yet to be revealed.  There is the second coming of Christ where He comes to bring an end to this world as it is now.  And there is the new heaven and earth which replaces what now exists with a perfect existence where we will live with God forever.  These are things not yet seen, these are some of the things we ‘hope’ for.

Therefore, with all this said, we hope for many things that are not visible now.  And we have faith that these things will happen because of all God has done up to this day.  And if we hope for these things, we will persevere and stand against anything that attempts to convince us otherwise.  We will wait eagerly for it because our future, eternal life will be so much better than what we have now.  We should live our lives now, fulfilling the calling God has placed on us, to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20.  But we should also look forward to what we know is coming, as the verse says, waiting eagerly with perseverance. 

It is important to never forget or push aside that which we hope for.  It is part of our amazing eternal life promised us by God, and it is through this perseverance that we remain strong and devoted to our Lord.  What He has promised, He will fulfill.  In this we can have confidence.  On this is our foundation that helps us stand firm.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.