The Hope We Have

1 Corinthians 13:13  And now abide [remains] faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Which one seems to be out of place? In the life of a Christian faith and love are talked about frequently, but what about the other one?

In actuality, these three are intertwined.

Love hopes all things

1 Corinthians 13:4  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
1 Corinthians 13:5  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:6  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:7  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:8  Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
1 Corinthians 13:9  For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
1 Corinthians 13:10  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
1 Corinthians 13:11  When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1 Corinthians 13:12  For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

Faith is substance of things hoped for.

Hope and faith are both based on unseen promises of God

Romans 8:18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
Romans 8:20  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
Romans 8:21  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Romans 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Romans 8:23  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
Romans 8:24  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?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Notice the definition of Faith

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Definition of Hope (there is no Doubt)

What do we mean in our vernacular when we use the word “hope”

Examples: I hope I win the lottery; If someone asks us if we are going to be somewhere tomorrow – our reply is “I hope so.”

Doubt is a big part of the way that we use the word hope.

In both the Old Testament and New Testament the words translated hope, conveys so much more assurance than the way we use it.

Old Testament:  the Hebrew word batah

From H982; properly a place of refuge; abstractly safety, both the fact (security) and the feeling (trust); often (adverbially with or without preposition) safely: – assurance, boldly, (without) care (-less), confidence, hope, safe (-ly, -ty), secure, surely.

Cognates have the meaning of confidence, security, and being without care; therefore, the concept of doubt is not part of this word.

Notice its usage in

Psalm 16:8  I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Psalm 16:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.
Psalm 16:10  For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 16:11  You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

New Testament: Most of the time the word hope is the Greek elpis/elpizo. the verb elpizo and related noun elpis.

The same type of definitions are attached to it.

elpis: From ἔλπω elpō  which is a primary word (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: – faith, hope.

elpizō:From G1680; to expect or confide: – (have, thing) hope (-d) (for), trust.

Again, there is no doubt attached to this word. Therefore, biblical hope is a confident expectation or assurance based upon a sure foundation for which we wait with joy and full confidence. In other words, “There is no doubt about it!”

It is always positive, looking forward to better things, it is the confidence right now of a future expectation. The Hope of the Bible is a reality. There is no doubt associated with it.  It is a foundational doctrine that we can and should base our lives upon.

Connotes trust [same word]

1 Timothy 4:10  For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

There will be overlap, as we see here, salvation is of God

Psalms is full of scriptures they tell us the same thing:

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8)

Psalm 146:3 states, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”

Perhaps this is why doubt has crept into our terminology. We rely on the unreliable or the things that are beyond our control. Hope can be unfulfilled when misplaced in something or someone else that is fallible. But as we will see, the things that we are to HOPE for are the things that we can completely depend on.

With HOPE being one of the big 3 along with faith and love that Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians 13:13 ….

What are we then to put our HOPE in?  What is the HOPE that we are to have? What is it that we can have complete assurance in and base our religion, Christianity and life on?

Hope in God

[there is no doubt here]

Acts 24:14  But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
Acts 24:15  I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

We know there is a God who is in charge, who is the final decision maker, who is going to make things happen

Romans 4:17  (as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Romans 4:18  who, contrary to hope [hopelessness], in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.”

1 Peter 1:20  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
1 Peter 1:21  who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Hope in Christ

He did it and He is now there for us to help us make it through

1 Corinthians 15:12  Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1 Corinthians 15:13  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
1 Corinthians 15:14  And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
1 Corinthians 15:15  Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.
1 Corinthians 15:16  For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
1 Corinthians 15:17  And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
1 Corinthians 15:18  Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1 Corinthians 15:19  If in this [physical] life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
1 Corinthians 15:20  But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:21  For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

Hope through Christ’s resurrection

1 Peter 1:3  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,
1 Peter 1:4  to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
1 Peter 1:5  who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:6  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
1 Peter 1:7  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,
1 Peter 1:8  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 1:9  receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

Because Jesus was resurrected and all that portends and means for us today…we can have hope. We can have the same expectation of being resurrected.

The Hope of His Calling

Ephesians 1:15  Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
Ephesians 1:16  do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
Ephesians 1:17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
Ephesians 1:18  the eyes of your understanding 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,
Ephesians 1:19  and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
Ephesians 1:20  which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 1:21  far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

The calling that we have been given brings with it this hope.  WE have been called to be a part of His plan?  Why were we called, to what end?  You know what it is and we are to have hope in it the one hope of our calling

Ephesians 4:4  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
Ephesians 4:5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Ephesians 4:6  one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

There is one hope.  All of this goes together as a package deal and we are to have the same hope in all aspect of it, becasue it will all most assuredly come to pass.

The Hope of the Gospel

Colossians 1:21  And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
Colossians 1:22  in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
Colossians 1:23  if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Hope of the Resurrection

1 Thessalonians 4:13  But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 4:15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
1 Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thessalonians 4:17  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:18  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Does knowing this give you hope?

How much does this help us deal with death; the death of our loved ones as well as our own mortality?

Hope of Salvation

1 Thessalonians 5:8  But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
1 Thessalonians 5:9  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

This is something that we are admonished to put on; something that God wants us to wear;

To be aware and think on this hope and know that it is real

Hope of Eternal life

Titus 1:1  Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,
Titus 1:2  in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

Titus 3:4  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
Titus 3:5  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Titus 3:6  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Titus 3:7  that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Do you hope you get an inheritance from a rich uncle?  How does that turn out?

Because we have the hope of eternal life, we have the hope of inheritance

Revelation 21:7  He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Inherit all things, no doubt like the physical inheritance, and we see another promise that is parceled in with it  – My son, family of God,

Hope of the Family of God

1 John 3:1  Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
1 John 3:2  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.|
1 John 3:3  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

God will glorify us as He is

We have that too!

The Hope of the Glory

[glorification]

Romans 5:1  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 5:2  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 3:11  For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
2 Corinthians 3:12  Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—
2 Corinthians 3:13  unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.
2 Corinthians 3:14  But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:15  But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
2 Corinthians 3:16  Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2 Corinthians 3:17  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2 Corinthians 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Romans 5:3  And not only that, but we also glory [rejoice] in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
Romans 5:4  and perseverance, character; and character, hope. [it’s a circle] Romans 5:5  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.

Helps Us to Endure and be Patient

1 Thessalonians 1:2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
1 Thessalonians 1:3  remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
1 Thessalonians 1:4  knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

James 1:12  Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Matthew 24:13  [Salvation to those that endure]

Hope Gives Comfort

2 Thessalonians 2:16  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,

Romans 15:4  For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

Hope Gives Joy

Romans 12:9  Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Romans 12:10  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
Romans 12:11  not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Romans 12:12  rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
Romans 12:13  distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:15  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Hebrews 3:6  but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

Hope of the Gentiles

Matthew 12:21  AND IN HIS NAME GENTILES WILL TRUST.” [same word]

Romans 15:12  And again, Isaiah says: “THERE SHALL BE A ROOT OF JESSE; AND HE WHO SHALL RISE TO REIGN OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM THE GENTILES SHALL HOPE.”

Ephesians 2:11  Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
Ephesians 2:12  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.

The benefits of hope to comfort people experiencing difficulties. True hope always has a very positive outcome!

Ephesians 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:14  For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
Ephesians 2:15  having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
Ephesians 2:16  and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
Ephesians 2:17  And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
Ephesians 2:18  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Ephesians 2:19  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

[No hope in physical life, but there is one in eternal life]

Where does this life lead; where does sin take us?

Hope of Israel

Acts 28:19  But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation.
Acts 28:20  For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”
Acts 28:21  Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you.
Acts 28:22  But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.”
Acts 28:23  So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
Acts 28:24  And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
Acts 28:25  So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,
Acts 28:26  saying, ‘GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY: “HEARING YOU WILL HEAR, AND SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND SEEING YOU WILL SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE;
Acts 28:27  FOR THE HEARTS OF THIS PEOPLE HAVE GROWN DULL. THEIR EARS ARE HARD OF HEARING, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED, LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, LEST THEY SHOULD UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEARTS AND TURN, SO THAT I SHOULD HEAL THEM.” ‘

Holy Days

His whole plan as seen through the holy days is about hope; this hope for the future!

This HOPE, knowing all of these things:

Summation

Is this what we are getting out of the HOPE that we have?

Is this not enough for us?  When we go through any and every imaginable trial; as we walk the walk and travel the way; as we deal with Self – Satan – Society; can we not better handle all of these things and bear the burdens we have been saddled with knowing that we have the Hope of the resurrection, of salvation, of eternal life, of His calling, of His Glory, of His Gospel assuredly set before us.

We can go on strongly and endure to the end with our Hope in God and His Son Jesus Christ never having to waver and never having to doubt

Hebrews 10:23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

We must hold tightly to the hope that we say is ours. After all, we can trust the one who made the agreement with us.

Are we prepared to give it to others?

1 Peter 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
1 Peter 3:16  having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

.