12. THE CHRISTIAN HOPE
INTRODUCTION
Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Romans 8:20-25 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
1 Corinthians 15:51-55 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY." 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?"
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Revelation 21:1-4 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Revelation 22:1-5 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
John 14:19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
‘The Bible alone supplies us with the only authentic revelation of the future of saint and sinner alike.’ Herbert Lockyer
“Death in ten thousand shapes hangs ever over our heads, and no man can elude him.’ Homer in ‘The Iliad’.
‘It is to be regretted that eschatology or “the Doctrine of Last Things,” does not occupy the large place it ought to in the minds of men, as well as in the modern pulpit. A generation or so ago, eschatology was a somewhat favorite topic, stressed it may be, at the expense of other aspects of the divine revelation. Today, many recoil from extremes and treat the subject with undeserved neglect. The social gospel tends to concentrate upon the practical, and not the prophetical implications of New Testament truth. Generally speaking, preachers are more at home in the sphere of Christian ethics than in apocalyptic visions. They are more anxious to bring Christ down to earth, than to urge the saints to be ready to be caught up to meet Him in the heavenlies. Why be concerned with ages to come and worlds unknown, when there are so many urgent moral and social problems to settle in the present?
Our answer to this comparative reticence on the part of many as to the larger questions of the Hereafter is that the few years we spend on earth pale into insignificance alongside the unending eternity of the human race. Certainly we should not be negligent as to our present obligations as Christians and as citizens, but the main emphasis in the Bible is condensed for us in the exhortation, “Prepare to meet they God” (Amos 4:12). We have a feeling that too many are silent as to “The Doctrine of Last Things” because they have either not studied them or thought of them to no purpose.
Because man was created to live forever there is in his heart an insatiable curiosity about the Hereafter that cannot be silenced or quenched; and ministers of the Word fail in their solemn task if they do not make available for anxious hearts the Biblical light on the future. Contrary to what we are told about discussion of the future having no practical application, we affirm that Christians who have the strongest hope and most joyous certainty of a life beyond are those who do the most for the world they live in. They are not so heavenly-minded as to be of no earthly use. The Last Things we are now to consider have an immediate and most practical bearing on the present life to the intensity of conviction with which they are held. Eschatology is a powerful factor in shaping conduct, quickening conscience and enforcing the obligations of service for God and man.’ Herbert Lockyer
‘It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day.’ Matthew Henry
THE PURPOSE OF THIS TEACHING (Why is this important?):
- To make sure that we understand the New Testament teaching on hope and that we live in that hope.
- For us to not only be steadfast in hope, but to abound in hope (
- To provide for us a powerful incentive for holiness and purity (1 Jn. 3:3).
- To ensure freedom from the fear of death.
- In order to be a testimony to the world of what a person with true hope looks like and how he or she lives.
MYTHS (FALSE IDEAS ABOUT THIS TOPIC)
MYTH 1: The Christian hope has to do with the potential of the church and individual believers in this life.
THE TRUTH: The primary focus of ‘hope’ in the New Testament is the glory that awaits us in eternity because of the life of Christ that is now already within us (Col. 1:27).
MYTH 2: The Christian hope has nothing to do with this life, but only with the life to come.
THE TRUTH: Even though ‘hope’ in the New Testament speaks primarily of the life to come, there are NT scriptures that address our hope in the fulfillment of God’s promises in the present life.
MYTH 3: The Christian hope is a sincere wish that things will work out the way we want it to.
THE TRUTH: Christian hope is not a wish for something to happen, but rather the assurance of future blessing based on the present knowledge of God’s character and integrity revealed in Christ.
MYTH 4: The Christian hope is not a very certain thing, because God does not want us to be too sure of things, lest we become self-reliant.
THE TRUTH: The Christian hope is absolutely certain, for God cannot lie and He has given us many promises in Christ (Mt. 28:20). This certain hope will not make us self-reliant, but will rather cause us to praise God more abundantly.
MYTH 5: The Christian hope is a complete and exact knowledge of everything that eternity holds in store for us after this present life.
THE TRUTH: There are many things that we do not know concerning the life to come, but that does not need to influence the strength of our hope in the least. Our hope is not based on detailed knowledge of future circumstances and events, but rather on the love of God and His infinite grace and mercy revealed in Christ.
MYTH 6: The Christian hope and human hope for this life are not mutually exclusive. Hence we may hold on to both kinds of hope without any tension.
THE TRUTH: To be disciples of Jesus we have to die to all our hopes in this present world (Mt. 16:25). Only spiritual hope originating in the heart of God counts for this life and the next. We cannot in truth hold on to human hope and spiritual hope at the same time. We have to completely let go of one in order to embrace the other. Our hope is in Christ and hence we must focus completely on Him to obtain the promises given us for this present life (Mt. 6:33).
MYTH 7: We shouldn’t be interested in the subject of prophecy for nobody really knows what’s going to happen.
THE TRUTH: We should certainly not be concerned with ‘prophetic’ detail that is not revealed in the Scriptures, but it is both our privilege and duty to examine and study all of Scripture and prophecy makes up a rather large portion of Scripture (Deut. 29:29).
DEFINITION
Hope
One of the three main elements of Christian character (1Co_13:13). It is joined to faith and love, and is opposed to seeing or possessing (Rom_8:24; 1Jo_3:2). “Hope is an essential and fundamental element of Christian life, so essential indeed, that, like faith and love, it can itself designate the essence of Christianity (1Pe_3:15; Heb_10:23). In it the whole glory of the Christian vocation is centred (Eph_1:18; Eph_4:4).” Unbelievers are without this hope (Eph_2:12; 1Th_4:13). Christ is the actual object of the believer's hope, because it is in his second coming that the hope of glory will be fulfilled (1Ti1:1; Col_1:27; Tit_2:13). It is spoken of as “lively”, i.e., a living, hope, a hope not frail and perishable, but having a perennial life (1Pe_1:3). In Rom_5:2 the “hope” spoken of is probably objective, i.e., “the hope set before us,” namely, eternal life (compare Rom_12:12). In 1Jo_3:3 the expression “hope in him” ought rather to be, as in the Revised Version, “hope on him,” i.e., a hope based on God. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)
GENERAL TEXTS
OLD TESTAMENT
Psalms 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.
Psalms 31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.
Psalms 33:17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
Psalms 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,
Psalms 33:22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.
Psalms 38:15 For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.
Psalms 39:7 "And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.
Psalms 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.
Psalms 62:10 Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.
Psalms 71:5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth.
Psalms 71:14 But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.
Psalms 78:7 That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;
Psalms 119:43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
Psalms 119:49 Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.
Psalms 119:74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word.
Psalms 119:81 My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.
Psalms 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
Psalms 119:147 I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.
Psalms 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.
Psalms 130:7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption.
Psalms 131:3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.
Psalms 146:5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
Psalms 147:11 The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.
Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs 11:7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of the unjust perishes.
Proverbs 23:18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.
Proverbs 24:14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off.
Isaiah 8:17 And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him.
Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Lamentations 3:24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"
Lamentations 3:26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.
NEW TESTAMENT
Acts 2:26 THEREFORE MY HEART REJOICED, AND MY TONGUE WAS GLAD; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL REST IN HOPE.
Acts 24:15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.
Acts 26:6-8 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
Acts 27:20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.
Acts 28:20 For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain."
Romans 4:18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE."
Romans 5:2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:3-4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected itin hope;
Romans 8:24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:12 And again, Isaiah says: "THERE SHALL BE A ROOT OF JESSE; AND HE WHO SHALL RISE TO REIGN OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM THE GENTILES SHALL HOPE."
Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.
1 Corinthians 9:10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.