What does the Bible say about hope?
An accurate Biblical definition for hope, is "Confident Expectation." Unlike wishful thinking, hope is a rock solid assurance regarding things that are unclear, along with things that are unknown.
1 Peter 3-4 says,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
Without hope, we would not have meaning for our lives here & now … and we most certainly would be completely distraught in anticipation for what’s going to happen after we die at some point in the future.
Romans 8:24-25 says,
“For in this hope we were saved by faith. But hope which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.”
As follower’s of Christ, our future is guaranteed by the reality of having the Holy Spirit living within us to guide us, and direct us, and to help us make wise decisions day-by-day.
Ephesians 1:13-14 says,
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.”
Rather than crossing our fingers and wishing with all our might to the universe, or Karma, or maybe just good old fashion luck … for our list of issues (that we all have) to suddenly be resolved … wouldn’t it be far better to take to heart what Paul said here in Titus 3:4-7?
“When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”