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Jessica Comstock

Dr. Sisk

Senior Integrative Seminar

13 April 2021

A Theology of Living Hope

Christians are not strangers to suffering. Christ and His disciples began as a persecuted

body, and His disciples around the world have continued to face oppression, imprisonment, and

death to this day. Even in religiously tolerant times and places, Christians still suffer from broken

families, addictions, depression, abuse, death of loved ones, systemic injustice, sickness, poverty,

loneliness, spiritual warfare, and the burden of watching a beloved world suffer. Each person and

community has its own multitude of torments; Christians are not strangers to suffering.

And yet.

Paul commands, “Rejoice always; I will say it again, rejoice!” and, “Rejoice in hope, be

patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer,” (Phil 4:4; Rom 12:13). How are we supposed to

rejoice in hope as we endure difficulties? The answer, I think, lies in understanding what our

hope is. As it is most often used in the Bible, we will find that “hope” is a yearning expectation

of the salvific character of God and the coming fulfillment of His future promises. In other

words, the person and work of Jesus Christ is our Hope. In this paper, I will first develop a

theology of hope by proposing some biblical definitions, examining hope in the lives of biblical

characters, and exploring the promises of God concerning the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Then, I will apply our study of hope to the interplay between hope and suffering, giving special

attention to the country of Nicaragua. To conclude, I will celebrate the effects of hope in the

lives of believers.
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A Biblical Theology of Hope

Definitions of Hope

In the Bible, there are four main words that are translated as “hope” in English. The first,

‫ יָהַל‬or yachal, means “to wait, hope, expect.” The second, ‫ ּתִ ְקוָה‬or qavah, means a “cord” or a

“hope, expectation,” (Thayer, Bible Project). Interestingly, qav refers to a cord or rope. If you

pull a rope tight, it creates tension until it snaps or releases. Therefore, qavah is that “feeling of

tension and expectation while you wait for something to happen,” (Bible Project). In the New

Testament, we find the words ἐλπίς (elpis) and ἐλπίζω (elpizo). Elpis can mean the “expectation

of good, hope,” “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation,” “the author of hope, or

he who is its foundation,” or “the thing hoped for.” Elpizo can mean “to hope,” “to wait for

salvation with joy and full confidence,” or “hopefully to trust in,” (Thayer). These four words are

used about 150 times in the Bible, and I have categorized their usages into six helpful definitions,

listed from most to least common.

Definition of “Hope” Occurrences

1. (verb) To trust in or wait for God according 48

to His specific character and salvific work; or,OT: Job 4:6, 5:16; Ps 31:24, 33:18, 33:22,
(noun) the person of God/Jesus Himself. 38:15, 42:5,11, 62:5, 69:3, 71:5, 93:5,
119:43,49,74,81,114,147, 130:5,7, 131:3,
Note: I could not separate a definition of hope 147:11; Prov 23:18, 24:14; Is 42:4, 51:5; Lam
in the character of God from a hope in the 3:21-27; Mic 7:7
work of God, because these verses describe NT: Mt 12:21; Lk 24:21; Acts 26:6,7, 28:20;
His character and actions together. In the OT, Rom 4:18, 15:12; 2 Cor 3:12; Eph 4:4; Col
believers hope in and for the Lord, His 1:23,27; 1 Thess 1:3, 5:8; 1 Tim 1:1, 5:5,
lovingkindness, faithfulness, mercy, 6:17; Heb 3:6, 7:19, 10:23; 1 Pet 1:21
imminence, redemption, words, promises,
salvation, and judgement. In the NT,
Christians hope in and for Jesus, His
resurrection, salvation, faithfulness,
righteousness, and gospel.

2. (noun) The potential of something good in 38

the future or that future itself; or, (verb) OT: Jer 29:11, 31:17; Lam 3:29; Ez 19:5,
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wishing for that future. 37:11; Ruth 1:12; Job 7:6, 8:13, 11:18,20,
14:7, 17:15, 27:8; Prov 11:7, 19:18, 26:12;
29:20
NT: Lk 6:34, 23:8; Acts 16:19, 24:26, 27:20;
Rom 15:24; 1 Cor 9:10, 16:7; 2 Cor 1:13,
5:11, 8:5, 10:15, 13:6; Eph 2:12; Phil 2:19,23;
1 Thess 4:13; 1 Tim 3:14; Philemon 1:22; 2 Jn
1:12; 3 Jn 1:14

3. (noun) Specific eschatological events in the 23

future such as our resurrection, inheritance,
eternal life, adoption, righteousness, etc; or,
(verb) waiting with patience and joy for these
events
NT: Acts 23:6, 24:15, 26:7; Rom 5:2,4-5,
8:20,24,25; 12:12; 1 Cor 15:19; Gal 5:5; Eph
1:18; Col 1:5; 1 Thess 2:19; Tit 1:2, 2:13, 3:7;
Heb 6:11-12, 18-19, 11:1(10); 1 Pet 1:3,13; 1
Jn 3:3

4. (noun or verb) A general confidence that 20

God will deliver a better future, help, or
healing (often because He is present with the
sufferer)
OT: Job 13:15, 14:19, 19:10; Ps 9:18, 71:14;
Hos 2:15; Zech 9:12
NT: Acts 2:26; Rom 15:4,13; 1 Cor 13:13; 2
Cor 1:7,10, 13:7; 2 Cor 1:10; Phil 1:20; 2
Thess 2:16; 1 Pet 3:5,15; 1 Jn 5:45

5. (verb) To wait in anticipation for someone 18

or something to come, sometimes in pain OT: Gen 8:12; 1 Sam 10:8, 13:8; 2 Sam
18:14; 2 Kings 6:33; Job 6:8,11, 14:14,
29:21,23, 30:26, 32:11,16; Prov 10:28, 11:23;
Ez 13:6, 19:5; Mic 5:7

6. (noun) A cord or rope 2

OT: Joshua 2:18, 21

From this word study, we see several themes emerge, namely that hope involves a tense

expectation of the future, a yearning, a patient trust in God and his promises. In the Old

Testament, we see that hope is a “general confidence in God’s protection and help. It was thus to

be said that God is the hope or confidence of the righteous,” (Bromiley 523). In the New

Testament, “...Christian hope rests on the divine act of salvation accomplished in Christ,” and

waiting is a “gift of the last time” that rests on faith in salvation. Our hope is “borne along by the

[Spirit, and hope] thus constitutes Christian existence,” (Bromiley 532).

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While hope can be used as an action verb to describe our faith in and anticipation of our

good future, it is primarily a noun. That is, our hope as Christians is firstly the person and work

of God Himself, and secondly the fulfillment of His promises to us. In fact, we can hope for

those promises precisely because of the trustworthy and loving character of God. We should not

be surprised or confused, then, when the Bible interchangeably calls Jesus and our inheritance

our “hope.” Paul writes his letters by the “command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our

hope,” but he also described “what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of

his glorious inheritance in the saints,” (1 Tim 1:1; Eph 1:18). Paul can define our hope as both

Jesus and our inheritance because the person of Christ (His love, goodness, faithfulness, mercy,

justice, omnipresence, omnipotence) and our promised inheritance (eternal life, rewards, the new

heavens and the new earth) are all very good things for which we rightly hope. Nevertheless, it

must be observed that our hopes for our future inheritance and our present help are all grounded

in the faithful and loving character and work of Christ. “At the heart of Christian hope is the

resurrection of Jesus,” because in it we too have victory over death and an inheritance of new

and eternal life (Comfort 611-612). In other words, our hope is always in, through, and because

of Jesus’ person and work, even when our hope is not His actual person. For example, we hope

for streets of gold and resurrected bodies because Jesus is generous and living, but Jesus is not

literally gold or our bodies. One might say we hope in Christ for salvation. (It is important to

note, however, that we also hope for Christ because of our love and desire for Him). In the end,

we have six definitions of hope used in the Bible, and one ultimate Hope: Jesus Christ.

Now that we have established some biblical definitions of hope, we must debunk a few

misconceptions about hope. First, some people speak as if hope is nothing more than a feeling:

hopefulness. Hopefulness, however, is often used in conversation to denote a feeling of

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excitement for the future, and it comes and goes on a whim. When Christians are suffering, they

usually do not feel excited, or hopeful for the near future. Consequently, a person may interpret

their own lack of excitement to mean that they have no hope, and they sink further into despair.

This would be a grave mistake, because our feelings never change Christ’s promise to return and

to take us to Himself, which is our true hope. Whether one feels particularly hopeful or not, there

is a quiet strength in believing that our hope cannot be moved. Interestingly, the emotion I

noticed most often associated with hope in the Bible was not excitement, but joy. Even in our

sorrow, we may rejoice, whether in excitement or simply in relief, that one day our hope will

come. Another misguided tendency is to mistake hope for mere optimism. However, “Biblical

hope is based on a person, which makes it different from optimism. Optimism is about choosing

to see, in any situation, how circumstances could work out for the best, but biblical hope isn’t

focused on circumstances,” (Bible Project). Instead of having hope in better circumstances,

which is easily rocked about, we have hope in a Person, the Rock of salvation. We must

encourage and remind one another that hope does not mean painlessness, or excitement, or

optimism, though we may experience those things because of our hope. Instead, our hope is the

unmovable character and salvation of God, in whom we will trust until Jesus returns to

consummate His Kingdom.

Hope in the Lives of Biblical Characters

Next, having thoroughly defined hope, we will observe hope as demonstrated in the lives

of Abraham, David, and Peter. Abraham was a sojourner in the land, which meant he had to

leave his father’s protected house, live as a nomadic herder, sleep in exposed tents, depend on

livestock for survival, wander a forgein and inhabited (!) land, fight kings, conceive and raise a
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child in impossibly old age, and sacrifice that precious child of promise. Abraham lived a life of

vulnerability. Yet, he obeyed faithfully and trusted in God to provide in the present and to fulfill

His promises in the future. He constantly looked forward to those promises, that he would have

an heir who would multiply into innumerable people, that the nation would possess the Promised

Land, and that God would bless him and his offspring. Abraham looked forward to a city “whose

designer and builder is God” (Heb 11:10). He looked forward to - hoped for and believed - the

promises of his good God even as he sojourned, walking with God closely and obediently. The

day his sojournings finally ended, he was peacefully gathered to his people (Gen 12-25).

When discussing Abraham, the quintessential life of faith, it is important to note the deep

connection between faith and hope (Bromiley 522). Often, the act of hoping feels much like

faith, because intentionally hoping is essentially believing that God is steadfastly loving and

faithful to keep His promises (Heb 11:1). Intentional hope is strong, deep, and steady, like faith.

“[F]aith no less than hope is pointed toward the future, and hope no less than faith is a response

to God’s work of redemption through Christ...and governs the conduct of Christians in the

present,” (Michaels 70). For Abraham, his faith and hope were an intertwined, expectant

confidence that God would fulfill his promises and an unmoving conviction to obey the Lord

until then. Christians share in this confidence and conviction in a special way, for God has given

us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of that heavenly dwelling which He has prepared for us (2 Cor

5:1-5). Like Abraham and with the Spirit, our faith and hope are absolutely secure.

Paul teaches, “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to

the promise,” (Gal 3:29). Abraham looked forward to the city whose designer is God; we hope

for the New Jerusalem. Abraham walked with God until God gathered him to his people; we

abide in Christ until He takes us to Himself. Abraham trusted God to fulfill every promise; we
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believe Christ’s promise to come back and renew all things. Abraham obeyed in faith every

command of the Lord; we must be holy as God is holy. Abraham went home; we will go home.

We have the hope of Abraham, so rejoice!

Turning now to David, we see a similarly vulnerable life. He was harrassed and chased

his entire life, first by his brother, then by Goliath, Saul, Saul’s armies, the Philistines, the other

enemy tribes, and finally by his own sons. He faced death, bitter betrayal, and sorrow so often.

And yet, he is the author who most often uses “hope” to directly mean “God” (see the Psalms

references in the above chart). David knew what it means that our hope is not in our

circumstances; our hope is in God, in his steadfast love and faithfulness, in his mighty arm and

righteousness, in his goodness and mercifulness, in his life and eternality. It is because of the

character of God that we can have hope at all, both in God and in his promises. From the lives of

Abraham and David, we learn that our hope and faith rest in the present and eternal character of

God and in His promises of present help and a perfect future. It is “God’s past faithfulness that

motivates hope for the future. You look forward by looking backward, trusting in nothing other

than God’s character,” (Bible Project).

In the case of Peter, he suffered ridicule, imprisonment, and torture. Yet, he endured it all

because he abided in Christ’s living presence by the power of the Holy Spirit, who enlivened him

at Pentecost (Acts 2). Instead of focusing on the narrative of Peter’s life, we will analyze his

writings to understand his experience of hope. He clung to the hope of the future, frequently

writing of Christ’s imminent return that could come any day “like a thief,” (2 Pet 3:10). With

great anticipation, Peter was “waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness

dwells,” (2 Pet 3:13). He wrote, carried along by the Holy Spirit (1:21), with anticipation,

longing, joy, sorrow, and faith. He wrote with hope. He believed in all of Christ’s words, and so
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he hoped in Him for His promises. In the following passage (1 Peter 1:3-9,13-21), I have

highlighted every word that Peter uses that defines “hope” and underlined every description of

that hope.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has
caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by
God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In
this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is
tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe
in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your
faith, the salvation of your souls….

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on
the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not
be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also
be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on
him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear
throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited
from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood
of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of
the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are
believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are
in God.

To understand this passage, we will first address Phil Wickham’s song “Living Hope.” In

it, Wickham praises “Jesus Christ, my living hope,” thus equating Jesus to his living hope and

quoting 1 Peter 1:3. As discussed above, Jesus is most certainly alive and is most certainly our

hope, and He can truly be praised as our “living hope.” That said, according to a careful

examination of this passage and to many commentators who wrote before the release of

Wickham’s song, we find that our “living hope” is not actually referring to the person of Jesus in

this instance, but to his eschatological rewards (Michaels 19, McKnight 71). (To be clear, I will

continue to sing this song whole-heartedly, but will joyously remember that my living hope also

includes my Father’s incredible inheritance). In the analysis of J.R. Michaels, the word hope
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“appropriately parallels, and is further explained by, the “inheritance” of v 4 and the “salvation”

of v 5,” (19). A “living hope” means that “Christains are a reborn people, they are spiritually

alive, and their hope is alive (i.e., it is valid, it will not be disappointed,” (19). In other words,

our hope ‘lives’ because our inheritance is still active and going to happen; the Greek for

“living” can also mean “active, blessed, endless in the kingdom of God,” (Thayer). Clearly, there

is a repetition in this verse of new life imagery (“born again,” “living,” and “resurrection”), but

the main point is not that Jesus is Himself our Living Hope. Instead, observing the grammatical

structure below, we find that blessing God for our new birth is the main thrust of the passage. We

are made alive by God through the resurrection of Jesus, which makes our hope of an inheritance

yet attainable, or living:

“Blessed be the God

and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
who gave us new birth
(1) according to his great mercy
(2) unto a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
(3) unto an imperishable, unspoiling and unfading inheritance
which [inheritance] is kept in heaven for you by God’s power
through faith in the salvation prepared to be revealed at the end.”

(McKnight 69, c.f. Michaels 19).

Having established that our living hope is our inheritance, Peter lists some of what that

inheritance entails: our salvation, praise, glory, honor, the outcome of our faith (salvation of our

souls), and the grace that is brought to us. In other passages, he describes new heavens and a new

earth, a world of righteousness, holiness, and peace. In sum, “Peter’s “living

hope” ...encompasses everything that the Christian community expects as its future divine

vindication. ...That inheritance is their completed salvation and eternal life in the kingdom of

God,” (Michaels 20, 71).

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Three final notes about hope can be gleaned from this passage: 1) Our hope, inheritance,

and salvation “all belong to the future,” 2) To hope is an imperative, and 3) Our hope should

cause us to be holy as we “live in light of God’s judgement, a judgement that is at the same time

the Christian’s hope for vindication and justice,” (Michaels 24, 55, McKnight 98). To live

according to the hope believed and taught by Peter, we should eagerly await the imminent return

of Christ, being holy as God is holy, rejoicing in hope even as we are grieved by trials, fixing our

eyes on the imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance kept in heaven and ready for us,

promised by God. With Abraham, David, and Peter, let us obey in faith and rejoice in hope.

The New Heaven and the New Earth: The Promises of Christ

If then, our hope is primarily the person and work of Christ and our Father’s inheritance

prepared for us, what exactly is this future work and inheritance? I have organized the myriad

promises of Christ into two sections: First, that God and the Lamb will dwell with us forever,

and second, that He is making all things new!

The Father and the Son will dwell with us forever (Rev 21:1-4).

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they
will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear
from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain
anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

From the moment of the Fall until our final breath, the cry of our hearts is to be with God,

to be restored in perfect fellowship with our Life, Creator, Father, Brother, and Friend.

Immanuel, God with us, has made this possible, and has given us a vision of what it means to

dwell with God.

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We will be in perfect union with Christ (Rev 19:6-9). Dressed in bright, pure, fine linen,

(which are the righteous deeds of the saints) the church will finally be married to Jesus. We will

cry out, “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready,” (Rev 19:7). Though we are most certainly in union with

Christ now, and indeed already enjoy some benefits of salvation through him, we will one day

have that union made perfect. Our deep longing to be closer to our Love, to know Him more, and

to see His face, will all be satisfied, as we dwell in perfect union with Him forever. We will be in

union with one another as well, for the Father will answer His Son’s prayer that we may be

perfectly one with each other and with them, even as the Father and the Son are one (Jn 17:20-

26). At the marriage supper of the Lamb, this great feast of celebration, John Eldredge imagines

that it will carry on “for weeks, probably months! There are quite a few stories that need telling,

and many reunions that must take place,” (151). There will be fellowship - a perfect family -

forever with the Trinity.

He will love us forever (Ps 136). If we are in a married union with Christ, it seems

obvious that he will love us forever. Even so, the power and hope in this truth deserves its own

mention. Our desire to love and be loved, know and be known, will be met in union with the

Trinity and with one another. For those who have little family and few friends, the hope that

God’s love will never, ever end - that they will feel this love forever and ever - is a hope, strength

and joy like no other. God will love us, cherish us, care for us, and be tender to us always.

We will have a home with Him (John 14:2-3). After life-long sojourning in a foreign and

hostile land, we yearn for a safe place to rest and belong. Jesus is preparing such a place for us

right now, and we can dream of that home. For those who live a transient life, moving from place

to place and people to people, without much of a home anywhere, it is an extraordinary comfort
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to know that we do in fact have a home. We have a room in the Father’s house, a place to belong

and rest. What’s more, that place will be populated by a perfect, peaceful, and loving family.

Jesus will come back personally to take us to Himself (John 14:2-3; 1 Thess 4:13-18).

Not only is Jesus preparing a place for us, but He promises that He personally will “come again

and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also,” (Jn 14:4). Our shepherd will

return in power and tenderness to lead us into our home, to be with us even more closely than He

is now, forever.

We will see His face and have His name on our foreheads (Rev 22:4). What will it be like

to behold the full glory of God with our own resurrected eyes, a glory that not even Moses could

see without dying (Ex 33:20-23)? What will it be like to be so purely sanctified that we can

actually gaze upon His Holiness? We will be so identified with Him that we will bear His own

name on our foreheads, as we worship in the full presence of His holiness.

He will be our Light and will give us water of life (21:6, 22:4). Part of dwelling in His

complete holiness means that there will be no need: He will be our Light and personally give us

water of Life. We will not need a lamp or the Sun, because His glory will shine forth such that

everything and everyone is bathed in Light. To those who have to walk miles every day to find

drinking water, and to those who drink but are always thirsty again, Jesus says, “To the thirsty I

will give from the spring of the water of life without payment,” (Rev 21:6). Our most basic needs

will be always and abundantly met when we dwell with our Father and Shepherd.

We will worship Him in His presence (22:3). When the throne of God is with mankind,

when we can see His face, when we are made perfectly righteous, when we are in consummated

union with Christ, when we have every need and every desire met exceedingly, what is there left
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to do but praise, praise, praise! We will worship together forever, rejoicing and reveling in the

manifestation of every good and perfect attribute of God in the new heavens and earth.

Jesus is renewing, restoring, and redeeming all things (Rev 21:5)

“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Let us examine this astounding promise and see some of what “all things” entail:

We will be free and holy in eternal redemption from our sins (Jer 31:31-34, 1 Jn 3:2-3).

God will “remember our sin no more,” and “when [Jesus] appears we shall be like him, because

we shall see him as he is,” (1 Jn 3:2). Though we are forgiven each time we sin now, we qavah,

tensely anticipate and long, for the day when we will sin no more because we will be like Jesus,

more than we are now, and that all of our past sins will never be remembered again. This hope of

Christ’s return and future holiness directly impacts our holiness now, for “everyone who thus

hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure,” (1 Jn 3:3). Anticipating the day when we will be

made holy does not encourage us to sin that grace may abound, but such hope instigates us to

live according to our new birth, to live as Christ-like selves right now, in anticipation of our

perfection. When we ponder the fact that we will have the “the character, the internal holiness, of

Jesus himself,” we clamor for it even now (Edgredge 96).

We will have healing and immortality in our resurrected bodies (1 Cor 15:12-58). In the

kingdom of God, “the crippled walk, blind see, deaf hear, the dead are raised to life,” (Eldredge

15). We will rejoice in the energy and strength of youth forever (Ps 103:5, Eldredge 89). We will

be able to worship and work and create and love as vigorously as a 20 year old and as wisely and

gratefully as an elder. There will be no sickness, aches, pains, or death (Rev 21:4). Those who

“wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they
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shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint,” (Is 40:31). Not only will our bodies be

freed of every infirmity and weakness we face now, but we will experience entirely new realities,

for “just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man

of heaven,” (1 Cor 15:49). We see at the end of each Gospel narrative that the man of heaven

was able to appear and disappear, enter locked rooms, eat and drink, and be recognized by some

and not by others. We too will have resurrected bodies and be the same, but different. We too

will be a more thoroughly spiritually and physically united body, able to live a reality yet

unimagined.

There will be reconciliation in all of our relationships (Rev 21:4; Jn 17:20-26). Sadly,

even Christian relationships sometimes suffer brokenness, discord, sin, and deep wrongdoing.

Part of the ministry of Jesus (and ours) is that of reconciliation. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul begins

by groaning for our heavenly dwelling. Knowing that our hope is coming, Paul exhorts us to be

of good courage, to live in light of the coming rewards and judgements at the judgement seat of

Christ, to fear the Lord, to preach to others death and new life in Christ, to regard one another as

new creations in Christ, and to reconcile ourselves and others to God even as he is reconciling

the world to himself. This ministry of reconciliation will be complete when that hope for which

we groan comes. Old wounds will be healed; broken relationships, restored; sins, forgiven,

because justice will have already been served on the cross. What’s more, even those relationships

that were broken not because of sin but because of sacrifice will be extravagantly rewarded. We

will receive back one hundred fold all that we gave up to follow God. We ask with Peter, “See,

we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus replied, “Truly I say

to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne,...everyone who

has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake,
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will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life,” (Mt 19:27-29). We can trust the King

who sits on the throne to be able to reward us so. As we sojourn according to the direction of the

Lord, there are many goodbyes. We miss out on relationships and do not get to watch little ones

grow up, because we are off answering the call of God somewhere else. In the new heavens and

the new earth, we will have all of eternity to be reconciled to family, friend, and foe, reveling in

the relationships we never got to have on earth. Missed relationships, nearly any missed

opportunity, in fact, will have a second chance in heaven (Alcorn 416).

The Kingdom of Heaven will come (Lk 12:32). When the Kingdom of Heaven comes,

everything will finally be subjected to the Lordship of Christ, and there will be righteousness,

healing, peace, worship, and joy (Heb 2:8-9, 2 Pet 3:13, Rev 22:2). There will be no more

destructive war between nations, but “the kings of the earth will bring their glory into [the New

Jerusalem], and its gates will never be shut...,” (Rev 21:24-25). Inside this city of peace, there is

a Tree of Life whose leaves are “for the healing of the nations,” (Rev 22:2). I can only imagine

what kind of progress in cultural development, what kind of blessings for mankind, what kind of

glory for God the healed nations can produce when we all bring our offerings to God in one

place, in peace, and in submission to our one King.

Evil and Satan will be destroyed forever (Rev 20:7-10). A cornerstone of the Kingdom of

Heaven is that Jesus is King and Satan is not. We have hope in our harried lives that one day our

tormentor will be destroyed in a lake of fire, far removed from us, and we will never have to

concern ourselves with Satan, evil, sin, pain, or temptation again. Even now, as we bear the

burden of indignation at evil injustices, we have hope that justice will be served, and our burdens

lifted. We too, who are sometimes wrongly accused or scorned for doing right, will be vindicated

(Ps 35:11-28). With David, we can and should hope for justice to be served for all of the
 Comstock 16

wrongdoing we and our loved ones have endured (Psalm 49). Righteousness, not total depravity,

will characterize the kingdom of Heaven and all who dwell in it. Truly, He is making all things

new.

Creation will no longer be cursed, but will be freed (Rom 8:18-25). Creation is groaning -

painfully, expectantly - for the moment when it will be “set free from its bondage to corruption

and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God,” (Rom 8:19-22). Freedom from

corruption can be summarized in the word nourishment. In the New Jerusalem, there is a river

with the water of life, bright as a crystal and satisfying to the thirsty. It runs straight from the

Throne and outwards through the middle of a street of gold. It is bordered by the Tree of Life

which, year round, bears good fruit and healing leaves. Shedding glorious light on this new

creation is the Light of the World, whose full imminence means that there will never be darkness

or night again. Humans will be sinless caretakers of creation and each other, and we will reign

with Christ forever (Rev 22:1-5). Everything and everyone is nourished. In the words of Issac

Watts, “No more let sin and sorrows grow / Nor thorns infest the ground; / He comes to make

His blessings flow / Far as the curse is found.” A very interesting and downright fun aspect of

this renewed creation is the peace we will have with animals. Isaiah describes the utmost safety

and reconciliation among wolves, lambs, leopards, goats, calves, lions, cobras, adders, and

children (11:6-9, 65:25)! What would it be like to play with renewed and peaceful wolves, lions,

whales, and whatever one’s favorite animal is? What would it be like to ride on the back of a

wolf, running across fields and forests of snow, and never having to worry about freezing or

starvation? Such imagination might seem trivial or out of place in a formal theological study of

hope, but theologians such as Eldredge and Alcorn encourage Christians to do exactly that:

fantasize about how fun heaven will be (Eldredge 74, Alcorn 377)! Not only will our play take
 Comstock 17

on whole new levels of fun in a renewed creation, but our work will also be vastly more

enjoyable - delightful even! Imagine the delight of the billions of farmers, ranchers, zoologists,

forest rangers, and explorers of the world who will be able to carry on their beloved and good

work without threat of claw or thorn. When creation is freed from the curse, and Jesus makes it

all new, there will be much nourishment and delight indeed!

We will learn, work, and be productive in the Kingdom (Is 65:17-25). When Jesus says

“all things,” He means all things, including but not limited to music, languages, learning, and

every good occupation. We will continue to bear God’s image as resurrected people, which

means we will still be rational (learners) and creative rulers (workers). To continue learning, we

could play in Bach’s orchestra with angels, philosophize with Kierkegaard, learn math from

Pascal, study the Old Testament with Abraham, and explore the stars with Galileo (Eldredge

159). If you take away the grades and the deadlines (and especially if you include storytelling

and music), people genuinely like to learn. Accordingly, we will be able to learn with renewed

minds in the new heavens and earth, from Jesus Himself and from human geniuses who also

have renewed minds. As creative rulers, we will continue our created purpose to have dominion

over the earth. We will farm and build cities (Is 65:21). We will invent, create, and bless each

other with those fruits of our labor. We will rest when it is good and run when it is good. We will

be able to travel the new creation and probably even space, as to have dominion over it (Alcorn

435). Because God has always valued craftsmanship (Ex 31:1-5), there will also be Spirit-filled

artisans, mutually-blessing trade, renewed technology, and creative inventions (Alcorn 403-435).

We will not be bored in heaven, but invigorated by Life, resurrected bodies, nourishment, and an

all-penetrating love, we will worship God as we care for the new creation and each other.
 Comstock 18

Nothing we do or endure in this life is in vain (1 Cor 15:58). Though He will certainly

make all things new, this does not mean that this life is inconsequential. Rather, the works and

attitudes we have now will directly impact the New Heaven and New Earth. First of all, having

already contributed to the mandate of creation on the present Earth, we will enjoy the fruits of

our labor forever in the New Earth. What we learn, invent, and contribute in this life will not

suddenly disappear, but will be renewed and perfected, such that we may continue our labor for

the Lord without weariness or burdens, bringing to Him all the more glory. Our work is not in

vain (Rev 21:24-27). Second of all, this life matters greatly because we will have to answer for

every thought, word, and deed at the judgement seat of Christ (Mt 5:28, 12:36-37). We will be

rewarded for our righteousness, give an answer for our wickedness before God and the great

congregation, and will ultimately be ushered into the kingdom having been given the

righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:10, 21). Not only is this a strong impetus to please God in the

present, but it is also a great comfort to those who labor long and hard. Jesus Himself will give

us rewards for what we have done for him, years of unseen sacrifices will come to light, and the

falsely accused will be vindicated. It will be our joy to hear one another’s stories told rightly and

be justly rewarded (Eldredge 115-119). Jesus promises rewards very often, and we should

unabashedly and joyously look forward to them, a major piece of our hope (Eldredge 112, Mt

5:12, 6:1-4, 20, 10:41, 16:27, Eph 6:7-8, Col 3:23-24, Heb 10:35, 11:24-26, Rev 22:12).

Therefore, by “God’s grace, use the time you have left on the present Earth to store up for

yourself treasures on the New Earth, to be laid at Christ’s feet for his glory (Revelation 4:10),”

(Alcorn 453).

Conclusion. How marvelous indeed is this inheritance we will receive from our Father, a

vast and complex inheritance that is but one piece of our hope! (Remember also that our hope is
 Comstock 19

in the character of God and in His present help). In the end, God and the Lamb will dwell with

us, and He will make all things new. Indeed, “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am

coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20).

Hope in Suffering

With such great hope in the good character and promises of God, how then can we

endure suffering? As with the definitions of hope, a misconception about suffering must first be

addressed: Hope and suffering are not mutually exclusive realities. Hope is not painlessness. God

has made our hearts complex, capable of feeling multiple and conflicting emotions at the same

time. For example, most people have experienced joy and pain coexisting in their heart, and

many Christians personally testify to being given the joy of the Lord while simultaneously

enduring great pain in difficult circumstances. Therein lies the difference between pain and hope:

our pain is rooted in our circumstances, while our hope and joy are rooted in Christ, who is

outside of our circumstances and yet present with us in them. The character of Jesus and the

certainty of His coming promises never, ever change. In this way, we can rejoice in hope even as

our hearts are torn within us. In Scripture, we see clearly that “Neither Peter nor Paul nor James

knows of a “paradox” of joy in suffering,” (Michaels 37; Rom 8:18, Mt 5:4-5, 2 Cor 4:17-18, Mt

5:10, 1 Pet 4:13, Rom 5:2-4, James 1:2-4). Therefore we can rejoice now and in the future

because of our future hope. Our hope will never change when we suffer, but hope can change us

as we suffer. Accordingly, we will examine the role of hope in general suffering and in the

specific case of Nicaragua.

General Suffering
 Comstock 20

In any hardship, one of our greatest comforts is that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us,

incarnated in full humanity. One woman, who suffered her father’s death, breast cancer, a

miscarriage, and addiction, wrote:

“Amid some of my greatest times of pain and being alone, I was reminded and comforted by the
fact that Jesus Christ understands physical pain. There was one day, in particular, in treatment
when I was feeling the loss of my family, I was feeling physical pain, and I was feeling
misunderstood and hopeless. God brought his word to my heart. He caused me to meditate on his
name Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” I felt his presence in a way I hadn’t before. God, in
his incarnation, was with us. He knowingly came to earth and suffered not only physical pain but
emotional pain. He felt the pain of abandonment in the garden when crying out to his father. ...Not
only was God “with us” through his incarnation but even now he is “with us” through the Holy
Spirit,” (Kapic 76).

Since Immanuel came in full humanity, He shared in our human physical and emotional

sufferings. We are understood. In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who was

imprisoned and eventually executed for preaching against the Nazis, “Only the suffering of God

can help,” (Kapic 87). When so much pain causes us to question and wrestle with unknowns, the

“Son’s incarnation, suffering unto death, and bodily resurrection are God’s answer. In these three

movements, God takes possession of our sin, misery, and battle with suffering. This reality

refutes any conception of a distant and unconcerned deity, for God enters our world to handle

this cosmic crisis,” (Kapic 74). Immanuel incarnated Himself that we may be reconciled to Him,

and in Him, we share in the life-giving fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit. We are justified

and reborn as adopted brothers and sisters, children, and heirs. This family, each member in

union with the others, is a great source of comfort and a catalyst for feeling hopeful while

suffering. The Spirit-filled presence, encouraging words, and supportive wisdom of our family

turns us to the hope that never changes. Because we know Immanuel felt what we feel, we are

comforted. Because Immanuel made us sons and daughters of God, we have a family, an

inheritance, and therefore, a living hope.

 Comstock 21

Not only can we find comfort in Jesus’ own sufferings, but we also find hope in his

emotions of compassion and anger. In the Gospels, the most common emotion attributed to Jesus

is compassion to those who are suffering. He is compassionate towards us in our weakness, he is

moved by our pain and hardships, and he acts to heal (Kapic 81-84). Furthermore, Jesus was

angry at sin. Twice in the story of Lazarus Jesus is described as “groaning in his spirit,” which

B.B. Warfield believes should be translated “rage,” (Kapic 84). Surrounded by the sights,

sounds, smells, and tears of death, Jesus was enraged at the enemy for destroying his beloved

creation, his brother. Out of this rage and sadness, Jesus wept. Then, He raised Lazurus to life!

Because of His compassion and anger, we know that it will not be long before this King destroys

evil and death once and for all. “Resolution must come,” (Kapic 84). Already, He has achieved

victory over death, and we are alive forevermore. We cling to the hope that the Almighty King,

who is grieved to bitter tears over our pain, will one day destroy all suffering. Our hope is again

found to be in the character and actions of Jesus.

As we remember that Jesus has identified Himself with us, another important aspect of

our hope to remember during suffering is that our hope includes an element of the physical.

There is a tendency among people in pain to reject the goodness of the physical aspect of our

beings outright, to hate the material, or to consign it only to the present because it is so fraught

with sin that it cannot possibly be part of our perfected future (e.g. Gnostics and Dualists).

However, our hope includes a new creation, a new physicality thoroughly and fully combined

with spirituality, which is very good. We were made to be psychosomatic beings, so our future

hope is both very spiritual and very earthy. “There is no inconsistency between creation and

salvation; for the One Father has employed the same Agent for both works,” (Athanasius, quoted

in Kapic 78). If one is in pain, to reject physicality is to deny its redemption; instead, we look
 Comstock 22

forward to a tear-less New Earth, where our resurrected bodies run and sing and worship without

hindrance or pain.

Finally, we must mention the important place of lament in hope. Without hope and

without lament, we are detached stoics. With hope but without lament, we are foolishly

optimistic. Even if we do lament but also do not hope, we are trapped in unrelenting despair. If,

however, we both hope in God and lament to Him of the pain of life, we practice faithful

suffering (Kapic 33). To hope well while suffering, then, Christians must 1) remember that Jesus

is tenderly Incarnate, Immanuel, compassionate, and angry at sin, 2) not give up on a bodily

resurrection of healing, and 3) lament in faithful suffering.

Hope in Nicaragua

For four months last year, I had the privilege to teach in Nicaragua, where I will return to

continue teaching upon graduation. I found this Latin American country of 6.5 million people to

be a lovely and lively place, where they value people, are extremely friendly and hospitable, are

resilient, have access to many natural resources, and have growing churches with vibrant faith.

However, Nicaragua is also a country of great suffering. They are the second poorest country in

the Western Hemisphere after Haiti. There is widespread unemployment and little access to

quality education. As of 1980, 52% of the population was illiterate, and as of 2015, about 15% of

15-24 year olds were illiterate, while about 40% of people over 65 were illiterate (Mullay 8,

UNESCO). Nicaragua has also faced a long history of volatile politics and oppressive regimes,

which perpetuate death and cyclical poverty. What’s more, many families are often left homeless

by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and hurricanes.

 Comstock 23

In the face of such widespread and constant tragedy, it may seem arrogant for a North

American to initiate a conversation about hope. However, this is a culture that believes in hope.

As such, we should first learn what we can from them before seeking to share our own studies of

hope. When I sought to learn about the culture, one of the first songs a Nicaraguan showed me

was Dale Una Luz. The lyrics of this poignant song describe some of the tragedies of Nicaraguan

life: pollution, children martyrs of the revolutions, hurricanes, earthquakes, and an old man

trying to learn to read without glasses. Infused in each of these tragedies, however, is a poetic

appreciation for beauty in the ocean, sky, friendships, and determination of the people. Finally, it

ends with a prayer: “Give a light to the people who have searched for their freedom against the

sky and against man. Give a light to this people that loves so much to live in Nicaragua,” (my

translation). The friend who showed me this song wanted me to know that for as much tragedy as

Nicaraguans face, they hope in God to free them, and they are truly thankful to live in their

country until then. They know what it means to truly appreciate the good in life even while they

endure biting hardship. They know to turn to God to ask for hope, because hope is how one

endures tragedy with joy until we are finally free. Their life is qavah - waiting in eager

anticipation of God’s deliverance. In this song, we see what hope looks like lived out in a

culture. Nevertheless, I did observe some issues with hope among the people, the most common

issues being certain forms of liberation theology and a lack of robust eschatological doctrine. In

these areas, I believe our study of hope may be helpful, such that we can share in mutually

edifying conversations in our ministry.

First, certain forms of liberation theology can cause people to misplace their hope in

political movements instead of in Jesus. Liberation theology comes in many forms around the

world, but we will focus on its specific manifestation in Nicaragua. It began in the 70’s with
 Comstock 24

Gustavo Gutierrez of Columbia, who wanted Christians to liberate the poor from oppressive

social structures (Frame). He believed that the best way to free the poor was Marxism, and that

theologians should use class struggle as the hermeneutic by which they interpret the Bible, from

the perspective of the oppressed (Frame). He believed that Christians should actively fight

oppressive structures, even with violence, and that we should aim to bring the future of heaven to

the present earth via Marxist revolution (Restrepo, Belli 151-155).

At the same time Gustavo was developing his liberation theology, Nicaragua was

undergoing a violent upheaval of the Somoza dictatorship, which was replaced by the Sandinista

socialist regime in 1979. When liberation theology flooded this political climate in the 70s and

80s, Christians responded in three different ways (Belli 144). Conservative Christians wanted to

keep the church out of politics. Progressive Christians rejected both individualistic liberalism and

collectivistic Marxism, and instead trumpeted the “primacy of personal conversion to Christ” and

the need for social justice (145). They were led by the popular Archbishop Obando, who first

supported the Sandinistas when they took over the Somoza dictatorship and promised to defend

the poor, but then spoke against the Sandinistas when they became even more toxic than

Somoza. He was harassed by both parties for always speaking out for peace and reconciliation

and against totalitarianism (145-151). The third response of Christians came from the

Revolutionary Christians, who “...came to believe in revolutionary socialism as the one system

capable of creating the conditions for the definitive end of oppression and injustice….Evil, for

them, was in capitalism; revolutionary socialism was the hope of the future,” (154). If one was

capitalist, one must be evil. If one was Christian, one must be revolutionary (154). They would

study the Bible alongside speeches by Fidel Castro, and extreme priests would even baptize with

the following liturgy: “...original sin is the division of society into classes…. I command you,
 Comstock 25

spirit of egoism, of capitalism, of Somocismo, to come out of this child. Now I give you your

revolutionary membership,” (160). One of these priests wrote, “Our only solution is Marxism. It

is the only possible way to achieve freedom. I do not see any other course we can take, if the

promises of history and of the gospel are going to be true… For me the revolution and the

kingdom of heaven, mentioned in the gospel, are the same thing,” (161). Of course, this was the

radical position and not all Nicaraguans approved, especially not the bishops. Nevertheless, the

government capitalized on such preaching, and it became influential and destructive. For

example, the government persecuted a group of Christians who posted signs reading “Christ

Shall Come,” because Christ had already come in the triumph of the Sandinistas (194). They

closed down churches of varying denominations who dared emphasize the next life over this one

for the same reason (195). Still today, protests against the government are violently oppressed;

liberation theology shapes eschatology, and some still hope primarily in revolution for their

freedom.

In this brief historical analysis of the place of hope in the Sandinista revolution, we find

both commendable and lamentable trends in theology and practice. First, the Catholic bishops of

the 70s, 80s, and 90s and their followers should be highly honored. They were exiled, tortured,

discredited, and beaten for speaking against a government that failed to help the poor and that

replaced the hope of heaven with Marxist socialism. I have great respect for these people who

stayed true to their Lord, to the church, and to the poor, and who refused to be tossed about by

the wind and waves of political doctrine, even to death. Second, we may commend liberation

theology for its Christ-like care for the poor and its thirst for righteousness. The Church should

always be more sacrificial in defending the cause of the oppressed. Also, liberation theology
 Comstock 26

reminds us that our future absolutely informs our present, and that we must make decisions that

bring about peace, Christ’s Lordship, blessings, and righteousness here on earth.

For all of its merits, there are also serious critiques of liberation theology in general and

in how the Sandinistas used it. First, Gutierrez’s A Theology of Liberation begins with Marxism

and then develops a hermeneutic and a theology based on the struggle of the classes. I submit

that beginning with any political ideology by which one interprets Scripture and God is

incredibly dangerous. One must begin with YHWH, the true defender of the oppressed, and then

interpret political ideologies in subjection to the Lordship of Christ. I do not hope in Marx,

Lenin, and Stalin. I do not hope in Washington, Jefferson, and Biden. I hope in the Father, the

Son, and the Holy Spirit. While it is beyond the scope of this paper to analyze Marxism as an

ideology, we may safely say with the Nicaraguan bishops and against the revolutionary

Christians that personal faithfulness to Christ is primary, and that there is no salvation outside of

Him in a political ideology. Furthermore, Marxist liberation theology teaches a teleological

eschatology, in which everything comes to a good end by the work of God and humanity,

together freeing the people. The Kingdom of Christ will be achieved on earth through human and

divine effort, the progress of man, and the triumph of the proletariat (Restrepo). This means that

liberation theology is universalistic and comfortable with secularization, because it will all

become one world in the end anyway (Frame). Again, a thorough examination of the

eschatological debate will not fit here, but I do believe that the clearest reading of Scripture is

that we will not achieve heaven, but receive heaven, when the Father chooses to send the Son

back. One might say that calling whatever the church achieves on earth “heaven” is as arrogant

as it is disappointing. I hope that the Kingdom of Heaven is a lot better than what a political

revolution can do, Marxist or otherwise, in which hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans died or
 Comstock 27

were exiled. According to our study above, our hope is in fact indescribably better than such a

revolution. It includes the restoration and blessing of the poor, who occupy a very tender place in

the heart of God (Psalm 9:15-20). It is an inheritance that can only be gifted by God Himself, not

achieved by man. We contribute to the New Heaven and Earth, but only Jesus wins it for us. We

seek to better our world now, but we cannot pull heaven down to earth. Instead, we, like Christ,

must act out of who we are in him: actively compassionate, mercifully righteous, and motivated

by the coming rewards. This is how we give ourselves to the cause of the poor, not exclusively

through Marxist liberation theology, if at all.

In addition to the misguided forms of liberation theology still influencing lay theology in

Nicaragua today, our study of hope can also minister to the common level of eschatological

knowledge. From what I read, heard in conversation, and noticed in music, there are two types of

hope common in Nicaragua. One hope is near and concrete: the hope of the next revolution or an

improvement on this one. The second hope is firm, but ethereal: God will give us heaven and

freedom someday. We should seek to help subordinate the first to the second, especially by

strengthening the second through the teaching of the specific promises of our hope. The need for

such teaching is exemplified in a wise man named Don Zamora, who once shared a long

conversation with me about the history of Nicaragua as told through his life story. He explained

that Nicaragua has long had a culture of revolution, which believes that with more revolution and

less interference from foreign countries, Nicaraguans can be free and prosperous. He was once a

part of these revolutions in his youth, but now in his wisdom explained why they never work:

Unless each person becomes a Christian, the violence and the turmoil and the changes in

government that sap the country of its resources will never cease. The answer is not another

failed revolution, but to follow Christ. Mr. Zamora stopped hoping in social upheaval and
 Comstock 28

learned to hope in Christ Himself. Hope is already deeply instilled in Nicaraguans, and our

ministry can help to direct and focus that faith and hope squarely on the shoulders of Christ, on

His character, salvation, and promises as detailed in the Bible. We must do so with the utmost

gentleness and respect, because in such preaching, we could be indirectly speaking against the

government and committing a serious and dangerous offense. With due caution and Spirit-led

boldness, then, we may take our word study of what hope is, the lives of Abraham, David, and

Peter, and the manifold and specific promises of a New Heaven and a New Earth, and we can fill

the heads and hearts of growing Christians with strong and true hopes for the future. A future

that is promised, and will not fail like the next revolution. A hope that is living.

Conclusion: The Effects of Hope

We have completed a thorough word study that found hope to primarily mean trusting in

or waiting for God according to His specific character and salvific work; or, the person of

God/Jesus Himself. We noted the deep connection between faith and hope in the lives of

Abraham, David, and Peter, from whom we learn to obey in faith and rejoice in hope. We

delineated the myriad aspects of our inheritance, especially the exciting features of the New

Heavens and New Earth. Then, we tested our hope in the face of suffering. We found comfort

because Immanuel suffers with us, and we found hope because our King’s compassion and anger

will surely save us. Finally, we took our study to the context of Marxist liberation theology in

Nicaragua, and found that our ministry of hope should preach sole salvation in Christ’s coming

and the concrete realities of His New Heaven and New Earth.

To conclude, let us draw a picture of a life changed by Hope over time. First, when a soul

comes to Christ, they no longer hope in empty idols like money or reputation, but they hope in an
 Comstock 29

immutable God of steadfast love and faithfulness, the Author of their future and trustworthy

Friend. Then, as we grow in faith, so also we grow in hoping. As we understand our hope more,

we bear more joy and peace, because we meditate on Jesus and His fast-approaching promises.

As we wait for the promises, often in tension and pain, we grow in patience and longsuffering.

With our eyes on judgement, we become more intentional in evangelism; with our eyes on

rewards, we do more good works. Lewis said, “...the Christians who did most for the present

world were precisely those who thought most of the next,” (Eldredge 198). Living in light of our

inheritance, we walk with God in joyful holiness. Thinking of the rewards and the refreshing

water to be given us by Christ’s own hand, we work hard here to love and serve our neighbor.

When we suffer, we lament and praise God for His first and second comings. When loved ones

die in Christ, we mourn and boldly rejoice, expecting to see them again and rejoicing with those

we know are rejoicing at Jesus’ feet. Growing in our maturity, we intentionally meditate, pray,

talk to each other, study, and sing about our Hope, and so strengthen it. Finally, we come into

His Kingdom, where we will be made perfect and will behold the face of our Hope. So then, “Let

us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful,”

(Hebrews 10:23).

“But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
 Comstock 30

for the salvation of the Lord.

It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.”

Lamentations 3:21-27
 Comstock 31

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Belli, Humberto. Breaking Faith: The Sandinista Revolution and Its Impact on Freedom and

Christian Faith in Nicaragua. Translated by Joseph Davis, The Puebla Institute, 1985.

Bromiley, Geoffrey W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. II, WM. B. Eerdmans

Publishing Company, 1964.

Comfort, Philip W., and Walter A. Elwell, editors. Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Tyndale House

Publishers, Inc., 2001.

Eldredge, John. All Things New: Heaven, Earth, and the Restoration of Everything You Love.

Nelson Books, 2017.

ESV Student Study Bible. Crossway, 2011.

Frame, John M. “Liberation Theology.” The Gospel Coalition, The Gospel Coalition, Inc., 2015,

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Kapic, Kelly M. Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering. IVP

Academic, 2017.

McKnight, Scot. 1 Peter. Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.

Michaels, J. Ramsey. 1 Peter. Word, Incorporated, 1988.

Mullay, Sister Camila, and Father Robert Barry. The Barren Fig Tree: A Christian Reappraisal

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Religion and Democracy, 1984.

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 Comstock 32

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www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/1680.html.

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