Holding on To Hope Pt 3: Hope’s Essential Role
In our journey so far, we've explored what biblical hope truly is and how faith provides the foundation for our hope. Today, we'll examine why hope is essential for every believer and its vital role in our spiritual development and daily life.
The Trinity of Spiritual Virtues
In 1 Corinthians 13:13, the Apostle Paul concludes his famous discourse on love with these words: "And now faith, hope, charity, these three remain; but the greatest of these is charity."
This verse reveals a profound truth:
Faith, hope, and love are the three essential spiritual virtues: God doesn't list these three qualities randomly. These specific virtues are meant to work together in the life of every believer. Just as a three-legged stool needs all three legs to remain stable, our spiritual lives require all three virtues to function properly.
These three are meant to remain active in our lives: The word "remain" indicates permanence. These aren't temporary spiritual experiences or seasonal aspects of our walk with God. Faith, hope, and love are constant, enduring qualities that define our relationship with God and others.
Each serves a unique purpose: While love may be the greatest, all three are necessary. Faith connects us to God's promises, hope sustains our expectation for their fulfillment, and love transforms our character to reflect God's nature.
The absence of any one creates imbalance: Remove faith, and you lose your foundation. Remove love, and you lose your motivation. Remove hope, and you lose your perseverance. All three must be present and active for a healthy spiritual life.
Hope: The Key to Future Expectation
Ephesians 1:17-18 gives us further insight into hope's importance: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."
Paul's prayer teaches us:
Hope is something we should understand and operate in: Paul specifically prays for believers to "know" the hope of God's calling. This isn't a casual awareness but a deep, experiential knowledge that affects how we live.
Hope is connected to our calling: Our hope isn't arbitrary or self-determined; it's directly tied to God's specific calling on our lives. Understanding our divine purpose fuels our hope.
Hope allows us to see beyond current circumstances: The phrase "eyes of your heart enlightened" speaks to spiritual perception that transcends natural limitations. Hope gives us vision that reaches beyond what our physical eyes can see.
Hope reveals the "riches of the glory" of our inheritance: Hope doesn't just sustain us; it reveals the magnitude of what God has prepared for us. Through hope, we begin to comprehend the extravagant nature of God's provision.
The Distinct Role of Hope
When we look at the three essential spiritual virtues, each one serves a specific function:
Faith: The key to natural manifestations of biblical promises in your life
Faith is present-tense; it believes and receives now
Faith connects you to God's promises
Faith activates God's power in your current situation
Faith transforms spiritual realities into natural manifestations
Hope: The key to future expectation of more and better
Hope is future-tense; it expects and anticipates what is coming
Hope sustains you between receiving by faith and seeing manifestation
Hope creates excitement about what God will do next
Hope provides stability during the waiting period
Hope gives you resilience to endure until breakthrough
Love: The key to character identification of the true believer
Love is the ultimate expression of God's nature in us
Love transforms our motivation and character
Love validates our faith and hope
Love demonstrates that we truly belong to God
Consider this practical illustration: Faith says, "I am healed according to God's Word." Hope says, "I expect to see this healing manifest fully in my body." Love says, "While I wait, I will extend the same compassion to others that God has extended to me."
Three Key Results from Operating in Hope
When hope becomes active in your life, it produces tangible results:
1. It changes how we see ourselves
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
Hope transforms our self-perception: Instead of seeing yourself through the lens of past failures or current struggles, hope enables you to see yourself as God sees you - a new creation with unlimited potential.
Hope activates our new identity: When you have biblical hope, you begin to think, speak, and act according to who God says you are rather than who you've been. Your expectations align with your God-given identity.
Hope separates us from our past: Biblical hope doesn't just anticipate the future; it helps us break free from the limitations of our history. It declares that your past doesn't determine your future.
Hope connects us to God's perspective: We begin to see ourselves not as we are, but as we are becoming through God's transformative work.
2. It changes how we respond to current conditions
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7
Hope prevents desperate reactions: When you expect God's intervention, you don't need to panic or react from a place of fear when challenging circumstances arise.
Hope instills supernatural peace: The peace that "passes understanding" becomes your reality when hope is active. You can remain calm in situations that would normally cause anxiety.
Hope transforms our prayer life: Rather than begging God from a place of desperation, you pray with confidence and thanksgiving, knowing He is already working on your behalf.
Hope keeps us steady: Instead of emotional ups and downs based on changing circumstances, hope anchors your emotions to God's faithfulness.
Hope gives us patience: Knowing that what God has promised will come to pass gives you the ability to wait without frustration or abandoning your faith.
3. It changes what we do and how we live our lives
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath beforeordained that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10
Hope influences our daily decisions: When you have genuine hope, you make choices based on where you're going, not just where you are.
Hope affects our investment of time, talent, and treasure: How you spend your resources is directly impacted by what you're expecting God to do.
Hope expands our vision: Instead of focusing only on immediate needs, hope enables us to see the bigger picture of God's plan and align our lives accordingly.
Hope motivates persistent effort: As the saying goes, "If you don't expect much, you don't do much." Biblical hope creates the expectation that motivates diligent pursuit of God's promises.
Hope produces confidence in action: When you're convinced of God's faithfulness, you act boldly rather than timidly, knowing God is working through your efforts.
Four Key Rewards and Blessings that Come from Hope
Beyond changing how we live, hope also brings specific blessings into our lives:
1. It gives us joy and peace
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13
Joy that transcends circumstances: This isn't happiness based on favorable conditions, but deep gladness rooted in confident expectation of God's faithfulness.
Peace that guards our hearts: When hope is active, worry and anxiety are displaced by a settled confidence in God's promises.
Abundance of hope: Notice that the verse speaks of "abounding" in hope. As we exercise hope, it grows and multiplies, creating a positive cycle of increasing expectation.
Supernatural empowerment: This hope isn't generated by human optimism but by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us.
2. It gives us protection
"Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine." - Psalm 33:18-19
Divine attention: Hope attracts God's watchful care. When we hope in His mercy, we position ourselves under His protective gaze.
Deliverance from death: Hope provides supernatural protection from forces that would destroy us - whether physical, spiritual, emotional, or relational.
Provision in times of lack: Even when natural resources are scarce, hope connects us to God's supernatural provision.
Security in uncertain times: Hope creates a shelter of divine protection around those who trust in God's promises.
3. It gives us strength, courage, and boldness
"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD." - Psalm 31:24
Inner strength when we feel weak: Hope infuses supernatural strength into our spirits, enabling us to stand when we would otherwise fall.
Courage to face intimidating situations: Biblical hope confronts fear with the confident expectation of God's intervention.
Boldness to step into new territory: Hope empowers us to move beyond comfortable limitations and embrace the adventures of faith.
Persistence through faith battles: When the fight of faith becomes wearisome, hope renews our determination to continue standing.
4. It gives us endurance, comfort, confidence in the face of death
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13
Comfort in loss: Hope provides a unique comfort that the world cannot offer when facing loss or grief.
Eternal perspective: Biblical hope extends beyond this life, giving us confidence in God's promises about eternity.
Endurance through extended trials: When challenges persist, hope enables us to maintain our stance of faith without wavering.
Confidence that transcends mortality: Even the ultimate human fear - death itself - loses its power when confronted with the hope of resurrection.
Practical Steps for Cultivating Hope
To experience these benefits, we must actively cultivate hope in our lives:
Daily immerse yourself in God's promises: Hope is nourished by the Word of God. Regularly feed on Scripture, especially passages that speak to your specific circumstances.
Surround yourself with hope-filled believers: Hope is contagious. Spend time with people whose hope is vibrant and avoid those who consistently feed doubt and negativity.
Speak words of hope: Your words either strengthen or weaken your hope. Make a conscious effort to speak what God says about your future.
Celebrate past faithfulness: Regularly recall and give thanks for times when God has proven Himself faithful. These testimonies strengthen hope for current challenges.
Take hope-filled actions: Act today in ways that align with what you're hoping for tomorrow. Your actions reinforce your expectations.
Conclusion
Hope isn't optional for the believer - it's essential. Without faith, we can't connect to God's promises. Without love, we can't reflect His character. Without hope, we can't maintain our expectations through delays and challenges.
As you cultivate biblical hope in your life, you'll discover its transformative power - changing how you see yourself, respond to circumstances, and live your daily life. The rewards of hope - joy, peace, protection, strength, courage, and endurance - will become increasingly evident as you learn to hope according to God's Word.
Remember: You need faith to inherit the promises, you need love to reflect God's character, and you need hope to walk in expectation of the better things God has prepared for you.
Join us for Part 4 of our series, where we'll explore the specific rewards that come from maintaining biblical hope in every season of life.