In these days, our church institutions are scrambling to have sufficient funds to fulfill their mission to the world. Fund raising is a significant part of the work of our church college and seminary presidents. Occasionally, people put the seminary in their will to give significant sums of money. This, of course, causes much rejoicing on the part of the seminary. However, such bequests are seldom irrevocable and there have been changes made to wills as the years progress; sometimes much to the disappointment of the seminary. Human-based hopes may be easily dashed.

Our Christian hope is not able to be dashed because it is not based in the variable and changeable opinions of humans, but on the promise of the God who has offered His own Son on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world and who raised Him again for our justification. Our hope cannot be disappointed because God is its guarantor. His ever-living Son rules and reigns over His church for the sake of His redeemed children. He who lives promises to raise us to newness of life that the gift of baptism might be brought to its full and final consummation at His return.

However, this hope is not hope in nothing, but is based upon God's perfect track record. How do we know God will keep His promises? He has had a superb history of coming through for us poor sinners, who have done nothing to merit His grace toward us. He had compassion on us in Christ, not only when we have not deserved it, but long before we were even born to do any deserving He has chosen us in Him to be holy and righteous in His sight (Rm 9:10-16). He has dressed us in the lamb's skin (Gn 27:15), that His Father would stroke our arms and would find that we would feel like His Son, the Lamb. He stands with us pleading for us, so that our Father would hear His voice not our own, and stretch out His hands in recognition of His Son's voice: "You are my son?" In our place He says, "I am" (Gn 27:24). Our Father grants us His blessing. And while Esau was fooled and Isaac deceived, our brother Christ provides what we need to stand in the presence of our Father in righteousness and holiness, making us a true Israel by the blessing. He does it intentionally, disadvantaging Himself unto our eternal advantage. He serves us that we might be God's sons. Given that record what could cause our hope to be dashed or made uncertain?