Our Great Hope

Hope is the looking forward to something in the future. It is something that you can’t have right now.
For example, when I was in college, my Mom and I would talk on the phone and she would tell me that
she sent me something in the mail. So, I would patiently wait for it looking every day to see if it came.
That is hope. I couldn’t have it at the time my Mom told me about it. I had to wait in anticipation for it to
come. Let’s look at our great hope recorded in the Bible. But first, let’s look at a record in Romans
regarding a hope that Abraham had.
Romans 4:17-22 (KJV)
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God,
who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to
that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an
hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith (the word “ “faith” is
the word believing, faith had not yet come), giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Let me explain this in more detail. God promised Abraham that he (Abraham) would have so many
children that they would be nations. This is quite interesting since Abraham was in his late 90’s and
Sarah was ninety. This is well past the age of child bearing. There are two principals at work in this
section of scripture, hope and believing and Abraham applied both of them. God told Abraham that he
was to be the father of many nations and Abraham had to accept that and stand on that. From there he
had to believe to bring it to pass. Where, in verse eighteen, it says of Abraham “ who against hope
believed in hope.” What that means is that Sarah and Abraham’s reproductive organs didn’t work
anymore. Both he and Sarah went through menopause decades ago. They had no children, so, in the
senses world the probability of them having children or being parents of nations was ZERO. So when
God told them that they were going to have a son and their progeny would grow into nations they had
to believe that promise and replace the physical reality of NO hope of having children to the spiritual
reality that GOD can make it happen and all they had to do is believe.
Hope is for something that you cannot have now. Believing is applied when it is immediately available.
Believing appropriates whereas hope anticipates.
So, now, what could Abraham and Sarah do to bring this “father of many nations” thing to pass? There is
only one thing that brings about children and it is not drinking the water, it is not praying. It is by having
intercourse. I am teaching you as honestly as I can so that you, too, can implement the law of believing.
God made the promise, but, Abraham and Sarah had to do their part.
Remember the man with the withered hand in the Gospels? Jesus Christ ministered to him and then
Jesus said “stretch forth thy hand.’ (Luke 6:10) His hand and arm were withered, shriveled up and
impossible to stretch out. But, the promise was there “stretch forth thy hand.” It was this man’s choice.Luke 6:6-10 (KJV)
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and
there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they
might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth
in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do
evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so:
and his hand was restored whole as the other.
He could have said I don’t believe you, Jesus. He could have walked away laughing, but, the promise was
there and the man chose to believe. How do we know he believed? Because, he took action and did
what Jesus told him to do. By his own free will he stretched it forth and after, get that – AFTER he
stretched it forth it was made whole as the other. You never see results until you take the promises of
God literally and act on them. Then, then, then and not until you act will you see the promises come into
fruition.
Because Sarah and Abraham believed the promise of God and acted on it they became the parents of
many nations.
Now, we have a hope. It is something that we can’t have right now, but, more sure than the package in
the mail, it is coming!
Romans 15:13 (KJV)
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope,
through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Ephesians 1:18 (KJV)
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling,
and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 2:12 (KJV)
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Ephesians 4:4 (KJV)
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Colossians 1:4-5 (KJV)
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the
gospel;
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (KJV)
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (a
euphemism for died), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent (old English word for precede) them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Our comfort our hope is that Jesus Christ is coming back for us, that the Christians that have died
will get up and we Christians that are alive will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 (KJV)
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our hope is that we all go to Heaven and we enjoy the riches of His grace toward us for eternity.
No more sorrow. No more sickness. Living as the sons of God and as the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.