Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you see the glass half full or half empty? Are you a positive person or a negative person? Do you see yourself as hopeful or hopeless? Do you see the world as hopeful or hopeless? What is your long term outlook?
If you are a hopeful person, what are you placing your hope in? Are you trusting in something real or is it just wishful thinking? There is a group of people that come out every now and then and hold up signs while we are open air preaching on the square in downtown Springfield, MO. Some of their signs say things that I won’t repeat. But others say things like “free hugs” and “you are awesome.” They seem like positive people, but what are they placing their trust in? What are they placing their hope in? Most of them stand there quietly, but a few of them get riled up over the name of Jesus. So they probably are not followers of Jesus Christ. I’m afraid that their hope is misplaced.
These people probably think what they are doing is right. But they aren’t helping anyone, at least not eternally. What they are doing would be just like if there were a large sinkhole that swallowed up a large section of Chestnut Expressway. Instead of warning people of the impending danger, that they are about to drive off into a large pit to their death; these sign people are more worried about people feeling good about themselves. They want to hug them and tell them that they are awesome. But people who receive their free hug and who have been pumped up about how great they are, may actually be distracted by looking at themselves in the mirror (because they now think they are awesome). All the while not realizing that they are about to die a horrible death as they crash their car into the sinkhole.
What the sign people are accomplishing is really the exact opposite of their intentions. They want people to feel better about themselves, but they are not giving them any real, eternal hope. Without Jesus Christ, there is no hope. Jesus is the only Savior. Jesus is the only One who can take away your sins. Out of love, we are trying to warn people that there is danger ahead. We’re not worried about how good people feel about themselves. We are standing in the middle of road in front of the sinkhole, frantically waving our hands in the air yelling for people to “Stop!” “There’s danger ahead. You are going to die if you continue down this road.”
After we warn you of the danger ahead, if you will stop and listen then we can tell you how to avoid the devastation that you are about to fall into. We will gladly share the Good News with you. This is positive news and it is full of hope and it is a marvelous hope. God offers eternal life to everyone who turns away from their sins and who puts their faith in Jesus. He paid the sin debt for us, even though He knew no sin. Jesus took the punishment that we deserve. He offers us a way to avoid Hell and spend everlasting life with Him! This is great news. This is very hopeful. Jesus is the only way (John 14:6). Only Jesus saves (John 3:16).
But you must repent and believe the Gospel. You have to understand that you are a sinner. You have to understand that you are not awesome, at least not yet. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). We bring nothing to Jesus but our sins. The only thing we earn in this life is death and the only thing you are working toward is everlasting damnation in Hell. You can’t earn your way to Heaven.
People don’t want to hear this message, but it is the truth. You can look it up for yourself in the Bible. But you must have a right understanding of yourself before you recognize that you need a Savior. Once God convicts you of your sins – your lying, your cheating, your stealing, your blaspheming, your coveting and your lusting, then through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, you can rightly see where you stand before God. You then can cry out to God to have mercy on you and to save you.
Jesus lived a perfect life; He died a horrendous death and He rose victoriously from the grave three days later. Again, Jesus took the punishment that you and I rightly deserve. He paid the ultimate price for guilty sinners like you and me. But you have to turn away from your sins and put your trust in Him. You can’t trust your feelings. You can’t trust in your good works and all the positive affirmation in the world will not save you. Only the shed blood of Jesus can wash you clean. Please, repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ. Become a true follower of Jesus today. Surrender your life completely to Him. Tell Him: Your will be done, not mine.
Then do what He told us to do. Jesus said if you love Me, keep My commandments. He said that you are to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength and that you are to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Keeping the commandments won’t save you, but it is out of your love, out of your gratitude for Jesus saving you that you want to keep the commandments. You want to please Him. And after you put your trust in Jesus, that’s when you find real hope. Read these wonderful words in 1 John 5:4-5, For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is marvelous hope. True followers of Jesus are victors and can live victoriously through Him!
This is great hope. Jesus can save you from your sins. He can save you from eternal damnation and everlasting punishment. But He also saves you for Himself. God gives you a new heart with new desires, when you are truly saved. You look forward to spending eternity with Him. True joy is found in the Lord. You can have joy, you can have peace, you can have lasting hope, but it is only found through Jesus. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.
Do you feel hopeless? Do you feel nothing but despair? If you are hopeless, please repent and believe the Gospel. Jesus can save you, He wants to save you. Cry out to Him. Ask Him to have mercy on you a sinner. Tell Him that you will follow Him from this day forward. Then give up the pleasures of the flesh which are fleeting anyway. God will empower you to turn away from your sins. But to have hope, true hope, real hope, lasting hope, you must submit your life to Jesus. Are you ready to be hopeful? Are you ready to put your trust in our Lord Jesus? (Romans 10:9 and Romans 10:13).