Characterized by Hope

Paul writes in Romans 8:24a, “For we are saved by hope,” meaning we have been saved into a realm of absolute confidence of a certain glorious destiny (2). It is this very hope that characterizes the household of God that is made up of all who have trusted Christ as their personal Savior. “But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house, whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3:6, NASV).

This does not mean that the believer must hold on to the hope in order to be saved. Rather, it means that the saved are characterized by a firm hope to the end, a hope that is acquired as they become established in the Word of God. It involves confidence to the point of valid boasting!

Hope, then, includes a definite object, the Lord Jesus Christ; a definite prospect, His return for us, our certain glorification and receiving of a glorious inheritance; and a firm foundation – Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It is this hope that motivates us, even in these troublesome times and in a largely apostate generation (3); (4), to take heed to I Peter 1:13, “Wherefore, gird your minds for action [be disciples in your thinking to focus on this hope], keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.