Just hoping is no hope at all
by William Mundt
“Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23
We say it a lot—seriously, all of us do, and more often than we should. Two words, five letters, many meanings: “I hope” But what is hope?
It is one of the three—faith, hope, and love—that abide, according to St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. What he failed to mention is that all three are among the most misused and misunderstood words in the Christian vocabulary (“grace” being a very close fourth). All ought to be understood as gifts of God rather then viewed as human accomplishments. Faith is firm trust and confidence in God’s promises, not a feeling of being saved or a decision I’ve made. Self-sacrificing love is what Christ meant when He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). It’s what He demonstrated in His own sacrificial life, suffering, and death for us as our substitute—not the self-seeking, giddy, can’t-live-without-him infatuation played out in the movies, and news headlines, almost everyday. To be sure, God wants us to love one another but some expressions of love are also labelled by Him as “off-limits” or “not allowed”.
We say it a lot—seriously, all of us do, and more often than we should. Two words, five letters, many meanings: “I hope” But what is hope?
In the same way, hope has more to do with Christ’s resurrection than with wishful thinking. With apologies to Elvis Presley, a more relevant version of one of his favourite refrains—We ain’t faking, A-whole lot of shaking going on (although not written by him or Jerry Lee Lewis)—might be “we’re still coping, a whole lot of hoping going on.” Especially in the last twelve months or so, there has been a lot of hoping going on. Phrases that come to mind: I hope I don’t get COVID-19. I hope I don’t lose my job. I hope I don’t go broke. I hope they find a cure soon. I hope the lettuce is not wilted when DoorDash delivers. I hope my children don’t get sick. I hope I don’t die.
It seems everyone has hope. Or do they? Hope is a pretty common word and therefore liable to be commonly misused. Generally, it expresses wishes or desires ranging from favourite foods (I hope the pizza is still hot) to favourite people (I really hope she likes me). It may mean the feeling that what we want can be had, an optimism based on an expectation of positive outcomes. Hope is usually associated with realities in life, but that does not prevent one from wishing, “I hope it rains toonies all day!” (a rather unpleasant occurrence for golfers who already find hail a nuisance, and a very messy cleanup for street crews should neighbourhood children leave any lying around). As a verb, its definitions include: “expect with confidence” and “cherish a desire with anticipation.” Among its opposites are dejection, hopelessness, and despair. In psychology, it refers to goal-directed thinking, highlighting a motivated pursuit of goals, and the expectation that those goals can be achieved.
Faith is firm trust and confidence in God’s promises, not a feeling of being saved or a decision I’ve made.
Such definitions have one thing in common: hope remains unreliable, unpredictable, because it is merely an extension of our personal (make that selfish) desires. Just as hoping for sunny days does not drive away clouds, so hoping for something beneficial or more fun does not make it so. The key to hope is the foundation for the expectation. As long as “hoping” refers just to an attitude of the heart and mind, then there can be no hope of fulfillment. True hope requires something with a guarantee, such as we find by grace through faith in Christ. “For in hope we have been saved,” the Bible reminds us, “and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose…. If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:24, 28, 31-32).
The word “hope” has many different nuances and meanings in the Bible and in our Christian life. Misconceptions about hope have been around a long time. One old Greek fable tells us that hope is humanity’s only comfort because, when Zeus gave man a vessel full of all good things, that man, filled with curiosity, lifted the lid to take a peek and all the other good things escaped. The fable continues with that often-quoted encouragement: “As long as there is life, there is hope.” That is, the future is uncertain but if you can still breathe you may yet bend events to your will.
It is as unrealistic as the oft-repeated expression, “You can do whatever you set your mind to.” Both ideas overlook factors outside of our control.
The people of Israel were encouraged to “hope in the Lord, from this time forth and for evermore” (Psalm 131:3). Hope in New Testament times continues to have a connotation of positive expectation. While your average stoic might simply shrug his shoulders, saying “it is what it is” (remind you of anyone?), the Christian could instead live in the hope, in the certainty that what was once promised would be received. Roman gods were capricious (like Allah), so there could be no lasting or certain hope. The movies usually describe Roman lives as being dependent upon the will of the gods, but it is all so vague and uncertain that “hope” here can only mean a wish, want, or desire. The Christians’ hope, on the other hand, gave them the courage they demonstrated in the colosseum and elsewhere under persecution.
When asked if they know they are going to heaven, many Lutherans might say, “I hope so.” Martin Luther would say such an answer is a result of the opinio legis (the opinion of the Law)—that little voice within us that keeps asking, “What must I do to please God so that I can reach heaven?” Luther knew well the terror of conscience such a nagging question can create. He was raised and trained in the Roman Catholic system of works righteousness, a kind of Jesus-plus system. Christ’s death took away original guilt, Luther was told, but all actual sins require satisfaction through penance. Therefore, one can never really be sure of forgiveness and eternal life. Hope remains an uncertain but earnest desire; one can only keep hoping.
When discouraged, we should sing more often: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; No merit of my own I claim but wholly lean on Jesus’ name” (LSB 575).
Yet the Bible promises there are definitely better times ahead for believers in Christ. Hope is not mere longing in the heart but rather the heaven prepared and waiting for us (John 14). The hope God offers us by grace through faith—but not yet delivered to us—is something guaranteed. It depends upon His mercy and might and not on our own sincerity, faithfulness, or love. As with faith, we tend to emphasize and define terms with a view to our piety/faithfulness rather than the object/content of that faith. Instead of adopting a “the heart wants what the heart wants” mentality, we need to reflect on how “the love of Christ compels us” (and our hearts) (2 Corinthians 5:14) while we are thanking God for a sure and certain hope.
God says to His people, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that faith is the substance of things hoped for. That means something real, tangible—not vague or nebulous or imagined. The Bible talks about our God being faithful, even if we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). All such reassurances about the true and triune God tell us that our hope is sure and certain too, because “all the promises of God find their “Yes” in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Therefore, we are told, “rejoice in your hope, be patient” (Romans 12:12).
When discouraged, we should sing more often: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; No merit of my own I claim but wholly lean on Jesus’ name” (LSB 575). While there may be no coping without hoping for us sinful humans, there is definitely no hope without Christ crucified and risen again. All other hoping is no hope at all.
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Rev. Dr. William Mundt is Professor Emeritus of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario).
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