Reason for Our Hope
The Bible tells us to be ready to give a reason for our hope (I Peter 3:15) “but
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready to give an answer to every
man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and
reverence”.
We were once without hope being without Christ (Ephesians 2:11-15) “wherefore
remember that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by
hands. That at 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. Having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; for to make in Himself of two one new man, so making peace”. The
completed work of Jesus Christ brought us into a new covenant, with better
promises.
Jesus is our hope; Paul tells Timothy in I Timothy 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the commandments of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is
our hope”. He redeemed us back to God the Father (II Corinthians 5:17-19)
“therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who has
reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of
reconciliation. To say that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not
imputing their trespassed to them, and has committed us the word of
reconciliation”.
Peter says “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
Our hope comes from God. Hope has been given to us (Romans 15:13) “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”.
We need our hope to help us deal with the situations and circumstances of this
world. To us that believe, we can focus on what Jesus has done to change any
circumstance. Being confident that God is able to do all things.
We are told to hang on to our hope (Hebrews 6:17-20a) “wherein God willing
more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel,
confirmed it by an oath. 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 that inside the veil. Where the
forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus”.
Also in (Hebrews 10:19-23) “having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the
holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way, which He has consecrated
for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh. And having a high priest over the
house of God. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is
faithful that promised”.
David is a good example, David didn’t look at the giant Goliath like the rest of the
Israelites did, he looked at what God had already done in his life and had hope
that God would be with him (I Samuel 17:21-24) “for Israel and the Philistines had
put the battle in array, army against army. And David left his carriage in the hand
of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his
brethren. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the
Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines and spoke
according to the same words, and David heard them. And all the men of Israel,
when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid”. David offered to
fight with the giant and was taken to king Saul, and Saul didn’t believe that he was
able, but David says in (II Samuel 17:32-37) “and David said to Saul, let no man’s
heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And
Saul said to David, you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him;
for you are but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth. And David said to
Saul, your servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear,
and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and smote it, and
delivered it out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard,
and smote it, and slew it. Your servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this
uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies
of the living God. David said more over, the Lord Yahweh that delivered me out
of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear. He will deliver me out of the
hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, go, and the Lord Yahweh be with
you”. David was able to be strong because he rehearsed the prior victories of the
Lord.
Revelation 12:11 says “and they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the
death”. Each of us have had God bring us through something already in our
lives, and as we rehearse them, we become strong and we give others hope as
well.
The Bible is the best source for our hope (Romans 15:4) “for whatsoever things
were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope”.
The apostle John writes in I John 3:1-3 “behold, what manner of love the Father
has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the
world knows us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He
shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man
that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure”.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 22, 2011
The Bible tells us to be ready to give a reason for our hope (I Peter 3:15) “but
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready to give an answer to every
man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and
reverence”.
We were once without hope being without Christ (Ephesians 2:11-15) “wherefore
remember that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by
hands. That at 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. Having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; for to make in Himself of two one new man, so making peace”. The
completed work of Jesus Christ brought us into a new covenant, with better
promises.
Jesus is our hope; Paul tells Timothy in I Timothy 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the commandments of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is
our hope”. He redeemed us back to God the Father (II Corinthians 5:17-19)
“therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who has
reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of
reconciliation. To say that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not
imputing their trespassed to them, and has committed us the word of
reconciliation”.
Peter says “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
Our hope comes from God. Hope has been given to us (Romans 15:13) “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”.
We need our hope to help us deal with the situations and circumstances of this
world. To us that believe, we can focus on what Jesus has done to change any
circumstance. Being confident that God is able to do all things.
We are told to hang on to our hope (Hebrews 6:17-20a) “wherein God willing
more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel,
confirmed it by an oath. 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 that inside the veil. Where the
forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus”.
Also in (Hebrews 10:19-23) “having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the
holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way, which He has consecrated
for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh. And having a high priest over the
house of God. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is
faithful that promised”.
David is a good example, David didn’t look at the giant Goliath like the rest of the
Israelites did, he looked at what God had already done in his life and had hope
that God would be with him (I Samuel 17:21-24) “for Israel and the Philistines had
put the battle in array, army against army. And David left his carriage in the hand
of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his
brethren. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the
Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines and spoke
according to the same words, and David heard them. And all the men of Israel,
when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid”. David offered to
fight with the giant and was taken to king Saul, and Saul didn’t believe that he was
able, but David says in (II Samuel 17:32-37) “and David said to Saul, let no man’s
heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And
Saul said to David, you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him;
for you are but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth. And David said to
Saul, your servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear,
and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and smote it, and
delivered it out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard,
and smote it, and slew it. Your servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this
uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies
of the living God. David said more over, the Lord Yahweh that delivered me out
of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear. He will deliver me out of the
hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, go, and the Lord Yahweh be with
you”. David was able to be strong because he rehearsed the prior victories of the
Lord.
Revelation 12:11 says “and they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the
death”. Each of us have had God bring us through something already in our
lives, and as we rehearse them, we become strong and we give others hope as
well.
The Bible is the best source for our hope (Romans 15:4) “for whatsoever things
were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope”.
The apostle John writes in I John 3:1-3 “behold, what manner of love the Father
has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the
world knows us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He
shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man
that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure”.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 22, 2011
