Last week our focus was on how for individual Christians, hope reaches into eternity, when each one will be perfected and with Christ evermore. This week, the focus explores how this hope anchors God’s family collectively into an eternal future. We again keep in mind that biblical hope is confident and earnest expectation based on the truthfulness of Scripture and the faithfulness of God. Hence, our God is accurately described in Romans 15:13 as “the God of hope.”
The Church, as the collective of all true believers, has etched into its faith the grand truth of Ephesians 5:25–27: “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her … that He might present her to Himself a glorious church.” While perfect churches cannot be found, the whole Church will be found in eternity to be perfected in glorious fullness. We share this expectation with all believers in all places throughout all time.
United as one
In the eternal future, the Church will appear as the one people of God united in one congregation, composed of all believers of all cultures and languages, blending their voices in singing what Revelation 5:9 describes as “a new song, saying, ‘You … have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.’” The assured hope of the Church collectively is one of forming a grand heavenly choir to sing the praises of Christ.
In the present age, God’s people who comprise the body of Christ are divided by theological and denominational distinctives, along with geography, ethnicity and worship styles.
However, the hope of the future involves being made “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27).
Sure and steadfast
The hope of the Church in eternity has the possibility of making a significant impact on the Church in the present.
“Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). Furthermore, this hope serves the Church as a sure and steadfast anchor that reaches into God’s very presence and assures every member of a safe arrival into His eternal presence (Heb. 6:19).
In the meanwhile, the observation of Lamentations 3:26 reminds us, “it is good that one should hope and wait quietly.”
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