Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - OUR HOPE IS LIKE A HELMET

The Bible also compares our hope to a helmet.  (Read Thessalonians 5:8.)  A soldier wears a helmet to protect his head from the blows his enemies try to inflict on him. In our spiritual warfare, we need to protect our mind from Satan's attacks. He bombards us with temptations and ideas designed to corrupt our thinking. Just as the helmet protects a soldier's head, our hope protects our thinking so that we can remain faithful to Jehovah. 

Our hope of everlasting life will help us to act with wisdom and discernment. On the other hand, if our hope weakens and we allow fleshly thinking to take hole of our mind, we can lost sight of the goal of everlasting life.  Consider the case of some Christians living in  ancient Corinth.  They lost faith in a key promise of God-the hope of resurrection.  (1 Corinthians 15:12)Paul argued that people with no hope of a future life live only for the present.  (1 Corinthians 15:32) Today many who have no hope in God's promises live for the moment, grasping whatever pleasures are available to them. We however, put our trust in the future promised by God. Our hope acts as  a figurative helmet that protects our thinking and safeguards us from choosing a self-indulgent lifestyle, which would spoil our relationship with Jehovah. - 1 CORINTHIANS 15:33, 34.

Our helmet of hope can also protect us from thinking that there is no point in even trying to please Jehovah.  For example, some might reason: 'I will never be among those who live forever.  I am just not good enough.  I will never be able to measure up to God's standards.' Recall that Job's false comforter Eliphaz used similar reasoning with Job.  Eliphaz said: "What is mortal man  that he should be pure?" Further, he said of God:  "Look!  He has no faith in his holy ones, and even the heavens are not pure in his eyes." (Job 15:14, 15)  What lies! Remember who is behind such thinking-Satan.  He knows that if you allow yourself  to dwell on such thoughts, your hope will fade.  Instead, reject such lies and focus on Jehovah's promises.  Never doubt that he wants you to live forever and that he will help you to reach that goal. - 1 TIMOTHY2:3, 4. 

Next time: Keep Your Christian Hope Strong - KEEP YOUR HOPE STRONG

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