What are we To Hope for?

This is article two in a series of articles on Hope from which I hope I will get around to Faith and Love. If you haven't read the first part of this please go and do so now. In the first part we discussed what the definition of Hope was. Now we shall look at what we as Christians are to be hoping for. Lets start with Romans 5:2 [KJV NKJV NASB NLT] (With this reference as with others I have linked the reference it's self to an online copy of the verse on BibleGateway.com, the reference links to the NIV, the abbreviation's link to there respective versions) Any way the verse in the NIV goes as follows:

² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Did you catch that? we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. That's the first thing we are to hope in, the Glory of God. Next lets look at Psalms 119:74 [KJV NKJV NASB NLT]

⁷⁴ May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

The psalmist puts his hope in God's Word. Now we know from John 1:1 [KJV NKJV NASB NLT] that The Word is God, so when he says that he has put his Hope in God's Word, he has really but his hope in God. Next lets look at Titus 2:13 [KJV NKJV NASB NLT]

¹³while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

So, The Hope is also The "Blessed Hope", now what is this Blessed Hope hoping for? "the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,". Now what happens at "the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,"? Romans 8:23-24a [KJV NKJV NASB NLT] tells us:

²³Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved.

Did you catch that? We will be adopted as sons and our bodies will be redeemed. For in this hope we were saved! We are saved by hoping in what God is going to do. (There by believing that Christ died and made us holy so that we can be adopted as sons.)

So to summarize, we are to Hope for:

· The Glory of God

· God's Word

· The glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

· For our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

As a final note about Hope: Isaiah 40:31 [KJV NKJV NASB NLT]:

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. And may The Grace of The Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit.