The Importance of Our Hope
Many people focus on faith, but we must first have hope. A person who has
renewed their mind to the Bible is optimistic. They have faith, and they have
hope. Faith and hope works together, because faith is the substance, the
tangibility of what you are hoping for. By faith, and with hope, you see things
other people cannot see. It is the evidence of what you can’t see. As we read
Hebrews 11:1 we see that we have to have hope first, then our faith will bring it
into reality. It says “now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen”. So if you have no hope, your faith can’t work.
People need to hope, and hope placed in the personal promise of God is
secure. This secure hope has many consequences for the way we live in our
present world. it frees us from having to live as if the material world, fame,
money, reputation, and other aspects of life are the only things that exist, and
frees us to live in a way that puts Christ first and others ahead of ourselves.
Christian hope offers security for the future and loving involvement in sharing
for the present.
To hope is to expect the fulfillment of a desire. Hope is a firm assurance about
things that are not seen and still in the future (Romans 8:24-25) “for we are
saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, why
does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with
patience wait for it”.
Confident expectancy in the Bible, the word “hope” stands for both the act of
hoping; look at Abraham and how he acquired the promised son (Romans 4:
18-21) “who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of
many nations; according to that which was spoken, so shall your seed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when
he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s
womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was
strong in faith, giving glory to God. And being fully persuaded that, what He
had promised, He was able also to perform”.
Also stands for the thing hoped for (Colossians 1:5, 1:23-28) “for the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the
truth of the gospel. If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be
not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and
which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I Paul
am made a minister. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that
which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which
is the church. Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of
God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God. Even the mystery
which has been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made
manifest to His saints. To whom God would make known what is the riches of
the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory. Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all
wisdom; that we may present, every man perfect in Christ Jesus”.
Hope does not arise from the individual’s desires or wishes, but from God, who
is Himself the believer’s hope (Psalms 39:7) David says “and now, Lord, what
wait I for? My hope is in You”. Jesus is our hope, in I Timothy 1:1 it says
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and
Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope”.
The apostle Peter said “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a
living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.
Hope gives Christians the power to live without despair through the struggle
and suffering of the present (Romans 8:18) “for I reckon that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us”. Hope distinguishes the Christian from the unbeliever, who
have no hope (Ephesians 2:12-14) tells us that those without Christ have no
hope. It says “that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope; and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who
sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For He is our
peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
partition between us”.
Christians is one that resides in hope (I Peter 1:13, 21; 3:15) “wherefore gird
up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is
to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Who by Him do believe
in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith
and hope might be in God”. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be
ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the
hope that is in you with meekness and reverence”. John says in I John 3:3
“and every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself; even as He is pure”.
We are told to hang on to our hope (I Thessalonians 1:2-4, 5:8) Paul writes
“we give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our
prayers. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love,
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our
Father. Knowing; brethren beloved, your election of God. But let us, who are
of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an
helmet, the hope of salvation”. Also in Titus 3:7 it says “that being justified by
His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life”.
The book of Hebrews states many times for us to be strong and firm in our
hope (Hebrews 3:6) “but Christ as a son over His own house; whose house
are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the
end”. Again in Hebrews 6:11, 18-19 it says “and we desire that every one of
you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end. That
by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might
have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope
set before us. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast, and which enters into the inside the veil”. Also look at Hebrews 7:19
which says “for the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better
hope did, by the which we draw near to God”.
Hope is given to us from God (Romans 15:4,13) “for whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power
of the Holy Spirit”. Also in Romans 5:2-5 it says “by whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that
tribulation works patience. And patience, experience; and experience, hope.
And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us”. Galatians 5:5 says “for we
through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith”.
The devil aims to keep you in a hopeless state, he continues to tell people that
God cannot or would not do it for them, because they are unworthy. But it is
God Himself which has made us worthy.
Isaiah said “whose report will you believe”. Our hope has to be based upon
the word of God. If God said it, He will do it.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: November 2, 2010
Many people focus on faith, but we must first have hope. A person who has
renewed their mind to the Bible is optimistic. They have faith, and they have
hope. Faith and hope works together, because faith is the substance, the
tangibility of what you are hoping for. By faith, and with hope, you see things
other people cannot see. It is the evidence of what you can’t see. As we read
Hebrews 11:1 we see that we have to have hope first, then our faith will bring it
into reality. It says “now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen”. So if you have no hope, your faith can’t work.
People need to hope, and hope placed in the personal promise of God is
secure. This secure hope has many consequences for the way we live in our
present world. it frees us from having to live as if the material world, fame,
money, reputation, and other aspects of life are the only things that exist, and
frees us to live in a way that puts Christ first and others ahead of ourselves.
Christian hope offers security for the future and loving involvement in sharing
for the present.
To hope is to expect the fulfillment of a desire. Hope is a firm assurance about
things that are not seen and still in the future (Romans 8:24-25) “for we are
saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, why
does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with
patience wait for it”.
Confident expectancy in the Bible, the word “hope” stands for both the act of
hoping; look at Abraham and how he acquired the promised son (Romans 4:
18-21) “who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of
many nations; according to that which was spoken, so shall your seed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when
he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s
womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was
strong in faith, giving glory to God. And being fully persuaded that, what He
had promised, He was able also to perform”.
Also stands for the thing hoped for (Colossians 1:5, 1:23-28) “for the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the
truth of the gospel. If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be
not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and
which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I Paul
am made a minister. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that
which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which
is the church. Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of
God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God. Even the mystery
which has been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made
manifest to His saints. To whom God would make known what is the riches of
the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory. Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all
wisdom; that we may present, every man perfect in Christ Jesus”.
Hope does not arise from the individual’s desires or wishes, but from God, who
is Himself the believer’s hope (Psalms 39:7) David says “and now, Lord, what
wait I for? My hope is in You”. Jesus is our hope, in I Timothy 1:1 it says
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and
Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope”.
The apostle Peter said “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a
living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.
Hope gives Christians the power to live without despair through the struggle
and suffering of the present (Romans 8:18) “for I reckon that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us”. Hope distinguishes the Christian from the unbeliever, who
have no hope (Ephesians 2:12-14) tells us that those without Christ have no
hope. It says “that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope; and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who
sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For He is our
peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
partition between us”.
Christians is one that resides in hope (I Peter 1:13, 21; 3:15) “wherefore gird
up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is
to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Who by Him do believe
in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith
and hope might be in God”. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be
ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the
hope that is in you with meekness and reverence”. John says in I John 3:3
“and every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself; even as He is pure”.
We are told to hang on to our hope (I Thessalonians 1:2-4, 5:8) Paul writes
“we give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our
prayers. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love,
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our
Father. Knowing; brethren beloved, your election of God. But let us, who are
of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an
helmet, the hope of salvation”. Also in Titus 3:7 it says “that being justified by
His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life”.
The book of Hebrews states many times for us to be strong and firm in our
hope (Hebrews 3:6) “but Christ as a son over His own house; whose house
are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the
end”. Again in Hebrews 6:11, 18-19 it says “and we desire that every one of
you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end. That
by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might
have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope
set before us. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast, and which enters into the inside the veil”. Also look at Hebrews 7:19
which says “for the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better
hope did, by the which we draw near to God”.
Hope is given to us from God (Romans 15:4,13) “for whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power
of the Holy Spirit”. Also in Romans 5:2-5 it says “by whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that
tribulation works patience. And patience, experience; and experience, hope.
And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us”. Galatians 5:5 says “for we
through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith”.
The devil aims to keep you in a hopeless state, he continues to tell people that
God cannot or would not do it for them, because they are unworthy. But it is
God Himself which has made us worthy.
Isaiah said “whose report will you believe”. Our hope has to be based upon
the word of God. If God said it, He will do it.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: November 2, 2010
