Mankind’s list of rules for pleasing God has become increasingly invasive upon the lives of those affected by such man-made decrees. Yet, the reality is that God most desires for man to trust Him in the present (through faith) as well as in the future (through hope). The Lord is well pleased when an individual chooses to place all of his hopes solely upon the Lord and upon His word. Simply put, man was created for only one purpose—to please the One who brought him into this world in the first place (Revelation 4:11). This single purpose is impossible to fulfil without faith (Hebrews 11:6) and hope in the Lord (Psalm 147:11). The Lord promised that He would one day return for His church. Placing all of one’s faith and hope upon that promise (of the Lord’s return) demonstrates an unfailing love for the Lord!
Most people do not understand or recognize that the law and grace are polar opposites. The law emphasizes man’s responsibility to God, while grace emphasizes God’s efforts toward man. The law’s purpose shows man his sin and points him to God for help (Romans 3:20). Additionally, the law condemns man and sheds light upon the fact that he has no hope. Interestingly, the first five books of the Bible (commonly called the books of the Law) make no reference to the word hope. Some might ask why? Because the law simply reveals that man has no hope apart from God. As such, the Lord Jesus brought in a “better hope . . . by the which we draw nigh unto God.” Any man who places his hope and trust in what he can do or must do for God has lost sight of what God must do for him.
In a very basic sense, the word hope means desire, yet the true meaning is not nearly as weak as the world presents. The word hope in scripture is associated with the word expectation (Proverbs 10:28; Proverbs 11:7). Hope is not simply some type of wishful thinking; it is something that someone trusts in dearly (Jeremiah 17:7). This type of hope is not something visible to the naked eye of man (Romans 8:24), but it is believed and held firm by faith (Hebrews 11:1). All men live their lives based upon hope; however, not all hope is the same. One man’s hope might be that there is no life after death. Another might place his hope solely upon the payment for sin provided by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many believers have made it a practice to end their prayers with the phrase “in Jesus’ name.” They do so because of the Saviour’s command to pray in His name. However, the command carries a far deeper relevance than simply a formula habitually added at the end of a prayer. This phrase added at the end of the prayer serves as a reminder that we are performing the action in the name of another. It is also taking place at the request of and under the authority of another person. By coming to the Father in the name of the Son, believers are approaching the Father under the Son’s authority and at His request. Because of Christ’s request and authority, believers can approach the throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). Without Christ’s request and authority, our boldness would be turned into presumptuousness.
The 2,000-year history of the church reveals that there have been teachers and whole religions who have rejected the biblical teaching of the coexistence of a Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Others have accepted their existence but rejected the fact that these three are one with each being fully God (1 John 5:7). Some have simply been unable to comprehend or unwilling to accept that God could exist as one God in three persons. Regardless of man’s intellectual inadequacies, the Bible reveals that each member of the Godhead works together on our behalf in prayer. The Lord told us that every believer should pray to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus (John 15:16). The prayers are directed toward the Father with the Son acting as the mediator (Hebrews 7:25). The book of Romans further reveals that the Spirit of God makes intercession for us in our prayers (Romans 8:26).
One might think that prayer has always existed in the exact manner in which it presently exists, but such is not the case. It appears that the first major shift in prayer took place in Genesis 4:26. We know that Adam and Eve freely spoke with the Lord face-to-face in the garden (Genesis 3:8). However, it seems that the fall of man caused men to have to begin “to call upon the name of the LORD.” Even then, prayer was not as it is today. The very fact that prayer has not always existed parallels a time in the future when prayer as we know it will not exist. When man had full access to the Lord, there was no need for prayer. In eternity, the same will be true. For now, the Lord has given us access to Him through prayer (Hebrews 4:16).
