RECLAIMING A FOUR-LETTER WORD

It is very possible for a word with a rich history of significance to become so worn in its usage that it becomes essentially meaningless. In our contemporary language, words are often used so frequently and without much thought that they can lose much of their intended meaning and weight. It is a problem for us to apply the contemporary meaning of words to scripture without first making sure what the writer was intending when he wrote the scripture we are reading.

One of the words that, in contemporary usage, has lost much of its meaning is the word hope. We will make a statement like, “I hope that works out for you.” What is the meaning here? Most likely the intent of the person, at best, is, “I don’t really know how this will work out but I’m wishing for the best!” Someone else will say to a departing friend, “I hope to see you soon.” Meaning, “Have a nice day; we probably won’t see each other again soon.” These are simply ambiguous statements whose meanings have been worn down by time and careless use.

In Romans 5:1-6, Paul is taking the Roman church through an explanation of his understanding of how God works in the life of a believer. Paul says, “Tribulation works patience, patience works experience, experience brings forth hope.” This is a very important explanation on Paul’s part of how God brings forth growth and maturity in the life of the believer. If we are not careful, however, the whole sequence fizzles if we apply the contemporary meaning of the word hope which is ambiguous. In contemporary language, Paul would end up saying something like, “ Tribulation works patience, patience brings forth experience and experience brings forth, well, not very much, maybe a little something!”

In the original language the word hope means, “A confident expectation based on the certainty of God’s Word, His promises.” Hope is never inferior to faith but is an extension of faith. Faith is the present possession of grace; hope is the confidence in grace’s future accomplishments. In other words, when we use the word “hope” we are saying “as God has worked in my life in the past, I know He will work in the future.”

Back to Romans 5 for a moment. When we apply the correct definition of hope in the paragraph above, then it gives Paul’s statement a whole new energy. Instead of finishing with a whimper, it finishes with a shout of faith and triumph. Paul is saying, “I know that God is working in my life and the growth that I have seen will be matched and surpassed by what He has in store for me for the future. I am a work in progress and the best is yet to come!”

Paul associated hope with unshakeable confidence (Romans 4:18), with rejoicing (Romans 5:2) and with love (1 Cor. 13:7). God gives us the power to hope through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling us. The hope that God gives thrives and is strengthened in trials and tough, seemingly impossible situations.

“Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, …., contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:16-22)

Hope is a great and powerful word. It is a word to be savored and enjoyed! To have hope is to have the confidence of knowing that God who has “graced” my life in the past will continue to do so in the future. You can trust Him on that!

Have a great, hope-filled day!