A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"
Study #64 - Having Hope
Thus far in our studies in the New Testament on the word "hope" we have primarily been looking at the "objective" side of the believer's hope, that is, at the objects that make up the hope of the Christian: salvation, eternal life, resurrection, glorification, etc. In this sense we may state with the Scriptures that our hope is "laid up" for us "in heaven" (Colossians 1:5). In other Scriptures we find the "subjective" side of hope, that our hope in another sense also resides in us. E.W. Bullinger noted that "hope" may be either objective or subjective. He described our subjective hope as "a well-grounded expectation and a gladly and firmly held prospect of future good" and our objective hope as "the expected good, that for which we hope." I Peter 3:15 exhorts the suffering believer to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." This speaks of the hope of the Christian as an inward possession. In other passages this aspect of hope is simply described as "having hope". For example:
Romans 15:4 - "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
II Corinthians 3:12 - "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech."
Hebrews 6:9 - "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil."
This "having hope" or the inward possession of hope is a privilege unknown to the unbeliever. Twice we read of those who "have no hope":
Ephesians 2:12 - "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."
I Thessalonians 4:13 - "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."
These verses do not speak of the vain and imaginary "hopes" that men may have (some "hopes" are purely human in origin), but of the true and genuine hope that comes from believing in Christ (the Christian hope). The Christian possesses an inward hope that does not originate in himself. The possession is inward but the source and placement is outward, or better yet, God-ward. The reason an unbeliever has no such hope is because he is "without Christ" and "without God" (Ephesians 2:12). It is impossible to speak of the subjective hope of the Christian apart from their objective hope in God and His Word. Thus the very first passage we cited that speaks of "having hope" points to the source of that hope as being found in the "patience" (i.e. perseverance or endurance) and "comfort" (or possibly admonition) we are taught by the Scriptures (Romans 15:4). And the verse following that immediately attributes the granting of such patience and comfort that allows us to "have hope" to "The God of patience and consolation" (Romans 15:5). Therefore the possession of hope is directly related to the placement of hope in God and His Word. Our subjective hope is only as good as our Object of 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 15:13
