One Hope - THERE'S NO "I" IN ONE, part 3 (Eph 4:4c)

Well guys everybody out in the back will come on let's make your way in here and find a seat. It's good morning. Welcome to church. This is this is what the church has historically done. They've they've gathered together on the first day of the week.

To give that day to the Lord. To give that day to the to the gathering of the Saints as the writer of Hebrews as we mentioned each week. Wrote he says not to neglect that gathering that coming together as a people and for the purpose.

Encouraging all each other. Encouraging the Saints all the more as we wait for the day of Christ and his return and so I Love this day. I hope you do too. I hope you see the great benefit of coming together as a people.

Everybody feel a little dead this morning. Everybody awake yet. I take it. I take it. Not everybody's made their way by the coffee cart yet. All right. Come on this is a glorious time. This is a time of celebration.

Did you did you use up all your celebration for your team yesterday? Oh. That was a low blow wasn't it. No, this is a celebration. This is us coming together and I just want to say thank you for being here and welcome to all of you first.

First I want to welcome all of our covenant members. Thank you for all that you do thank you for being a part of this this body of Believers and bringing your gifts and abilities to us and and and as I said last week You are loved and and appreciated for for being a part of this body.

But I also want to say welcome to those of you that are guests. Thank you for being with us. I hope you're encouraged by this. I hope that that you are challenged and edified just as we are each week.

And and also we have a connection card and I would love the chance to be able to pray for you and answer any questions that you may have. So, please fill one of those out if you don't mind but our prayer is that all of us would grow in the knowledge and love of the Triune God and who is that Father Son and Holy Spirit?

Three in one that's who we're here to worship this morning. Amen. Amen. Well before we start our service this morning, we are going to pray for a local representation of this wonderful body a local body that is gathering this morning as a matter of fact that has Borrowed one of our very own today.

This is goes all the way to Syracuse, Indiana. Pastor Jeremiah Has been speaking at a conference there this weekend and they asked him to fill in in the pulpit at their church this morning and proclaim the Word of God to their people and so we thought man What a what a great time for us to pray for these brothers and sisters that are there the pastor that is there Tim Bouchon has a I believe he speaks on Eschatology matters, I believe that's his YouTube channel and that's how pastor Jeremiah got in touch with him.

But but let's pray for them this morning. Let's pray for their ministry. Let's pray for their elders. Let's pray for their people and and also pray for pastor Jeremiah as he is there opening the Word of God for them dear Heavenly Father.

We thank you. Thank you for bringing us together this morning. Thank you for your grace in our lives and and Lord we we thank you for Churches like Syracuse Baptist Church. We thank you for their ministry we thank you for their people those brothers and sisters that we have those those those believers that we are in perfect union with through the indwelling Holy Spirit and being in Christ together and and we just we we want them to to know and experience and The great love that we have for them because of your great love for them.

And so we lift them up we pray that you do great things in their midst. We pray that that you would use them as salt and light in their community there in Syracuse, Indiana. I pray for their pastors. Their their leaders their elders there.

I pray you give them wisdom and the Lord give them encouragement God I pray that they would feed the flock. I pray that they would encourage And edify those believers not by their own power and will but by Your word that your word would do the work in the midst of that people and in their hearts God.

I pray for pastor Jeremiah this morning. We miss him greatly. This as we are gathering. He's usually here in our midst, but but you have you have a providentially placed him there today and God. We pray that you would speak Through your word as he as he lays it out for them.

I pray that you would Guard his speech from error or we pray that you would use that that word to go forward and and Renew the minds of your people there. Grow them as you mold them more and more into the image of your son In Christ's name.

Amen. Well, we have something special before we start our service we do this Fairly regularly around here. I would like to ask Nathan to come on up you guys. Probably recognize Nathan from being around here for the past few weeks.

As a matter of fact just what was it two weeks ago get baptized two weeks ago. We just baptized him right over here. And man, what a what a great time. We've been able to get to know each other and he's gone through the whole four-week process of new member class and I see so much fruit in his life a hunger for God's Word a desire for Truth and he has he's come and shared the desire to to covenant with us as a people.

And and tie himself and his gifts and his his passion and his love To us and in that process as I've mentioned in the new member class is as we are covenanting with him. To tie our gifts and our abilities and our passions and our love into his life for encouragement and mutual edification and.

And so you still want to join us, right? You haven't changed your mind. All right. You haven't changed your mind. Well as we do every time when we come to this process. If every member of 12 five every covenant member of 12 five if you affirm Nathan Being a part of this family and this and this body, please stand in affirmation.

Amen. Well, nobody stood in your way. So that's a good sign. You may be seated man, Nathan. We're we're so excited to see how God uses you. I Know that he's gifted you with very unique giftings that are specific and needed for this particular body.

And and I am so encouraged to be able to come alongside you and find out what those are and see how God uses you In this midst and and just know that we're here with you. We're here for you, right? This is a family you just now committed yourself to a pretty hardcore family.

And if you try and run away from us, we chase you down. So don't we? Well as we do with every single covenant member is We we commission you with with this. This is this I say this every time this is not a gift, right?

This is not a gift. This is a commissioning as if as if you're joining the military and someone's handing you your rifle. You were being commissioned in to this this this this unit and this is what we're about.

Here we're about God's Word. What does God's Word say we commit to it? Amen. And so I know you have a Bible, but this is a beautiful picture. This is an ESV study Bible. It's the exact same one that that we commission every single family and every single member with in this church.

Hold it dear learn it immerse yourself in it. That is where you will grow and you're gifting and know how to function in this body. Amen. It's good to have you on board brother. Well, that's always a good time in it it's always encouraging to see family growing.

God bringing people here. Specifically even all across the board we have we have people who are retired. We have people that are right in the midst of their young children and their family and we have college students like Nathan.

Joining this body. You know that God's at work when you see that. None of us come from the same demographic none of us come from the same background. None of us come from the same age group. None of us come from the same cultures.

But all of us come together and our souls rejoice because we're with brothers and sisters because of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Well, let's stand for our call to worship as we start off today.

Our call to worship this morning comes from Jeremiah 14 22 and as I mentioned last week on the screen it is split where. The section that I read and then the response of the people. But it says are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?

Or can the heavens give showers? We set our hope on you. My God has saved my soul.

I am yours forever. More I won't be moved of this. I'm sure you my God have seen. When you came by the Victory, I am free my joy. And you are saved by your grace Of your love. Have saved my soul.

God has saved our soul. Let's go to that saving God. The one the only one that can save let's go to him in a prayer of adoration this morning. Dear Heavenly Father. We come before you humbly Knowing that you and you alone save God you you are the creator of all things that That had a rebellious creature.

And your response to your your plan your purpose was to redeem that creature. You had set your love upon us your children before you'd even created this earth and You had in your counsel and your counsel alone had had planned to save those very people your son.

Carried out that plan by living the life that we could not live Jesus Christ died the death that we deserved Purchasing us and then ultimately defeating death. His resurrection. Oh. And now we we stand before you in his righteousness.

It is imputed to us and dwelt by the Holy Spirit the third person of the Godhead in Us. Working in us and when we don't know what to pray when we don't know how to worship you when we when our worship falls So short that he is he is.

Uttering these prayers these these truths this worship that we can't even comprehend. Yeah, we long to worship you this morning for who you are because you are a great God who saves. You are the only one worthy of worship.

Nothing. Nothing that we bring nothing that we have. Nothing that we do. Nothing that we have to offer. Nothing that we are. But it is you and your glory and your majesty and your your grace and your mercy and your justice and your wrath you father you God in totality the triune God and we and we pray all of this and In the glorious person of Jesus Christ because of his righteousness.

Jesus Christ scripture reading is going to be from 1st Peter 3 1 3 3 9.

Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ According to his great mercy. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable Undefiled unfaithful kept in heaven for you Who by God's power and being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time?

In this you rejoice Though now for a little while If necessary you have been grieved by various trials so that the tested Genuineness of your faith more precious than gold and perish that perishes though it is tested by fire May be bound to be result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Though you have not seen him you love him though You do not know him you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory Obtaining the outcome of your faith the salvation of your soul.

Thank you for each family. Look at God's Word.

We'll go ahead and open your copy open your copy of God's Word to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 is as we continue to look at each one of these seven unifying declarations of oneness. Within our seven part sermon entitled there is no I in one.

Today being part three of this this sermon of oneness. Let's read in Ephesians chapter 4 starting in verse 1 the Apostle Paul says. I therefore a prisoner for the Lord. Urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love.

Eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit. Just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord one faith one baptism one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

This is the reading of God's perfect holy inspired Word, let's let's go to him now and pray that he would help us understand it. Dear Heavenly Father We come to you once again, and we thank you. Thank you for your word.

We thank you that it is clear. We thank you that we can trust in that word because we can trust in you and you are a God who does not lie God and you've given us everything that we need for life and godliness right here in these texts.

Breathed out by you inspired by the Holy Spirit. My God we distort them at times we misunderstand them in our frailty and in our flesh. So God I ask this morning that you be gracious to us and allowing us to see it clearly.

God I pray that that these words would penetrate the minds and hearts of us your children today Lord that they would be used to mold us more into the image of our Savior. As we pray each week that we would leave this place not being hearers of the word only but doers of the word.

We thank you in Christ's name. Amen. Well over the past two weeks. We've we've been able to see just how how unified. We truly are as Christians right that it's already here we're already unified because we're brought into unity with the triune God and Paul had had told us there in verse 3 that we just read to maintain to guard to protect.

To strive for that unity that is already ours the unity of the Spirit. And Paul followed that by telling us that there is but one body one organic glorious body. With Christ Jesus as the head of that body.

And what is that body? The church the church that is us every saint of all time all brought together in oneness in this beautiful Singular one body and he follows that by telling us that there is one spirit the third person of the Godhead the Holy Spirit who is essentially as we saw last week the soul of that body right and Dwelling each one of us the one who dwells in each believer unifying that body unifying the church.

Not under a common goal as as all other Created entities in the universe are not a common theme or a common purpose. That's not what to what we're unified under but we're unified in this body the church by a person the Holy Spirit.

In whom there is there there is only one Singular and he's tying us together. He's working in us. He's working through us together Together. There's no individualism here, right? There's no I and one we're brought together for a unified Singular purpose you see the distinction our goal isn't the purpose.

We're being unified by a person by the person of the Holy Spirit for his purpose for the purpose of the triune God and a singular purpose and when we Understand this it gives us great encouragement, doesn't it?

It does me it really drives me to live for Christ and live and understand the church for for the Unification of the church when I see the destruction that so much so much happens in the church, right?

The disunity that is constantly happening within the life of the church and and Specifically even against other churches and against each other and we but we see this and we go. Oh, man. We already have that unity.

We just must guard it. It encourages us to go the church can be unified. After all we long for that, don't we? We long for this outward evidence of that unity that is already ours to be seen here and now in the visible church.

We want to see the evidence of it. It this this is this is what encourages our souls at times and we should long for this. We should strive for this. We should maintain it as Paul says we should long for it.

However, if that is our aim If that is our hope if we believe that to be the singular purpose of this one body the church. Then we will be left feeling hopeless. I've seen it before I've seen it in many many many Christians.

I mean, honestly, I've even seen it in my own life at different times where we study Theology we get into theology and we get to this this part of theology Ecclesiology, right? It's just a big fancy word for the study of the church, which is essentially what we're doing, right?

We get to this point when we're studying all of this information and we see what God has prescribed in Scripture we see these great truths and and it leads us to a greater view of the church here on earth a lofty view.

It leads us to this this this great perspective of the universal church as a whole and the local representation of that universal church. Seeing how God works in and through the church. Growing in a love for the body when when we start digging in that's what we do.

We grow in a love for the body and we should that's a great thing. We should grow and in our knowledge of what God has called us to be as a church and to grow in our love for that yet our Perpetual idol factory of a heart takes a good thing and makes it an ultimate thing.

Hear me when I say that it's a good thing. To refine your ecclesiology your study of the church. We do it here. It's a great thing to have a lofty view of the church. But just remember your propensity as a as a as a person in the flesh is to make that good thing an ultimate thing.

We began to put our hope in it. And just like all other idols that we place on the throne of our heart. All that ever does is let us down, isn't it? Hmm you might have experienced this in the past. I have.

We see this outward expression of unity working itself out within the church for a season. And oh while that season's going on our faith is strong, isn't it? Oh, look at what God's doing. Look how unified we are.

This is awesome. This is great. And I'm strong in my faith. And then it's as if God says says Oh child, you're hoping in the wrong thing. As we watch that unity slip through our fingers once again and Honestly that leaves many With their faith shipwrecked if it's a true faith, it's not it's not gone.

But your flesh has been affected in a way to where you think it is. So in all of this great love and passion for the body all of this great understanding of the church all of our theological framework of ecclesiology We must remember that it is not the church.

The church is not an end in and of itself. That is not what we're after here. What we are doing here today is not the end goal if it is that's sad and We're like Paul said and to the church in Corinth.

We are of all people to be pitied. That's very short-sighted of us the outward expression of Our unity is not our aim the outward expression of unity will only be seen and Honestly is only lasting when we hope in the purpose in which this body the church exists to bring about.

Did you hear me? We only we can only feel in this and see this lasting unity when we hope in the purpose in which this body The church exists to bring about and what is that hope? What is this hope that is lasting.

What should our aim be? If we're not looking to this the church if that's not our goal. If that's not what we're after outward expression of unity per se that's not the end goal. Then what is this hope?

Well, I'm glad you asked. Because that's what we're gonna look at today. Let's see what Paul has to say about it. Look back with me at verse 4 of that text there Where he says there is one body and one spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call there is one singular body there is one singular Holy Spirit and now There is one Singular hope so what is this one?

Hope? Is it the church? Is it the hope of unity is it the hope of everlasting life? Whatever it is. Paul says that we've been called to it. Look at the text. We've been called right just as you were called to the one Hope we've been called to it and that it belongs to that call.

They're right. The one hope that belongs to your call we've been called to this and this belongs to us. So what have we been called to. I think that's gonna help us understand. What is this one? Hope?

Well, Paul has already mentioned this this calling just a couple verses back the first verse we read a moment ago. There in the beginning of chapter 4 verse 1 Look at it. He says I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling To which you have been called.

And if you were with us back when we came to that text a few weeks ago I pointed to the fact that that in this life There is an element in which we've been called to suffer. Right. We've been called to suffer as as Paul is suffering.

He says hey, I'm a prisoner of the Lord for the sake of the Lord I'm suffering. We're called to suffer because that's what Peter said. He said he said we're we suffer because our Savior suffered essentially.

However, this is only a temporal outworking of the purpose of that calling. In other words suffering is but a momentary Step towards our true calling. Okay. It's just for the here and now. And what is that true calling?

Well, look back to Paul's first prayer in chapter 1 flip over to chapter 1 of Ephesians. You see how you say I told you the beginning first three chapters are all Theology and now that we're getting to some of the practical stuff.

We keep jumping back to that theology. We have to have it. That's the foundation, right? We're gonna look back because Paul's building on all of this, right? So in chapter 1 in verse 18 of his prayer.

What he's praying for the Saints and he praised that that they would have the eyes of their hearts enlightened. That that they may know. What is the hope? To which he has called you. Paul's already laying the groundwork for exactly what he's calling us for and when he's saying one hope.

Right. He's telling us exactly what is the hope that you may know? What is the hope to which he has called you? Well, here's that hope to which you've been called and Paul is praying that we would know that hope and what does he want us?

To know he says. What are the riches of his glorious? Inheritance in the Saints. It's a bigger picture here, isn't there. Paul had already been talking about this inheritance. Look back at verse 11 of chapter 1.

In verse 11, he says in him and who? Christ he's speaking of Christ. We have obtained an inheritance. Here's that inheritance having been Predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

You see God has a plan. He's always has a plan according to the counsel of his will not according to our counsel not anything that we put in not any input or participation on our part his counsel stands and everything that he does will come about and and has called us to something hasn't he.

This God who has a plan. For this inheritance has called us to something. What is that something? What is this something that he's called us to? That he's predestined us for. We'll look back at verse 9 making known to us the mystery of his will.

Oh. Now we kind of get a little bitty little picture here. His counsel stands and now he's making known to us what that will is. According to his purpose, right? It's all his which he set forth in Christ.

Right and by the way, if you write or highlight in your Bibles every time you come across in Christ in Ephesians. Just highlight it underline it circle it whatever once you see just over and over again.

This is this is why this series is called in Christ. This is Paul saying that with this this plan that God set forth the mystery of his will that's being revealed. It's set forth in Christ as a plan. For the fullness of time for the the end goal.

What is the end goal and what and what does he say? He says to? Unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth. This is so much bigger than just the now and here, right? This is so much bigger than just unity in the body in the church at the moment.

This is this is a bigger plan. This is a bigger purpose this inheritance. This calling is us being united with the triune God and Though for us who are in Christ. If you are in Christ today you are positionally united with him perfectly perfectly positionally united with him and Though that's the case.

We still await the culmination of that unity that we will only see once we are brought into glory. Do you feel it? Even in the greatest moment of outward expressions of unity amongst the body in the greatest Sunday gathering that we have and your heart feels like it's gonna explode and worship to God and you're Overwhelmed by the glorious grace of God that doesn't even scratch the surface of what God has planned.

Not even close. It's but a it's but a drop in the ocean of a taste. Do you get that? We're so short-sighted though. That's what we long for. We long for that moment on a Sunday. We long for that moment in a Bible study.

We long for that moment in our quiet time and this is why Paul's statement just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. Back there in chapter 4 is tied to the one spirit that he just talked about.

Okay, bear with me because. This is tied to the one spirit because the spirit is. What? We talked about that over the past few weeks. What is the Holy Spirit doing when he's in dwelling in you? He is a seal.

He is a guarantee of that inheritance. Look back at verse 13 and 14 of chapter 1. He says in him in Christ. You also when you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and believed in him. Okay, hold on there for a second when you believed in the finished work of the cross once you had faith in what?

Christ had accomplished to bring about this inheritance for you once you see that when you see when you are Justified through faith in the perfect life and in the substitutionary death and the glorious Resurrection of Christ once you are there.

What does he say? You're sealed. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit for what purpose like in verse 14. Who is? The guarantee Of our inheritance. Until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory.

There's that inheritance, right? He's speaking of this great inheritance and we we stand positionally in that inheritance. It's ours. But we've not yet seen the culmination of it, right? You see the Holy Spirit is the absolute certain never-failing perfect downpayment of this one singular hope you get that a Guarantee a Guarantee of an inheritance that it belongs to you in a way that cannot be removed.

Cannot be taken away cannot be lost for any reason or any purpose. The down payment is already made and God will not walk away from his investment. It's the hope of our inheritance and Then Paul says in chapter 2 verse 7.

He says so that in the coming ages this age and the age to come He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Oh. Now now here's the beautiful part. God doesn't just say hey church, guess what.

I'm gonna. I'm gonna redeem you. I'm gonna purchase you. I'm gonna give you a down payment of the Holy Spirit, right? But you got to wait till glory to have any taste of it. You're gonna you're you're just gonna walk as if it was anything else in the world.

But he doesn't say that he says in in the ages to come. What's he talking about? He's talking about this age right now. We're experiencing that beautiful kindness and grace even now even though it's but a taste.

We experience it. That is why he's brought us together as a church. When when I come into this room or I run into any of you out and about or we go out to dinner. Or we have something at the house or or we talk on the phone.

My soul rejoices at the sound of your voice. Because I get to experience the kindness and grace of God. That has given us this beautiful picture of unity and oneness in the church in this age. But it's just a taste it's just a taste and this is certainly a great hope because after all you and I.

As Paul said in Ephesians 2 12 and 13 should remember that we were at one time Separated from Christ. Remember he's talking to Gentile believers in Ephesus. That's you and me, right? We were separated from Christ alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers of the covenant of promise.

That's what he says. And then he says having no hope. Right. Now we have the glorious one. Hope but before we had no hope and without God in the world. Oh, but now in Christ Jesus. We who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ha oh. What a glorious truth. We see this great truth over and over again all through scripture as a matter of fact turn to 1st Peter chapter 1 with me. There's a lot of correlation from from Peter's first letter and the letter in Ephesus.

We see a lot of interesting overlap, but in chapter 1 I want us to start reading in verse 3 because I want us to see. The totality of scripture drives this this isn't just the the letter to the church in Ephesus.

This is the grand theme of of the entirety of scripture. Peter writes in 1st Peter chapter 1. They're starting in verse 3. He says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy.

He has caused us to be born again to a living hope. Right our Savior the one that redeemed us is living this hope is living and active within us. Right this living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

To and here's very similar language that we just read an inheritance, right? Whoa, Peter's saying the same thing Paul is isn't he? Coincidental right? No inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is the purpose to an inheritance.

And what is it about this inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading? Kept in heaven. For you. Sitting there ready. It's ready. It's not fading. It doesn't corrode like earthly treasure.

It it it's not subject to moth and Corrosion. It's imperishable. And it's for you verse 5 who by God's power. Right what power the Holy Spirit working right the power of God are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time in This you rejoice though now for a little while if necessary.

You have been greed by various trials, right? That was that momentary suffering that I mentioned a moment ago, right? That were called to suffer on this earth, but that's just momentary. That's just for a little while greed by various trials if necessary for a short time verse 7 so that the tested Genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though.

It is tested by fire. May be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, right? So he allows us to suffer and we wonder well, why do we suffer like we talked about?

Why do we suffer? Well, our Savior suffered but we're being molded into the image of our Savior. And when we suffer we are being put into the fire and all of that dross all of that Imperfection is being burned off and what comes out is pure and That tests the faith and that allows us to see even in each other like when we go through trials and difficulty.

Does it does it burn away like chaff and wheat? Or is it refined like gold? You see the difference that's the purpose of that but verse 8 Though you have not seen him. You love him, I don't know when Adam read this text earlier.

It was your heart just rejoicing at that moment. I just about burst out in tears as I thought of this glorious truth, though. You have not seen him. You love him. Though you do not know do not know now see him you believe in him and Rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory obtaining the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Though you have not yet seen him. This is why we hope right. We've not yet seen him. But we hope I got to say this what? We do not hope with uncertainty and wishful thinking. That's not what that one.

Hope is. That's not the hope that we see in Scripture when Scripture speaks of hope we can see it in the context. All right, Paul says, you know, hey, I hope to come see you. I hope to to be able to join you at some point here.

That's my prayer. That's my desire. Well, that's kind of a well, it's up to God. We'll see we'll see what comes about if I get to or I don't get to. But when hope is spoken about in this context of Scripture, this is very different.

It's it's the same kind of hope we see the psalmist saying when he says behold. The eyes of the Lord the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him and on those who hope in his steadfast love. See the distinction there.

They hope in his steadfast love. It's not wishful thinking. This hope is certain. And Paul said to Titus in his opening letter to Titus he says in hope of eternal life. Which God who never lies? Promised before the ages began.

There's a certainty here. There's an absolute certainty. The writer of Hebrews in chapter 6 and verses 18 and 19 said. So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie. It is impossible for God to lie.

Who have been who have been fled for refuge. Might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope that set before them. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. Interesting a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.

This isn't wishful thinking. This is a hope of certainty because this one hope is Grounded in a never-changing perfect God who cannot lie. Cannot change his mind. Will not change his mind. Because his mind and his will are perfect.