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Expressing Hope

In his first letter, Peter counsels Christians to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” [1Peter 3:15 NIV]

I have a friend named Reg who knows more about hope than most of us do. It kept him alive for three and a half years when he lived with insufficient food, tropical diseases, hard labour, no medical attention, and frequent physical abuse and torture from his captors. He was one of the British soldiers who was captured in the Asian theatre early in the second World War.

He told me that without hope he would have died. Yet somehow, he was able to cling to his belief that one day the horrors would end and he would return home to England to the embrace of his loved ones, abundant familiar food, necessary medical attention, and the respect of those around him. This proved to be a valid belief - a sure hope - for eventually Reg was freed and returned to England.

Many psychological studies support what Reg learned first hand. Hope is essential to survival. Imagine then how Paul’s readers in Ephesus would have responded as he reminded them that before they had come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ they were totally “without hope and without God in the world.” [Ephesians 2:12] They would have looked back to the time when their understanding of the afterlife held no prospect of transcendence. But, as believers in the Lord Jesus, they were experiencing spiritual blessings they couldn’t have dreamed of before. More than that they now had hope.

Peter spoke of this hope as well. He wrote: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” [1Pe 1:3 NIV] Living hope - that’s what Christians have. Why? Because they have a living Saviour. The author of their faith has not been reduced to dust in some dank tomb. He lives!

A friend of mine was riding a train in England one day. At the time, troubles in the world had everyone wondering what would become of the human race. In an attempt to start a conversation, my friend asked his seat-mate, “What is your hope for the future?” The man squirmed both physically and psychologically for a while then responded, “I guess we’ll just muddle through.” My friend then seized the opportunity to share the living hope which he has in the Lord Jesus.

What about you, how would you answer the question “What is your hope for the future?” Do you have something sure to look forward to, or do you just expect to muddle through?

When it comes to expressing our hope, there’s a world of difference between having no hope at all and having a living hope in Jesus.

Ron Hughes
© June 2008