Hope.  This is a wonderful word.  In fact, some people are named after this wonderful word.  I have a niece with a middle name of “Hope.”  I know people who are called by this name “Hope” on a regular basis.  It is no wonder that parents name their children after this word, because this is a wonderful word.  We are also told to rejoice in hope in Romans 12:12.

HOPE DEFINED.  When we think about just what this word means, it means “expectation.”  In the sense in which I am using this word, which is the same sense in which the New Testament uses this word to describe the Christian life, this word means “expectation of good.”  In other words, hope is desire with expectation to receive.  Hebrews 6:19 calls the hope that we have as Christians as “an anchor of the soul.”

REASONS TO HOPE.  One reason we have to hope is because Christ was raised from the dead, and we hope to be raised to enter into our heavenly home, I Corinthians 15.  We hope, because God has told us that we shall escape destruction through faithful                     obedience (II Thessalonians 1:7-9, Revelation 2:10).  We hope, because we have the hope of living eternally in Heaven, Titus 1:2.  We hope for a better home.  II Corinthians 5:2 says, “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:”.

HOPING TO THE END.  It is so important that we live with hope unto the end.  This will help us to enjoy all of the spiritual blessings that Christ offers to the faithful in Him (Ephesians 1:3).  In John 10:10, Jesus says, “. . . I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  By living in hope, we are firmly “anchored,” and we have a peace that passes all understanding, knowing that we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us (Hebrews 6:19, Philippians 4:13).  By living in hope, our desired expectation will be fulfilled as we reach our goal of Heaven (Colossians 1:27).  Brothers and sisters, let us hope to the end!

-Jason Gann, TBC Registrar