The Basis of Our Hope

The Basis of Our Hope
Titus 1:1-4
“In the hope of eternal life, which   God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His words, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior.”
In his introduction, Paul reminds us of several important truths that serve to determine our identity and destiny and provide the foundation for our hope in Christ.  Paul begins by describing himself as a bondservant of God.  Throughout his letters, the designation of a bond-servant of God was Paul’s most common description of himself.  The word “bond-servant” refers to one who was a slave who was owned by someone else and whose entire livelihood and purpose was determined by their master.  For Paul, being a follower of Christ meant that we belonged to God, for “we are bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 7:20).  For Paul, everything we have in life, including our physical bodies belong to God and are to be used to glorify and honor God and fulfill His purpose. Being a follower of Christ means that who we are, all that we have, and everything we desire is to be surrendered to Christ so that we live our lives to fulfill His will and purpose.  This is our identity.
Second, Paul points to our destiny. In a world marked by death, Christ came to bring life.  Woven throughout the pages of Scripture is the promise of eternal life and hope to those who surrender their life to Christ.  When we willingly allow God to have complete control of our lives, when we surrender ourselves to God to be his slaves, he gives us eternal life in return.  However, not only does he give us the promise of hope of eternal life, but he elevates us from being a slave in his household to becoming his sons and daughters, so we have the same status and standing that Christ himself has with the Father. Paul writes, “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:7).
But how do we know this is true? What assurance do we have that this is our destiny and God’s purpose and plan for us?  Paul gives us the basis of our hope in verse 2.  Our hope is grounded in the character of God.  The Bible must be true because God is truthful in everything He says and does.  Christ affirms the Bible's truthfulness when he states that “the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will not pass from the law” (Matthew 5:18).  When God makes a promise, He will fulfill that promise. If the Bible has errors and is false in part of it, then we have no assurance of salvation and eternal life.  This is the hope we have.  Our identity and destiny are found in Christ because He has promised us and is trustworthy in all His words.  
When we surrender our life to Christ so that we desire to do His will, then we discover true freedom and fulfillment in life. Instead of trying to maintain control of your life and conform Scripture to your opinions and views, surrender entirely to Christ so that He controls your life and obey His word unconditionally and without compromise. Then, you will discover the meaning and purpose of life, which is grounded in the hope that our eternal destiny is determined by the reality that we will be sons and daughters of God. We know the hope to be true because God promised us this future, and he cannot lie.