Hope For Change

Everyone needs hope, hope for Christians is not a matter of chance, but one of grace given by our Lord's atoning work upon the cross at Calvary. This is a matter of our will to "Know", that He is and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him as is stated in Hebrews 11. Without hope there is despair and that is born from a lack of "Knowing". A despair is a lost or negative hope, one that clings to an improbability.

We, however, have a sure hope in the Lord. In all of life's circumstances we may be assured of the witness of the Holy Spirit within us that He is in control. This hope is not given to us to hide within our heart, but to display it's light for all to see. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;". In other words we must study and be prepared in much prayer and having a constant state of readiness to share this hope that has been placed within us. If we are lazy and unprepared then when the hard times come to us we will fall into a despair, not having a true site of the Lord within us.

Christian hope is distinctly different from "positive thinking" from the world's psychology, because this philosophy is a way to get a person in despair to accept a way of thinking that has no basis in fact, it is a tool of psychology to reverse a despair or pessimistic outlook. Christian hope is based upon a truth, not a fiction. Christ is and therefore,we have hope. This hope, that is within us is not physically manifested as though it is, but we may call it as though it is because of our firm assurance, we "know" within our heart the change that has taken place, we must never allow our present condition take away that hope.We see that Paul writes to the Colossians about hope in chapter 1, verses 27-28:

" To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.".

Let us consider Romans, chapter 4, beginning with verse 17, we see in the following that hope is faith in believing a truth spoken by our Father through His Son, Christ Jesus, and we have a more sure hope than did our forefathers. Yahweh God calls those things into existence that are not presently manifested to us, because they do exist, as He exists, and are manifested in due time.

¹⁷ (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; ¹⁸ who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. ²² And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, ²⁴ but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.