Heberws 12:2

What is your hope built on?

If you are a Christian - you might say, my hope is built on Christ. However let me ask you - if we were to ask your wife or your children - what would they say? Would they say, 'yea, dad's hope is on Christ and he lives that out in every way'?

You know men, we can't do this on our own. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to turn our eyes off ourselves and onto Jesus, but Satan's work is the opposite. He is constantly attempting to make us prefer ourselves instead of what Christ calls us to. Sometimes we can hear in our minds thoughts like this: 'your sins are too great for forgiveness; look, you don't have faith; you never ask for forgiveness; your a quitter, you won't make it; your not a joyful soul, aren't you suppose to be joyful; who could ever tell you are a Christian by the way you act'? Notice how all of these thoughts are about ourselves? Guys, we will NEVER find comfort looking within. The Holy Spirit turns our eyes away from self, entirely. The Holy Spirit tells us that we are nothing, but that Christ is all in all. Remember brother, it is not our hold of Christ that saves us - it is Christ; it is not our joy in Christ that saves us - it is Christ; it is not even our faith in Christ, though it is the instrument - it is Christ's blood and merits. So let's not look so much to our hand that is holding onto Christ, look to Christ! Don't look at your hope, look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Oh, I'm telling you dad, father, brother - We will never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our accomplishments, or our feelings. It is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. Truly, if we were to overcome the enemy and have peace with God, it must be by looking unto Jesus.

My hero Charles Spurgeon writes: "Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakes in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! let not they hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and he will never fail thee".

'My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.'