Post 60: The Power of Hope

I ended the previous post with this exhortation:

"Since abiding faith is the only guarantee of obtaining heaven, this should prompt us all to 'work out our own salvation' by ensuring that our faith is strong."

A strong and abiding faith seems to be the key to taking hold of a spiritual victory in this life. So, where does abiding faith come from? And how do we get it? This is what I want to examine today.

The Power of Hope

Perhaps the most oft-cited verse to explain the origin of Christian faith is from the apostle Paul to the church in Rome. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17 ESV).

But how does hearing "the word of Christ" generate faith? I propose that it has little to do with the words themselves and lots to do with the hope that the "good news" of the gospel kindles in the hearer when enabled by God's grace/Spirit.

This connection between hope and faith is described in Paul's letter to the Colossians where he tells them that faith (and love) "spring" from hope (Col 1:4-5 NIV). In other words, hope is a generator of faith.

The Science of Hope

As part of a scientific study at Harvard in the 1950s, Dr. Curt Richter placed rats in a pool to test how long they could tread water. On average they'd tire, give up and sink after fifteen minutes.

But right before they gave up due to exhaustion, the researchers would pluck them out, dry them off, let them rest for a few minutes, and put them back in for a second round.

In this second try, these same rats lasted sixty hours! (That's not a typo!). The hope of a future rescue provided a powerful source of enduring faith and strength.

There is a direct relationship between our hope (assurance/security in the future grace God has promised) and the faith (trust/confidence) we experience in our daily lives. Hope in the future is a powerful source of faith for today.

The Ordo Salutis

To help connect the dots, I've created a simple model that places all of the elements we've been discussing in what theologians call the "ordo salutis", Latin for "the order of salvation."

Here's how the model works:

1. The gospel is the plan of God to save the world through his Son Jesus Christ.

The gospel (the word of Christ) is heard which initiates a sequence leading to eternal life/heaven.

... [the gospel] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes... (Romans 1:16 ESV)

2. When the Spirit of God reveals the truth of the gospel, the result is true biblical hope, that is, assurance in the future. Such hope is grounded in the faithfulness of God who never fails to keep his promises.

... the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven... (Colossians 1:23 ESV)

3. True biblical hope--the assurance that God will keep his word--kindles faith, the confidence and strength to endure through our day-to-day trials.

because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people-- the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven...(Colossians 1:4-5 NIV)

4. Our faith then gives us access to God's grace, which is the divine enablement--the goodness and the power of God--in us.

... through [Jesus Christ] we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2 ESV)

5. The end result of acquiring God's grace through abiding faith is eternal life in heaven, which is our inheritance from God.

so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:7 ESV)

Faith-the Weak Link

Notice that all the links of the chain are controlled by God except one--faith.

• The gospel is the plan of God.

• Hope has its foundation in the faithfulness of God and his promises.

• Grace is the goodness and power of God.

• Eternal Life is the inheritance from God

While faith is a gift from God, in contrast to the other links in the chain, the Bible speaks of your faith and my faith. It seems that faith is the one gift in the chain that God entrusts to us fallible, flawed, fallen human beings. It is ours to do with as we will. That's why faith can be shipwrecked (1 Tim 1:19). That's why faith can fail (Luke 22:32).

Since a strong and abiding faith is the key to spiritual victory in this life. The Bible exhorts us to manage, direct, nurture, and strengthen our faith.

Here are four strategies taken from Scripture that can help us obtain a strong, enduring faith, a faith that can also impact others for the kingdom:

(1) Read God's word daily (Rom 10:17)

(2) Pray. The apostles simply asked Jesus for more faith (Luke 17:5)

(3) Focus on hope. Faith springs from the hope we have in Jesus (Col 1:5)

(4) Do good. Helping/encouraging others "brings faith to life" (James 2:17)

Final thought

Although we didn't have time in this post, it should be noted that faith without love is of no effect (Gal 5:6). No love, no access to God's grace, no power in ministry. The chain is broken.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13 ESV)

Next Post: The Foreknowledge of God

Here's a link: https://www.bibleinsights.net/post/post-61-the-foreknowledge-of-god