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Hope

“Therefore, having been justified out of faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and boast upon the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1 – 2)  God’s grace is the collection of His character traits.  God’s glory is a parade of those traits.  The faithful are confident to the point of boasting that they each will access and display those same character traits through the power of the Spirit that has been given to them, a hope based on evidence, not wishful thinking.

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, upon hope.” (Romans 8:20)  Although science has developed a large number of equations to describe many natural processes, the universe is an unruly mess.  A few familiar examples are earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.  Evolutionary theory assumes that everything runs smoothly, but it doesn’t.  God made it with just enough unpredictability to leave room for a hope of liberation from both physical and character chaos.

“In this hope we are saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, because of perseverance we eagerly wait for it.” (Romans 8:24 – 25)  Biblical hope has substance, a foundation built on trust.  God’s promises of character transformation are patently impossible, yet the faithful persevere with certainty that godly traits will appear.  Although the pathways to understanding, graciousness, love, and virtue are out of our view. we eagerly await development and liberty from chaos.

“Whatever indeed was written in the past was written into our instruction, that through the endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)  The Old Testament inspires the faithful to hang on because the promises of God are a sure thing.  Faithful Israelites survived generations of corrupt leadership and self-serving doctrine, certain that the Kingdom of God would not only survive but dominate again.  The church may hit rough patches, but Jesus remains “ruler over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5).

“Now may the God of hope fill you full with all joy and peace in believing into your abundance in the hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)  In addition to hope derived from God’s history of always keeping promises (15:4), the faithful have a copious hope through observation of the power of the Holy Spirit in transforming lives.  Rather than timidity or feelings of inadequacy, the faithful overflow with joy and peace.  Observing the successes of faith, yours or mine, yields a joyous outlook and a peaceful mind in a world of spite and anxiety.

“Having therefore such hope, much boldness we use.” (2 Corinthians 3:12)  The hope of the faithful, in this context, is based upon newfound understanding and character transformation through the Spirit that dwells in them.  Therefore, the faithful are bold in their assurance of acceptance by God, and bold in their presentation of the good news.  As first published in Psalms and repeated by Paul, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.”  The faithful are confident ambassadors of the unseen, compelled by the love of Christ.

“For we, in the Spirit, out of faith, eagerly await the hope of righteousness.” (Galatians 5:5)  The faithful are all merged with the Holy Spirit, through whom their spirits are being transformed into the character of Jesus.  Out of this faith emerges an eager anticipation of being declared acceptable at Judgment.  In this context, the contrast is the insecurity of rituals and practices which we could always do better, which we may fear are not enough.  Faith that we are being led by the Spirit gives us the liberty to serve one another through love.

“…that the eyes of your hearts being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…” (Ephesians 1:18 – 19)  The Spirit who dwells in the faithful enables comprehension of a hope with several facets.  In addition to the hope of heaven is the hope of a demonstration of the power of God in a tremendous parade of transformed characters on earth.

“You [Gentiles] were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12)  My observation is that most people do not realize that they had no hope until they have it.  To most, the world is confusing, chaotic, and cruel.  For them, significance tends to fall apart somewhere.  Those with true hope must supply a realistic explanation for how this might get me through another day, not just a hope for the distant future.

“Just as you are in one body and in one Spirit, you also were called in one hope of your calling.” (Ephesians 4:4)  The New Testament enumerates several methods and objectives by which the faithful are called: the kindness of God, the virtue and character of Jesus, liberty, eternal life, transformation, peace, connection between spirits, and more.  Each leads to a unity never achieved in any human institution.  The faithful have a bold, confident, and unified hope of a big family that will last from now on.

“…to [His saints] God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery in the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)  Every mystery in the New Testament is accompanied by its revealing.  This one concerned the worry of ever being suited to life in heaven.  One object of hope, made secure by God’s promise, is character transformation from the inside out, accomplished while still on earth through Christ living in the faithful.

“But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8)  Trusting the promises of God and having selfless concern for people protects the emotional well-being of the faithful from the relentless attacks of this broken world.  Further, the historically verified sacrifice of Jesus protects our thought processes from dwelling on potential repercussions arising from our bad choices.  As a result, we walk in the light, not the shadows; sober, not self-deceived.

“Into this [godliness] indeed we labor and strive, because we have hope upon the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” (1 Timothy 4:10)  The faithful have hope based on that which God has promised; godliness, displaying the character of God, is profitable in the life that now is and in that which is to come. (4:8)  A part of that godliness is that He redeemed all, not just some (cf, 1 John 2:2), so we labor and strive for all, not just some.  Redemption just gets us even; faith puts us in the black.

“Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to have hope upon the uncertainty of riches, but upon God, the One giving us all things richly into enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17)  God desires that the faithful enjoy life on earth.  The real question is the definition of enjoyment.  Money buys comfort and entertainment.  History teaches that wealth moves and may not stay in my control.  So, a hope of financial stability is not only shallow but also of low probability.  A hope of joy based on the successes of faith is a sure thing.

“Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the goal of the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth, which in turn points toward godliness in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began…” (Titus 1:1 – 2)  Trusting the promises of God and accepting reality rather than self-deception inexorably push us toward godliness: good-likeness, doing the right thing.  God’s objective for creation has always been to develop and retain as an eternal family those who trust Him and who therefore hope for the same.

“…that having been justified by His grace, we should become heirs, to the goal of hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7)  The sentence, beginning in verse 4, contains several building blocks to a confident hope: God’s kindness and brotherly love, His desire to repair our self-inflicted damage through the Spirit poured out upon us, His gracious nature resulting in His actions that set us right with justice, and our adoption into the family.  This hope may be taken both as the hope that eternal life is certain, and the hope produced by the certainty of eternal life.

“We…have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope being set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18)  Like Israelites who inadvertently caused the death of another, to be safe from their avenger of blood, the faithful flee to the city of refuge.  But unlike the Israelites who were then trapped in that city, away from farms, businesses, and family until the death of the High Priest, the faithful have an eternal High Priest, a new eternal family, new fields to plant and harvest, and a new occupation: ambassador.  So, this hope is something to be sought, grasped, and held.

“[This hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and unshakable and entering into that within the veil where, as forerunner, entered Jesus,” (Hebrews 6:19 – 20)  The Law of Moses allowed the High Priest to enter within the veil, figuratively into the presence of God, once per year.  Jesus opened “a new and living way” (10:19 – 21) so that the spirits of all the faithful have unlimited, confident access to God.  This anchor of the hope of eternal life allows the faithful to be stable in an ever-shifting world.

“(for the Law made nothing consistent), however there is the introduction of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” (Hebrews 7:19)  Law offers no hope of producing a better person with consistent (perfect) character; the gospel does.  Jesus prayed that this quality would be a proof on earth of His divinity (John 17:23).  A dozen other passages describe this process occurring in Christians on earth.  A great many church-goers have been told that they are hopelessly defective.  The Holy Spirit says and does differently, giving hope.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance imperishable and undefiled and unfading, reserved in the heavens into you, who are kept in the power of God through faith into salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3 – 5)  Hope lives because of evidence (the resurrection) and is maintained by the Spirit who dwells in the faithful.

“But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a case to everyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and fear;” (1 Peter 3:15)  Each faithful person must be prepared to make a logical presentation to outsiders outlining rational reasons for the hope that the promises of God are a sure thing.  The method of presentation also is important: gently, not abusively; with fear for the potential destination of the questioner; and with the attitude that Jesus has control of the faithful heart all the time.

[Abraham] “, beyond hope, upon hope believed into him becoming the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’” (Romans 4:18)  A childless couple in their nineties was promised a son within the year.  They acted upon this impossibility (beyond hope) because God had said it (upon hope).  God specializes in the impossible.  The faithful live in confident expectation (hope) because they have read the promises about themselves and are confident because of God’s flawless track record.

“…rejoicing in hope…” (Romans 12:12)  In a paragraph of positive recommendations, the faithful are reminded their earthly lives should be characterized as joyous because of their confident expectations based on God’s promises and consistency.  Knowing the history of God should supply both joy and confidence, not somberness and worry.

“…the one plowing to plow upon hope, and the one threshing upon hope to partake.” (1 Corinthians 9:10)  Farm workers have a confident expectation of profiting from their labors even though the reward comes only when the crop is sold.  Paul used this agricultural illustration to show that is it consistent that “those who preach the gospel should live out of the gospel” (verse 14).  This also illustrates the nature of hope, that hope is a reasonable and confident expectation, not wishful thinking.

“…I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits.” (1 Corinthians 16:7)  Paul confidently expected to winter in Corinth before heading back to Jerusalem to deliver famine relief funds, sufficiently certain that he had the Corinthians Christians get ready to put him up.  But, he always held out the possibility of a change in plans.  God may have other irons in the fire.  Such is the hope of all the faithful, fully assured that God will work things out, even if the itinerary requires an unexpected change.

“…who has delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver us, into whom we have hope that He will deliver us still.” (2 Corinthians 1:10)  Paul faced threats, plots, and attacks in southwest Turkey after leaving Corinth, to the point that he “despaired even of life.” (verse 8)  Yet, he had a confident expectation of being delivered by God.  Paul was not immune to anxiety, requiring pep talks from God on occasion (e.g., Acts 18:9 – 10).  Not all the faithful survived these situations, but all ended well.  Our confidence should be the same.

“For I know that this will turn out for me into deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my intense anticipation and earnest expectation [hope] that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but in all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death.” (Philippians 1:19 – 20)  When he wrote this, Paul was in prison in Rome.  His hope was not about release but about representing the gospel well, whatever happened.  Do the faithful still have this hope?

“…praying always upon you, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love into all the saints; because of the hope being laid up for you in heaven…” (Colossians 1:3 – 5)  Why is hope being accumulated in heaven for the faithful?  The spirits of the faithful are “seated in heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6) while their earthly counterparts are still breathing.  The faithful in Colossae were promised that their spirits in heaven would have a confident expectation of success because of the faith that connects the living to their characters.

“But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, upon those who have fallen asleep, so that you should not be grieved as others who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)  The faithful experience grief at the passing of a loved one, but only because they will miss them for a while.  Those without a confident expectation (hope) of life after physical death experience a grief too deep for words.  That understanding should motivate the faithful to compassion for the hopeless, and evangelism to prevent such hopelessness in the future.

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope in grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every work and good word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16 – 17)  The confident expectation (hope) of the faithful is based upon both the gracious nature of God and the gracious characters promised to them through the indwelling Spirit.  Such positive prospects bring comfort, confidence in good outcomes, and ease of talking about it.

“We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone having this hope upon Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3)  A clear mental image of heaven and its population is not possible for those whose entire experience has been through the physical senses.  But, the faithful have a confident expectation (hope) of understanding the non-physical realm and seeing Jesus as He really is.  Since the objective is to be conformed to His image, the faithful start now by seeking purity.

“Having many things to write to you, I desired not through paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak mouth to mouth, that our joy may be complete.” (2 John 12)  John understood that physical meetings were more effective than correspondence.  Knowing that joy in this life is promised to the faithful, he had a confident expectation that his planned visit would occur despite the dangers and difficulties of travel in his era.  Our electronic communication may be lightning fast, but it is no replacement for meeting physically.

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)  In this chapter about resurrection, Paul noted that some in the church were saying that resurrection from the dead and eternal life were just a figures of speech, that this life is all we get.  Proponents of that theory still advocated virtue, but with no eternal ramifications.  Paul reacted to the illogic of their position.  If resurrection is not true, then, “Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”  Instead, our confident expectation of eternal life fuels our passion.

“For the grace of God has appeared that brings salvation to all men, instructing us that, having denied ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live prudently, righteously, and piously in the present age, awaiting the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Christ Jesus.” (Titus 2:11 – 13)  This blessed hope (a confident expectation of being above the cares of earthly life) was in the near future for the original audience, the destruction of Jerusalem.  We on the other side of 70 AD don’t have to wait; we already have it.

“Now faith is the essence of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)  Much of the world defines faith as “belief without proof.”  Biblical faith names physical evidence as its characteristic of first importance.  That physical evidence is the foundation of a confident expectation (hope).  Among the lists of evidences are Jesus’ resurrection as a documented historical reality, predictions of events centuries before they happened, eye-witnesses, and the historical and geographical accuracy of the Bible as confirmed by archeology.