tory, and therefore we have a liv ing hope. Thus, the three Persons o f the Trinity each have a part in making this expectation an as sured reality. The child o f God anchors his hope upon His Heav enly Father with the surety that He will bring deliverance and sal vation (II Cor. 1:10). This assur ance results in peace and joy in the daily walk of God’s people. One cannot make an analysis of the term hope without recogniz ing its c lo s e association with faith. Faith and hope go hand in hand for Scripture asserts, “ Faith is the substance o f things hoped for” (Heb. 11:1). Saving faith cannot be detached from hope. Note carefully the clause, “ For we are saved by hope” (Rom. 8: 24). Faith sees salvation as a present reality; hope looks for ward to execution o f the promise. Well has Haldane written, “ Hope looks to eternal life as that which is future in regard to its remote ness ; but in reality to its certain ty, faith looks to it as a thing that is present.” The object of faith is the promise and the one prom ising, and the object of hope is the thing promised and the execu tion of the promise. We hope for life eternal, because we have faith in the promises of God. If we be lieve the promises, we must like wise expect the effects. Thus, in the soteriological sense, our term suggests the joyful and contented expectation o f a glorious, eternal salvation. Is it any wonder that Hebrews speaks o f the “ full as surance of hope” (6 :1 1 )? Bear in mind also that in the cataloging of the believer’s armor, Paul cites the helmet as being the “ hope of salvation” (I Thess. 5 :8 ). This joyous expectation of the Chris tian o f full, final, and complete salvation and deliverance from the present evil system is virtual ly certain of realization. This hope includes not only the spiritual life with God, but also the transfor mation of the physical body. Paul writes that we eagerly await the redemption of our body (note how this is linked with hope in Ro mans 8:23-25).
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In its eschatological signifi cance, the future with God is called “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). The Greek term could well be rendered “ a happy hope.” On several occasions the Christian is called a sojourner, an alien, a non citizen of this world because he is a fellow-citizen o f heaven. Thus, though but a stranger here, the child o f God has his hope, his ex pectation laid up for him in heav en (Col. 1 :5 ) ; this hope to be fully realized at the revelation of
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Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:17). Blessed and happy, indeed, is the expectation and anticipation of the appearance at the last day of
FEBRUARY, 1969
41
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