Advent is both a season of waiting and of joyful celebration: it gives us a picture of hope. Romans also gives us a picture of biblical hope. Here are three short observations.
1. Hope is fuelled by God’s promises.
One of the first instances of hope in Romans is Abraham’s justification by faith: “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ‘So shall your offspring be’” (Rom. 4:18). Where did Abraham’s hope come from? How could he believe that he would become the father of many nations? He found hope in what he had been told. His hope was built on God’s covenant promise to him.
As Christians, our hope is not a blind faith of believing that everything will be okay. It is also much more than a vague hope that God is vaguely, distantly good. Our hope clings to specific promises spoken to us to by God―the very promises we have in his Word. Paul writes, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).
True hope is grounded on God’s promises. We can be confidently joyous because of the great promises he has spoken to us.
2. Hope abounds in joy.
Joy and hope are closely intermingled:
“. . . and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:2)
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame . . .” (Rom. 5:3-5)
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Rom. 12:12)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13)
The uncertain hope of the world worries and waits for an outcome that may or may not come, but our hope is sure enough that though we do not yet enjoy the fullness of God’s new creation, we are able to rejoice in already having a secured inheritance.
Further, we see that hope is not merely a confidence directed toward the future, but a confidence that changes how we view the present―even when the present is one of suffering. Hope is future-oriented, but it is not a stoic knowledge that all will turn out in the end; it is also a light that brings joy to today.
3. Hope is produced by the Holy Spirit.
We must not forget that hope, like love, peace, joy, and other fruits of the Spirit, is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit. Consider the end of Romans 5:3-5: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” The reason why our hope does not put us to shame is because of the work of the Holy Spirit, through whom we experience the love of God. We cannot know the love of God, nor respond in hope and joy, without the Spirit actively at work.
Hope is a glorious thing not only because it actively trusts in God’s promises, and not only because it brings joy, but because it is an evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in us. As Paul prays in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”