My friends,
We see that hope is a gift from God, a favor or grace, as absolutely all good things are in His world here.
The meaning of “hope,” we found, was an expectation of something fruitful in the future, a future good…
Hope and faith, or trust, are closely allied, being kin to each other: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” So, trusting faith is believing the assurance, and having the expectation of God’s promise of future good.
Let’s continue our journey in the New Covenant. You may remember the things we learned last time:
1. The name of Jesus provides the gentiles, the pagans, with hope, or expectation of future good. Matthew 12:21
2. There’s misplaced or mistaken hope like Herod looking for amusement from Jesus the celebrity; and the Jews (Judeans) expecting the physically conquering Jesus the first time around; and the Jews putting their hope (and consequent trust) in Moses. Luke 23:8, Luke 24:21, John 5:45
3. The hope of the resurrection of the righteous and the restoration of the 12 tribes of Israel was central to Judaism, so Paul zeroed in on this key theme. Acts 23:6, Acts 24:15, Acts 26:6-7
4. Abraham had tremendous expectation of future good, since the circumstances screamed that the prophesy of God was bogus…but his belief was counted as righteousness. Remember that hope and faith are kin. Here we see his enduring dependence on God’s promise. Romans 4:18
5. Our future good is also to receive more of the glory of God. Romans 5:2
6. Hope will grow through a series of gracious and difficult life experiences that allow us to exult in God’s work with us…Hope is never seen, but always future. Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:24-25,
7. We rejoice, yes, and exult in hope. The Word gives us expectation of future good. Again, the perseverance in tribulation… Romans 12:12, Romans 15:4
8. Our wonderful God is the creator, dispenser, and sustainer of all our hope. He is our Hope. He is all Life. The Holy Spirit brings us the power to do so. Romans 15:13, Hebrews 12:1-3
Now we move ahead:
9. Evangelists, like Paul, expected monetary support from the assembly of believers so all would hope in the spiritual harvest God would bring. Also, the ministry of the Spirit brings new glory and boldness to their speech since His hope is ever present.
1 Cor. 9:10-11 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?
2 Cor. 3:8, 12 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?….Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech…
10. The all consuming love of God, even as Paul uses hyperbole (extreme exaggeration) here, mostly bears, believes in, endures, and hopes for the best.
1 Cor. 13:7 (love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
11. Christ is the only One that can be the main focus of our hope, as He delivers us out of all our tribulations. Every one…He is the hope of our glory both now and in the new kingdom.
2 Cor. 1:10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us…
Col. 1:27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
12. Pagans have no hope…none. It may appear they are happy and well contented. But in the quiet times of their heart, they know the truth. They seek to drown out that nagging conviction with loads of money, amusement, and other carnal pleasure. Even as we were once counted with them, their plight is hopeless. We have joy but they have constant grief.
Ephes. 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
1 Thes. 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
13. God’s calling us to Himself is a constant source of our future hope. And the real gospel preached in the Spirit brings that hope.
Ephes. 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Col. 1:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
14. As with all spiritual disciplines with God, hope requires the trait of consistency or we can walk away from it. Paul called it being steadfast since if we stop trusting, we don’t believe, and move away from this great hope, and are then lost with the last state worse than the first.
Col. 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
1 Thes. 1:3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father
15. Hope can ever spring from the fruit God gives us in the souls of other men who God graciously saves due to our co-labor with Him.
1 Thes. 2:19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?
16. And the final salvation of our own souls waits its finality since we were saved, are being saved, and will be saved. Steadfastness negates moving away.
1 Thes. 5:8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
17. Our Lord Jesus and God our Father jointly in loving grace dispense not only hope, but “good” hope! What a Lord and Savior….
2 Thes. 2:16-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
Are we in need of God now for our current trail? Is our hope dimming at the weariness of it all? Again we end with another present hope. The Rock is waiting for us.
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Every grace today, beloved….
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
After your comment below, please read the other parts of this series:
HOPE IN DIFFICULT TIMES! PART 1 [MONDAY MANNA 74]
HOPE IN DIFFICULT TIMES! PART 3 [MONDAY MANNA 76]
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
You may view our Archives here: MONDAY MANNA – ARCHIVES; Complete Archives; feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
