HOPE

By Jerelyn Pearson

I love sunrises! I love how the Lord paints a different canvas each morning! No two are the same. Needless to say, I am a morning person. You may prefer sunsets. Even though I’m retired, I still like to get up early. I just get up a little more slowly. One of the first things I do along with sipping my morning coffee is open the blinds to see the sky. That first glimpse of the morning sky just before sunrise gives me hope for the new day.

My inspiration for this study was to learn more about HOPE. But I quickly found that HOPE is so intertwined with FAITH and CHARITY (or love) that it needs to be considered in light of them. So we will explore HOPE and its relationship with FAITH and with CHARITY.

We begin with the three of them in 1 Corinthians 13:13.

1 Corinthians 13:13:
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

HOPE and CHARITY

Since CHARITY is the “greatest of these”, let’s take a look at it first.

The main topic of 1 Corinthians 13 is CHARITY. Verse 7 shows a relationship between CHARITY and HOPE.

1 Corinthians 13:7:
(CHARITY) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Here we see that one of the things CHARITY does is to HOPE.

In Romans 5:5 we find more about the relationship between HOPE and LOVE (CHARITY):

Romans 5:5:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

HOPE and LOVE work together in this way:

Because of God’s great love that he puts in our hearts we know that we have a sure HOPE that will not make us ashamed or let us down!

Why is CHARITY considered to be the greatest among these? Let’s look in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3:

1 Corinthians 13:1-3:
1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Without Charity “I am nothing” even if I have all understanding, all knowledge, and all FAITH!

Now let’s go to John and Romans for further explanation.

John 15:13:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:8:
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

CHARITY is the greatest because of the greatness of God’s LOVE, that Christ died for us even while we were still sinners.

HOPE and FAITH

Now let’s take a look at FAITH and see how it is related to HOPE.

Hebrews 11:1:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 12:1-2:
1: …let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

FAITH gives substance and evidence to our HOPE. Jesus is the author and finisher of our FAITH.

Romans and Galations shed more light on this relationship between FAITH and HOPE:

We are saved by HOPE.

Romans 8:24-25:
24: 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?
25: But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

How can we wait for what we can't see? We find the answer in Galations:

Galatians 5:5:
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

It is “by FAITH” that we can HOPE for what we can’t see.

It is also by FAITH that we rejoice in HOPE of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2:
1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

More about HOPE

HOPE is an anchor to our soul!

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

HOPE purifies!

1 John 3:1-3:
1: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3: And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

We are saved by HOPE!

The mystery of the ages is revealed as HOPE!

Romans 15:4:
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

A great mystery was hidden in the things that “were written aforetime”. Paul speaks of the revelation of this mystery that was “written for our learning” in Colossians.

Colossians 1:26-27:
26: Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

The mystery of the ages was not revealed until Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us!

Who is our HOPE?

1 Timothy 1:1:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

This gem is just thrown into the greeting of a letter. It’s so important to pay close attention when reading the Bible. Wonderful truths are tucked away in the most unexpected places. It is such a blessing to notice the gleam of an unexpected gem!

In conclusion:

Jesus is the author and finisher of our FAITH!
(Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus is our HOPE!
(1 Timothy 1:1)

Jesus gave us the greatest of these three, CHARITY,
when he laid down his life for us!
(Romans 5:8)

My favorite sunrises are the ones that paint the sky brilliant shades of pink. The beauty of the sunrise gives me a glimpse of God’s glory and hope for the new day and inspires me to “rejoice in hope of the glory of God”.

As I continue to enjoy sunrises, I am reminded of Psalm 19:1.

Psalm 19:1:
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

So now,

1 Thessalonians 5:8:
… let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

And my prayer for you is that,

Romans 15:13:
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.