{"id":18074,"date":"2020-07-10T16:33:46","date_gmt":"2020-07-10T20:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/?p=18074"},"modified":"2026-06-04T16:56:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T20:56:08","slug":"your-hope-your-future-your-reward-178","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/your-hope-your-future-your-reward-178\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Hope, Your Future, Your Reward (178)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Your Hope, Your Future, Your Reward<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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By Steven J. Hogan<\/p>\n

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~ A Saturday Morning Post #178 ~<\/em><\/p>\n

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THE SHORT VERSION:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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1. It’s being with Jesus Christ. <\/strong>
2. It\u2019s not being affected by any fleshly, worldly, or devilish thing.<\/strong>
3. It\u2019s having a brand-new body.<\/strong>
4. It\u2019s perfectly loving God and Jesus Christ.<\/strong>
5. It\u2019s having a heavenly home.<\/strong>
6. It\u2019s being with loved ones and others who are believers.<\/strong>
7. It\u2019s receiving an incredible inheritance.<\/strong>
8. It\u2019s being greatly rewarded.<\/strong>
9. It\u2019s having a satisfying and God-glorifying purpose.<\/strong>
10. It\u2019s seeing the glory of God displayed in heaven and on earth. <\/strong>
11. It\u2019s having fullness of joy and experiencing pleasures forever.<\/strong>
12. It\u2019s knowing God and Jesus Christ more fully.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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THE LONG VERSION:
<\/strong>Do you want to be all that God wants you to be?<\/strong> Do you want to be a growing and godly Christian? Do you want to be a positive, forward-looking person? Do you want more joy and peace? Do you want to love God more? If so, one thing that will help is having hope. Many Christians are lacking in hope, and don\u2019t even know what they are missing. They are focused on the present, on what is happening today, but they are not thinking about the future God has planned out for them. And they don\u2019t see that having this hope, that being excited about God\u2019s plans for their future, will help them be more fruitful and successful in the present.

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How do we define hope?<\/strong> Hope is not a present reality but an expectation of a future reality. Hope, as a noun, is what you need to know about your future and, as a verb, it\u2019s what you need to believe about your future. It\u2019s knowing and seeing, by faith, God\u2019s plans for your future. It\u2019s what you don\u2019t have now but are confident God will give you in the ages to come. It\u2019s believing that God will continually show you His great love after you leave earth and are in heaven.\u00a0

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What exactly is this hope?<\/strong>
1. It\u2019s being with Jesus Christ. <\/strong>\u201c\u2026 thus we shall always be with the Lord\u201d<\/em> (1 Thess. 4:17). Jesus, like no one else, has loved you and will always love you. He died for you and rose again, saving you from your sins, from the clutches of Satan, and from death itself. He\u2019s your Savior and Redeemer, Lord and King, Brother and Friend. He can\u2019t wait to be with you, and show His love and glory to you, and in ways you could never imagine – it won\u2019t be long before you are literally with Him. Just think what it will be like when you first see Him, and He talks to you, and you talk to Him, and He tells you that He loves you. Job 19:25-27; John 14:3, 15:9, 17:24

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2. It\u2019s not being affected by any fleshly, worldly, or devilish thing.<\/strong> \u201cHe shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning or crying or pain; the first things have passed away\u201d<\/em> (Rev. 21:4). There will be no more sin, sorrow, sickness, death, trials, conflicts, worries, enemies, or persecution – how freeing and wonderful to not be affected by these things! Life can be hard, stressful and painful, but your hope is that everything and everyone in the future will be good, loving, and a blessing. Yes, there will be sin and evil during the millennial kingdom but it won\u2019t personally affect you. Rev. 7:15-17

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3. It\u2019s having a brand-new body.<\/strong> \u201c\u2026 the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory\u201d<\/em> (Phil. 3:20-21). Your body is weak, sinful and mortal. Yes, it\u2019s good enough for your life on earth, but it’s not at all adequate for your life in heaven and for eternity. Therefore, God will give every believer a new body, a powerful, immortal, glorious and spiritual body – and this will happen when Christ returns to rapture the church. Then you will be physically saved, and your salvation will be complete, and you will be fully able to eternally worship and serve the Lord, and give Him great glory. 1 Cor. 15:42-44, 2 Cor 5:1-8, 1 Thess. 5:23

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4. It\u2019s perfectly loving God and Jesus Christ. <\/strong>\u201cYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength\u201d<\/em> (Mark 12:30). This is the great commandment! But now your love for God is sporadic, it\u2019s not always wholehearted, it\u2019s interrupted by sin, it\u2019s definitely not what it should be. But not long from now you will be glorified, and with rapturous joy, you will more fully know and be filled up with His love for you. Then and forever, you will perfectly and continually love the Lord in a personal way and with others, and how God-exalting and soul-satisfying that will be! Psalm 145:1-2, 1 John 4:19, Rev. 5:13

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5. It\u2019s having a heavenly home.<\/strong> \u201cIn My Father\u2019s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you\u201d<\/em> (John 14:2). You now live in an earthly dwelling. It may be small or big, plain or lavish, cluttered or neat, but it\u2019s temporal and wears out, and has to be cleaned, kept and maintained. But Jesus has made a home perfectly suited for you. It\u2019s beautiful, spotless, furnished, practical, the most comfortable and relaxing place you could ever imagine. There you will be able to worship the Lord, fellowship with saints, have a meal, and live forever. Your home will be part of the new city, the heavenly city, one that will bring eternal glory to God and Jesus Christ. Psalm 84:1-4, Heb. 12:22-24, Rev. 21:10-23

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6. It\u2019s being with loved ones and others who are believers.<\/strong> \u201cFor who is our hope or joy or crown of exaltation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?\u201d<\/em> (1 Thess. 2:19). One of the great blessings on earth is being with other Christians, especially ones you love and who love you. One of the great blessings of heaven is being with them again, and for all eternity. And so, don\u2019t grieve too much when loved ones and friends leave this earth and go to heaven, for you will soon see them again. Your relationships with believers on earth continue in heaven, but then they will be perfect, with perfect love, communication, and fellowship, and all centered around Christ. You will also meet and enjoy the company of millions and millions of believers, like Moses, David, Esther, Nehemiah, Mary, Paul, Luther, Edwards, Spurgeon, etc. How wonderful and encouraging this will be! 2 Sam. 12:22-23, 2 Cor. 4:14, 1 Thess. 4:13-14

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7. It\u2019s receiving an incredible inheritance.<\/strong> \u201c\u2026 to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away\u2026\u201d<\/em> (1 Peter 1:3-4). None of us can fathom how much God wants to bless us in the future. Good parents give good things to their children, but that\u2019s nothing compared to what God will give you in the future. Money, land, jewelry, and keepsakes are earthly inheritances, but our heavenly inheritance is infinitely better (1 Cor. 2:9). This inheritance, guaranteed to all God\u2019s children, cannot be destroyed, is perfect, and will never lose its magnificence. We don\u2019t know the exact nature of our inheritance, but it will be an expression of God\u2019s gracious and perfect love for us. Not only that, but it\u2019s \u201creserved in heaven for you.\u201d<\/em> Our inheritance, now kept safely in heaven, will be given to us at Christ\u2019s coming. What a kind and generous Father we have!\u00a0

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8. It\u2019s being greatly rewarded.<\/strong> \u201cHe who plants and he who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor\u201d<\/em> (1 Cor. 3:8). God gives each believer an inheritance just because he is His child. But your reward is more than an inheritance, for it relates to your work for Him. Jesus tells us the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), that God gives you money and abilities you are to use to serve Him. This reward in heaven, your heavenly pay, relates directly to the quality of your work on earth, and how you faithfully used what God gave you. Do not forget, God will reward you for everything you say or do for Him. Part of this reward is the actual work you will be doing in the future. Hear what the master told his slave – \u201cDo business with this until I come back\u2026 Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing – be in authority over ten cities.\u201d <\/em>Luke 19:13-17, Col. 3:23, Rev. 22:12

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9. It\u2019s having a satisfying and God-glorifying purpose.<\/strong> \u201cWe are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand\u201d<\/em> (Eph. 2:10). You won\u2019t be just sitting in heaven playing a harp. God has specific plans for your life in the ages to come. You will be working for God, serving Him, doing what He wants you to do, and what you love to do. During the millennial kingdom, your work directly relates to reigning with Jesus Christ over this world. Exactly what this will look like, we don\u2019t know, but it will be perfect, satisfying, and effortless work, that which will be good for others and a glory to God. Rev. 2:26, 5:10, 20:6

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10. It\u2019s seeing the glory of God displayed on earth. <\/strong>\u201cThe earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord\u201d<\/em> (Habakkuk 2:14). We now live in an evil world controlled by the evil one. But the next age, the millennial kingdom age, will be one in which Jesus Christ will reign over the world. Then, with great satisfaction and joy, you will see the righteousness, peace, and glory of God. \u201cGod is the King of all the earth\u2026 God reigns over the nations\u201d <\/em>(Ps. 47:7-8). \u201cLet the nations be glad and sing for joy; for Thou will judge the nations with uprightness, and guide the nations on the earth\u201d<\/em> (Ps. 67:4). \u201cIn His days, may the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon is no more\u201d<\/em> (Ps. 72:7). \u201cLet the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing together for joy\u201d<\/em> (Ps.\u00a0 98:8). This is a small sampling of what the future, and your future, will look like. Just think – we will soon be reigning with Christ, and seeing His glory on earth! Psalm 150, Isaiah 6:3

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11. It\u2019s having fullness of joy and experiencing pleasures forever.<\/strong> \u201cIn Thy presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever\u201d<\/em> (Psalm 16:11). Your heavenly Father will make sure you are always full of joy and gladness. Every day, and for all eternity, you will experience God\u2019s goodness, be with Jesus, see His glory, have fellowship with the saints, and enjoy the beauty and pleasures of the world. You will never feel sad or down or lonely. Every day will be a good day, a delightful day, a perfect day, a most wonderful day. Jesus said, \u201cI came that you might have life, and might have it abundantly\u201d<\/em> (John 10:10). In the future, you will always experience Jesus\u2019 life to the full – and you will be rejoicing with gladness, exulting before God, and giving Him the glory He deserves. Ps. 68:3-4, John 7:38, 1 Thess. 5:16

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12. It\u2019s knowing God more fully.<\/strong> \u201cThis is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent\u201d<\/em> (John 17:3). Eternal life is knowing God, having an eternal relationship with Him. In the ages to come, you will keep growing in your knowledge of God, for He will continue to reveal Himself to you. You will increasingly know more about His love, wisdom, power, goodness, holiness, sovereignty, etc. (You will also be able to look back at your time on earth and see how God was specifically working in and through your life). You will learn more from God\u2019s word, the word we have now, but don\u2019t fully understand. You will learn more about Jesus, more about the angels and saints, and more about the world we live in. You will never grow tired of spending time with Jesus and seeing His glory, for your soul will be fully and always satisfied by Him. As a result, you will keep growing in your love and affection for Jesus. John 17:24, Rom. 11:33

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This is a detailed summary of your hope, of God\u2019s great and glorious plans for your life, which will begin to be realized at Christ\u2019s return and then continue for all eternity. Your life on earth is usually 70, 80, 90 years or so, but eternity is forever and ever. It\u2019s vitally important for you to see the big picture, that God\u2019s hope for you will be fulfilled after your time on this earth, and during your everlastingly-long heavenly life, covering billions and billions and billions and billions of years, etc., etc., etc. We spend so much time thinking about this life, but you must understand the details of your incredible future, this eternal life that God will give you. 1 Thess. 1:1:9-10 tells you, \u201cserve a living and true God,\u201d<\/em> and \u201cwait for His Son.\u201d<\/em> You are to work for God now but you are to also be looking forward, and excitedly so, to that time when your God-planned and perfect future will be fulfilled. \u201cMay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.\u201d <\/em>Romans 15:13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0

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P.S.\u00a0One of my greatest desires with this blog site is that you would grow in hope, that you would be super-excited about the incredible future God has planned out for you. If you have not yet done so, I would encourage you to read the last two posts – “Important Lessons on the Hope God Has For You,” <\/a><\/em>and “When Life Is Hard, You Need Hope.”<\/em> <\/a><\/p>\n

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