Hope means more than a vague wish that something will happen. It is a sure and confident expectation in God's future faithfulness and presence. The horizon of Christian hope extends beyond death into an eternity prepared by God himself, the reality of which is guaranteed by Jesus Christ.
God and Jesus Christ are the hope of believers
Psalm 71:5; 1 Timothy 1:1 See also Jeremiah 14:8, Jeremiah 17:13; Matthew 12:21; Isaiah 42:4; Acts 28:20; Romans 15:12–13; Isaiah 11:10; 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Peter 1:21
For You are my hope, O Lord GOD, my confidence from my youth.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
The hope of resurrection and eternal life
Acts 23:6 The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection whereas the Pharisees did; Titus 1:2 See also Acts 2:26–27; Psalm 16:9; Acts 24:15; Romans 8:24; 1 Corinthians 15:19; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 6:11, Hebrews 7:19; 1 Peter 1:3
Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
The hope of future glory
Romans 5:2; Colossians 1:27; Titus 2:13 See also Romans 8:18–21; 2 Corinthians 3:10–12; Galatians 5:5; Ephesians 1:12, Ephesians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 2 Timothy 4:8
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Hope is a Christian virtue
Romans 5:3–4; 1 Corinthians 13:13 See also Romans 12:12, Romans 15:13; 1 Corinthians 13:7; Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Peter 3:15
Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
The effect of future hope on living now
Colossians 1:4–5 See also Romans 8:22–23 Hope induces a longing for what will be when Jesus Christ returns; 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 6:19; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 John 3:1–3
because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints — the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.