Please turn with me to 1 Corinthians 13:13:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
This is a very familiar verse to all of us. Today, I am not going to speak about love. But before we go any further, let us bow our hearts and ask the Lord to bless His Word.
Faith, Hope, and Love
Scripture tells us that three things remain: faith, hope, and love.
If I were to ask which of these we hear preached about the most, many of us would say faith. Others would say love. But very few would say hope.
And that is why I want to speak today about hope.
Hope Mentioned Alongside Faith and Love
Let us turn to 1 Thessalonians 1:3:
“Constantly bearing in mind your work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of God our Father.”
Once again, we see faith, love, and hope together.
Now turn with me to Colossians 1:3–5:
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven.”
This verse deeply struck me.
It tells us that faith and love spring from hope.
That means:
Our faith in Christ Jesus
Our love for all the saints
originate from the hope laid up for us in heaven.
Hope is not secondary. It is foundational.
Who Are the Saints?
Paul speaks of love “for all the saints.”
If you are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, you are a saint.
You are set apart.
You are holy brethren.
This is not reserved for a select few.
This is something we ought to rejoice in every day.
What Is Biblical Hope?
In everyday language, the word hope is used casually:
“I hope it rains.”
“I hope things get better.”
“I hope so.”
That kind of hope is often nothing more than a wish.
But biblical hope is not wishful thinking.
Biblical hope is:
A confident expectation
A settled assurance
A firm conviction rooted in God’s promises
What Biblical Hope Is Not
Biblical hope is not:
A promise of an easier life
A guarantee of material success
A way to get more things from God
Christian hope is not centered on better circumstances in this world.
What Biblical Hope Truly Is
Biblical hope is centered on:
The finished work of Christ
The resurrection of Jesus
The return of the Lord
The eternal future of the believer
It is the deep conviction that:
This world, with all its pleasures and all its problems, is passing away—and a greater reality awaits us.
An Illustration of Eternity
Think of a child in the womb.
The child knows only that environment and assumes that is all there is. But the real world comes after birth.
In the same way:
This life is temporary
Eternity is our true home
That is the perspective of Christian hope.
Our Citizenship Is in Heaven
Scripture tells us that our citizenship is in heaven.
We belong first to the Kingdom of God.
Salvation means:
We stop living for ourselves
We begin living under God’s rule
His desires become our desires
A Living Hope Through the Resurrection
Turn to 1 Peter 1:3–4:
“According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you.”
Our hope is living because Christ is alive.
The Glory That Is to Be Revealed
Romans 8:18 says:
“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”
This glory includes the redemption of our bodies.
Scripture repeatedly teaches that:
The corruptible will put on the incorruptible
Mortality will be swallowed up by life
Romans 8:23–25 reminds us that we eagerly wait for:
Adoption as sons and daughters
The redemption of our bodies
We are waiting for the redemption of our bodies. This is part of our hope.
And when he appears, we shall be like Him.
1 John 3:2 declares:
“When He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
This is the blessed hope of the church.
The Holy Spirit as Our Guarantee
2 Corinthians 5:1–5 tells us:
Our earthly body is a tent
God has prepared a heavenly dwelling
The Holy Spirit is the pledge—the guarantee
We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
We belong to God.
Think of climbing a mountain.
Faith is believing you can make the climb
Hope is knowing the view at the top is worth the effort
The mountaintop is the return of Christ.
How Hope Is Formed
Romans 5:3–4 teaches us:
Tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope.
Hope is formed through endurance and obedience.
Two Practical Applications
1. Speak to Your Soul
Psalm 42:5:
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Hope in God.”
Remind yourself of who God is.
2. Stay Anchored in the Word
Romans 15:4:
“Through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.”
The Word of God sustains hope.
Conclusion
Our hope:
Is secured by the resurrection of Jesus
Will be fulfilled at His return
Shapes how we live today
Let us enjoy what God gives us in this life, but let our ultimate hope remain fixed on Christ and eternity.
Closing Prayer
Father in heaven, we thank You for reminding us that the Christian hope is secured in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and will be fulfilled at His return. Help us to live with steadfast hope, so that our faith toward You and our love toward all the saints may flow from the hope laid up for us in heaven. Fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.