Faith Life 5 (FAITH IN RELATION WITH HOPE 2)

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY

THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 5)

TOPIC: FAITH IN RELATION WITH HOPE (2)

SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF)

Hebrew 11:1 Romans 8:24-25

Hope is basic for every christian believers, that without hope, life loses its meaning (Lamentations 3:18). The Bible says in Romans 8:24-25 that, "we are saved in hope." When we observe how we got saved after we've heard the gospel truth; the saving grace of CHRIST. You will agree with me that we didn't get to see it with our physical eyes, but we expect that we will be save, which was why we could put our faith in the person of Jesus for our redemption. We can also see it in that Romans 8:24, where the Apostle further said that "hope that is seen is not hope." This means that  biblical hope doesn't operate on what is seen. In other words, I can say that 'Hope' is a virtue to counter all of the negatives all around you. Actually, It is a blind man, that is, someone that doesn't see who He is in the spirit man or a man that his vision is blurry that won't make use of hope. The reason you don't wait with composure, and you are not eager neither are you expectant is because you have not seen yourself in God. You easily get weary and relegate yourself because you don't have hope. You need to start seeing your future being held up by God, instead of focusing on what the country offers you or what the society is doing against you. Hope is expecting something different apart from what this physical world offers.

The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God’s fulfillment of His promises. When you see yourself in God's hand, then can you only expect something different from what the world offer. Let me inform you that, you can only make impact in this generation with what God gives you and from where God has placed you. But If your hope is in man or the government, they can not give you what you will need for life and godliness, to be able to fulfill God's purpose and vision for your life. What you need to fulfill purpose can only be what the Holy Spirit has worked out in you. Brethren! When you see yourself in God's hands; everly in His presence and embrace, then you'll be able to wait on Him with composure, having full confidence and assurance that you have all that you need in His presence.

Roman 8:25

You can only be eager to receive what you know it's coming. Although, many believers don't see the Holy Spirit at work in their life. Instead what they only see is what the government is doing, what their friends are doing or what their lecturers are doing. And that's why they just accept anything that comes their way; they accept mediocrity and settle for the low life. No! You need to know that the Holy Spirit is cooking something up in/for you. He is building you up and conforming you to the image of Christ. You can't sleep on it, but rather rise up and let hope come alive because you can't just continue to live in mediocrity.There has to be a difference, but you must see it happening and therefore you must be eager and expectant.

Galatians 5:5

The word 'eager' in the above scripture does not implies being impatient. But you're eager for what you already see coming. Though It might not yet be in place, but you are very confident that it's building up and it's going to surface. we can also see from that scripture that, 'hope' can only be fuelled and engaged by the HolySpirit. So through the Spirit, we wait eagerly for the hope of righteousness. And we must note that we wait by faith in the person of Jesus. Faith only makes sense when hope has preceded it.

Sharing some light from the scripture above; we must know that, we are already the righteousness of God in Christ. This righteousness is what we have already become in our spirit; the part of our being we can not see with our physical eyes. Therefore, we daily hope that this life we've received becomes expressive in our daily living, more and more until the fullness of time when we will be fully engulfed in our body, soul and spirit with the righteousness of Christ. So we are eager because we know if the Holy Spirit has made it real in our spirit part of our being, He will also make it real too in our body and soul. This is also true with every other blessedness we have received in Christ Jesus. For example, If our Spirit man has already experienced healing, you can also expect it to happen in your body and soul too, as we put faith in Christ and His finished work.

As I said earlier that, biblical hope is not just a mere wish. It is based on the reality that we've already experienced in our spirit man. The problem many believers have most times is that, they hope for things in which there is no hope. For example, the government can't bring true hope;  Financial stability can’t bring true hope;  A spouse can’t bring true hope because all of these has their limitations. But true hope lies in God, our Father that created hope

Romans 5:5

According to the scripture above, you would see that the reason people don't expect big things to come their way is because they don't understand God's love for them. If you know how God loves you; how He gave His Son for you spiritually and physically, then you will agree with me that there is nothing He can't bring to pass physically in your life, but you have to wait for it. You also have a role, because when you are sleeping or down in the 'cooler', you won't even know when the work the Holy Spirit is performing behind the scene will pass you by.

In conclusion, what God has told you and has said concerning you has to become a vision in your mind. Then you will be able to wait on Him with patience.

God bless you!

Grace Abounds