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Hope is one of the traditional \u201ctheological virtues\u201d \u2013 faith, hope and love. Hebrews 11 defines faith as hope, and for Paul \u201chope,\u201d like Victor and Faith, is another name for Jesus (1 Timothy 1:1). In our sermon text, Paul encourages hope by saying God is able to do \u201cexceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works within us\u201d (Ephesians 3:20). <\/p>\n
Hope is one of the marks that distinguishes believers from unbelievers. Those outside of Christ are without God and without hope (Ephesians 2:12). For unbelievers, death is a cause of unmitigated grief, because they have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). \u201cHope deferred makes the heart sick,\u201d says Solomon (Proverbs 13:12), and for the wicked hopes are always deferred because they set their hope on things that cannot deliver. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll very well and good,\u201d you may be thinking, \u201cbut I don\u2019t feel particularly buoyant this morning. I\u2019m supposed to be full of the joy and hope in the Lord, but I\u2019m not. I hope for many things \u2013 for a repaired marriage, for peace with your kids, for a job, for deliverance from this dark shadow that hangs over me all the time \u2013 and at every turn I\u2019m disappointed.\u201d If you are thinking that way, you may even have run through the syllogism of despair: \u201cThe wicked are without hope; I am without hope; therefore . . . .\u201d <\/p>\n
When you think yourself into this kind of corner, it\u2019s a sign that your thinking is backwards. We expect to ease through our trials on a floating cushion of hope. That is unrealistic and, more importantly, unbiblical. Listen to Paul: \u201cWe exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance proven character, and proven character hope, and hope does not disappoint\u201d (Romans 5). <\/p>\n
Hope doesn\u2019t come all at once; hope doesn\u2019t come at the beginning; hope may not even come in the middle of your journey through the valley of the shadow. But you are in Christ, and that means hope lies ahead. Persevere, and hope for the dawning of hope. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hope is one of the traditional \u201ctheological virtues\u201d \u2013 faith, hope and love. Hebrews 11 defines faith as hope, and for Paul \u201chope,\u201d like Victor and Faith, is another name for Jesus (1 Timothy 1:1). In our sermon text, Paul encourages hope by saying God is able to do \u201cexceeding abundantly beyond all that we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-nt-ephesians"],"yoast_head":"\n