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2006. 11. 22 (Wednesday) Bible: Romans 8:24-25 Title: Hope
1. The meaning of hope
1) Hope as the destination of salvation
The Apostle Paul said that ‘the visible hope’ is not the ‘true hope’ of the saints. It was defined as the hope of the saints only to hope for the ‘unseen’. These words give various meanings, but what is certain is that the hope of the saints in Christ is different from the hope of the life of unbelievers.
What do people usually wait for? I live with the hope that the material and temporal ‘bluebird of happiness’ will fly through the ‘window of my life’. But the hope of the saints is not like that. The ultimate hope of life for the saints should be to dwell in the ‘Kingdom of God’ that will be fully realized in the future. The Apostle Paul confessed that he set that hope as “the goal of life,” and that he always ran. A person's wish is a factor that determines the direction and value of that person's life. Therefore, the goal and hope of a believer's life should not be 'earth' but 'heaven' (cf. Colossians 3:1-4).
2) Hope as a weapon and means of life
“Wait with patience” (verse 25). “Patience” here is not fatalistic and blind patience in life. Rather, it means a life that is able to endure the pain, contradictions, and irrationality of reality as a person who is guaranteed tomorrow and wins. In this way, the Bible teaches that those who have been saved from sin through Christ have hope as a great weapon and means of life (cf. Romans 8:24, Hebrews 8:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:8).
Just as there is a saying that 'human hope' is like 'the bread of life', the hope of eternal life given to the saints is to enable them to endure this dark and unjust world, to overcome hardships and tribulations, and to realize God's will. Remember, it is the driving force of life.
2. The relationship between the foundation of hope and life for the saints
1) Christ's Resurrection and Assurance of Salvation
Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain, and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). We must recognize that the basis of all hope in the life of a believer is based solely on the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ. No, going one step further, the very existence and power of Christianity is based on that fact.
Among them, the 'fact of the resurrection of Christ' is the 'effectiveness' for the salvation of the saints. Because Christ overcame death and rose again, it proves that the work of atonement has been fulfilled, and it testifies that Christ became the Son of God through the resurrection. This is because the fact of the resurrection proves that the 'eternal life' promised by Christ is true, and enables the believers to have the hope of participating in the resurrection of victory and eternal life like Christ in the future. Therefore, believers must defend the truth of the resurrection and live a life that applies that truth to their lives. This is because, when the truth of the resurrection is lost, the salvation of the saints and all efforts in life are meaningless.
2) The assurance of God's love and life
The Apostle Paul testified that “in all things we will achieve a life of victory through him who loves us” (Romans 8:37). The hope of the saints is not simply the future. God's saving grace includes not only the past and future, but also the "existence of the saints."
Through the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the saints are always given the grace of being guided to a better today than yesterday. Even if there are times in life when suffering comes and you are frustrated because of your own weakness, in time you will realize that all these things were “worked together for good” (Romans 8:28), the love and wisdom of God. This fact assures believers of victory in all things and makes them live happily with hope (cf. Romans 5:3-4).
3. How to live a life that promotes hope
1) We must trust God's covenant through Christ.
The phrase “who can see what they see” (verse 24) means that only by living a life of faith in the “covenant of God” can a hopeful life be achieved.
Jesus Christ is an oath to the man of God toward us. It is difficult for believers to live on visible and sensual things. Only trust in the promises of God that were made in Christ.
2) Be true to God's commandments through Christ.
In conclusion, ‘the hope of the saints’ is ‘the product of the sincere religious response of the saints’ to ‘God’s desperately needed covenant’. For those who are partners with sin, Christian hope offers no benefit or meaning. The hope of Christianity alone is to make Christ and his covenant the goal of life and provide true meaning to all who long for his will.