{"id":5121,"date":"2019-04-26T21:23:33","date_gmt":"2019-04-27T01:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/?p=5121"},"modified":"2026-06-02T13:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T17:00:08","slug":"hope-the-who-what-when-how-and-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/hope-the-who-what-when-how-and-why\/","title":{"rendered":"HOPE: The Who, What, When, How and Why (115)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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HOPE: The Who, What, When, How and Why<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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By Steven J. Hogan<\/p>\n

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~ A Saturday Morning Post #115 ~<\/em><\/p>\n

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WHO<\/strong> has true hope? The Christian, the believer, the child of God, the one who has been born again. God knows you can\u2019t live without it. You have to have it, for this is how He made you, how you are spiritually wired. You need to know that God has good things in store for you. You need to know there\u2019s a reason for living, that He will reward you in the future for your work in the present. Having hope for the next age helps you to persevere in the present age, and successfully make it through this life. Now I\u2019m not talking about worldly hopes, I\u2019m talking about godly hope,<\/a> a God-promised future, what He clearly tells us in His Word.

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WHAT<\/strong> is this hope? What are these things God wants you to be excited about? It\u2019s being with Jesus<\/strong> (John 14:3). It\u2019s being in heaven<\/strong> (Hebrews 12:22-24). It\u2019s being with fellow Christians<\/strong> (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). It\u2019s having a new body<\/strong> (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). It\u2019s experiencing no pain <\/strong>or sadness (Revelation 21:4). It\u2019s reigning with Christ<\/strong> (Revelation 5:10). It\u2019s eternal pleasures<\/strong> (Psalm 16:11). It\u2019s being greatly rewarded<\/strong> (Matthew 5:12). But more than anything else, it\u2019s being able to wholeheartedly worship God<\/strong> (Psalm 84:4). I can\u2019t wait! \u201cNo eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him\u201d<\/em> (1 Corinthians 2:9).

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WHEN <\/strong>will this hope be realized? When will you begin to see all these good things take place? At the coming<\/a> of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. \u201c\u2026 in Christ all will be made alive\u2026 those who are Christ\u2019s at His coming.\u201d<\/em> 1 Corinthians 15:22-23

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HOW<\/strong> do you get hope? First, you need to be saved.<\/a> As soon as you are made right with God and are forgiven of your sins, you have hope. That\u2019s when you know you are going to heaven to forever be with Jesus and all the saints. 1 Peter 1:3-4 says that God \u201chas caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance \u2026 reserved in heaven for you.\u201d<\/em> Once you are born again, you have hope, this present certainty that you will receive a heavenly inheritance, this confidence that you will be incredibly and eternally blessed.

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Second, you need to know what God\u2019s word says about hope. Romans 15:5 tells us, \u201cthrough \u2026 the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.\u201d<\/em> The Scriptures describe your hope. I just mentioned nine different aspects of your glorious hope, all explained in God\u2019s word. But it\u2019s not just knowing what God says, it\u2019s also believing it. It does you no good to know your future if you don\u2019t believe it to be true. The saints of old had faith-based hope, for they believed what God told them about the future He had planned for them. \u201cFaith is the assurance of things hoped for.\u201d<\/em> Hebrews 11:1

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Third, God gives you trials to increase your hope. Now God gives present grace to get you through these trying situations. \u201cMy grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness\u201d<\/em> (2 Corinthians 12:9). But God also gives you the hope of future grace. \u201cSet your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed\u201d<\/em> (1 Peter 1:13). This hope of a perfect future helps you get through your present trials, for you know that God will greatly bless you in the ages to come. Your momentary light afflictions are producing for you \u201can eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.\u201d<\/em> 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

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Fourth, it\u2019s good to ask God<\/a> for hope. Here is Paul\u2019s prayer: \u201cI pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints\u201d<\/em> (Ephesians 2:18). It\u2019s a work of God in the heart of a Christian that enables him or her to have hope. We can easily set our minds on earthly things, but it\u2019s a God-given hope that sets our minds on heavenly things, on a wonderful future He has already prepared for us. So how do you get hope? By being saved, by reading God\u2019s word, by learning through trials, and by prayer.

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WHY <\/strong>do I say all this? Why do I keep writing about hope? Because it\u2019s vitally important for your life, a quality that is lacking in the lives of many Christians. Think of the five essential nutrients for the growth and health of the physical body – proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Each of these are critically needed, or else your body won\u2019t function properly, will get weak and sick. So too, hope is needed<\/a> for you to be a spiritually healthy Christian. When you have hope<\/strong>, you\u2019ll be able to persevere<\/strong> (1 Thess. 1:3), you\u2019ll grieve rightly<\/strong> (1 Thess. 4:13-17), you\u2019ll have a godly perspective<\/strong> (1 Thess. 5:9), you\u2019ll be more holy<\/strong> (1 John 3:3), you\u2019ll be spiritually anchored<\/strong> (Hebrews 6:19), and most importantly, you\u2019ll be more excited about seeing and being with Christ<\/strong> (1 Timothy 1:1). Indeed, the gospel message is hope-full, for it is good news, not just now, but forever. \u201cMay 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.\u201d <\/em>Romans 15:13

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P.S. I strongly encourage you to read my two recent posts on hope, for they go along with this one. “You Need Hope to Get Through Life”<\/a> and “Your Great Hope and Most Glorious Future.”<\/a> I cannot emphasize enough the importance of godly hope for your life, and for all Christians.<\/p>\n

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