What the Bible says about Elements of Motivation: Hope
(From Forerunner Commentary)
Without a doubt, our sins separate us from God (Genesis 3:24; Isaiah 59:2; Galatians 5:19-21). Graciously, our heavenly Father desires a closer relationship with us, His elect (John 17:3, 20-21). In Leviticus 26:12, our Creator promises, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.” In John 14:6, that same divine Being—in the form of Jesus Christ—testifies that He provides our ultimate path to God the Father.
In Romans 5:1-2, the apostle Paul flatly asserts that justification brings us access to His grace, the undeserved favor that He grants to His faithful, humble children through Jesus Christ (James 4:6). In Ephesians 2:18 and 3:12, Paul mentions this same access, strongly implying that such access is exclusive to our calling and not available to the world.
By declaring the repentant sinner not guilty, justification helps to remove, not only the disturbing guilt from his conscience, but also the fear of being called before God and condemned (Isaiah 57:20-21; Romans 5:9), replacing the guilt and fear with hope (Romans 5:2; Titus 3:7). Such peace enables the justified to draw even closer to God with a more confident assurance of His mercy (Hebrews 4:16; 7:19; 10:19).
Martin G. Collins
The Fruit of JustificationRelated Topics: Building a Relationship with God | Building Relationship with God | Calling | Calling and Election | Christ's Sacrifice Cleanses the Conscience | Drawing Close to God | Drawing Near to God | Elements of Motivation: Hope | Glory of God Declared in Person of Jesus Christ | God's Mercy | Jesus Christ as Revelator of God | Justification | Justification as a Gift | Pursuing a Relationship with God | Relationship with God | Removing Guilt | Sin Separates | Sin Separates Us from God
The strength of our hope rises or falls on how dependable we perceive our expectation to be. The reasons we believe our expectation to be dependable are thus decisive to whether we will be motivated.
Ours is a living hope because Jesus Christ and the Father are alive. They exert sovereign control, and They cannot lie. Because our hope is revealed, grounded, sustained, and directed by God, we can know that all things work together for good for those who are the called and love God (Romans 8:28). Our hope, then, should not be ephemeral wishes or dreams based on wishy-washy sentimentality, but the solid realities of God and His Word. Our hope flows from an inexhaustible Source, and therefore no trial should ever quench our optimism for future good. Hope is our response to His work in us expressed in trust, patience, endurance, and eagerness to continue.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Elements of Motivation (Part Three): HopeRelated Topics: Elements of Motivation: Hope | Endurance | Expectation | Hope | Hope as Expectation of Fulfillment | Hope as Motivation | Motivation | Motivation to Fear God | Motivation, Hope as | Optimism | Patience | Trials | Trials, Purpose of | Trials, Rejoicing in | Trials, Shaping Power Of | Trust | Trust in God