Surety means I have all that God promises . . .

The term ‘surety’ is not in my regular vocabulary, but it is in today’s devotional reading. The dictionary says a surety is “security against loss or damage or for the fulfillment of an obligation, the payment of a debt, etc.; a pledge, guaranty, or bond, but it is also a person who has made himself or herself responsible for another, as a sponsor, godparent, or bondsman” — or as a Savior.

In the Old Testament, God promised His people an everlasting covenant with Him. He said . . .

“Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” (Jeremiah 32:37–40)

This covenant was not characterized by ‘do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ He describes what it is like . . .

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:10–12)

This new covenant began and was guaranteed by the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection. Through Him, sin is forgiven and cleansed. Through Him, eternal life is given and Jesus is assurance that this life from God is mine forever because Lord Jesus Christ is the Surety of the covenant. God entrusted His glory, grace and His redeemed people to His Son who agreed to assume full responsibility for them, including me. Like a shepherd trust with the owner’s sheep, Christ drew near to God for me and put Himself under obligation to God for my eternal well-being. He voluntarily took this obligation as a Servant-Savior and agreed to be responsible to His Father for my righteousness. As my Surety, He will present me to God as holy and without blame. This is His obligation and because He is who He is, there will be no failure.

Jesus, what is there to say? I shake my head in wonder at the plan of salvation and the fact that it is accomplished. Nothing can stand in the way or prevent it; I am Your child and You are my Savior, my righteousness, my surety.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)

Praise Your Name!

What or who is 100% dependable?

What is certain? The bettors at the racetrack might say a certain horse is a “sure thing” and some say “nothing is certain but death and taxes.” As a child of God, I have to say that the promises of God are certain, yet at times I’m not so sure. Nevertheless, my wavering does not change God’s plans. He is who He is, whether I’m relying on Him or not. For that, I am grateful and often excited.

One promise is what will happen to me after I die. The Bible says on that day I will see Jesus face-to-face, and when I do, I will be like Him:

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)

The uncertainty comes when I try to imagine exactly what it means to be like Jesus. I get glimpses of what He is like, but long ago realized that knowing my Lord is far more than facts and my emotional reaction to those facts. Every day I learn more about Him yet it seems His nature and holy character are far beyond my understanding.

Most of us don’t like being uncertain. As Chambers says, some level of certainty is the mark of commonsense. Yet the nature of spiritual life is about faith and with that comes a certain amount of uncertainty. For one thing, I’ve never been able to second-guess God. Christians learn to accept that uncertainty is a sure thing.

God tells us we don’t know what each day will bring. That is so true.  I also cannot imagine myself in any condition I’ve have never been in — like living eternally in a new body, or being face-to-face with Jesus, or not ever sinning again, never mind being fully like Him.

Even with that promise from God, I’m supposed to live here as a little child. I know what that means. A child seldom thinks about or dreads the uncertainties of life. Children usually look forward to each day with “breathless expectation.” In the same way, my life with Christ is an adventure. When I abandon all concerns to God and just do the next thing He asks, He fills my days with all sorts of surprises.

Chambers affirms that while I can be certain about God’s promises, I will always be uncertain of what He is going to do next. Some people continually claim otherwise, as if they have a link to His personal calendar. I have no such link and feel compassion for those who do when they discover they have the wrong calendar.

Being certain about God involves a personal relationship. We learn of Him through His Word, but must remember that Jesus said, “Believe also in Me,” not ‘Believe certain things about Me.’ When I put my hand in His hand and yield to the path He chooses, I’m never certain where He will lead, only that He will take me the best way for the journey. I also know that the surprises along that path will fill life with both uncertainty and joyful expectancy.

Sweet Hope!

Hope is a wonderful attitude. Even the ordinary idea of hope, as in “I hope it will happen” drives people forward and gives them focus. The biblical version of hope is even better.

Once I had to write a paper on biblical hope. I was stuck. How can this certainty combined with anticipation be described? Then, in the parking lot of the Bible college I was attending, I got out of my vehicle to the smell of cinnamon buns. It was lovely. My mouth watered as I thought about biting into one. As I walked to the cafeteria, I could not get my mind off what I was about to taste. The buns were there; all I needed to do was take one.

Then I realized this eagerness to possess and enjoy a delicious cinnamon bun was like hope! God promises certain things to me. The reality of them is as sure as God is faithful, and even though I do not possess or experience them at this moment, hope knows that whatever God promises, it is mine, just waiting for me like a gift, like a cinnamon bun.

The apostle Peter wrote to a group of Christians who were suffering persecution to the point they had been scattered throughout the known world. They were no doubt discouraged at times, and needed reminders about the faithfulness of God. Peter wrote many things to help them remember His care for them. In 1 Peter 1:3-6, he wrote this:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

For these downtrodden people, he reminded them that their hope was eternal life. This life would be full of trials and difficulties because they lived in a sinful world. Even though some people who rejected Jesus rejected them also, yet God would shield and protect them. They could focus on Him and His promises. Remembering their inheritance was their comfort in distress.

My study Bible lists several realities about biblical hope that show how this hope different from that “I hope so” attitude that only works for a little while. In contrast to our human hope, biblical hope is based on eternal promises made by God Himself. It is a “confident optimism” that comes from faith in God, and both hope and this faith are gifts of grace. No one can conjure up faith or hope without first knowing Jesus Christ and having eternal life.

Hope is defined by Scripture, not by what I want to happen. It is a reality that was secured by Jesus Christ when He rose from the dead. Imagine what Christianity would be without the resurrection! We would have no hope. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is key to God’s promises concerning my eternal inheritance.

Hope is also confirmed by the Holy Spirit. In my flesh I can easily become hopeless. If I look down at my own inadequacies or out toward the world and the mess it is in, my hope flies out the window. Yet the Holy Spirit continually reminds me that this life is not all there is, and no matter what is going on here, Jesus has secured eternity for me. What He does in my heart is like that smell that told me the cinnamon bun is mine!

Hope is also my defense against Satan’s attacks. He might accuse me of many things, but since eternal life is a gift from God secured at the Cross, my hope is secure. It does not depend on me. Heaven awaits and there is nothing Satan can do or say that will change that reality.

Hope is also confirmed through trials. Suppose I was detoured on my trip from my car to the cafeteria. That would not erase the fact that the buns were there waiting for me. Suppose I fell and broke my leg. They don’t go away, nor does the small of them. The trials may actually increase my sense of hope, even though the fulfilment seems thwarted.

Whatever happens in this life, my hope will be fulfilled when Jesus returns. Titus 2:11-13 says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

These verses offer a bonus in that God instructs me how to live until that time, yet lest this sounds too “sober” and this life becomes too difficult, hope also produces joy. Psalm 146:5 says, “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”

It was more than twenty years ago, but I can still remember that first whiff of those cinnamon buns and the smile it put on my face. If the smell of a mere bit of sugar and spice can make me happy, so much more does whiff of eternity.

My inheritance is secure. It is a gift from my God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives me great anticipation and joy while I eagerly wait and hope for the fulfilment of all that He has promised!