Confident Expectation

"The object of our hope lies in the reality that we have faith and that we will persevere."

What is the object of our hope? Is it faith itself or the assurance of our perseverance? According to a particular person I heard speaking this morning, the object our hope in times of trial rests in our faith and perseverance. I'm sure that many students who heard this statement thought it was great. Faith is precious to us right? What's wrong with saying that? What they might not understand is that the whole orientation of this message was radically man-centered. Talking about faith, without talking about the object of our faith, is vain and harmful. According to Paul, the object of our faith is Jesus Christ. The foundation of our "confident expectation" is that "at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly." I am of the persuasion that any message which exludes the good news of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and ressurection, is not a message even worth preaching. We would be better off without it. Our confident expectation rests in the gosepl and if we exlude Christ from our preaching, there is no reason to even call ourselves Christians. Let us exalt the flaming torch of Christ centered exposition and learn to place our hope in the Savior who purchased that hope for us on the cross.