What the Bible says about Calling, Hope of God's
(From Forerunner Commentary)
The apostle reveals that our hope derives from our calling through the New Covenant and finds its ultimate source in God. Yet, God is more than the source of our hope: He is our hope. In verse 12, Isaiah refers to Him as the object of our hope. In Haggai 2:7, He is called "the Desire of All Nations," and in Romans 15:13, Paul calls Him "the God of hope," that is, hope's source.
Without God, we and this world have no hope except the normal desires common to the unconverted, things like filling our bellies, getting a good sleep, satisfying our eyes and ears, experiencing thrills and excitement, and accumulating money, power, and possessions. None of these is intrinsically evil, but God wants our hopes to be exceedingly higher. Verse 13 supplies a major condition to having this high quality of hope and thus the motivation it provides—believing. Remember, faith undergirds all the elements of motivation, and thus they clarify why living faith produces growth of fruit.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Elements of Motivation (Part Three): Hope
Why does God enlighten us about this? Does He not enlighten us so that we will turn our lives in the direction of the hope of achieving it? Of course. What is the hope of His calling? To attain to the resurrection of the dead—to inherit the Kingdom of God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part Five)Related Topics: Calling | Calling, Hope of God's | God's Calling | God's Work | Kingdom of God | Resurrection, Hope of the | Work Of God
God has given us revelation, and He has enlightened us that we may know the hope of His calling and the glory that lies ahead. Then, Paul immediately draws our attention to Christ's power to accomplish those ends.
John W. Ritenbaugh
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part Five)Related Topics: Calling | Calling, Hope of God's | Christ's Power | God's Calling | God's Power | God's Revelation of Himself | Power of Christ | Power of God