Hope That Does Not Disappoint

We live in an anxious time. Pessimism seems to be “in the air we breathe” – on-going wars, high unemployment, environmental disaster, divisive politics, feelings of scarcity, the list could go on – all this on top of the stresses and sorrows of our own lives. I am sad to say that, most of the time, Christians do not stand out in these times as much as we should – myself included. In times like this we should stand out as beacons of the Christian virtue of hope.

There will be other times when our culture in general may seem quite hopeful, but we should be wary then, too – often it is a shallow optimism that has more to do with full bellies and new cars than it does with the deep conviction of God’s goodness and God’s power to bring good out of evil; it is these convictions that constitute Christian hope.

The scriptures speak powerfully of hope. The First Letter of Peter says we should be ready at any time to give an account of the hope that is in us (3:15). Hebrews defines faith in terms of hope: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see” (11:1). Paul, in Romans, can even say “in hope we were saved” (8:24).

The answer to anxious times is not to imagine some false hope of our own making, and then convince ourselves of it. The answer is to give our attention to the powerful promises God offers us that fill us with hope that endures.

In this season of Easter and Pentecost, we have heard some of the most hope-filled passages of the New Testament – let me list just a few here: “[Jesus said,] Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:27). “’God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new’” (Rev. 21:3-5). “And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5).

In Christ’s resurrection, we see the defeat of sin, death, and evil. In visions of the future we see God’s plan to make all things new. In the coming of the Spirit, we are promised the power to live in hope in the meantime.

How does hope change us? How will hope in Christ make our behavior stand out in an anxious world? How will hope shape our work together as the people of God in the church? What a joy it is to be a people living in hope!

Pastor Paul