Hope.

Good news about hope! Our hope is connected to God's love, and God's love never fails. That's why Paul can write:

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us". (Romans 5:5)

Our hope is powered by the love of God! Let's make sure we see the connection, "hope does not disappoint" "because the love of God..." God's love is one reason that hope doesn't disappoint. Because God is righteous you have another reason to be confident of your hope.

"..in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began", (Titus 1:2)

The hope we have in God is one of the ways we find peace and joy.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". (Romans 15:13)

We can abound in hope, but our hope is accessed through the Holy Spirit'. It makes sense that, to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit that we have to walk in the Spirit. (Editor's note: For more on walking in the Spirit refer to Galatians Chapter 5).

Hope and love are related again in the classic passage on love, 1 Corinthians 13.

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love". (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Again, hope is related to love and faith. Paul displays three elements working in harmony over and over in the New Testament.

"But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.." (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

In the verse above, among many other things, we notice "hope in Jesus" results in patience.

"For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love". (Galatians 5:5-6)

We've seen above that hope is guaranteed by the love of God, and received through the Holy Spirit. . In Philippians Paul says, "to live is Christ". As the verse below shows, we can also relate hope specifically to Christ in us.

"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory". (Colossians 1:27)

Like everything else in our Christians lives, hope comes by grace.

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work." (2 Thessalonians 1:16-17)

When Paul declares himself an apostle in the introduction to his first letter to Timothy, he also declares that our hope is Jesus.

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope," (1 Timothy 1:1)

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life". (Titus 3:4-7)

The hope (of which you can be confident) includes eternal life. This next verse says we've been given a living hope. Wow! This day just keeps getting better!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus.." (1 Peter 1:3)

Below: Use your head and don't lose your hope.

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" (1 Peter 1:13)

Hope in Jesus is well place because the Chrisitan life is lived in Him (Philippians 1:21). Jesus is pure. Living in Him is purifying.

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and 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. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:2-3)