When we turn to Scripture, we need to come to grips with hope: in Scripture, hope takes on a bit of a different form or tone, as hope becomes a confident expectation for the good to come. Grounded in who God is as a God of faithfulness, and grounded in how God acts on our behalf to redeem us – hope is the confidence that God will be faithful to what God has promised. It is what the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Carey, meant when he said once, “Expect great things from God.” It is in the very nature of God to bring about what God intends. God will be faithful to God’s purposes.
I believe that this is what the apostle Paul shares with respect to Abraham in Romans: Paul describes Abraham as the great example of faith: Abraham is reckoned as righteous because of faith in God to fulfill God’s promises in the future (Romans 4:21). “In hope,” Paul writes, “Abraham believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations” (Romans 4:18).
“Against hope” means that from a human point of view, there was no hope. After all, Abraham and Sarah were barren. And yet, with God and in God, the full assurance of hope was given to Abraham and Sarah (Hebrews 11:1). A whole new people was born: Israel. Despite all evidence to the contrary, God was able to create a new future, a whole new beginning.
It is why, Paul continues, hope does not disappoint us: because of God’s grace, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, even things that work against hope only serve to strengthen it (Romans 5:3-5). Nothing is going to stop this hope!
How true! How may we trust God with this hope as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ? How may we place our hope in the One whose Birth will bring a new beginning for all?
Pastor Andy Kinsey
I believe that this is what the apostle Paul shares with respect to Abraham in Romans: Paul describes Abraham as the great example of faith: Abraham is reckoned as righteous because of faith in God to fulfill God’s promises in the future (Romans 4:21). “In hope,” Paul writes, “Abraham believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations” (Romans 4:18).
“Against hope” means that from a human point of view, there was no hope. After all, Abraham and Sarah were barren. And yet, with God and in God, the full assurance of hope was given to Abraham and Sarah (Hebrews 11:1). A whole new people was born: Israel. Despite all evidence to the contrary, God was able to create a new future, a whole new beginning.
It is why, Paul continues, hope does not disappoint us: because of God’s grace, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, even things that work against hope only serve to strengthen it (Romans 5:3-5). Nothing is going to stop this hope!
How true! How may we trust God with this hope as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ? How may we place our hope in the One whose Birth will bring a new beginning for all?
Pastor Andy Kinsey
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