“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace…”
and good hope
God is the source of hope. Hope in the New Testament is not a “wish”–”I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” There is uncertainty in a wish. The Greek word carries the idea of a confident prospect. The Christian is confident of God providentially working in time and eternity.
Our hope is “good.” The word “good” is the good of intrinsic value, of practical value. Some people promise things that will never happen. God always comes through with His promises. The Christian’s future is invincible.
Principle:
The Christian has confidence in time and eternity because of God’s promises.
Application:
Not only does God give us consolation, but He also gives us “hope.” He not only gives us hope, but He gives “good” hope. God is always true to His promises. He never goes back on them. We draw on them from His Word.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel…” (Colossians 1:3-5).
“…in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began…” (Titus 1:2).
“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:17-20).
