Hope

by Wayne Blank Hope is one of the three elements of ideal Christian character (see also Christian Living), the other two being faith and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Hope can be defined as a "trustful expectation." To believers, hope is a trust in God's Word, which leads to eternal life: "those who hope in Me will not be disappointed." (Isaiah 49:23). Hope to unbelievers is a trust in themselves, or in worldy things or behavior, all of which are literally a dead end: "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." (Proverbs 16:25 RSV) Carnal Hope is "Hopeless Hope" Worldly wealth cannot save: "Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice, that he should continue to live on for ever, and never see the Pit. Yea, he shall see that even the wise die, the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others." (Psalm 49:7-10 RSV) Human leaders cannot even save themselves: "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish. Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in The Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever" (Psalm 146:3-6 RSV) Military power is powerless against God: "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult The Lord!" (Isaiah 31:1 RSV) Those who put their hope in God's Temple (see Temples), while ignoring God Himself, were ruined (God permitted the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem for that very reason - see Why Babylon?). Self-righteousness is not righteous: "Has this House, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I Myself have seen it, says The Lord. Go now to My place that was in Shiloh [see The Ruins Of Shiloh], where I made My Name dwell at first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, says The Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, therefore I will do to the House which is called by My Name, and in which you trust, and to the place

which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen" (Jeremiah 7:11-15 RSV) Hope In God Is Hope That Will Not Fail For The Faithful "We rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God" "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God [see Children Of God]. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us." (Romans 5:1-5 RSV) "The hope to which He has called you" "For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints [see What Is A Saint?], I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power in us who believe, according to the working of His great might which He accomplished in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and made Him sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; and He has put all things under His feet and has made Him the head over all things for the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:15-23 RSV) Those with hope in God will still face many challenges: "But even if you do suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God's will, than for doing wrong." (1 Peter 3:14-17 RSV) "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering" "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 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,

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:19-25 RSV) Fact Finder: When will the Christian's hope be fulfilled? Titus 2:11-14 See also The Return Of Jesus Christ