Romans 8:24-25 - Homiletics

"Saved by hope."

Hope is an emotion compounded of expectation and desire. We may expect what we dread, we may desire what we are sure is beyond our reach; in either case hope is impossible. Faith is in the unseen present; hope is of the unseen future. As a feeling, and consequently as a motive power, hope is taken up, heightened, and hallowed by religion. In the New Testament, great stress is laid upon, and great virtue is attributed to, hope; it ranks with faith and love.

I. THE OBJECTS OF THE CHRISTIAN 'S HOPE .

1. God himself; his favour and fellowship. "Hope thou in God' is the admonition given, to which the suitable response is, "My hope is in thee." Hope in God is distinguished from hope in man, in being always secure.

2. Especially God in Christ, who is spoken of as the "Lord Jesus Christ, our Hope." We are enjoined to "hope in Christ;" and his character and promises justify compliance with such injunction.

3. To particularize, the object of hope is stated to be Christ's future appearance; the Christian looks for "the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ." Has not our Lord expressly said, "I will come again"? Now, "he that hath this hope, purifieth himself."

4. The Christian's hope extends both to the future of this life and to immortal blessedness. This earthly existence is brightened by the prospects opened up to us of Divine aid and guidance, protection and comfort; and such hope is fitted to strengthen and to cheer. Whilst Christianity is especially distinct and emphatic in its revelation of the glories of the future state; telling of the "hope of eternal life," "the hope laid up in heaven," and imparting a "living hope of an inheritance."

II. THE GROUNDS OF THE CHRISTIAN 'S HOPE .

1. The promise of God. Here is a sure and stable foundation which it would be folly and sin to distrust. "I hope," is the godly man's exclamation, "in thy Word." His is the "hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began." In giving us his revelation, the design of infinite love was that we, "through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

2. The teaching of the Holy Spirit. He is the Inspirer of all good. affections and desires; one purpose of his bestowal upon Christians being that they "might abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

3. Our experience of the Lord's faithfulness. "Experience worketh hope." It is not a matter of conjecture on the part of Christ's people whether or not the promises of God will be fulfilled; they have already been fulfilled in such measure as to justify our hope concerning the future. Ours is a hope which "maketh not ashamed," which will not disappoint those who cleave to it.

III. THE FRUITS OF THE CHRISTIAN 'S HOPE .

1. Calmness and confidence of disposition. In this, hope is as "an anchor unto the soul;" for whilst fear disturbs, hope pacifies.

2. Cheerfulness and joy. They are bright and glad who have something to which they can look forward, even when the present is cheerless and discouraging. Such is the case with Christians, who "rejoice in hope." "Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord his God."

3. Spirituality and purity of heart and life. The purifying power of hope is especially described by St. John; it is by its influence that Christians are meetened for their inheritance.

4. Patience and endurance. In this respect hope is as a helmet to the soul. "If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." The Thessalonians were commended by St. Paul for their "patience of hope."

5. Salvation. This is the ultimate aim, issue, and end. The hope of the Christian shall at last be realized, when he shall be delivered from the bondage of the body, the harassing of temptation, the wounds of sorrow, the pressure of sin.