The word “hope” means to desire something with some confidence of fulfillment. Where is your confidence or hope right now? Is it in the father of your child, your friends, your family, or your possessions? Maybe you don’t have confidence in anyone or anything. People and possessions will often let you down. There is only one person who can give you real hope for tomorrow. There is only one person you can have confidence in and He will NEVER let you down.
God understands the emotions you have right now. God is not out to hurt you, but rather HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU HOPE!
The Bible tells us in Psalm 139 that God:
In Jeremiah 31:3, He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, I have drawn you with loving kindness.”
Deep down, we all desire to be known and loved. Not just with an “if you please me, I will love you” kind of love…we need to be loved unconditionally…loved just for who we are. The ultimate hope for your future is to experience that kind of unconditional love – forever. For when you have that, you can face anything life can dish out, even an unplanned pregnancy!
Think back to the stories you may have heard or read about the Garden of Eden. God created Adam and Eve and placed them in a beautiful environment. As you read the story, you’ll see that God created them to have a relationship with Him (Genesis 2:19-3:23). The Bible says that He actually talked with them, walked with them, and provided everything they needed. God loved them so much! However, He did not make them like robots, programmed to do everything He said. He gave them the choice of loving Him back and obeying Him. When Eve, and subsequently Adam, chose to disobey God by eating the only fruit in the garden God told them not to eat, their whole world changed. God is perfect and holy and cannot have sin in His presence, so their disobedience (sin) separated them from that pure relationship they used to enjoy. Since the time of Adam and Eve, every one of us has sinned (Romans 3:23).
Bad News: The penalty for disobeying God (sinning) is death. This is not just physical death, but spiritual death – complete separation from God even after your physical body dies (Romans 6:23).
God, however, still loves you and desires a relationship with you, so He made a way that your sins could be paid for by a substitute. Before the time of Christ, a person who committed an offense could take a healthy animal, one with no defects or injuries; one that would have been very valuable at that time. The animal might be a sheep, goat or cow, and he could use this animal as his substitute. That person would go to the temple and before the priest he would lay his hands on the animal and symbolically transfer his sin to that animal and then sacrifice it before the altar of God. This had to be done repeatedly because people sinned (and still sin) repeatedly.
Good News: God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to earth in the form of a man, still having the fully divine nature of God. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, all of our sin was transferred to Him. Jesus became the ultimate, pure, perfect sacrifice and total payment for our sin. Then, three days later, Jesus came back to life to prove that sin and death had been conquered and that His claims to be God were true.
The Bible says:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus His Son. – Romans 6:23
For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8
Really Good News! Because of Jesus, the sin that separates you from God can be forgiven and you can be saved and experience God’s sweet love for you. It’s a matter of confessing your sins, asking for forgiveness, and putting your faith and trust in Him.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – I John 1:9
It is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the free gift of God, not as a result of works so that no man should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9
To as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to be called children of God, even to those who believe in His name. – John 1:12
I (Jesus) came that they might have life and have it abundantly. – John 10:10
Many people who do not know God often feel their past is totally unforgivable. They wonder how anyone could ever love them. The truth is that God still loves you. He wants to be your perfect father, friend and counselor. When your put your trust in Him, God will fill you with His Holy Spirit, who will give you power for living your life in a God-honoring manner.
Ezekiel 36:26 says “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Being a good person does not make you a Christian and does not get you into heaven. Going to church and praying a lot does not get you into heaven either. Look again at Ephesians 2:8-9 above. There is nothing you can do to earn salvation. You can only be right with God by believing and putting your trust in Jesus.
If you would like a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you can pray to Him right now — wherever you are.
If you want to talk with someone about all this, any of the counselors at Aggieland Pregnancy Outreach would be happy to meet with you and help answer your questions. If you want to learn more about Jesus, open a Bible and start reading in the book of John.
God’s Blessings Upon You!
The Staff at Aggieland Pregnancy Outreach
You are not alone. We are here for you!
