So many people have been abruptly taken from this life lately. A boy from college, a girl from high school. A mom. A dad. And I have cried and prayed and hurt for all of the people involved. However, in some of these terrible circumstances, there was comfort, because these people had lived hope. Their lives were characterized by a hope in Jesus, and thus, their friends and family have hope. They didn’t have to say goodbye, simply see you later.

In order to give your family hope, you have to be living hope. So my question today is, are you? Are you living a life of hope in Jesus Christ? Will your family and friends have hope when you die? I don’t want any person I know to be lost, because I want to have hope of seeing them again, and I know that I won’t unless they’re living hope. I also know that I’m not guaranteed any amount of time on this earth (James 4:14), so I want to give my family and friends some hope.

So what can we do to be living a life of hope?

First, we have to be in a place of hope. Ephesians 1:3 says that every spiritual blessing is found in Christ. Verse 11 says that one of those blessings is the blessing of an inheritance, which we know from John 14:2-3 is a room in heaven in our Father’s house where we’ll live forever. In order to be in Christ, where the hope is found, we must be baptized into Him (according to Galatians 3:27). So there’s our first step. But it’s just the first of many.

After getting into Christ, we must walk in hope. Once you become a Christian, you aren’t going to be perfect. I know that I am far from being perfect. But 1 John 1:7-9 tells us, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Did you notice all of the if statements. Obviously this is conditional, not a once saved always saved deal. In order to live our lives with the hope of going to heaven, we must be walking in the light. We must be daily practicing righteousness, and confessing our faults each time we commit them.

This is generally where the problems arise though.

Too many Christians stop walking in hope. The cares of the world choke them out or unauthorized relationships tug them away from their Savior, and they leave the safety of the fold of a loving God who wants them to be in heaven with Him. They walk away from the spiritual blessings in Christ, and instead live a hopeless life (because a life without Christ is hopeless – Eph. 2:11-12).

This is not what God wants (2 Peter 3:9). God wants all people to be saved. But He won’t save us against our will. And He won’t save us if we live contrary to His will. And that means we must be living hope. Our lives must be characterized by holiness and purity and Christ Himself. We must spend every bit of ourselves and our time on this earth preparing for the life that comes after this. Because death here isn’t the end. Regardless of the way you’ve lived your life, earthly death isn’t all there is (Heb. 9:27). So in order for the ones who have more time on earth after you to be able to hope to see you again, you must choose to live every day so that you can enter into a place of eternal life. A place where the saved ones gather around God’s throne. A place of love and joy and peace. That’s all anyone wants for their loved one after they’ve left this earth, so why wouldn’t we live lives that assure we can go there?

I trust in God’s promises. I trust that He will save the ones who have been faithful to Him. I trust that when I die, I can go to heaven, because the blood of Jesus continually washes away my dreadful sins. All I want, above everything, is to know that all of my friends and family will also be in heaven. So if you’re not in a place of hope, or you’re not living a life of hope, then you’re not giving hope. Not to me, not to your family, not to your friends.

Please reconsider. Please do all that you can while you still can to be pleasing to our God above.