Hopeless?
Written by Joe Keller | Executive Pastor
It seems to me that people have lost hope these days. This loss has not happened overnight but over time. The things that promise human flourishing have become shallow expressions of their presented self. No one wakes up and desires to be hopeless. But, when seemingly insurmountable challenges blockade the end road of their hope, the energy and desire to hope again become less and less attractive. The hope that comes through government, physical health, ethnic unity, and economic security has been challenged and, in some cases, destroyed. The only logical conclusion is to rely upon the self to provide the things promised by the object of hope.
This journey of self-actualization may find moderate accomplishments in the short term but soon concludes that the things longed for can only be found in something outside of themselves. Hope is disguised as attaining the object hoped for but never recognizing the source needed to acquire it. Hope becomes the power itself, hoping for something that would fulfill their heart’s desires, although deep down, they know nothing in this created world has the ultimate power to achieve it.
This is the fundamental difference between worldly hope and biblical hope. The hope that the world offers is fundamentally found in the object of the thing desired. In other words, hope is placed on receiving something and not on how that object is to be acquired. As Christians, our hope is placed on someone and not something (1 Tim. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:20-21, Ps. 40:11; Titus 1:1-4; 2:11-14), and the results are far-reaching.
What are some of the benefits of placing our hope in God versus the false hope of the world? How does our biblical hope translate to our everyday lives? Let’s consider together a few of the practical implications.
1) Our Hope Provides Security (Heb. 6:19; Rom. 8:1, 31-39; 1 Tim 4:10; 2 Cor.1:7)
The Christian hope is not one threatened by external factors because our hope is found in the person and work of Christ. He is our steadfast anchor of the soul that is cannot be uprooted or threatened. This is because the sovereignty of God is not simply defined by His position but by His power to rule over all things. In other words, God can accomplish all that He desires, not only because He reigns as God but also because He has the power to orchestrate it, and it will not be overturned.
God always keeps His promise to do what is best for His people. This doesn’t mean that the Christian life is not inflicted by suffering and hardship that threatens one’s wellbeing. But, it does mean that the secure hope we possess is the truth that ultimately, the fulfillment of the promise of God to His people is not undone or unfulfilled by anything—no matter how strong the external threats might feel. There are certainly other false hopes that promise security but are ultimately unable to fulfill them. Only by placing our hope in the person and promises of God will the believer find true security even in the hardest of circumstances. As a result, true rest and peace are possible in any situation, knowing that we are safe and secure from ultimate harm.
2) Our Hope Defines Sanity (Rom. 15:4; 2 Pet. 1:3-5; Ps. 119:81)
This world and our hearts can feel out of control. Our hope in Christ helps reframe and reorient our hearts to recognize truth from error. This comes through His revealed Word found in Scripture. Both reality and what defines sanity are communicated directly in and through the Bible. The Word of God is truth and objective reality. The current evangelical mood can disorient the believer when different tribes and ideologies are not in agreement. Whom should we believe? In whom should I place my trust? The hope of living rightly in this created world is revealed in God’s Word. Scripture alone, according to the work of the Holy Spirit, ballasts the wayward and distracted soul and redirects one to God’s created order. There is a calming peace available to those who live in the truth. This does not mean that the world will not continue to be full of chaos, but it does give the soul equilibrium within it.
3) Our Hope Brings Satisfaction (Rom. 15:13; 5:1-5; 12:12; Prov. 10:28; 2 Thess. 2:16-17)
The half-hopes of the world promise pleasure, comfort, and peace. The deceitfulness in these promised hopes is not in the access to pleasure but in the promise of satisfaction. The joy that comes to the believer is not found in the temporary pleasures of this world, but in that momentary pleasure directing our hearts toward eternal realities. In fact, upon reflection, we can consider celebrities or even the Joneses next door that seemingly have everything this world has to offer yet are still plagued by depression and discontentment. Contentment is the blessed joy of having hope in the person and work of Jesus Christ and in knowing that His sovereign reign over all things is for our good. This joy is complemented by comfort and peace founded upon the Lord’s provisions and the truth that my identity is in Him no matter the circumstances. The satisfaction that comes with placing our hope on biblical realities is that even when hardships come, they are understood to be provisions that increase our hope in God alone. True pleasure is found only in our experience of the enjoyment of God in all circumstances. The blessedness of living as a Christ-follower is the capacity to express the newness of life—we are no longer enslaved to sin but to the true satisfaction of holiness.
4) Our Hope is Our Story (Col. 3:1-3; Heb. 11:1-12:1; 1 Cor. 15:51-58)
The story we live and tell is the story of how biblical hope shapes everything we do. Our hope reorients how we interpret this world and how we live rightly. The hope found in the promises of God not only informs but transforms how we identify with others, our community, and our very selves.
To speak of the Christian life is to speak in terms of our hope in Christ. The anticipation of the fulfillment of the promises of God is what unites our edification and celebration when we gather together in corporate worship. The diversity of the people of God can only express the unity of heart through the confident hope in the promises of God displayed in every culture, gender, and ethnicity. If you ask any believer, their story is one of a heart transformed from false hope into the true hope of a redeemed life in Christ. This is our witness to a world distracted and enslaved by false hopes and promises. Our worldview—how we see and live in every area and season of life—is exclusively defined by our hope in the person and work of Jesus Christ and the promises in His Word. It is fundamentally different than what the world offers and becomes attractive to those genuinely seeking hope. This perspective of hope gives us confidence and courage to navigate all of life’s circumstances, knowing that in Him, our labors are not in vain.
So, consider where your hope is placed. What promise does your heart long to see fulfilled to bring you security, sanity, and satisfaction, and how does that define your story? The only living hope is found not in something but in someone. This hope will never fail.
Question for Reflection
How does biblical hope in the confident expression of the truth we know, the identity we have, and the people we belong to inform our everyday decisions for our good and God’s glory?
Originally posted to The Biblical Counseling Coalition on June 10, 2022.