13 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.
that [purpose] you may abound [super-abound] in [the] hope
The Greek has a “the” before the word “hope.” “The hope” refers to the hope cited by Isaiah in the previous verse.
The word “abound” connotes the idea of exceeding a fixed number or measure. This is unconquerable hope.
It is possible for the believer to “abound in hope.” There are believers that do not have abounding confidence in what God is doing. The strong emphasis on hope shows that there is no true hope apart from God. The fact that we have justification and that God guarantees eternal life is a super-abounding hope.
PRINCIPLE:
Christian hope stands in stark contrast to the world’s hope.
APPLICATION:
People in North America have lost hope in most things. We do not believe in our politicians, the economy, or even our justice systems. Christians, on the other hand, carry high hope or confidence in God’s promises.
When we abound in hope, we stand in stark contrast to the world. Hope brought about by God gives warrant for joy and peace. These blessings rest upon the premise of an absolute God, who gives hope by keeping His word.
