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
Most people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in “I hope something will happen.” This is not what the Bible means by hope.
But “hope” in the Bible is a confident and positive expectation of good. God wants you to have a confident expectation of good because as His child, He favors you. Because Christ is in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), you can expect the glory of God to shine into every area of your life, including your family, job, ministry, health and finances!
In Scripture, according to the Hebrew and Greek words translated by the word “hope” and according to the biblical usage, hope is an indication of certainty. “Hope” in Scripture means “a strong and confident expectation.” Though archaic today in modern terms, hope is akin to trust and a confident expectation.
Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
It is interesting that the first mention of the Holy Spirit in the book of Romans is tied up with the love of God. The book of Romans is considered the foundation for Christians. Could it be that the first thing the Holy Spirit wants to do is to establish in our hearts that God loves us?
God’s Word says, “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.” You may have experienced disappointed hopes, but there is a hope that does not disappoint when you are conscious of how much God loves you. It is a hope that springs from the heart of God, who loves you very much.
Paul may give us the best example of hope in Romans chapter 8. Whenever I encounter hopelessness in new believers and even among experienced Christians and there is doubt about their salvation, I usually direct them to Romans 8:24-25 where Paul tells the believer, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” because
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Reblogged this on Call 2 Witness.
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When you’ve bought a ticket for the movie theater, find a seat and sit down, you don’t then hope to see a movie, you expect it. So it is with hope. There needs to be that type of expectancy on the part of the believer.
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