Hope

HOPEThe Bible states in I Corinthians 13:13 that the greatest spiritual gifts the Lord left us are faith, hope and charity (love). Unfortunately, many associate the word hope with a negative connotation. It is most often related to our basic perception of luck or chance, e.g., I hope it doesn't rain, or I hope that we win the game, etc. Another perception we ascribe to hope is that it is merely something we wish for coupled with the belief that its fruition is very small. But these common perceptions about hope as it is utilized in the Bible are opposite of its true meaning. Given man’s usual conception of hope as stated above, the average church member may say that salvation is his hope or that he hopes to make it to heaven when he dies. But to relegate the Lord's spiritual gift of hope to merely a "future state of happiness,” or worse yet, to only an unsure “possibility” of future happiness, is to equate it to a non-believer’s or heathen’s understanding of the word. The truth is that biblical hope is beyond this human rationale.A Living HopePeter referred to a living hope that dwells inside the believer. This hope is a life-giving mechanism. It emanates from the Holy Spirit and permeates, enlivens and energizes the believer. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:3-8)All believers have this hope, but it is not a mere wish or “pie in the sky dream.” It is a living (energizing) attitude born of the Holy Spirit that empowers them to live righteously and soberly in this present evil world. It is a firm assurance that enables the child of God to confidently face the sin and degradation around him. It provides spiritual sustenance, because it is a firm expectation that Jesus Christ will keep all of His promises. It is a constant influence from the Governor that churns within the believer and which gives testimony to all spiritual reality. The Governor within is the Holy Spirit. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:2, 3)Eternal life is a precious gift that every single believer possesses, and for him there is absolutely no possibility of future condemnation. Because of this wondrous gift of eternal life, the child of God knows that when Christ appears once again he will be like Him—this being the sure hope within the believer that purifies him.A Confident HopeThe word hope in the New Testament is as common as are the precious words of faith and love. Its final outcome is expressed by the Apostle Paul in his letter to Titus with a verse that conveys both an exhortation and comfort.Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)The English word, “hope,” is translated from the Greek word, "elpis," meaning a confident expectation. The Christian is to confidently expect (i.e., to have full assurance without doubt) that the Lord will not only fulfill every single promise that He has made, but will also appear at the end of the age to gather His own unto Himself before the Day of the Lord. This resident spirit of confident trust stems from the omnipresence of the Lord in the form of the indwelling Spirit of God within the believer.Throughout all dispensations, God has set before his people a hope that has always centered on Jesus Christ. In the Garden of Eden God introduced the promise of a redemptive hope—His Seed that would eventually crush the head of Satan and deliver man from his sin. Abraham looked forward with a biblical hope (confident expectation) that God would indeed send His blessed Seed, and this biblical hope, the equivalent to biblical faith, was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3).A God-Originated and Christ-Embodied HopeAnd again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; [the promised Seed—Jesus Christ] and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope." Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:12, 13) In this verse it is clear that biblical hope stems only from God, and it is embodied in a single person—Jesus Christ—who was promised from before the universe was formed.A Salvation-Centered HopeBiblical hope is equivalent to and manifested in one’s understanding of biblical salvation, a threefold event involving (1) the absolute and total forgiveness of all sin, (2) the on-going process of sanctification while still in one’s earthly body, and (3) the eventual and final transition into heaven in one’s resurrected body. In every age this hope referred to the deliverance from the penalty, power and stain of sin. But this “hope of salvation” never meant something that was simply “wished for” with an attitude of uncertainty. Unfortunately, many church members possess a vague and unsure expectation regarding their salvation. They say, "I hope that I am saved.” Or they say, “I am doing my best to be good, and I hope that is enough to get me into Heaven."This typical response reveals that they do not possess a "confident expectation," which is the sure hope that is founded solely in the promises of God. Nowhere in Scripture does it depict salvation as being a “hoped for” or “wishful” thing. Rather, it is an absolute certainty regarding one’s place in eternity which is available to anyone who places his faith in Christ's propitiatory work of grace on the cross of Calvary.As Christians, the restitution of our bodies is future, for it will not be until our Savior's return that He will change our vile bodies into one that is fashioned like unto His glorious body (Philippians 3:20, 21); but our deliverance from the wrath that is to come is an accomplished fact. Salvation is not way off in the distance, as something to be attained through additional efforts upon earth or later when we pass from this life. It is an accomplished fact based on the authority and credibility of God’s Word. Because “God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:10), Christians may possess a confident expectation—a definite assurance—in the matter of salvation.Therefore, having been justified by 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 rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:1-5 For we were saved in this hope, 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, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Romans 8:34, 35) Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17) That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil. (Hebrews 6:18, 19)So then, the hope of our salvation is an immutable (unchangeable) fact! This living hope provides every believer an undeniable hope for eternal life as he continues down the road toward physical death. A Blessed HopeThe Biblical Hope also incorporates a definite future event referred to as the blessed hope. This is when Christ Jesus comes again to receive His children who have not yet passed through the door of death unto Himself. For those, the sting of death—the sorrow for those who have gone on before—will be erased as they meet Christ and their loved ones.Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13) The blessed hope is something that is connected to our special and residing confidence as we look towards the future. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, writes about the order of this event and explains that there will be some who will remain alive unto the Day of the Lord—when Christ comes again—and who will not taste death. In verse 51 he says, “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” Now, whether we live till Christ comes or die before His coming, the end in all is still Jesus Christ. He is our hope! Man was not made for the present, and the present was not made to satisfy man. Time on this earth is but a mere transition. Time is simply a dimension, a space for man to prepare for eternity. It is for the future that man was created, not the present. There is a song I love to sing, and part of it goes like this: “This world is not my home . . . I'm just a passing through . . . my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue . . . the angels beckon me to Heaven’s open door . . . and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.” The hope of every believer is to be with Jesus, in our new home, and in our new bodies that He has prepared for us. Our hope is to be taken out of sin's dominion, to a place where there is no more suffering and sorrow, nor pain. The humanists and the atheists call this blessed hope an escapist mentality. But in truth, this escape clause is part and partial of God's divine plan, and is a component of His promises to the generation of the “last days.” During what I consider to be these “last days,” watching for the blessed hope brings added comfort to the hearts of end-time believers as they see the day approaching! Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. (James 5:7, 8) And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. (1 John 2:28) The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. (Psalms 27:1-3)The combination of the living hope and the blessed hope is the Christian’s dual-hope in this world; all else is vanity and failure. The human experiment with government and legislation has also proven to be a fiasco. Various societies and cultures have tried everything from democracy, republicanism, monarchies, dictatorships, socialism, capitalism, communism, to isolationism—all to no avail. None of these have offered any hope for mankind’s survival. The insufficiency and failure of human civilizations and their “hopes” serve only to highlight the fact that mankind is incapable of perfecting government and solving the plagues that emanate from his inherited sin nature. Because of our failure as a civilization, we cry out for help; but there is only one source of help that can offer true hope—Jesus Christ. Jesus was born into the world for this very purpose.A Practical Blessed HopeThe imminent return of Jesus is a practical hope. It is the overwhelming motive for spiritual service in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit links it with every precept and practice of Christian character and conduct. The blessed hope arms, strengthens, arouses, encourages and quickens the affections and zeal of every believer. The imminency of the blessed hope produces loyalty and faithfulness to Christ. In our vigil of watching for the Lord, our fidelity intensifies. On the other hand, not being watchful, results in a tendency to worldliness and carelessness in this life. The blessed hope helps the Christian toward a proper separation from carnality.Blessed hope mechanisms for this life are designed to:Instill the grace of patience. Alleviate the natural tendency to worry. Stimulate sobriety. Comfort the bereaved. Encourage a godly walk. Motivate brotherly love. Create a sense of urgency in the believer to be busy about the Lord’s work. The blessed hope compels us toward the “fullness of time” (“times of refreshing”). Why has our Lord armed us with this blessed hope for such a protracted interval (since the time of his departure and His promised to return)? First, it is because God is longsuffering and patient, “not willing that any should perish.” God is granting fallen mankind the opportunity to completely develop his evil schemes and thereby demonstrate the world's need of a competent ruler! When Jesus appears one day soon, man will not be able to lodge any complaints that God did not allow him time to experiment and test his free will that was so lovingly granted unto man in the Garden of Eden. Man has been permitted to do his utmost in ruling and regenerating this world. God gave man dominion over this entire planet, including its government, and mankind has conclusively shown that he is incapable of governing himself. Mankind has shown, and continues to show even in our modern age, that he is completely unable to grapple with and overcome the forces of evil. God has delayed his Son's return for just the right moment in human civilization. God calls this blessed moment the point at which the "fullness of time," or the "times of refreshing" will at long last arrive. The gathering together of all things in Christ, both in heaven and on earth, will unite the interests of both heaven and earth under His blessed reign. Then shall we see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man, for then there will be perfect communication established between God and man. Just as the Creator prepared the earth for man, so all of history points to the blessed hope, for those who have believed! In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him. (Ephesians 1:3-10)But those things, which God before had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He has so fulfilled. Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. ...... * NOTE: This article about the Christian’s “biblical hope” is essentially a reproduction of an article on the subject entitled “The Blessed (Hope) Confidence