The Promises That Help to Keep Our Hope

The Promises That Help to Keep Our Hope

Introduction

Hope is the anchor of the soul. It is what keeps us going when circumstances are difficult, when we are weary, and when we are tempted to give up. Hope is not wishful thinking; it is confident expectation based on the promises of God. It is the assurance that God is faithful and that He will do what He has promised.

Hope causes us not to get discouraged, not to give up, because we have something to keep going for. The apostle Paul writes: "We are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance" (Romans 8:24–25). Hope looks beyond the present to the future, beyond the visible to the invisible, beyond the temporal to the eternal.

The Bible is filled with promises that fuel our hope. These promises are not vague generalities but specific assurances from God that give us strength to persevere. This article explores four key promises that help to keep our hope alive, even in the darkest times.

The Promise of Completion

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

This is a promise of God's faithfulness. He who has begun a good work in us will complete it. Our salvation is not dependent on our own efforts but on God's grace and power. He started the work, and He will finish it. He will not leave us halfway; He will bring us to completion.

This promise is a source of great hope. When we look at our own lives, we see our failures, our weaknesses, and our inconsistencies. We are tempted to doubt whether we will ever make it. But Paul reminds us that our confidence is not in ourselves but in God. He is faithful, and He will complete what He has started.

The "day of Jesus Christ" refers to His return. On that day, we will be fully and finally transformed into His likeness. The work that God has begun in us will be completed. We will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). This is our hope—a hope that is sure and certain because it is based on God's faithfulness.

This promise also assures us that God is at work in us even when we cannot see it. He is shaping us, molding us, and preparing us for His purposes. Our trials, our struggles, and our challenges are all part of His good work. He is using them to refine us and to make us more like Christ.

The Promise of a Prize

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13–14).

Paul's words are a powerful expression of hope. He did not rest on his past accomplishments; he pressed forward toward the future. He did not dwell on his past failures; he forgot what was behind and reached forward to what was ahead.

The prize that Paul was pressing toward was the "upward call of God in Christ Jesus." This is the call to eternal life, to fellowship with Christ, and to the resurrection of the dead. It is the ultimate reward for those who persevere in faith.

Hope is what enables us to press forward. It gives us a goal to strive for, a prize to pursue. Without hope, we would become discouraged and give up. But with hope, we can endure the trials and keep our eyes fixed on the prize.

Forgetting what is behind is also an important aspect of hope. We cannot live in the past. We cannot be defined by our failures or our successes. We must look forward to what God has for us. He is not finished with us yet, and He has great things in store.

The Promise of Future Glory

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

This is one of the most hope‑filled verses in all of Scripture. Paul compares the sufferings of this present time with the glory that will be revealed in us. The contrast is staggering. Our present sufferings are temporary and light, but the future glory is eternal and weighty.

This hope gives us perspective. When we are suffering, we can be tempted to think that our suffering is all there is. We can become consumed by our pain and lose sight of the bigger picture. But Paul reminds us that our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed.

This promise also assures us that our sufferings are not meaningless. They are producing for us an eternal weight of glory. The apostle Paul writes: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). Our trials are not wasted; they are working for our good.

The glory that will be revealed in us is the glory of Christ. We will be conformed to His image and share in His glory. This is the hope that sustains us in the midst of suffering. We know that what awaits us is infinitely greater than anything we are experiencing now.

The Promise of Restoration

"But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you" (1 Peter 5:10).

This is a promise of restoration. God, who is the God of all grace, will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us after we have suffered a while. Our suffering is not the end of the story. God will use it to bring us to a place of greater maturity and stability.

Perfect means to make complete. God will complete the work He has started in us. He will fill in the gaps and make us whole.

Establish means to make firm. God will ground us in His truth and make us stable. We will not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14).

Strengthen means to make strong. God will give us the power to endure and to overcome. He will equip us for every good work.

Settle means to lay a foundation. God will provide a firm foundation for our faith, so that we will not be shaken.

This promise is a source of great encouragement. We may suffer now, but we will be restored. God will use our suffering to make us stronger, more mature, and more stable. He will not leave us broken; He will make us whole.

The Nature of Hope

Hope is not a passive emotion; it is an active confidence. It is the assurance that God is faithful and that He will fulfill His promises. Hope is a helmet, protecting our minds from the lies of the enemy (1 Thessalonians 5:8). It is an anchor, keeping us steady in the storms of life (Hebrews 6:19).

Hope is also a source of joy. The apostle Paul writes: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). When we are filled with hope, we are filled with joy and peace. Hope produces joy because it focuses on the future that God has promised. It produces peace because it trusts in God's control.

How to Cultivate Hope

Hope is not something we can manufacture on our own; it is a gift from God. But there are things we can do to cultivate hope in our lives:

1. Meditate on God's promises. The Bible is filled with promises that fuel our hope. Read them, memorize them, and meditate on them. Let them sink deep into your heart.

2. Remember God's faithfulness. Look back on your life and see how God has been faithful to you in the past. He has never failed you, and He will not fail you now.

3. Pray with confidence. Bring your hopes and fears to God in prayer. Trust that He hears you and that He will answer according to His will.

4. Surround yourself with hopeful people. Fellowship with other believers who are full of hope. Their faith will encourage you and strengthen your own hope.

5. Look to the future. Keep your eyes fixed on the hope that is set before you. Remember that what awaits you is infinitely greater than anything you are experiencing now.

The Clear Conclusion

Hope is essential for the Christian life. It sustains us in trials, gives us perspective in suffering, and motivates us to persevere. The promises of God are the fuel for our hope. They assure us that God is faithful, that He will complete what He has started, that He has a prize waiting for us, that our future glory far outweighs our present sufferings, and that He will restore us after we have suffered a while.

Let us hold fast to these promises and to the hope they give us. As the writer of Hebrews exhorts: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). Our hope is not in ourselves but in God, and He is faithful. He will do what He has promised.

The apostle Paul writes: "For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance" (Romans 8:24–25). May we be a people of hope, eagerly waiting for the fulfillment of God's promises and pressing forward toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

This article is based on a careful examination of Scripture, including Philippians 1:6, Philippians 3:13–14, Romans 8:18, 1 Peter 5:10, Romans 8:24–25, 1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 4:17, Ephesians 4:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Hebrews 6:19, Romans 15:13, and Hebrews 10:23. For further study, consider reading the full context of these verses and meditating on the faithfulness of God.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between hope and optimism?

A: Optimism is a general expectation that things will turn out well. It is often based on circumstances or a positive outlook. Hope, however, is a confident expectation based on the promises of God. It is not dependent on circumstances but on God's faithfulness. Hope is rooted in God; optimism is often rooted in the self.

Q: Can I have hope in the midst of suffering?

A: Yes. In fact, suffering is often the context in which hope is most needed and most powerful. The apostle Paul writes that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3–4). Hope is not the absence of suffering but the assurance that God is at work in the midst of it.

Q: What happens to hope when we die?

A: Our hope is realized when we see Christ face to face. The apostle Paul writes: "For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance" (Romans 8:24–25). When we see Christ, our hope will be fulfilled, and we will enter into the fullness of His glory.

Q: How can I encourage someone who has lost hope?

A: You can encourage someone who has lost hope by reminding them of God's promises, by sharing your own testimony of God's faithfulness, by praying with them, and by being a supportive presence. Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply to be there and to listen. Point them to the Word of God, which is the source of all hope.

Q: What is the anchor of the soul?

A: The anchor of the soul is hope. The writer of Hebrews writes: "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). Hope keeps us steady in the storms of life. It is not a hope that is uncertain but a hope that is certain because it is based on the promises of God.