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Almighty God, our Father, open our understanding of your Word regarding the hope of your son's return. Let us see from your Word what is the hope of Christ's return and what it means to your sons and daughters. Now, the Almighty God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing that we may abound in hope through the power of His gift of holy spirit that is in us through Christ Jesus. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

In the October 2020 teaching, we reviewed what God's Word says regarding who God is. This teaching discussed the meaning of the number two (2) in God's Word and provided examples of differences or divisions and agreements. We also continued our Word-based study on the word "Spirit." The Word of God is the Will of God!

Ephesians 4:3-6 will be our theme for the next several months.

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. [bold added for emphasis]

In this month's teaching we will continue with our word-based study on the next unity of the spirit - "hope." In doing so we will:

• Define the word "hope" and review some of the scriptures for the Greek word "elpis" (hope).
• Discuss the differences between hope and believing.
• Look at some of the usages of the number three (3) throughout the Word of God which signifies divine perfection, wholeness, and completeness.
• Review examples of the number three in God's Word, as "hope" is listed third in Ephesians 4:4.

The first thing we must remember is that Ephesians 2:12 tells us there is no hope for those who are not born-again of God's Spirit.

That at that time ye were without Christ [not born-again of God's Spirit], being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

The second thing we must remember is that in the Bible "hope" is defined as believing for what is obtainable in the future. In Romans 8:24-25, it says,

For we are saved by [to] hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience [endurance] wait for it.

To hope is to look forward to something in the future; it is not based in the present. You can't have whatever you hope for now! For example, the return of Christ is not something we can obtain now. Or the new body we are going to receive when Christ returns is not something we can have now. The difference is that believing refers to what's available now in God's Word. For example, we can believe now to be born-again of God's Spirit. Hope is future and believing is present. Let's look at some scriptures which explain this.

2 Corinthians 6:2:

For he [God] saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Romans 10:9 says:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

We can accept God's salvation now and be born-again of God's Spirit now!

Our knowledge of the hope of the return of Christ is so important in a man or woman's life. The understanding of the hope helps us endure the mental, physical and emotional distresses we face now in this life! The knowledge we gain from reading God's Word about our new body, and the future rewards for our faithfulness to God's Word on this earth, gives us endurance to stand!

The word "hope" is the Greek word "elpis" meaning expectation of something future. It has two additional meanings: 1. Subjective - a well-grounded expectation and a gladly and firmly held prospect of a future good; and 2. Objective - the expected good, that for which we hope." (Source: E. W. Bullinger's Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament 1975).

In Ephesians 4:4, "hope" is listed third.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. [bold added for emphasis]

The number three (3) throughout the Word of God signifies divine perfection, wholeness, and completeness. For example:

• The Magi present to Jesus three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).
• Jesus Christ was in the grave three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40).
• In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed three times (Matthew 26:44).
• 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us three actions: And now abides faith [believing], hope, charity [the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation], these three; but the greatest of these is charity [the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation].
• There are three quarters in a year. January - April, May - August, and September - December.
• In mathematics, the number 3 is a prime number and a triangular number.
  

Now let us read some of the usages for the Greek word "elpis" or hope in the Bible. We will start with Acts 2:26, however this verse begins with the word "Therefore," so we must read the previous verse Acts 2:25 to understand Acts 2:26.

For David speaks concerning him [Jesus Christ], I foresaw the Lord always before my face [in my eyes], for he is on my right hand [in order], that I should not be moved.

The phase "should not be moved" is the Greek word "saluo" which means to make to shake, rock, to put in a state of waving, rocking or vibratory motion, to agitate (source: Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament 1975, Bullinger). As we have the Word of God before our faces and in our eyes and at our right hand, we shall not be moved or agitated by things going on in this world!

Now, let's read Acts 2:26:

Therefore [because of verse 25], did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover, also my flesh shall rest in hope [elpis]. [bold added for emphasis]

The hope of the Lord Jesus Christ's first coming is what kept David from being moved! The hope of Lord Jesus Christ's second coming is what keeps us from being moved. The expectation or hope of the future return of Christ and that new body we will receive makes our hearts rejoice and our tongues glad! Turn to Acts 24:15:

And have hope [elpis] toward God, which they [Ananias the high priest with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus] themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. [bold added for emphasis]

Paul is speaking to king Agrippa for himself against the accusations of the Judeans, saying he has the same future hope toward God "that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."

Acts 26:6-7 explains:

And now I [Paul] stand and am judged for the hope [elpis] of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:

Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's [elpis] sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. [bold added for emphasis]

Paul was accused by Judeans for things which God's Word promised Israel fathers that will come to pass in the future.

Romans 4:18:

Who [Abraham] against hope [elpis] believed in hope [elpis], that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. [bold added for emphasis]

Romans 5:2,4-5:

By whom [our Lord Jesus Christ] also we have access by faith [believing] into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope [elpis] of the glory of God.

And patience, experience; and experience, hope [elpis]:

And hope [elpis] maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [gift of holy spirit] which is given unto us. [bold added for emphasis]

Romans 15:13:

Now the God of hope [elpis] fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope [elpis], through the power of the Holy Ghost [new birth gift of holy spirit]. [bold added for emphasis]

Ephesians 1:18:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope [elpis] of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saint. [bold added for emphasis]

Ephesians 4:4:

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope [elpis] of your calling.

How many hopes are there? One!

1 Thessalonians 1:3:

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith [believing], and labor of love, and patience of hope [elpis] in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. [bold added for emphasis]

1 Thessalonians 4:13:

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [dead], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope [elpis]. [bold added for emphasis]

1 Thessalonians 5:8:

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith [believing] and love; and for a helmet, the hope [elpis] of salvation. [bold added for emphasis]

2 Thessalonians 2:16:

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope [elpis] through grace. [bold added for emphasis]

The hope of the Lord Jesus Christ's return encourages the believers to stand, to walk, to serve, to believe, to love, and to work together as a household! Without the hope of the return of Christ, we will not endure until the end. With all the things we experience in this life, we would just get tired. We need to know that there is something better for us in the future! We need to know that when Christ returns, we will be like him; we will have a new body. There will be no more pain, no more sickness, and no more death! See the teaching September 2019 on this subject.

Colossians 3:4 tells us:

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.

In this teaching, we discussed the differences between hope and believing. We defined the word "hope" and reviewed that it is third in Ephesians 4:4. We looked at some of the usages of the number three (3) throughout the Word of God which signifies divine perfection, wholeness, and completeness. And we reviewed some examples in God's Word.

Almighty God our Father, thank you for giving us an understanding of the hope of Christ's return and what it means to us your sons and daughters. Almighty God our Father, thank you for your son the Lord Jesus Christ and what he accomplished for us by his obedience to your Word. Almighty God our Father thank you for that new spiritual body we shall receive when Christ returns for his saints. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Next month's teaching: We will continue with our word-based study on the next unity of the spirit - "Lord" - which is listed fourth in Ephesians 4:4. We will review some of the scriptures for the Greek word "kurios" or Lord.

In the Lord,

Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

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