Biblical hope is not crossing your fingers and avoiding the sidewalk cracks.

You ask someone, “Are you saved?” They say, “I hope so.”

You ask, “Are you going to Heaven?” They reply, “I hope so.”

That may be the definition of hope in our modern terminology, but it absolutely doesn’t match up with the Biblical definition.

Hope in the Bible, whether from the Old or New Testament, refers to an absolute reference of surety. Most people today don’t like absolutes. Perhaps that why so many don’t like God’s Word. Consider only three examples from the Bible. (1) There is one God. (2) There is one way to God. (3) There is judgment after death. That’s pretty straight forward isn’t it?

God’s Word, the Bible, is also straight forward, absolute if I may, concerning hope.

In Strong’s concordance hope means:

·        In expectation of evil, fear

·        In expectation of good, hope

·        Joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation

·        The author of hope, or he who is its foundation

·        The thing hoped for

Out of many examples given in just the New Testament, let’s look at only seven.

TRUST IN GOD

“Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1:21)

God has proven that we can trust Him through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

Over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament were literally fulfilled by Jesus. That is impossible with anyone other than God.

Over 500 people saw Jesus in the flesh after being raised from the dead.

His disciples witnessed Him bodily leave this earth from the Mount of Olives and return to Heaven.

“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;…” (Romans 3:4)

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

“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?” (Romans 8:24)

We were given the confidence of eternal life when we were saved, and don’t need to look for something we already have.

Why do some doubt their salvation? Why do some think you can lose it? God has assured us that we don’t need to seek out something we already possess. Quit wasting time looking for what you already possess and share the “Good News” with others.

“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” (Psalms 16:9)

ENTERING THE VEIL

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” (Hebrews 6:19)

This hope is an anchor to our soul and has given us access to enter the Holy of Holies. In the Old Testament, under the Mosaic Law, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and that was just one time per year.

The veil that separates us from God’s presence has been removed by Jesus and now all who are His may come boldly to the throne of grace.

“And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” (Mark 15:38)

HOPE IN RESURRECTION

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

Those who do not believe have no hope, but the opposite is true for those who have put their trust in Jesus.

This is one of several places that confirms our guarantee that Jesus will come back for His own and take His Church to be with Him prior to His judgment upon the earth. All who have died in Christ will return with Him to retrieve those who are still living. All will be changed instantly and given a heavenly body while being transported out of harm’s way.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

SPEAK BOLDLY

“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:” (2 Corinthians 3:12)

We can be very bold for Christ because of the confidence awarded by the sure hope in Jesus Christ.

There is no way the Apostles would have permitted themselves to die such horrible deaths, not counting the suffering beforehand, if there were no assurance in everything Jesus said and did.

We don’t have to be cowards. Our hope in Him is so solid; we can be the bravest on the spiritual battlefield for our Lord. Instead of hiding out at the rear, we can fight to be at the front of the line. That is how true our hope really is.

“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Hebrews 13:6)

WITNESSING

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” (1 Peter 3:15)

Always be prepared to explain the assured hope that is within us. Since we have such a rock hard foundation of Truth, we should be prepared to share this real hope with others.

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (1 Peter 2:2)

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

HOPE IN LIFE

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

We are to be pitied more than anyone if our hope in Jesus is in this world alone. This is one of my favorite verses. This says it all.

If Jesus were just a good man with good teachings, we’re all in trouble. If He isn’t who He said, and proved Himself to be, we’re doomed.

However, that isn’t the case. He is God in the flesh. He has proven it over and over. He proves it every day of our lives. If we would just look around and open our eyes, we would see. If we would just listen, we would hear.

Our hope is not just for this life, but a glorious eternal life to come in Heaven with God. That is our steadfast hope.

I haven’t even cracked the surface of the legitimacy of our true hope. Do yourself a favor and read everything you can on hope in God’s Word, the Bible. You will be surprised, pleasantly surprised if you are His.

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 6:11)

I’ve spent the last hour and a half this morning reading the obituaries from my former hometown where I grew up. I’ve been away from there now going on 25 years and very rarely have I returned except maybe to attend a funeral. It’s been three years now since my last visit.

Even though my current hometown has become my home now both physically and in my heart, I still have many pleasant memories of the area where I grew up. Just a few family members are left and many of my friends have either moved away or passed away.

Obviously I am looking backwards on many birthdays in my life and now have an interest in reading the obits on occasion. I have heard it said that the older we get the more we tend to have an interest in that area of the newspapers. Well I’ve gone on line to check the local funeral home in the old hometown to see who has passed away over the last few years. To my surprise, many have gone on. Several died just last year.

It’s a sobering thought to read the names and see the pictures in the obituaries of people you once interacted with, usually through family or school. It stamps an indelible impression upon you that life is short. Time goes by quickly, very quickly I might add. As I read the names and look at the pictures, I can still hear their voices. Now some are in Heaven with our Lord. Some may not be.

It does seem to be true that the ages of the deceased usually run in the higher numbers, but it is also very noticeable that the ages surprisingly vary, and many are quite young. Death is imminent for all of us.

The two major imminent events we face are death and the rapture of the Church, and we must be prepared for both. Why? We don’t know the future, and is not the next minute, the next second, the future? Either the Rapture or death can happen in our next breath or lack thereof.

Most of us live as though we will live forever. We make plans we feel confident we will keep. We live in the present as though there are no consequences for our actions. Sooner or later, we will be nose to nose with either meeting Jesus through the death of our body or His snatching us away to Himself in the Rapture,if, we are His.

The young especially have very little thought of dying. The older we become, we seem to think about that more often. Some of you may be saying, “My goodness, what a morbid subject,” but death to the Christian is not morbid. It is our time to be present with the Lord for all eternity. “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)

How many of us have this assurance? If we are not confident in our heart that regardless of the means I leave this world I’ll be with Jesus for all eternity, then we certainly need to make this a priority in our life. Remember that I mentioned those of young ages who are listed in the obituaries. They did not expect their time to be so soon. We who are older can expect that, but not the young. Age makes no difference with the suddenness of death or the Rapture. They both are in God’s hands.

Some think that either there is nothing beyond physical death, or that God is a loving God and would not send anyone to hell. Jesus says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27) Read the New Testament. Over and over Jesus warns of judgment. He spoke more of judgment than anything else. If there were no judgment, there would have been no need for Jesus to have taken our judgment in order to provide us the only path to God. By our trusting in Him, we can be saved from judgment. Otherwise, we will face our own judgment, and it is hell.

You would think the first thing that would enter my mind while reading the names and seeing the pictures of family members and friends who have passed away in Jesus would be thoughts of sadness. Actually, that wasn’t it at all. The first thing that came to me was trying to picture the look of happiness upon them because they are now in Heaven with Jesus Christ. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Have you ever just sat back during a quiet moment and tried to picture the thrill of being in Heaven with Jesus, the angels, and a host of people you either can’t wait to see again or meet for the first time?

I pray that if you are reading this article, and your name and picture one day appear in the obituary column, that you are in Heaven with Jesus Christ and enjoying a life we can’t even fathom while here on this earth. If someone is reading about your demise in the obits, let it be said, that you are more alive than ever and are now home in Heaven with your Savior and Lord.