Your Confident Hope

“We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.” (Colossians 1:3-5 NLT)

The confident hope of the Colossian believers referred to resulted in faith and love. First of all that confident hope produced faith in Christ Jesus and second it produced love for all of God’s people. What was the subject matter of this confident hope? What had God reserved in heaven for the Colossian believers? What was the truth of the Good News which produced such a confident hope?

Once we discover the truth of the Good News will we also experience a confident hope? Colossians 1:6 indicates the truth of the Good News has resulted in confident hope for many in the past. (“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”) We see evidence that the truth of the Good News has produced this certain hope in recent day. Logic would lead us to conclude it can happen again.

Synonyms for the word hope are: expect, trust, anticipate, look forward to and wish. Synonyms for the word confident are: sure, certain, positive, convinced, in no doubt and secure. What possible truth could ignite an expectation which produces transformation and inspires people to live lives that give evidence of faith and love?

What is the story behind the words?

“Hope is holding on when things around you begin to slip away. Hope is praying expectantly when there seemingly are no answers.” (John Maxwell)

By Commissioner Debi Bell