Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #57 - Waiting in Hope

We have been considering some of the elements that constitute the fullness of the believer's hope in Christ by looking at some of the descriptive phrases used in the New Testament in connection with the word "hope".  Last time we looked at the promise that the believer in Christ can "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).  We would just like to add to that study the thought that we can presently rejoice even though the glory we shall experience is yet in the future.  This is because the future hope we are promised by God in His Word is as certain as a present fact!  If we can rejoice now because of what awaits us, how much more will we rejoice in that day when our hope in Christ is fulfilled?  There is indeed a fullness of hope that we now possess even as we await the fulfillment of hope to come.  The Apostle Paul includes this present rejoicing as a vital part of the responsibilities and privileges of the Christian life:  "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer ..." (Romans 12:11,12).  Likewise, the writer of the Book of Hebrews exhorts us to maintain this rejoicing unto the end of our earthly lives: "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end" (Hebrews 3:6).  In other words, it is an evidence of Christ dwelling in us that we continually hope as well as continue to hope all of our days.  But all of this is also a reminder that much of what we hope for is yet future and therefore we must wait for the ultimate fulfillment of our hope in Christ.  In Galatians 5:5 we read these words:  "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith."  We must wait in faith for this aspect of our Christian hope to be fulfilled.  We have seen the close connection between hoping and waiting already several times in this study.  In the Old Testament we saw that the root meaning of one of the Hebrew words for "hope" (Hebrew - yahal) was in fact "to wait".   Likewise we considered the Greek word "prosdekomai" (waiting, looking) in connection with the Messianic hope of those who looked for the coming of the Christ (see study#48, Jan.5, 2014 for example).  Here we find yet another word translated "wait", the Greek word "apekdekomai".  The Pulpit Commentary states that this verb "in all the six other passages in which it is found, is used with reference to objects or events pertaining to the close of the present dispensation:  Rom. 8:19,23,25; I Cor. 1:7; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28."  It also notes that being a compound verb probably makes it intensive in meaning "expressing thorough-goingness; an entirely assured, steadfast expectation, persistent to the end" (emphasis mine).  It must be noted that the Apostle Paul credits this expectant waiting to the Holy Spirit within the believer:  "For we through the Spirit wait ..." (vs.5).  While some would make this refer to the spirit of the believer (we wait in our spirit, wait in a spiritual way, inwardly, etc. as opposed to in our flesh or in a fleshly, merely external way, etc.) the mention of the Holy Spirit both before (3:2-5,14; 4:6) and after this verse (5:18, 22-25) indicates that it is the personal agency of the indwelling Spirit of God within the believer that produces and makes such waiting possible.  Vincent rightly comments:  "(It is) the Holy Spirit who inspires our faith.... (These words) are not to be taken as one conception, the Spirit which is of faith, but present two distinct and coordinate facts which characterize the waiting for the hope of righteousness; namely, the agency of the Holy Spirit, in contrast with the flesh ..., and faith, in contrast with the works of the law ..." (emphasis mine).  But what is meant here by our waiting for "the hope of righteousness"?  Certainly not that we hope to one day receive righteousness in the sense of being justified before God.  We have already been declared righteous (i.e. justified) by God through our faith in Christ (Galatians 2:16; 3:6,11,24, etc.).  The "hope of righteousness" must therefore mean the hope that results from righteousness (which is freely granted by faith alone in Christ alone).  John Wesley stated that this speaks of the reward of our faith in Christ:  "The righteousness we hope for, and full reward of it.  This righteousness we receive of God through faith; and by faith we shall obtain the reward" (emphasis mine).  The comments in The Pulpit Commentary are again helpful:  "We Christians, as led by the Spirit of adoption, do rest in the confident anticipation of receiving the inheritance which is the future award of the righteous, on the ground of our faith in the Lord Jesus" (emphasis mine).  So while righteousness is imputed to the believer presently by faith in Christ, the hope of righteousness (that is, its reward) awaits us in the future. We should also note that although we have received the righteousness of Christ imputed to us at salvation, the work of imparting and restoring righteousness to the believer through sanctification is a process that will not be fully completed until our glorification in eternity.  Only then will the righteousness which is by faith have its full effect.  As believers we possess righteousness in Christ by faith, pursue the practice of righteousness in life, but will be perfected in righteousness in heaven. Until then we must wait, but wait in faith and in full expectation and joyful anticipation of joining in eternal fellowship with "the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven ... the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:23).

Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #56 - Rejoicing in Hope

In our last post we ended with a listing of some of the phrases found in the Epistles of the New Testament that describe the abounding hope given to the believer in Christ Jesus.  The first of these is found in Romans 5:1,2 - "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  The Apostle Paul has spent five chapters expounding upon the great Gospel truth of justification by faith alone.  And now at chapter five we come to a "therefore" which indicates a shift from doctrinal facts to practical application of those facts:  from the cause of our justification before God to the effects of our justification from God.  "Being justified by faith" = the basis of our salvation; "We have therefore" = the benefits of our salvation.  It is due solely to God's grace received through faith in Christ that these benefits and blessings are ours; they cannot be received any other way, nor can they belong to those outside of faith in Him.  What are some of the results of our justification through Christ?  1) Peace with God; 2) Access into God's grace; and 3) Hope of God's glory!  God is at peace with the justified believer; We are at peace with Him.  The enmity between us has been removed and the conflict is forever ended (see Ephesians 2:13,14).  The justified believer has access into the grace of God.  Our entrance into grace (God's unmerited favor and approval) is freely granted; Our standing in grace is fully guaranteed (see Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-22).  Both are given by God's grace and both are received by faith in Christ.  And the believer may rejoice in the expectation (hope) of the glory of God!  But what does this mean exactly?  What is this "glory of God" that we may joyfully expect to receive?  Godet defines it as "the glorious state which God Himself possesses, and into which He will admit the faithful."  In other words it is what theologians call "the glorification of the believer" in eternity.  This "glorification" will consist of an unimaginable and indescribable change in the believer that will complete our salvation and crown our Savior's work in us.  It will entail at least two amazing things that will equip us for dwelling forever in the Presence of God's absolute Perfection and Holiness:  1) The transference of God's communicable attributes to us.  In some way God will share His glory with us.  We will not be deified or become "little gods" as some claim, but we will participate to some degree in the fulness of his love, mercy, grace and goodness as He imparts these aspects of His glory to us for all eternity.  "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and join-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:17,18).  2) The transformation of the believer by God's glory.  We will be given a new body like unto Christ's glorious body:  eternally pure and free from sin's penalty, power, practice and presence!  The old sin nature will finally be eradicated entirely and forever.  Our spirit will dominate us rather than the flesh.  We will finally enjoy all that is pure, holy, righteous and good without the taint and temptation of the old man.  We will be enabled to love God and to enjoy Him forever!  "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body ..." (Philippians 3:20,21).  "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (I Corinthians 15:48,49).  This is the hope of the Glory of God in which we may rejoice!  Such a hope may remain confident even in the midst of trials and tribulations - "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also" (Romans 5:3).  In fact, such a hope is made stronger by tribulations - "knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience hope" (vs.3,4).  Our being tested and tried serves only to increase our hope, not diminish it.  And such a hope will never disappoint us - "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (vs.5).  How can we dare to claim such a strong hope?  Because the basis of our hope of future glorification is Christ dwelling in us:  "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col.1:27). How amazing is God's grace to us in Christ.  We who as sinners all "fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) are now made to "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).  The only difference being that by faith in Christ we are now justified before God!

Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #55 - Abounding in Hope

As we pass from the Book of Acts into the Epistles of the New Testament we find that the subject of the believer's hope is greatly expanded.  While in the Gospels "hope" is primarily centered in the promise of the Messiah (the Messianic Hope), and in the Acts "hope" is plainly linked with the promise of the resurrection (of Christ and of the believer in Christ), in the Epistles we find a plenitude of expressions which serve to reveal the fullness of the believer's hope in Christ.  We have defined "hope" as "the happy anticipation and confident expectation of future good."  And of course we must further define our "Christian hope" as being centered in those "good things" that God has promised to us in His Word.  It is in studying the New Testament Epistles that we come to find out just how plentiful and bountiful the hope we have been given in Christ Jesus really is:  "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope ... Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:4,13).  There is an abounding fullness of hope given by the God of hope to those who will believe all that He has written in the Holy Scriptures.  This abounding in hope is the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer as He illuminates the promises of God to us and impresses the truth of the Word into our hearts and lives, filling us with hope, patience, comfort, joy and peace!  What are some of the elements of this abundance of hope that we find in the New Testament Scriptures?  We may find them in the descriptive phrases the New Testament writers attach to the word "hope".  We have already seen in the Book of Acts such phrases as: "the hope of the promise" and "the hope of Israel" both expressing the truth of "the hope of the resurrection" (Acts 23:6; 26:6; 28:20).  We may add to these the following from the epistles:

1) Romans 5:2 - "By whom (Christ) also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

2) Galatians 5:5 - "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith."

3) Ephesians 1:18 - "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his (God's) calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."

4) Ephesians 4:4  - "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling."

5) Colossians 1:23 - "If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not move away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard ...."

6) Colossians 1:27 - "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory."

7) I Thessalonians 5:8 - "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

8) Titus 1:2 - "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."

9) Titus 3:7 - "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

All of these prepositional phrases help to define what all is included in the believer's hope.  This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the descriptions of hope found in the New Testament, but it is a start.  We plan to consider some of these passages in more detail as we go along, but for now a reading of them should give us a sense of the overflowing abundance of hope imparted to the believer in Christ.