Word of Encouragement (10/14/2020)

“Hope is the grace of God that enables us to patiently wait for the Lord to perform His promises, especially regarding redemption and eternal life. It lives in expectation of those things that faith believes are promised by God” (p. 126). Leigh says faith is the foundation of hope, while hope nourishes faith; faith apprehends [understands] the promises of things to come, and hope expects the things promised” (pp. 126-127).

Our hope is as good as what we hope for. If we put of hope in people, we are bound to have our hopes dashed to pieces. Only when we put of our hope in God can we have a true and living hope: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.... Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God...” (Ps. 146:3, 5).

“Four attributes of God sustain our hope. First, our hope abides because of God’s free grace. The same grace that moved God to make the covenant promise [to save us and to be our God] will move Him to accomplish it (1 Pet. 1:13). Second, our hope abides because of God’s infinite power. We know that He is able to do what He has promised (Rom. 4:20-21). Third, our hope abides because of God’s infallible truth. We know that not a word of what He has promised will fall to the ground (2 Tim. 2:13). Fourth, our hope is sustained by His unsearchable wisdom. We know that God knows best when to fulfill a promise and which fulfillments will be best for His glory and for our hope” (p. 128).

We have already surveyed God’s promise to sanctify us. To help us believe in that promise and receive our sanctification, God has promised to give us hope to nourish and strengthen our faith. In fact, He has fulfilled that promise already: “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...” (1 Pet. 1:3-4).

A legend says that the placard over the gate of hell says, “Those who enter, abandon all hope.” We can see how the opposite may be true of the gate of heaven: “Those who enter, abandon all despair.” Because we believe in Jesus Christ, who defeated our greatest enemy, sin and death, by His resurrection, we have no right to despair. Our sanctification may seem slow and that can discourage us. But God is still at work and, as long as the almighty God is at work, we cannot despair. Let us cast off all despairing thoughts and hold on to the living hope God has given to us in Jesus Christ! We cannot do this when we look into ourselves: we will only find causes to despair. We can do it only when we look to God—what He has promised and what He has already fulfilled in Jesus Christ. For such a faithful God will not fail to bring His redemption to its glorious completion: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).