In an essay written in 1732, Alexander Pope penned the words, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” Theology 101 is lifting the three-word phrase, “hope springs eternal,” from its 18th century setting and placing it into a biblical context as the theme for the next three weeks. This theme can point us in at least three important directions.
The Bible’s hope
First, we look at how biblical hope for God’s children individually reaches into eternity. Hope that springs from a saving relationship with Christ is indeed hope that is eternal. In fact, the Bible declares that hope confined to this life would make miserable Christians who would be “of all men the most pitiable” (1 Cor. 15:19).
At the outset, we must keep in mind the meaning of the Bible’s “hope.” Our common use of the word often suggests something that has a degree of uncertainty — what might or might not happen, but for which we hold out some degree of expectation. A student might hope for a good grade. An employee might hope for a raise. A couple might hope for a child.
In the Bible, however, hope conveys a confident and earnest expectation about what will be forthcoming. In fact, Romans 8:19 uses “earnest expectation” to refer to believers’ hope of the future glory of God’s creation.
As His children, our hope is not entwined with undetermined circumstances but is firmly anchored in Christ. As 1 Timothy states in the opening verse, “the Lord Jesus Christ [is] our hope” (1:1). This hope embraces all God has promised about a Christian’s ultimate future. As individual believers, our hope is a sure anchor in God’s future, when we shall be finally and fully transformed into the likeness of Christ. This hope is set forth in 1 John 3:2: “It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed. We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
Being with Christ
This hope is not only about being like Christ but also being eternally with Him. It is expressed in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 as the certain expectation that “we shall always be with the Lord.” A Christian can confidently assert, in the language of the beloved 23rd Psalm, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (v. 6).
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