“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Romans 8:23 – 25
God has given every believer something special in our salvation, HOPE, and as Christians we need to keep that hope in our hearts. God said about hope, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 Hope is in our Father and His blessed Son Jesus Christ, that one day we will be in heaven and enjoy our new home with our Father and our Saviour for all eternity. As believers we cannot see this hope, we do not see God, Jesus, or heaven, therefore it’s called Hope because God said, “…things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” If you want to see these things then they are not hope, because hope comes from faith, Hope is not seen, “but hope that is seen is not hope:” This is why we have faith, we believe in God who we cannot see, Jesus who we cannot see, we have hope of being in heaven which we cannot see. Remember, “…faith is the substance of things hoped for…” therefore our hope is powered by our faith. Our faith in God and His word builds up hope in where our future is, our faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour builds our hope for a heavenly future. God said we are, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 Our hope is in the glorious coming of Jesus Christ, it is in God, it is in being in heaven soon. Our hope is not in this world or the things or people of it. The second coming of Jesus Christ has been talked about since Jesus ascended into the heavens after His resurrection. Today, more than two-thousand years later we still have faith in His coming which gives us hope. The lost world has no faith and therefore they have no hope. No hope in Jesus as Saviour, no hope in God, no hope of heaven, their only hope is in this wicked world. Since faith gives the believer hope in things not seen, we may KNOW that we shall have something much greater after this life, something much greater than all things this world can offer. It is a blessing from God to know, “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” 1 John 3:19 – 22 Our faith in our Great God and our Glorious Saviour gives us all this hope. That we may know, yes that we may know, that even if our own hearts fail us, God is keeping our hope alive, we know that the work we do for the Lord is not in vain, and to know that God hears and answers all our prayers as He graciously wills. Knowing this is a blessing, a gift from God, therefore we are to wait on the Lord patiently, for God’s glorious gifts. We are not to lose faith in God or the things that are to be, patience is a must. We must work hard to keep our lamps trimmed and ready because we never know in a second, we might see Jesus face to face. Please keep these scriptures in your heart at all times, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2 - 4 No matter what life brings, trust the Lord in all things and “let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
