Now may our Lord Jesus Christ , and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good HOPE through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17 ESV

     The word vanity is used thirty plus times in the ESV translation of the book of Ecclesiastes. The first and last chapter has this verse, “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Pretty much the book describes everything we do as vanity and can leave you feeling a bit like, what’s the point of living, for it all comes to nothing. That would be true, if the reality of Jesus wasn’t. It is true that everything in this world and its experiences may come to nothing, but a life lived in Christ, is a life that has purpose and meaning. Purpose and meaning because Jesus is eternal and all that is done for Him will never come to nothing. We have hope because of his grace, which comforts our hearts and establishes meaning in life in every good work and word.

 
COMFORT OF HEART:
     Jesus says to those who are in Christ, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me.” John 14:1 ESV …. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27 ESV What you believe will determine how you live. To be comforted in your heart, Jesus must be the focus of your life. You live believing who He is-the Son of God; and what He has done- saved you by His grace.

 
ESTABLISHED IN GOOD WORKS:
     For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ESV … Let us hold fast the confession of our HOPE without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Hebrews 10:23-24 ESV Never let us waver from the fact that we are saved by the grace of God and not works. (Ephesians 2: 8-9) Let us also never waver from the fact that as a result of being saved by God, our life work will make evident that fact. James says it best, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show my faith by my works.” James 2:18 ESV

 
ESTABLISHED IN WORD:
     I have stored up you word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalms 119:11 ESV … Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalms 119:105 ESV … I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in his word I HOPE Psalms 130:5 ESV… God’s word is to be active in us, which is the evidence that we are established in Him and He is in our heart. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 ESV 

 
     Life without Christ is truly vanity. However, because of Jesus, life has an eternal purpose that He will accomplish in every Christian. This gives hope in the present and the future because Jesus is here, and he is in the future. Vanity, what does that mean to the Christian?
It means nothing to those who are in Christ, living intentional for His purpose.

 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David