No God, no hope. Know God, know hope.
The situation is hopeless!” Such statements of despair can be heard in every people group of the world, any hour of any day. There is likely someone in your neighborhood who is currently seeing life this way—maybe even in your own home. Is this what God intended when He created humans? No, but it became one of the hardest consequences of sin since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. The good news is that there is indeed hope!
“The creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who has subjected the same in hope, because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans … in pain together until now. …even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for it? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Rom. 8:20-25)
A promise in the past
Having reached many Gentiles, the day came when Paul found himself on trial before a council of unbelieving Jewish leaders, with whom he himself had been closely affiliated just a few years earlier. In fact, such a group had commissioned him to go to persecute Christians in surrounding territories. His life had been magnificently and eternally changed by his personal encounter with the resurrected Christ. When he got the brief chance to explain himself, what did he choose to tell the Council? “I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” (Acts 23:6)
Later, on trial before Agrippa and Festus, he elaborated further and said, “And now I stand … for the hope of the promise made by God unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes … hope to come. For which hope’s sake … I am accused of the Jews” (Acts 26:6-7). He concluded his defense by saying, “Having therefore obtained help from God, I continue unto this day … saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shed light unto the people, and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23).
From ages past, God had a message of good news, a gospel of hope. He offered it as “the hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20). But it was also true, even in the Old Testament, that this hope was also intended for the Gentiles (cf. Mt. 12:21 and Rom. 15:121). God was pointing to a resurrection to eternal righteousness (Acts 24:15) and the proof of this promise was given by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This historical fact was to give them hope.
A possession in the present
To the apostles, this hope was not just some vague form of wishful longing. Rather, it was absolutely sure; it was a confident anticipation. Though not yet fully seen, it was a possession they had in their day, as do we in ours. The writer to the Hebrews would say, “That … we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters …within the veil” (Heb. 6:18-19).
The gospel proclaims the resurrected and ascended Christ who has gone ahead of us into the most holy place. This fact makes the soul of the believer completely secure, regardless of the storms that may threaten our peace. Our hope is in Christ, the bedrock into which we are embedded. Furthermore, the Spirit reminds us that our “hope of glory” is “Christ in you” (Col. 1:27).
That is why Paul could say so confidently, “you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23). Being a minister of the gospel, Paul was thereby a minister of hope. This has present day implications.
The Spirit led John to write, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that has this hope [fixed on] Him purifies himself, even as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:2-3). The Scriptures teach that God takes His people through a lifelong process of purification. John implies that the hope of the gospel will be a catalyst for it. In a chemical reaction, a catalyst is a substance that makes the reaction occur more effectively, without being used up itself. So it is with hope: if we truly appreciate what the Father has in store for eternity, we will be transformed far more effectively here and now. Yet our hope is not consumed in the process; it is always there—in fact, it is laid up in heaven (Col. 1:4-5).
Peter, too, shows its practicality: “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet. 3:15, NIV). The assumption here is that if this hope is real to us, it will be noticeable to others who do not have such a hope; there will be opportunities to tell them of Christ. How confidently and joyfully the apostles spoke of this hope! How about us? Do we appreciate that we have something that others don’t have? God intends for our confidence to be an evangelistic tool.
A fulfillment in the future
The most exciting component of the hope of the gospel is the future that we eagerly anticipate. Romans 8 tells us that we possess the hope but do not yet possess that in which we hope. True, and yet we do, since our hope is in God, and He indwells us by His Spirit until the day when all aspects of who we are (spirit, soul, and body) will be united in redemption. It is the hope of righteousness (Gal. 5:5) that is yet to come, though it has begun now. It is the hope of His calling (Eph. 1:18), even though we have already been made His children.
Our future in heaven is a future with Him. It is not about having our circumstances changed from this fallen earthly scene to one of celestial beauty. Rather it is “ hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2). It is “He on whom we have set our hope” (2 Cor. 1:10). “We have fixed our hope on the living God” (1 Tim. 4:10; 5:5; 6:17). Our “ blessed hope [is] the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
As 1 Peter 1 summarizes, it is a living hope that was promised long ages ago and that the prophets of old and the angels long to look into. It is meant to carry us through our present trials and struggles. We can be girded and ready for action, as we “fix [our] hope completely on the grace to be brought to [us] at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” He Himself is our hope (1 Tim. 1:1). Therefore, the good news of Jesus Christ is indeed a gospel of hope.
Endnote
1 These NT passages quote from the OT; the word “trust” in the KJV is translated “hope” elsewhere.