What is hope?

Hope is the positive action of the soul and body.  This positive action takes place within the supernatural world where the soul dwells and within the natural world where the body dwells.  It involves natural (physical) acts of obedience which are required to receive promises from God.  Hope, being a soul and body positive action (power), comes from God.

Hope is physical action:

"Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?" Job 4:6  (Eliphaz expresses that one's ways of obedience expresses one's hope.)

"my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will live in hope,"  Acts 2:26  (David expresses that one's physical body will be sustained in one's hope.)

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."  Romans 8:25  (Paul expresses that hope involves the process of physically waiting patiently for what has been promised.)

"we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."  Romans 5:3-5   (Paul expresses that hope, comes from character, one's commitment to being right, which comes from perseverance, one's commitment to do continue doing what is right, which comes from suffering, one's commitment in doing right no matter what the circumstance or negative reaction from others.  It is doing that you become!)

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."  Romans 15:4   (Paul expresses that physical endurance is an expression of hope.)

"Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold."  2 Corinthians 3:12  (Paul expresses that being bold in physical action is an expression of hope.)

"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."  1 Thessalonians 1:3  (Paul expresses that physical endurance comes from and grows out of hope.)

"God is not unjust: he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.  We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.  We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."  Hebrews 6:10-12  (Paul expresses that physical patience is an expression of hope.)

Hope is expressed in the temporal, perishable world:

"as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope."  Job 14:19  (Job expresses that hope can be destroyed by the temporal, perishable things that take place around us.)

"But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish."  Psalms 9:18  (David expresses that hope can perish by being physically afflicted, just as the needy can be physically forgotten.

"When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing."  Proverbs 11:7 (Solomon expresses that a dead man can no longer physically express his hope.)

"Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off."  Ezekiel 37:11  (Ezekiel expresses that hope is lost, when one physically dies.)

Hope comes from God:

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him."  Psalms 62:5   (David expresses that hope come from God alone.)

"Remember Your Word to Your servant, for You have given me hope."  Psalms 119:49  (David expresses that hope is given from God.)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11   (Jeremiah expresses that God is determined to give us the hope that we need to live life.)

"The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless, for the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God."  Hebrews 7:18-19  (The author expresses that hope causes us to draw nearer to God and came from Him in the first place.)

Hope is also called trust.  Hope or trust is demonstrated through a physical act of obedience.  This physical act of obedience is also called righteousness.  Such action (trust or righteousness) in a promise (truth) causes one to move toward a living being.  Such action (trust or righteousness) in a non-promise (lie) causes one to move away from a living being.  

"Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands."  Psalms 78:7  (David expresses that trust involves the physical acts of keeping His commands.)

"...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:31 (Isaiah expresses that soaring, running, and walking are works of righteousness.)

"May 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."  Romans 15:13  (Paul expresses that hope, trusting in Him, comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.)

"I pray also 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, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."  Ephesians 1:18-19  (Paul defines hope as the riches and power of Christ, in order for us to do the works of God, even as Jesus said in John 14:12, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." and Paul says in Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works (righteousness), which God prepared in advance for us to do." and in Ephesians 2:13 "for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.")

If Hope is a positive action of the soul and body, then hopelessness is a negative action.  This negative action also takes place within the supernatural world where the soul dwells and within the natural world where the body dwells.  It involves soul and body acts of disobedience which are required to not receive promises from God.  Hopelessness is also called distrust or wickedness, the flesh.  Such action (distrust or wickedness) in a promise (truth) causes one to move away from a living being.  Such action (distrust or wickedness) in a non-promise (lie), which is really hope in truth, causes one to move towards a living being.

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself (walks in righteousness and holiness),  just as he is pure." 1 John 3:2-3   (John expresses that hope causes one to purify himself, to become like Him.)

"Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires (wickedness).  Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life;"  Romans 6:12-13  (Paul expresses that one, who has a relationship with God, has the power & authority to not let sin live and rule in one's life.  One doesn't have to obey one's evil desires of wickedness, hopelessness and disobedience.)

"Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity (wickedness) and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness."  Romans 6:19   (Paul expresses that one, who has a relationship with God, has the ability to no longer yield their physical body to wickedness, hopelessness, but rather to righteousness.)

"Now the works of the flesh (wickedness) are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revealings, and such like: of the which I tell you before,...that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21   (Paul expresses what wickedness, hopelessness, entitles and one that allows such in their life will not enter God's presence, both for now and in eternity.)

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior (wickedness)."  Corinthians 1:21   (Paul expresses that wickedness, hopelessness, alienates us from God and causes our minds to be against God.)

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature (wickedness): sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."  Corinthians 3:5    (Paul expresses that one should put to death one's earthly nature, wickedness, hopelessness, as expressed in various forms.)

"Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."  James 1:21   (James expresses that one should get rid of the wickedness, hopelessness, that is so prevalent in our world, and instead accept God's Word, and thus have hope in Him and be saved.)

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance."  1 Peter 1:13-14  (Peter expresses that setting our hope on Him & His grace towards us, involves preparing our minds for action and being self-controlled, not conforming to evil desires, but rather walking in righteousness.)

Several Biblical examples of how Hope was demonstrated (& experienced both spiritually and physically) are Rahab and the Woman with the issue of blood.  Rahab was a prostitute that hid the Israelite spies in her Jericho home in exchange for the protection & salvation of her family.  She was told to put a scarlet cord (the Hebrew word for "Hope" has the idea of a rope, line or cord) in her window and thus her family would be saved.  She appropriated Faith (in the God of Israel) and then Hope and thus experienced His Love.   The Woman with the issue of blood had spent all her money on doctors and medicine in order to be cured, but when Jesus came to her town, she responded to Him in Faith (by believing that He was her Messiah) and then with Hope (by reaching out her hand and grabbing the cords, representing the Word of God, that were attached to the hem of his prayer shawl).

For further discussion regarding the interaction of Hope, Hopelessness, Truth and Lies see Illustrations of Life.

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