“…the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven.” ~Colossians 1:5

It’s interesting to me that the Bible says hope is the source of our faith and love. Hope doesn’t come from faith; it’s the opposite. Our Christian faith is grounded in our hope, our hope in what God is holding in heaven–this thing that God is storing for you, this future glory with Christ, these eternal promises of God we know are coming true. Not hope in the things of this world. Not hope in career or family, not hope in scholarships or degrees, not hope in elections or Supreme Courts, not hope in science or technology–hope in what God is holding for us in heaven. The confidence, the assurance we have for that coming day when we know that everything that’s broken will be fixed and everything that’s gone wrong will be made right.

Christian hope is not blind optimism with no foundation to it. It’s not like, “I hope the Cowboys win the Super Bowl this year;” that’s just wishful thinking. That’s totally blind! That’s what led Alexander Pope to write, “Blessed is the one who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” In other words, don’t get your hopes up and you can’t be let down.

For us Christians who are indwelled by God’s Holy Spirit, our hopes are always way up! We expect everything! We expect every hour of every day that our God is at work in this world through Jesus Christ and that he is reconciling all things and all people back to himself! Our hope is secure because God himself guarantees it and he seals it by placing his Spirit inside us.

That Christian hope is what compels us to love. It’s not a feeling or an emotion; it’s an intentional commitment to actions that seek to help others, actions that join God in fixing things and making things right. Cups of cold water, hospital and prison visits, food for the hungry and clothes for the poor, defending the accused and standing with the oppressed–a love in the Spirit that partners with God’s salvation work of redeeming and restoring the world.

Our Christian faith and our Christ-like love changes lives and it changes our city and the whole world. And it springs from our common hope.

Peace,
Allan