Hope In Christ

One of the words that we see throughout the writings of Paul is hope.  Paul taught what it is that we hope for, how it is that we develop hope, and what the result of hope is in our lives.  Of the things that we should have hope for, Paul spoke of “hope in Christ” and in particular in the fact that Christ has “risen from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:19-20).  He told Timothy simply that Christ “is our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1).  To Titus Paul said twice that we should have “hope of eternal life” (Titus 1:2, 3:7).  Similarly to the Thessalonians he told them to put a helmet which was “the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8).  So our hope should be centered in Christ, the resurrection, and eternal life.  And how do we develop such hope?  To the Romans Paul said, “We through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Hope is thus developed as we in patience study the scriptures.  A few verses later Paul told them, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,” clearly suggesting that hope comes through the influence of the Holy Ghost (Romans 15:13).  He suggested the same thing to the Galatians: “For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith” (Galatians 5:5).  The Spirit then will bring us hope as we strive for righteousness.  He also suggested that patience and experience in tribulation will bring hope.  To the Romans he listed this chain of events for the righteous, “We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.”  So in addition to the scriptures and the Spirit, life’s experiences and trials can help us to develop hope and have “the love of God” that is “shed abroad in our hearts” (Romans 5:3-5).  In Paul’s writings we can also see what hope produces in us.  He told the Romans, “hope maketh not ashamed,” and so the right kind of hope will help us develop confidence in ourselves and in the Lord (Romans 5:5).  He also spoke of “rejoicing in hope,” and surely joy and rejoicing is a companion to hope.  Similarly, to the Hebrews Paul wrote of “rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3:6).  He also told them to show “the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end,” suggesting that hope will bring us assurance and an ability to endure to the end (Hebrews 6:11).  Indeed, hope becomes “an anchor of the soul” to make us “sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19).  Thus confidence, joy, and steadiness are all fruits that we reap as we develop true hope through the Savior.  As we work in our daily lives to “plow in hope,” we have faith through the Hope of Israel in a great and bountiful harvest of God’s richest blessings (1 Corinthians 9:10, Acts 28:20).