Dear COA Family,
What is Christian hope?
Hope is an often-misunderstood word.
We usually refer to hope as a sincere wish for something to take place in the future. Some examples include:
* I hope that it will not rain tomorrow.
* I hope that my boss will be kind to me.
* I hope that I will be able to marry a rich wife.
All of these statements have something in common. They may express our hopes for the future, but we cannot be certain that they will happen. If they do take place, we are happy; but if they do not, it cannot be helped. Hope then has that element of uncertainty to it.
This does not describe the Christian hope at all.
Just see this verse from the book of Hebrews: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf” (6:19-20).
In other words, the Christian hope is so sure and certain that it is the foundation of all of our life. We don’t live in trepidation each day wondering if God’s promise will come true for us or not. Instead, we are absolutely certain that the eternal life he has promised to us will be our possession forever because of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!
That is the difference between earthly hope and Christian hope. We must never confuse the two.
What’s more – we can also grow stronger in our hope as we trust in God each day. The greater we grow in our confidence in Christ, the stronger we can live our Christian life. The apostle Paul writes, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame”
(Romans 5:3-4).
As we stay faithful and persevere in praising and serving God in the trials that we face in our daily lives, our hope is strengthened each day. And this hope will not only be the anchor for our souls, it will also show itself to be sure and true. It will never let us down.
Aren’t you thankful for this Christian hope that we have? It is not uncertain like the world’s hope, but it is firm and sure just as God’s promises are always trustworthy. Such a firm foundation frees us from fear and anxiety and leads us to live lives filled with faith.
Let us live in Christ’s hope always!
God bless,
Revd Ian