“Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.”…I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭8‬-‭9‬, ‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Jews could never claim Jesus for themselves. They were the bridge between God and the nations. 

All distinctions, differences, barriers between Jews and Gentiles have been swept away through Jesus. Old enmities no  longer apply. They are one new race…one family of faith descended from their spiritual father, Abraham. Exactly as God planned before time, His family has been born through Jesus…and now, in unity, they grow together in faith and hope. 

The Gentiles now had a reason for their hope…a solid foundation of truth upon which they could build their future, both in this world and in the next. 

We have explored the meaning of faith. Not let’s look at hope. 

Hope! What is hope? 

It is important that we understand what Biblical hope is because hope plays a significant role in our lives as believers…. True for the Gentiles then and for all believers, Jew and Gentle…for all time.  Without hope, we would suffocate in this wicked and uncertain world. Hope is the air of heaven we breathe that keeps us going until we leave and join God’s eternal family. 

I cannot give a better explanation  of hope than Google AI’s…

“In the Bible, hope is not a “fingers-crossed” wish or wishful thinking. Instead, it is a confident, unwavering expectation of future good based entirely on God’s character and promises. While secular hope looks to chance, biblical hope is a guarantee. 

The concept of hope in Scripture branches into a few distinct categories:

1. The Core Meaning

• Confident Assurance: In the original languages (Hebrew: Tikvah; Greek: Elpis), hope implies a firm certainty. It is the steady anticipation that God will fulfill His word. 
• An Anchor for the Soul: The New Testament describes hope as something steadfast that keeps believers secure during life’s storms. As stated in Hebrews 6:19, hope is “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”(NIV). 

2. The Relationship Between Faith and Hope

Faith and hope work together as two sides of the same coin:

• Faith is grounded in the reality of the past and the present (e.g., trusting that God’s promises are true and that Jesus lived and was resurrected).
• Hope looks to the future, eagerly anticipating what God has guaranteed will happen next. 

3. What Believers Hope For

Biblical hope is almost entirely future-oriented, specifically centered on the ultimate culmination of God’s redemptive plan: 

• The Return of Christ: The New Testament frequently refers to the second coming of Jesus as “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).
• Resurrection and Eternal Life: Believers look forward to the resurrection of the dead and a new creation free from pain, suffering, and sin (Revelation 21:4).
• God’s Faithfulness: In the present, hope rests in the expectation that God’s grace will sustain believers through any trial.”

Can you see how important our hope is? The Bible says that the Gentiles were “without hope” until they became a part of God’s new family. 

“Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We were dead in sin, cut off from God, and without hope. What a horrible life! What a horrible place to be in!

But God…without His intervention, we Gentiles would be lost forever. 

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So, Paul’s prayer…

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

With God’s joy and peace in control of our lives, the hope we have that anchors our hearts to a secure future, will steady us in life’s trials, tests, and troubles. The Holy Spirit at work in us, will keep us steadfast…faithful…and persevering…

“I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul was never reluctant to teach and remind. No matter how long we have been on this road, we need the constant reminder to persevere…to keep going…to live this life against all odds because…there is an eternal reward for faithfulness that is worth all the struggles and suffering we endure in this life. 

Hope in God’s faithfulness to His promises is the bright light at the end of the road that keeps us moving on towards the goal. We  never give up against all odds until we reach our heavenly destination. 

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT

To be continued