What Does It Mean To WALK IN HOPE?

We’ve talked about walking in faith (Read: What Does It Mean To WALK BY FAITH?) and about walking with God (Read: What Does It Mean To WALK WITH GOD?), but there remains the question, what does it mean to walk in hope?  

[Don’t miss the video at the end: “10,000 Reasons”]

First, let’s define what hope is.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary  defines hope in this way: “to want something to happen or to be true.” As Christians, we know that our hope is much more than just wanting something to happen or be true. 

As Christians, we define our hope as a confident expectation of something that will come to pass or will be shown to be true, because God has revealed or promised something.  Our hope is:

• different than that of the world. It is not wishful thinking.  It is not based on our desires or wants. 
• based on a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
• fueled by finding answers and purposeful reasoning from God’s Word, knowing that God is sovereign over all things and that He loves us.
• fundamental to our faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells that “faith is the substance of things hoped for…”

Walking

We’ve been talking about walking along life’s path to our final destination, Heaven.  Along that journey, we walk BY FAITH, WITH GOD, and just as important IN HOPE. 

• Without hope, our walk by faith will falter. 
• Without hope, we will wander away from walking with God.
• And without hope, we will despair.

Hope is absolutely necessary to fully live in the joy of the Lord.  And God, in His love and faithfulness, has given us all that we need to have hope in every step take on our way home.

Ministry of Hope

The ministry of Reasons for Hope* Jesus stands on two very important “hope” verses.  As an apologetics ministry, 1 Peter 3:15 defines our mission to “be ready always to give an answer to every man who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.”   That verse also tells us how to share our hope.  We are to do so “with meekness and fear” (i.e. gentleness and respect) and in doing so we “sanctify the Lord,” which means we set Him apart and we magnify Him as Lord.  

The second ministry verse is a reminder of our True Hope and it’s incorporated into the logo of the Reasons for Hope* Jesus ministry. The verse is Hebrews 6:19 and it is a discipling verse that strengthens and encourages all Christians: “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” 

Our True Hope

Hebrews 6:19 is about Jesus. He is our True Hope. He is our anchor of security in every storm and our anchor of rest in calm waters — the anchor that is both “sure and steadfast.”  That means we can have confidence in our walk, anchored in Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).

Our Walk is not…

• by sight (2 Cor 5:7), for faith is unseen (Heb 11:1).
• alone, for we walk with God. (Heb 13:5)
• without hope, for we have a sure and steadfast hope (Heb 6:19)
• without joy, for we have an unconditional promise of glory to come (John 11:25, Col 3:14)

We walk IN HOPE because we are IN CHRIST.  And to experience our hope and to have joy and peace, regardless of circumstance, we need to know Jesus.  Knowledge of Jesus comes from the Word of God, by which Jesus is fully revealed and magnified.  God’s Word gives us hope and joy.

There is one more verse upon which Reasons for Hope* Jesus is founded.  It is a missional verse, and it is our hope and prayer for you:

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.
(Rom 15:13)

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What Does It Mean To WALK BY FAITH?
What Does It Mean To WALK WITH GOD?
What Does It Mean To WALK IN HOPE?

There is no better way to build faith and instill confidence in our souls than to remember the beautiful promises of God.  They give us reasons to believe, reasons to trust, and reasons to hope — 10,000 Reasons (and more!).