“For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for it” (Romans 8:24). This is an illustrative statement, not a doctrinal statement. Paul clearly said in Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God“.

So Paul is not saying here that we were saved by hope. He was saying that when we become saved by grace through faith, hope in what God did and says becomes our lifestyle.

But once you’ve received the promise, what do we need to hope for any longer? You see, there is much more to Christianity than any of us have already experienced. We’ve only received a taste of God’s goodness. When I hear or read about heaven, I know that’s yet in my future. As the singing group Mercy Me sang, “I Can Only Imagine”.

Our hope is in what we have not yet received. What are you hoping for today? What might God, the Deliverer, do for you today?

Tags: faith, hope