Hope: A Certain Future that Fuels You Now (Colossians 1:3-8).

Class Outline:

Sunday July 12,2026

 

COL 1:3-5

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel,

 

1. Hope: elpis: the looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting fulfillment, expectation, hope.

 

Especially in matters spoken of in God’s promises which drive Christian expectation.

 

The act of hope everyone has. But it comes and goes in most due to expectations not meeting reality. In Christ:

 

EPH 3:20

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

 

Our act of hope would be a daily reality when our daily faith looks upon our inheritance in Christ.

 

The object of hope gives the act of hope its reality.

 

1PE 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…

 

1a. Psychology of expectation and hope:  worldview v. Christian view.

 

Expectation is based on calculation of probability (insurance).

 

Hope is desire, even if probability is low (I hope it doesn’t rain, etc), but with God it is certain (*unless we hope for something God has not promised - for instance: God does not promise no pain or tribulation).

 

Don’t imagine false promises - know the Word of God.

 

Expectation and hope create optimists or cynics due to met or unmet expectations.

 

We need to understand the pain in the hearts of the people around us.

 

As believers we have to be consistently throughout the day analyzing our thinking for what we’re expecting and what we’re hoping.

 

2. The hope laid up for you in heaven.

 

“Laid up” - apokeimai = to put away for safekeeping, or to reserve as award or recompense.

 

The phrase is a way of stating certainty - who is going to take something from God.

 

LUK 19:20 [apokeimai, mina in the handkerchief]

 

2TI 4:8

in the future there is laid up [apokeimai] for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

 

Synonym: 1PE 1:4

 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved [tereo] in heaven for you

 

Reason: security of amazing, heavenly future with God.

 

2a. God has not shown us our reserved treasure.

 

COL 1:3-5

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel,

 

Which you heard - faith.

 

He didn’t show you, but told you.

 

We don’t even know what it all is - TIT 3:7; ROM 8:17; JAM 2:5; EPH 1:11;

 

EPH 1:13-14

you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance,

(sealed by the Holy Spirit - awesome and guaranteed).

 

Is God telling us about a treasure that doesn’t exist so He can get us to work hard?

 

Christ’s parable: the pearl of great value - there is an actual pearl of great value and it is Him.

 

Our faith is in the real treasure in heaven, and though we do not know what it all is, we do know that it is part and parcel of the gospel and it is also a part of the glory of Christ - what does that mean to you in terms of value?

 

COL 1:23

not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard

 

COL 1:27

to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory [your inheritance is of the Son who indwells you].

 

3. Triad: How does hope relate to faith and love?

 

Faith: object and sphere is Christ Jesus.

 

Cannot be seen, but its manifestation can - love (GAL 5:6; GAL 5:13; JAM 2:24)

 

Agape: warm regard for and interest in another. The practical expression of care and concern (O’Brien).

 

For all God’s saints - not selective as the world is.

 

Hope - not completely co-ordinated with faith and love in this passage (dia with an accusative [cause or reason] - on the basis of or because).

 

Faith and love because of hope.

 

Not the creator of faith and love but the cause of greater.

 

3a. Why the emphasis of hope in this passage?

 

The false teachers try to rob them of their guarantees in Christ. They use ritual, asceticism, religion, etc., but what is common is they take away guarantees and human earning is inserted.

 

Paul pondered the attacks on heaven’s inheritance guarantee only to find how hope fuels faith and love - and the Colossians benefited and so did the world.

 

Conclusion:

 

Hope is the fuel that strengthens (brightens) faith and love.

 

You and I have to fairly consistently keep an eye on our future in heaven. Things won’t look so grey here (parallax).

 

Satan attacks future guarantees given by God (Israel, Abrahamic Covenant) knowing that he will get double effect (compound interest): weakening faith and love.

 

But hope is the promise of the gospel.

 

Losing fear, the powers of the world lost their grip on you.

 

1TH 5:8-10

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us.

 

How is faith and hope related to righteousness (ISA 59:17; EPH 6:14)?