We sometimes get confused with the words hope, believe or belief, trust and faith and use the words interchangeably. Biblically, they are not the same although they may be similar in some context. Their clarity may help us in our bible study, prayer lives and meditations in Christ Jesus.
Using the wrong word may confuse God’s intended message for or what we intend to say to God. Nevertheless God knows our hearts and may respond subject to his grace. James 4: 3 says you ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
What is hope?
Hope is the wish for a favourable outcome of an event. Hope is of the mind. What we hope for may or may not happen. Job 8: 13 says the hope of the godless shall perish. Therefore hope has no direct foundation capable of producing an expected result. In Job 11: 18 hope comes from confidence. Confidence is also based on subjective human analysis.
Hope is therefore wishful thinking in expectation or fulfillment. Jesus said in Matthew 12: 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope. Although the name of Jesus was certain to yield results when invoked, it was permissive by the word “will” for the doubting Gentiles to investigate its workable potency. Paul wrote of Abraham in Romans 4: 18 hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations…” So Abraham had great expectations without certainty of an inner conviction.
Paul’s explanations
Paul wrote with reference to hope in Philippians 1: 20 It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. Paul was sure of his boldness of speech and how God had been exalted in his life yet he could not guarantee if the Philippians would accept his teachings.
Paul drilled down the fact of expectation in Colossians 1: 27 to them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Paul in contrast meant that hope should not be on the emptiness of the mind but on Christ Jesus. In other words if we admit Jesus into our hearts, our expectation will translate to glory in Christ Jesus.
Paul used hope as belief
Paul interchanged hope with belief when he wrote in Romans 5: 4-5… character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Hope built on the Holy Spirit is rather belief.
Paul affirmed the above position when he wrote in Romans 8: 24-25 for in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. What is visible ceases to be expected except that which is of the mind. He uses a helmet with the hope of salvation in 1 Thessalonians 5: 8 to advise us to protect the mind.
Paul’s references to hope in Christ in 1 Timothy 1: 1; 1 Peter 1: 13 meant that in our minds Christ Jesus must be our protector. Although a helmet is visible to the sight, it cannot guarantee protecting the head from injury except with Jesus whose ways remain unknown. In effect, since Paul used Christ Jesus as a point of reference regarding hope, he meant believing in Jesus’ saves.
Points for meditation
Do we have great expectations (hope) of meeting Christ Jesus one day? He will come again as our judge based on righteousness and not to save. Let our hope in Christ Jesus the Saviour of the world translate so we may be counted worthy when he comes.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching us that hope is empty without you for in you we have our being. We repent on pitching our hopes on the emptiness of life rather than on you. Please Lord Jesus, help us to focus our minds on you as the Saviour of our souls in your precious blood, Amen!!
