Empty Hope is Folly

All this talk about hope in the Church should make one wonder. What are we hoping for in the first place? Some use hope merely to lift our spirits in a difficult situation. We believe that hope will get us though, but if hope is empty then we are just fools.

For Saint Paul, hope was a constant source of courage and endurance. Hope ‘got him through’ all sorts of trials for the faith, including being stoned almost to death and even being shipwrecked. Still, he kept going because his hope was much more than just getting through.

Brethren, if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.

1^st Corinthians 15.12-19

Eventually, if we insist on having hope that never is fulfilled, we turn our backs. It might be easier to admit defeat rather than fight for something that never comes. In even the most difficult struggles, so long as we can see the light coming, we can endure by hope.

That brings us to today and more than two thousand years of hoping in Christ. By now, many Christians ‘should have’ given up hope since Christ still has not come to rescue us. By now, many non-Christians taunt us and accuse us of empty hope. “Where is Christ,” they ask.

It reminds me of the taunting of Eve by the serpent. “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3.4-5) He lied then and he is lying now.

When we hope in Christ, it is never empty. That doesn’t mean this life is easy. In fact, this life is very difficult especially as Christians. That is the reason Saint Paul makes such a big deal about the resurrection of Christ. Since Christ really did raise from the dead, so will we.

That is another reason the world is so insistent that Christ didn’t raise from the dead. If the world can crush our hope in our own resurrection, then we will ‘roll over’ and give up the fight. The devil will win.

That’s Saint Paul’s point today. Don’t give up hope ‘just because’ Christ hasn’t returned yet. The Scriptures, Old and New Testament, as well as countless histories of the saints, are evidence that God always makes good on His promise. Hope is God is never empty.

I understand we can’t see what we hope for, with our eyes. That doesn’t mean our hope is empty. Proof of the resurrection of Christ was provided by enough sources that we can believe. Contrary to all opposition, there has been no proof that Christ is still dead. NONE!

Practically speaking, don’t you think that if Christ was never resurrected there would be proof ‘by now’ and not just theories. The entire pagan world fought against Christ and the Church. It is impossible to imagine a few fishermen were able to dupe the Roman Empire. IMPOSSIBLE!

That leaves only one conclusion. Christ DID raise from the dead and He IS coming back to raise us also. That is more than ‘just’ hope. That is a promise from the Creator of the universe. He always makes good on His promise. We aren’t fools We are the People of God.