Hope: The Grand Expectation

 

Man standing on rock formation

Man standing on rock formation

We know that hope is. And that it is one of the three great eternals mentioned in:

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

I myself find that of these three things, the definition of hope is what I understand least of all. So let us travel through some scriptures to help define hope a little better, If I can venture into the teacher anointing, just a bit. The Main Greek word for Hope is elpis and it means to have a favorable and confident EXPECTATION

Hope is an expectation

Colossians 1:27 Says that the Christ in us is the HOPE of Glory. Do we have glory now? are we in heaven now? Well Yes He have the hope of it, and FAITH makes that Hope in us real

Hebrews11:
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

So it is the hope in us which our faith makes real. Hope not in what we see feel or experience , but hope in what is unseen.

Romans8:
24For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Paul opened His letter to Titus in the following manner

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, 2in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

The Hope which we cling to was promised to us before time began, a testament to its eternal nature. And before Jesus came it was only a promise our fore fathers in faith could cling to. But now we keep it in our heart, we embrace it and we believe it. It is our hope of Glory.

Hope and Glory. A common theme

Titus 2:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

So what is the connector Of Hope and Glory? Faith. It is faith that takes that promise of eternal life and turns into Glory

1 Peter 1:
13 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, 4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

From a living, eternal Hope to “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you”
Through the power of God through faith. It is the power of God which transforms…completes that Hope of Glory through our acceptance and adherence of it, by Faith.

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

Hope is the promise of God, the good and positive expectation that God will do what He said he would do, and through faith it is the path to Glory.

How does hope differ from faith?  By Faith we can perceive, grasp and understand the things of God that are ours now. Salvation, relationship, peace.  But what we have now is not the ultimate promise…that is to come, and that is where our HOPE is.  We cannot see it, feel it or even really comprehend it, but we can believe in it, and can expect it!  Hope, the grand expectation.

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