When is Hope Used?

[Gary O']

I hope I make correct choices
I hope my offspring and loved ones do the same

But, wondering.....
When/how is hope in Christ applied?
I mean we have faith
We have belief
We have trust

 

[BobRyan]

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Hope is always in reference to a future event and hope in Christ refers to our future with Christ even though today we have restored fellowship with Christ through the Gospel.

 

[Gary O']

I appreciate that, Bob
But, to me, hope seems a bit tentative when we have the knowledge of the gospel
I'm sure I'm missing something.....

 

[St_Worm2]

Hello @Gary O', I hope you don't mind me jumping in here, but I think that this Q & A article (from our friends at GotQuestions.org) may be helpful.

Q. What is the definition of hope?​

​

A. There are two kinds of hope—worldly or temporal hope and the hope of believers. In a general sense, hope is a mental focus or feeling of anticipation regarding a future outcome, either of something we want to happen or wish to be true or don’t want to happen or be true. Secular hope is a subjective expectation; it may be solidly based or misguided, as it does not consider God’s will. We hope for things we want (I hope I get the job; I hope she’ll marry me). We hope for good outcomes (I hope my child returns home safely; I hope I don’t get sick). But worldly hope is not a virtue, as it usually contains some degree of uncertainty, doubt, and personal bias and can often be misdirected and selfishly motivated (Proverbs 10:28; 1 Timothy 6:17).​

​

The biblical definition of hope is “the sure and confident expectation of receiving what God has promised us in the future.” The believer’s hope is not a faint or obscure wish but “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). In Scripture, hope is a virtuous quality because it contains no doubt, always trusting in God’s faithfulness and presence no matter the circumstances, whether good or bad (Psalm 71:5).​

​

The apostle Paul includes hope among the three indispensable Christian virtues of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is the greatest because God values it most (1 Corinthians 13:13) and because it is eternal (1 Corinthians 13:8). Neither faith nor hope will be needed in heaven; we won’t have to trust an unseen God or anticipate His appearance because we will see Him and be with Him in the perfection of His presence forever.​

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Hope and faith are closely tied because both operate based on trusting God and living according to what is unseen. The author of Hebrews explains that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). Regarding hope, Paul reasons, “But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?” (Romans 8:24). Like faith, hope is built on our unwavering confidence in God’s goodness and power to do what He says He will do because of His unfailing love for us (Psalm 33:18; 146:5). Such confidence declares about our Savior, “No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame” (Psalm 25:3). Biblical hope, like faith, takes custody here and now of God’s good promises yet to come.​

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Christians use hope in both senses. A pastor may say, “I hope today’s sermon blesses you.” The apostle Paul writes, “I hope to see you” (Romans 15:24) and “I hope to come to you soon” (1 Timothy 3:14) in his letters to fellow believers. But the believer’s hope is so much more than wishful thinking. The apostle Peter explains that God “has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). We have the “hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” (Titus 1:2). We don’t merely wish we’ll go to heaven when we die; the Bible says we can know it with all certainty: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).​

​

Paul’s hope was so secure in his eternal future that he was willing to suffer and die for it: “I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 23:6; see also Acts 26:6). Paul said that without faith and hope in God’s promise of resurrection life, Christians “are more to be pitied than anyone in the world” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NLT).​

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The biblical definition of hope includes not only the act of confident expectation but also the object of it—“Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1). The psalmist writes, “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth” (Psalm 71:5). Jesus Christ is the “hope of Israel” (Jeremiah 14:8; Acts 28:20) and of all nations and peoples (Isaiah 42:4; Matthew 12:21; Romans 15:12–13; 1 Timothy 4:10).​

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Having only temporal hope in people and things of this life is, in reality, to live in a state of hopelessness, “without hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12). By contrast, the believer’s hope cannot be frustrated or hindered by anything in this life. We know what we have safely “stored up for [us] in heaven” (Colossians 1:5), where our treasures are kept secure (Matthew 6:19–20).​

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~What is the definition of hope? | GotQuestions.org​

~What does the Bible say about hope? | GotQuestions.org (if you have the time, this shorter article on Biblical "hope" is worth reading as well )​

God bless you!!

--David

Isaiah 40 (KJV)​

31 They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.​

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Isaiah 40 (CSB)​

31 Those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.​

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Isaiah 40 (NIV)​

31 Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.​

 

[Gary K]

I appreciate that, Bob
But, to me, hope seems a bit tentative when we have the knowledge of the gospel
I'm sure I'm missing something.....

If I was you I would look at the usage of hope in Job.

I would also say that you're looking at hope from a purely human perspective. Saying I hope some human does something is much different than having hope in the goodness and power of God through faith in Him.

 

[Paul C.]

Regarding Christian Hope, I like the later part of Romans 8.

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” - Romans 8:19-21

And

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. “ - Romans 8:22-24a

We are looking forward to that day when God will renew the Creation and we are part of it. The New Creation has started since Jesus’ Resurrection and is ongoing. This is our Christian Hope.

God bless,

 

[Paul C.]

Regarding Christian Hope, I like the later part of Romans 8.

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” - Romans 8:19-21

And

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. “ - Romans 8:22-24a

We are looking forward to that day when God will renew the Creation and we are part of it. The New Creation has started since Jesus’ Resurrection and is ongoing. This is our Christian Hope.

God bless,

By the way, I am not an Adventist. Just bumped into this thread and found it interesting.

God bless,

 

[Gary O']

I hope you don't mind me jumping in here

Not at all
Your post is packed with things for me to study

I love this text;

The biblical definition of hope is “the sure and confident expectation of receiving what God has promised us in the future.” The believer’s hope is not a faint or obscure wish but “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). In Scripture, hope is a virtuous quality because it contains no doubt, always trusting in God’s faithfulness and presence no matter the circumstances, whether good or bad (Psalm 71:5).

Thank you, my brother

 

[Gary O']

having hope in the goodness and power of God through faith in Him.

This will be my study

 

[Gary O']

I so appreciate all the comments/texts

Food for study

As it stands, for me right now;
I have a hope and prayer, moment by moment, that I exercise my power of choice within God's will......Christ in me.....the hope of glory
(not mine, but His)


Again, thank you guys, ever so much

 

[Aaron112]

I hope I make correct choices
I hope my offspring and loved ones do the same

But, wondering.....
When/how is hope in Christ applied?
I mean we have faith
We have belief
We have trust

There may be no evidence of fact, no evidence seen nor unseen,
to support
or expect what is hoped for ......

faith , of course, is the evidence of things not seen....
belief, likewise, is belief is something there is sure evidence for (I think),
trust , is based on the trustworthiness of Yahweh Himself and His Word.

Hope might have none of that - it may be spiritual, fleshy, carnal, emotional, without reason to hope - as in "hope against hope" that something may happen .... ?

 

[St_Worm2]

Hello again @Gary O', here's an excerpt from one of Dr. Packer's books that I thought you might find useful as well.

​

HOPE
HOPING IS BASIC TO THE CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK​

​

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through
endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
ROMANS 15:4​

​

Living between the two comings of Christ, Christians are to look backward and forward: back to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb, whereby salvation was won for them; forward to their meeting with Christ beyond this world, their personal resurrection, and the joy of being with their Savior in glory forever. New Testament devotion is consistently oriented to this hope; Christ is “our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1) and we serve “the God of hope” (Romans 15:13). Faith itself is defined as “being sure of what we hope for” (Hebrews 11:1), and Christian commitment is defined as having “fled to take hold of … this hope as an anchor for the soul” (Hebrews 6:18–19). When Jesus directed his disciples to lay up treasure in heaven, because “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21), he was saying in effect, as Peter was later to say, “set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:13).​

An ethic of hope pervades the New Testament. It is an ethic of pilgrimage: one should see oneself in this world as a stranger traveling home (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13). It is an ethic of purity: everyone who really hopes to be like Jesus when he appears “purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). It is an ethic of preparedness: we should be ready to leave this world for a closer relationship with Christ our Lord at any time when the summons comes (2 Corinthians 5:6–8; Philippians 1:21–24; cf. Luke 12:15–21). It is an ethic of patience: “if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:25; cf. Romans 5:1–5, where the Greek word for “patience” is translated “perseverance” to bring out its nuance of stubborn persistence in face of pressures). And it is an ethic of power: the hope gives strength and confidence, energizing effort for running the race, fighting the good fight, and enduring the “light and momentary troubles” (2 Corinthians 4:17) that still remain before we go home (Romans 8:18; Romans 15:13; 2 Timothy 4:7–8).​

Though the Christian life is regularly marked more by suffering than by triumph (1 Corinthians 4:8–13; 2 Corinthians 4:7–18; Acts 14:22), our hope is sure and our mood should be one of unquenchable confidence: we are on the victory side.​

​

~Packer, J. I. (1993). Concise theology: a guide to historic Christian beliefs (pp. 183–184). Tyndale House.​

God bless you!!

--David

 

[Gary O']

Faith itself is defined as “being sure of what we hope for” (Hebrews 11:1)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. KJV

THAT......makes so much sense

 

[Gary K]

By the way, I am not an Adventist. Just bumped into this thread and found it interesting.

God bless,

Who cares? Not me, and I'm an Adventist.

 

[Gary K]

This will be my study

It's been mine for the last six months or so and made an immense difference in my spiritual life,

 

[Gary O']

By the way, I am not an Adventist. Just bumped into this thread and found it interesting.

Who cares? Not me, and I'm an Adventist.

Amen

Glad yer here @Paul C.

Christianity covers a lot of denominations

 

[Gary O']

I'm beginning to get a bit of a grasp of 'hope'
Seems it's closely tied with faith

'the devils also believe, and tremble'

They surely have no hope

 

[Aaron112]

Compare faith and hope as God Permits

biblehub.com › ephesians › 2-12.htm

Ephesians 2:12 - One in Christ - Bible Hub​

.....remember that you were at that time without Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise,

having no hope and without God in the world. Amplified Bible

biblehub.com › hebrews › 11-1.htm

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the ...​

Faith shows the reality
of what we hope for;
it is the evidence of things we cannot see. English Standard Version

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Berean Standard Bible Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

 

[Gary O']

Me and the Ephesians
It's sinking in