“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3–5 NIV).
Sometimes I use the word hope with little thought. Such as, I hope it won’t rain today. Or, I hope we win the game. Or, I hope you have a good time.
What is hope? In the Bible, hope is a confident expectation that God will fulfill his promises.
Hope gives us purpose. Life without hope is meaningless.
Here are three encouraging ways God promises hope.
God promises hope for today
God promises “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” but we must accept it (1 Peter 1:3). We become new creations when we believe Christ died for us on the cross, and rose from the dead on the third day. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gives us the mighty power of God living inside of us.
Jesus is our living hope today and every day. If we plug in to God’s power through the Holy Spirit, we receive encouragement, hope and strength for every single day.
God promises hope for tomorrow
God promises us never-ending grace and mercy for countless tomorrows since we’re all sinners and deserve death, the full wrath of God.
Our salvation begins with grace when we get what we don’t deserve—forgiveness from sin. Grace from God never runs out or expires.
Mercy means we don’t get what we deserve. God extends mercy to all who accept it. He’s always merciful; even though we keep sinning, His love never fails for those who turn away from sin and turn to Him.
God promises hope for eternity
Because Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, we receive “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade”, the kingdom of heaven (1 Peter 1:4).
This is our one true and everlasting hope. Hope for our souls when Jesus comes again to gather all who believe in Him.
The last two chapters of the Bible, Revelation 21-22, reveal the good news of a new heaven and new earth when Jesus returns. Scripture states, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4 ESV).
Because unbelievers have no hope, we must continue to share the promise of eternal hope with them. Could someone you know benefit from some hope and encouragement right now? Tell them about God’s promises of hope for today, tomorrow, and for eternity.
