Looking for Hope in a Hopeless WorldShembull

# How is Hope Supported? Where do we find hope? Where will Christians find support for their hopes to remain strong until those hopes are realized? Christian hope rests with God and with Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ there is no hope. But humans are weak, and hope cannot flourish when it stands alone. For hope to grow stronger it needs support. God in His wisdom has given us support for our hopes so that we can grow in hope and in faith. Scripture speaks about the abiding work of faith and love with hope. This gives us a clue as to how hope is supported. Love comes from God and His love is received by the working of the Holy Spirit in us. There is a process and a path that we walk in Christ identified in Romans 5:1-5, and it culminates in these words: > “…hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) Here is the solid link between hope and love. In these words we see that the love of God is poured into us by the Holy Spirit, as promised by God. The Holy Spirit is the first support for our hopes because He teaches, guides, counsels, and comforts us. The second support mechanism of our hope in Jesus Christ comes through God’s teachings. To teach us God has ensured we have His words and the words of Jesus Christ to learn from as we walk. That “textbook” of life and truth is the Bible. Scriptures help us learn and grow in the ways of the Lord. They teach and encourage us, showing us the difference between truth and error and provide the path to salvation. His words instruct us so that we can grow into the image of Jesus Christ as we follow His words. The words of the Bible are a solid foundation and a powerful force to guarantee that our hope is stayed upon Christ Jesus. Remember also the link of hope to faith. How do we increase in faith? We increase in faith by listening to the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we increase our knowledge of the gospel, our faith is made stronger, so our hopes rest upon a solid and secure platform. We see the solid link between faith and hope in the opening words of Hebrews chapter 11. > “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) The third support mechanism of hope is the gospel itself. The gospel of Jesus is His words of salvation offered to all mankind that they may live in hope. They are the essential truth that surpasses all of the so-called truths of this world. The gospel has power to transform a person from a life of wickedness that leads to death into someone who holds the promise of life and a life of hope. This is why Jesus told His disciples in the Great Commission, that after making new disciples and baptizing them, they were to teach them all the words of Jesus. The new disciples would need the Gospel to give them hope and keep their hopes up until His will was done and all was completed. There is one other mechanism of support that needs to be considered and it requires a section all on its own. It is the shared hope we have as a church.