Bible Study
Faith is the assurance, confidence, conviction, confirmation that we have the things we desire and hope for. These are the things divinely guaranteed in God’s promises, the targets of faith. The things we hope for (Hebrews 11:1), and the things we desire (Mark 11:24). All the beautiful and glorious things that pertains to life and godliness (II Peter 1:3 NKJV), which has been made available to us in Christ Jesus.
This conviction that God will come through for us is solidly hinged and anchored by hope; the joyful and confident expectation that we will indeed see and experience these things. Hope sustains our confidence that our faithful God will bring His promises to pass in our lives (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Hope doesn’t just keep us joyful and confident, it keeps us at peace (Romans 15:13) while we believe and remain in faith.
But hope is not self-sustaining; on it’s own, ‘hope’ is merely a word and can be casually used as defined by the dictionary….
Biblical hope is not an aspiration, a wish, or a preferred outcome. It is not a want for something to happen or for something to be the case. It is not a feeling of expectation or desire for a particular thing to happen. It is not a feeling of trust. Biblical hope is not ce sera sera (whatever will be will be), it is not ‘maybe‘ or if God wills. This hope doesn’t rest on a fleece. It does not look up to human or mortality, neither is it based on what is seen or visible to the human eyes (Romans 8:24; Job 17:15)
Biblical hope is founded on the Word of God…
“Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.”
Psalms 119:49 NKJV
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , And whose hope is the Lord.
Jeremiah 17:7 NKJV
“I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.”
Acts 24:15 NKJV
“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.“
Psalms 39:7 NKJV
This hope is from God, it is living, sure and steadfast…
“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“
I Peter 1:3 NKJV
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil”
Hebrews 6:19 NKJV
It keeps us from growing faint….
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”
Proverbs 13:12 NKJV
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil”
Hebrews 6:19 NKJV
It does not disappoint….
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Romans 5:5 NKJV
This hope keeps us joyful while we wait for the manifestation of the things we desire; for a revealing of the glory of God….
“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 NKJV
“rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer”
Romans 12:12 NKJV
This hope keeps us at rest/peace while we wait….
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.”
Psalms 16:9 NKJV
“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 NKJV
It helps us wait patiently…
“remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,”
I Thessalonians 1:3 NKJV
We can Praise while we wait because we have hope…
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.”
Psalms 42:5 NKJV
This hope gives us boldness to speak while we wait…
“Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—
II Corinthians 3:12 NKJV
Halleluyah!!!!
The divine guarantee that the things we desire and hope for will manifest is…. Christ in us….
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Colossians 1:27 NKJV
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope“
I Timothy 1:1 NKJV
Our Hope is in….. Christ in Us!!!
Victory, triumph, good manifestations, glory is assured because Christ, the greater One is in us…
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
I John 4:4 NKJV
So we confidently, happily, joyfully expect the things we desire and hope for, yes we praise and thank the Father for them while they are unseen physically. We know that good things are coming our way! So we wait patiently with rested and peaceful hearts. We will not grow faint while we wait, no, because we know that this hope does not disappoint. And if anyway asks us why we so confidently and boldly declare that victory, glory is ours, we say “because our hope is in Christ the everlasting Rock that cannot fail.” Halleluyah!!
Thank You Father!!!
