“Hope of Salvation”
“We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s argument and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” 2 Cor. 10:4-5 ncv
The King James Version says: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2Cor. 10:4). Paul sixth weapon is “hope of salvation.” There’s a reason why Paul brought this up. In Paul’s times, there were some religious groups who argued that there is no resurrection of Christ. Today, we have some religious groups who argued that they do not believe in heaven and hell. Huh? Then what is hope for them?
The Bible talked a lot about the hope. Biblical hope is an assurance in the heart, a firm confidence about the future things because Biblical hope is based on God’s promises and revelation. Biblical hope is linked with a firm faith and a confident trust in God. So faith, trust and hope come together. I like one meaning that dictionary gave: person or thing that expectation centers in. So Christ is the center of our hope, the Biblical Hope.
Peter tells us, “Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have …” (I Peter 3:15b). I Peter 1:3 gave the answers: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which . . . hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” NCV is good: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Now we have hope for the blessings God has for his children” (I Peter 1:3,4a).
By using this weapon, “the hope of salvation in Christ and the blessed hope of the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit.2:13) against the enemy, we, the born-again believers will come forth victorious. We the believers will be caught up from the earth to meet Him in the air (I Thes.4:13-18), and we shall see Him as He is and become like Him (Phil.3:20-21). We have hope of eternal life (Tit.1:2).
Song: “Looking for that Blessed Hope”
Looking for that blessed hope (that joyful hope),
Looking for that blessed hope (that glorious hope);
We know the hour is nearing, The hour of His appearing;
We’re looking for that blessed hope.
(Thoro Harris, Sing His Praise.)
