By Andy Foster
Do you ever have conversations with yourself and ask this question?
Ps 42:5 - Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Let me ask you as fellow believers, how are you feeling? Do you feel bothered , depressed, fearful, burdened? Do you ask yourself this same question as the psalmist? Maybe you don't even question it, you accept that these feelings are inevitable.
Now the cause for our distress, worry, sadness is as unique as each of us are. Perhaps the decay of our culture and society, the corruption in our leaders, and the uncertainty in the direction of our country cause within us an uneasiness. Maybe it is strained relationships, financial struggles, or physical pain and suffering. The assault on our emotional, physical and spiritual well being comes from many sides and seemingly unending.
The psalmist then answers himself with conviction and determination.
Ps 42:6 - Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Now we may be inclined to think that hopelessness is most attributed to those who are undergoing the most emotional distress or stricken with a physical illness or disability. However, I contend that the most hopeless may be those who have no idea of their spiritual state. They go about their busy routines each day with little thought of their spiritual inheritance or heavenly home. Hopelessness may not only come in times of despair but also in seemingly good times. When we are routine and we are content in what we have, we easily become numb to the reality of our spiritual inheritance in Jesus Christ.
In many cases those who have the greatest pain may experience the greatest hope because their future has become very real, and they long for that time when they permanently refreshed in the presence of Christ.
So, let me ask you this, do you feel content with where you are in all that you have? Do you often think and even long for that day when our bodies will be glorified and we will see the fullness of Christ.
However, hope is often blurred by our desires for the here and now, a discontent heart and selfish pride, and fear and uncertainty. Nevertheless, we desire for our hearts to be compelled and persuaded that better times are ahead and to be comforted with the knowledge that all is well. However finding hope and strength can be a fleeting thing that is difficult to find and even harder to hold onto.
Whether we ourselves in the mire of trials and sufferings, or going about daily routines and engrossed with the things of this life, we instinctively know there is more, there has to be more. It has been said. - "There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow."
Our Hope says alot about us. It reveals our affections and desires, goal and mission, perspective and worldview.
Hope is what we anchor to. How we live, how we think is defined in what we hope in.
Despite how fleeting it may seem Hope should be a distinguishing characteristic of a Christian. Can that be said of us as a church, as individuals? In a world that is becoming increasingly uncertain, chaotic and corrupt, we as believers in Christ should shine a light of hope, courage and comfort. While from a worldly perspective a shadow of doubt has enveloped everything, we as Chrisitians have hope, a true hope that the world desperately needs. Have we taken hold of that? Do we believe that?
With that in mind, let's spend a little time on hopeology 101.
What is hope?
First, what is hope? Heb. 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hope and Faith are closely related but differ in that faith largely focuses on what God is doing in our lives, while Hope is focused on what God will do.
In describing faith, we see that where we place our hope defines faith's legitimacy. Hope not fastened to the reality of Jesus Christ is in itself nothing more than an unanchored ship not secured to any mooring that is at the mercy of wind and tide.
We often hope for things that have little certainty. Today the word “hope” usually means nothing more than wishful thinking. We often hear people say, “I hope I get an ‘A’ on that paper,” “I hope my team wins,” "I hope he or she likes me", or “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” In all of these statements, hope is nothing more than a wish for something good to happen.
The times we live can easily lead to fear, frustration, and disillusionment. In these kinds of times, many conclude that there is no reasonable basis for hope—therefore, “to hope” is to live with an illusion. This viewpoint is partially correct; Scripture tells us that those who do not have God in their lives do not have hope (Eph. 2:12).
Hope is not a blind optimism, but it is to look forward with certainty. Hope to wait expectantly.
True hope - A hope in Christ - is not hung upon a weak thread of words that weather forecasters use like "there is a chance of this or there is a probability of that".
As it has been said, "Hope, to be sure, is not a kite at the mercy of the changing winds, but ‘a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul’, penetrating deep into the things yet seen. (Heb. 6:19)".
Let's be clear that real biblical hope is not a contentment found in the things, ideologies, or philosophies on this earth, and merely happy with what we have here. If our only goal is to only obtain financial stability, find a spouse, have a good retirement, see the world, or watch football every weekend then our hope is near sighted at best.and will not sustain us in times of trouble.
Rather real hope is the longing for the reality for what yet to come. Paul says - 2 Cor 4:17-18 “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
What is in our view, in other words our hope? Do we drive looking through the rear view mirror? The goals by which we set determines our hope. Our hope or perspective is what compels us to move forward and look forward. An athlete will endure much pain to reach the finish line, an artist will spend countless hours to reach a finished product, a parent will endure much frustration for their children. It is the hope of something complete and finished that drives us through much turmoil to reach that goal.
What are the Features of Hope?
True authentic hope does not rest on the ideologies or whims of man, but in the sovereignty of God and His Word, the person and work of Jesus Christ, and the ministry of Holy Spirit.
Hope comes from God's Word
Romans 15:4 For 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.
Psalm 119 verse 81, "I wait for Thy Word, I will wait, God, until the time is right for You to deliver what You promised me in hope."
The Word provides and sustains hope. There is no substitute. We so easily rely on the so called inspirations of man as if we had something better to say. We must ensure that hope is founded in Scripture.
Hope is a gift of God's Grace
2 Thess 2:16-17 - May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
In these words we find that we have hope, and not just any hope, but a good hope. This is not an empty promise or wishful thinking but hope that is real. A good hope that raises within us a confident expectation and eager anticipation for a better time and a better place.
If you are like me after a long and cold winter, you have been anxiously awaiting the warmth that comes with spring. With anticipation we desire to feel the sun and a warm breeze on our face. Despite how long the winter has been we know spring will come.
Our hope is the same as we eagerly await that time when we will be refreshed and no longer weighted with the things of this world.
This hope comes from God, He is the source of our hope. It is a gift of grace. It is not something you can earn. God is the one who gives us something to hope for.
Hope is Secured in Christ
At the heart of Christian hope is the resurrection of Jesus. Paul discusses the nature, certainty, and importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 15:12–28). Paul is certain that Christian hope points to the future, “If we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world” (1 Cor. 15:19).
The significance of Christ’s resurrection is not only that it points to His victory over death, but it also extends that victory to those who are His: “Christ was raised first; then when Christ comes back, all his people will be raised” (1 Cor. 15:23, NLT).
Our eternal hope is secured in the work and person of Jesus Christ.
Hope is Confirmed by the Holy Spirit
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Hope we have encompasses the essence and work of Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father gives the hope, the Son secures the hope, the Spirit confirms the hope. We are not people who have hope only in this world, we have hope in the world to come and it is a living hope. It is a hope for real life guaranteed and secured for us because Jesus conquered death not only for Himself but for all who are in Him.
So what does this kind of hope look like?
First Hope is Expectant, Content and Secure
Hope is tied to an eternal not earthly perspective. Hope is rooted in the certainty of our future, in where we are going.
In Peter's first letter, he is responding to Christians that are scattered throughout Asia Minor who are experiencing suffering, trials and increasing persecution. Their culture and society was in some ways like ours only worse.
In response to this, Peter first addresses them as aliens, strangers, pilgrims, soujourners. He reminds them that this is not their home. Peter focuses on our perspective from that of earthly to heavenward. Instead of an inward perspective on personal problems, trials and distress, we are directed to Christ.
Peter said points to our ultimate hope, I Peter 1:3-5 - 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
Peter attributes living hope to the resurrection of Christ and points to God’s future blessing upon those who belong to Christ. This future hope empowers us to live without despair through the struggle and suffering of the present age
He then goes on to say that they have an eternal inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade An inheritance that is kept.
It is important to note that Peter's response to the world around him was not one of bitterness, anger, frustration or fear. Rather, Peter immediately turns their eyes toward Christ. He doesn’t let his readers become fixated on present experiences but encourages them to have heavenly perspective. Peter addresses the believers with hope and encouragement, not plans for revenge.
Authentic hope is knowing our satisfaction, comfort and purpose are not dependent on this world. Real hope assumes a destination beyond our current circumstance.
2 Tim 4:8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Hope cultivates a longing and trustful expectation for our true home. It is very easy to become comfortable here on this earth, but this is temporary. In contrast, we as believers long for Christ's appearing. That should be chief motivation. Do we yearn and long for true home and inheritance?
Ro. 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
What this is saying is we have a salvation, the greatest part of which is as yet unrealized. And that is all bound up in our hope in what is yet to come. The hope in what God has prepared for us when our hope becomes reality. That is, to receive the new body which God has prepared to go with the already redeemed soul when we will be made into the image of Jesus Christ.
We as Christians fall into thinking that this is it. I have this earthly stuff then I add Jesus to make everything better.
I Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
To "set" or "fix" is a decisive act of the will to focus on Christ's return and God's complete
purpose.
Titus 1:1-3 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness- 2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.
The “blessed hope” of the church is nothing less than “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13 HCSB).
Our future with Christ for eternity should be a centerpiece of our thoughts and motivation for us in how we live. Our we conscious are of this fact? Does the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ impact our thoughts, attitudes and actions.
Second, Hope is Confident, Courageous and Content
Hope Rest in the Joy found In Christ
I Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
By saying, "In this", Peter is referring back to the living hope that we have in Christ. This hope causes us to rejoice despite our circumstances.
Hope is not dependent upon current circumstances. Hope remains despite the varied trials we deal with.
Each trial is an exercise in hope. Suffering focuses our hope and causes us to place our dependence on Christ. Our faith and hope are proved genuine in suffering.
2 Co. 1:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers.
Suffering pulls us away from false hopes and self-reliance but causes us to rest the hope and strength found in God.
We so easily become near sited and fixated on the short term. Suffering has a way of loosening our grip on the temporal and fixing our hearts on the eternal. Trials and suffering refocus the lense of our hearts.
Hope set our future with Christ is an essential motivator to get us through tough times.
“Whatever sort of tribulation we suffer, we should always remember that it's purpose is to make us spurn the present and reach for the future”. - John Calvin
Hope Perseveres
Heb. 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
1 Cor 1:20-22 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
We have a hope that stands firm (literally to turn resolutely) in the expectation of Christ Return.
James 5:7-9 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
We stand firm because of the hope and faith we have. A hope rooted in the reality of Christ, His work in our lives and our future hope in Him. Our hope cannot be manufactured but rest entirely on the person of Christ
Without a realization of our heavenly home and the steadfast belief in our future with Christ, we will have a heart full of conflict, a purpose that is unsure and a fhope that is blurred.
Job 42:5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
It wasn't until Job endured much suffering that he could fully comprehend the grace of God.
Hope is Heightened in Suffering and loss
Again, perspective is everything. How one sees this life and responds to it is dependent upon their view or hope.
Phil 3:7-14 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared (in view) to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
We often recite this passage while holding onto our possessions, comfort and reputation clinched in our fist.
A mother of eight children was coming home one afternoon. Things seemed too quiet as she walked across her front yard. Curious, she peered through the screen door and saw five of her children huddled together, concentrating on something. As she crept closer to them, trying to discover the center of attention, she could not believe her eyes. Smack dab in the middle of the circle were five baby skunks. The mother screamed at the top of her voice, "Quick, children...run!" Each kid grabbed a skunk and ran.
We are sometimes like those children. Pain screams us to take action, to run to our Father in heaven, but often want to grab our so called comforts to take with us. Sometimes the very things that cause us grief.
Suffering fixes our Hope on heaven
What is your preference this morning? Has pain, and struggles given you a thirst for heaven? Or are we so comfortable we do not even think about the eternal?
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
2 Cor 5:1-8 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ...7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord
Suffering test our motives, assesses our priorities, reveals our true convictions and hope. It confirms our true alliance and affections of our heart.
If our hope in eternity with Christ is one of a take or leave it attitude then the words spoken by Paul won't make much sense. Sufferings purpose in anchored in the hope of eternity.
Trials of all kinds provide fertile soil in which hope takes root and thrives. If our hope is near sighted, then suffering will be viewed with contempt and frustration.
Third, Hope is Living / Active
Hope results in a right attitude and action. Hope - is a confident assurance of future glory and blessing that urges on toward holy living. On one hand hope in Christ is like an anchor and stabilizes us amidst life storms while it also propels us forward to living a life worthy of the gospel. Hope not only gives us a confidence in the future but also gives us meaning and purpose today.
Authentic hope is useful and beneficial. This hope is not some ineffective ploy to get us to put our trust in something that has no lasting effect or value. Rather this hope has an impact on how we think, how we speak, how we treat others, how we live.
Hope results Holy Living
Col. 1:3-6 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you.
1 John 3:2-3 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
2 Co. 3:12-18 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold...18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
In 2 Peter this expectation of the day of the Lord stands as the incentive to holy living. In both passages the element of uncertainty often associated with the Greek word has disappeared and is replaced with the sense of confidence based upon the promise of the Lord to come again.
Rather than being forlorn, fearful and worrisome, our lives should display the radiance Christ's love and grace.
Hope results in Submission to God
Implicit to hoping in God is submission to His sovereign rule. To hope in God is to stand in awe of Him and His power with the confidence that God will faithfully perform His word.
Consequently, hope and fear of God are often expressed together
Ps. 33:18-20 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. 18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. .
Ps. 147:10-11 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; 11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Pr. 23:17-18 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. 18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
A person filled with hope, real hope, does not fear what the world fears, or rely on earthly things. Rather than fearing the things of this world and placing hope in the world's solutions., our Hope is profound trust in the righteous character of God.
Jer. 17:5 This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Let us be careful that we do not have a greater of what we see around us rather than in God. A misplaced fear results in a reliance in self and the methods, techniques and ideologies of this world.
Conclusion
We can rest in the assurance that this Hope (real hope) is fastened with God's own hand, and with Christ's own strength to the pillar of God's unchangeable nature.
Those who put their hope and faith in Christ, have an assurance that the things he hopes for are real (Heb. 11:1); and his hope never disappoints him (Rom. 5:5).
Heb 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
This good hope rests not on the minds of man, the promise of another, or whimsical idea. Rather this hope rests in Jesus Christ who loved us before time, despite our imperfections, or our doubts.
Hope brings answers and perspective in uncertain times like this. This hope removes our doubt and fears that are harbored within the deep crevices of our minds, it takes away our insecurities, and it shines light into our hearts when life is most dark.
A better day is coming, a day of great comfort and irrepressible joy, for all who rest and place their hope in Jesus Christ.
Heb 10:22-23 - So, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
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