Our Only Hope -- By: Lehman Strauss

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 120:478 (Apr 1963)
Article: Our Only Hope
Author: Lehman Strauss


Our Only Hope

Lehman Strauss

[Lehman Strauss, Pastor, Highland Park Baptist Church, Highland Park, Michigan.]

We are witnessing in this twentieth century the collapse of civilization. It is obvious that we are advancing toward the end of the age. Science can offer no hope for the future blessing and security of humanity, but instead it has produced devastating and deadly results which threaten to lead us toward a new dark age. The frightful uprisings among races, the almost unbelievable conquests of Communism, and the growing antireligious philosophy throughout the world, all spell out the fact that doom is certain. I can see no bright prospects, through the efforts of man, for the earth and its inhabitants.

One ray of hope shines through the murky darkness of present world conditions, but that hope finds its application only to the believing children of God. It is spelled out clearly by the apostles of Christ in their divinely inspired writings as set forth in the Bible. It was mentioned by Christ in John 14:3, but it was given to the Apostles Paul and Peter to expound more fully.

The Christian who studies his Bible is neither indifferent nor fearful concerning the future; he is hopeful. I have listened to worldly wise men, scientists, politicians, world leaders and educators express themselves about the future. All of their hopes are clearly marked by an element of uncertainty. But the Christian hope has a positive and certain ring to it, the reason being that it is identified with the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Sure Hope

Now if I sound a bit dogmatic it is because the foundation of my hope is the greatest event in world history, namely, the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast,

and which entereth into that within the veil” (Heb 6:19).

The Apostle Peter wrote: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3).

The “us” in this verse refers to believers only. They are possessed of a hope that is stedfast and sure. But the man who has not been born again dare not look far into the future, because he is “without Christ” and is therefore as one “having no hope” (Eph 2:12). The new man in Christ is assured of a brigh...

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