It is important to first establish what a believer’s hope is. Hope, according to the bible is a confident expectation. It is expecting or anticipating something in confidence and with an assurance that it will happen. This is different from wishful thinking or daydreaming.
When you see clouds gather and the sky begins to darken, it is not wishful thinking to say “I hope this rain falls”. The fact that you mentioned rain is a sort of confidence in what is about to happen. Saying you hope the rain falls is only an expectation of what is about to happen.
For everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus, it is just the same. We have a confident expectation of salvation. The believer’s hope is the manifestation of the promises whose signs we already see.
This hope is in about four dimensions. There is the hope of eternal life, the hope of the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal rest, and the hope of Jesus’ return.
The hope of eternal life is most prominent. John 3:16 tells us that anyone who believes receives eternal life as opposed to perishment. We still call it hope because it is not until we leave this world that we experience the full manifestation of this. However, we have the confidence of this because we know eternal life starts from life on earth, through the quickening of these mortal bodies (Rom. 8:11).
The hope of the resurrection of the dead in Christ talks about our confidence that all those who have died in Christ have only slept (1 Thess. 4:14). Just like our savior, they too will one day be resurrected to life eternal. Testimonies of the dead coming back to life make us more hopeful that this is true.
“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14 NIV
There will come a time when there will be no more tears and sorrow, our bodies will not grow weak or tired, and neither will we be harmed by sickness or death (Rev. 21:4). Till then, we hold on to that hope of eternal rest, when we will rest from all the troubles of this passing world. The joy and incomprehensible peace He gives us solidify our hope.
Finally, we have the hope of Christ’s return. He has promised to never leave not forsake us (Heb. 13:5). We are assured and told to expect that one day, someday, Jesus Christ will return to take us home (Jn. 14:2-6). He will not leave us all alone. He will come back to take us to where we belong; the kingdom of God. We may not be there yet but we have confidence in this because His word tells us that we are already seated in heavenly places, with Him (Eph. 2:6).
But what are the real reasons why a believer can hold on to this hope?
The credibility of God’s word. Over the years, God has proved Himself so credible that we are allowed to take His word hook, line, sinker, fisherman and boat. We are allowed to take God’s word for it because He has proved over and over to be trustworthy. We can believe just because God said so.
“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? “
Numbers 23:19 NIV
The apostles and many men of old have tried His word and have proved it to be consistent. Someone may say “But the bible is still just a book.” Well, the Bible is not just any book. Even if it were, even scientists trust the credibility of publications. Many people have studied the bible and have confirmed it.
If we believe one part of the scriptures to be accurate and whole then we must believe the whole of scripture to be accurate and whole and true.
As a believer, you are allowed to have this hope because God says so.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Matthew 24:35 NIV
Jesus was raised to life. When there was some dispute on the matter of resurrection in the early church, the Apostle Paul cleared the air by informing the church that if Christ was not raised to life then we have no reason for our hope (1 Cor. 15:12-19).
The very essence of all that we hope for as Christians is the resurrection of Jesus, that He was born, beaten, killed, and resurrected all for our sake. That resurrection was the final blow to sin that brought us the wonderful promises we can now hold on to. He allowed us access to the life after earth, which we will all enjoy whether we are alive at his second coming or not.
The Holy Spirit within a believer is hope. The scripture helps us understand that the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a form of downpayment for the life that we are soon to come into (Eph. 1:14).
When Jesus was about to leave the earth, He gave us another Comforter, The Holy Spirit to help us through our walk on earth till He returns for us (Jn. 14:16). The Holy Spirit is the assurance of a believer’s salvation and a reminder that Jesus will still come back for us.
This is an important topic for Christians because it helps us propagate the kingdom agenda better. People will ask you about what you believe and why you do. When they do, you must be ready to give answers. Jesus is the reason for a believer’s hope.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
Heb. 10: 23 NIV
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