Understanding biblical hope

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all." Those are the words of Emily Dickinson in her poem simply titled "Hope." Yet the concept of of hope, like many of the words, phrases, and ideas we see being thrown around today, requires clarification. Far too often we see the word being synonymously used with the idea of "a wish." It's used to indicate a vague idea of longing for something that we want but the chances of that thing coming to fruition being realistically small. We "hope our problems will go away", we "hope our financial situations will improve," we "hope our children won't make the mistakes we ourselves did as adolescents."

Hope within the Christian worldview, however, is more robust and grounded than mere longing. It carries the idea of a potentially delayed but promised fulfillment. Hope is the guarantee that when God makes a promise, in due time, said thing will indeed come to fulfillment. Hope is grounded in the character and nature of God Himself. As the Psalmist declares, "May my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word. May my plea come before You; rescue me according to Your promise" (Ps. 119:170).

The apostle Paul and many other New Testament writers describe God as the "God of hope" (Rom. 15:13). The word "hope" is used 85 times in various contexts and ways throughout the New Testament, and all over the Scriptures it is stressed repeatedly that our hope is in a God who has brought us from spiritual death to life, not because of anything we have done but because of what He did. To the Roman church Paul declared, "For in this hope we were saved... And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:24, 28) The apostle anchors believers in the certainty of hope and in the need to wait. The end will come, and until then we trust in God and lean on the Holy Spirit and his promises.
 

The point of the hope we have is not to undervalue life in this world and to have tunnel vision of heaven, but to set our perspectives of finality in context. Our trials and blessings here on earth must be weighed in the light of eternity.

The effects of a world that pretends it can prosper without God is evidenced in our culture's self-destructive behaviors, idealism, self preservation mentalities, and lack of taking care of the "least of these" in our midst (Matt. 25:40). This life, this world, the "here and now," come to shape and control our focus, our wishes, and our concerns. Paul reorients us and sets our earthbound lives beside the eternal purpose that works to inform our place as creatures and image bearers of our Creator. Becoming a people of hope means cultivating an eternal perspective, the ability to see God in the midst of trials, to persevere in the face of despair, uncertainty, the good and the bad, the leisure and the pressures of life.

The point of the hope we have is not to undervalue life in this world and to have tunnel vision of heaven, but to set our perspectives of finality in context. Our trials and blessings here on earth must be weighed in the light of eternity. Our hopes and expectations are anchored in a greater and ultimate reality that is both certain and transforming. Afflictions do not become less real, nor are they unimportant or less painful, but they also do not define us and are ultimately limited in their reach and capabilities by the knowledge that they, too, are finite and will draw to an end.

The three pillars of Christian life are faith, hope, and love. Speaking for myself I can often emphasize faith and love while unwittingly neglecting hope. Yet hope is key. Peter calls us to "give an answer for the hope that we have" (1 Pet. 3:15), implying that our lives as believers naturally exemplify hope.
 

Afflictions do not become less real, nor are they unimportant or less painful, but they also do not define us and are ultimately limited in their reach and capabilities by the knowledge that they, too, are finite and will draw to an end.
 

As the writer of Hebrews states, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf" (Heb. 6:19). As Christian evangelists and apologists the hope that we have should be infectious. It should be so concrete, real, open, secure and vulnerable that it works as a beacon to a world full of shallow hopes or no hope.

"You are the light of the world," said Jesus, "A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:14-16).