Hope Against Hope
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be (Romans 4:18, KJV)
Abraham believed in hope, against hope! Abraham is called the father of faith, as his belief in God laid the operational foundations of our faith in Christ. What does believing in hope against hope mean? The first thing to keep in mind is that the two “hopes” mentioned in the phrase “hope against hope” are not the same! One is natural hope, and the other is spiritual hope. Let me explain!
God had told Abraham when he was 99 and Sarah was 90 years old that they would have a child the year following. There are many problems with this statement. First, Abraham was very old, but a man at that age could still have a child. Secondly, Sarah his wife was barren. Not only is she barren but she is in menopause and as if this was not enough, she has been in menopause for more about 35 years or more! Medically speaking, there was no hope, that is natural hope based on natural principles. But there was a different kind of hope.
God spoke to him and said he will have a child and be a father of many nations. It was not going to happen naturally. The Word of God brought in a different kind of hope, one that is based not on natural possibilities but on the infallible and powerful word of God!
Has life dashed your hopes into pieces? Well, the Word will restore hope in your life as you hang on the Word of God in faith to change circumstances in your life.
MEDITATE
Did God have to make sure if was naturally possible before He made the promise to Abraham ?
APPLY THE WORD
God’s Word is dependable, if we can put our faith and stand by it. Hope in God, against all hope, no matter what is going on in your finances, family, health, ministry, spiritual life etc. Begin speaking life and calling forth new hope by the power of the Spirit!
PRAY
Thank the Lord for the new hope He gives us in the Word.
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. (Leviticus 20:7–8, KJV)
As the Great I AM that I AM, God revealed Himself as the Lord who sanctifies His people in the Old Covenant—Jehovah Mekaddishkem. But this was only a shadow of something greater that was coming in the New Testament.
Jehovah Mekaddishkem is the English transliteration of the Hebrew words for “I am the Lord which sanctify you” ( “mekaddish” = sanctify, “kem” = you). Divine names and titles in the Old Testament often reveal an aspect of God in relation to His people.
There are three keywords that underlie the meaning of sanctification: “wash,” “consecrate,” and “separate.” Sanctification essentially means to make something holy. Sinlessness is a core aspect of holiness, but there is more to holiness than sinlessness. It is the very nature of God. However, when used in reference to us humans, it means to be cleaned from sin, set apart for God, and consecrated to Him.
In the passage above, God tells the people first to sanctify themselves and then reveals He is the One who sanctifies them. Thus, He gives us the two sides of sanctification—the God side and the human side. There’s something God does and something His people do for their sanctification.
This truth was only a shadow in the Old Testament. It is in Christ that we see God fully revealed as Jehovah Mekaddishkem to His people through the sanctifying work on the cross. In speaking to the Corinthians, Paul revealed,
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11, KJV)
This is Jehovah Mekaddishkem fulfilled in Christ: We were washed and sanctified. Note that these are in past tense, describing something God has already done. The day you received Christ, you received the bath of your life, a heavenly bath by the Spirit of God that removed every stain of sin through the precious blood of Christ. And as you continue to live on earth, the Spirit continues to sanctify you daily.
Following the sanctifying work He has already done in us, He commands us,
“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:” (1 Thessalonians 4:3, KJV)
Now that you are clean, washed, and sanctified, He tells us to put that sanctification to work outwardly. Paul explicit states it is what God wants—His will. He gives us a very specific example of sanctification here: abstain from sexual immorality. Few things defile us, like sexual impurity. But sanctification certainly includes more than abstaining from fornication or adultery. As above, it includes living a consecrated and separated life to God daily in the way we talk, act, think, feel, and handle our bodies.
He is Jehovah Mekaddishkem, the God who has Sanctified you in Christ and continues to sanctify you every day.
Meditate
Is our sanctification completed, ongoing, or both?
Apply the Word
This is the crucial part of this devotional. Until you receive the truth that God has already sanctified you by His Spirit, you will not be empowered to be sanctified practically. Put God’s sanctification power to work in your life daily by faith in the finished work of Christ.
Pray
Ask the Lord to help you in your daily walk of sanctification.
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