5/29/26

Colossians 1:4-5 NASB95 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel

Notice that faith in Christ Jesus, and love for all the saints (fellow Christians), are because of the hope that is laid up for you in heaven. The hope you found when you heard the gospel which is the word of truth!

Hope embraces expectation, trust, and patient waiting. It is linked to faith, which stresses the certainty of what is divinely given. Hope is sure confidence placed in God. TDNT.

Hope is not, I believe it will happen, but is instead, because of faith in God found through the gospel, I know it will happen!

It is referred to as hope because we wait patiently for what we know to be true, to come to pass.

In this concrete assurance of the truth found in the gospel, our hope gives us the expectation needed to live not for the present but instead for the future. We are able to place our faith in Christ, and through Him, we love with a desire to sacrifice ourselves for others. This is to be the example of Christians who make up the church. Therefore, it is an example of the church.

The reason this is often not seen from the church is that Christians stop relying on hope for the present and instead rely on it only for eternity. We attempt to handle the now in our own strength and leave hope to handle the rest. If God can assure our future therefore giving us hope (assurance) for it, we can be assured (hope) that He is also taking care of the now.

If we will read the truth of the Gospel more often then we will trust in our faith in Christ with hope for both now and forever. Therefore, we can love all now! Doing so with a sacrifical love in the likeness of Christ.

I love you, because I have hope in my faith in Christ that I found in the Gospel!

Love Bro. Scott