What is the difference between faith and hope? That is a great question. We see them both used in Hebrews 11:1 … Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Faith is confidence in God and His faithfulness. Faith is not bound by time. We have faith in what Christ did on our behalf over 2,000 years ago. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20 …
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul demonstrates faith in Christ’s crucifixion, a past event and its impact in the way he lives now by faith. For as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7 … for we walk by faith, not by sight.
But faith also has a future aspect to it. Believing in God’s word and that He is faithful to keep His word in the future, such as in Revelation 21:4 … 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.
That faith that you and I have in the future provision of God is called HOPE. The Hebrew word for hope is Tikvah, which means to look for, to hope, to trust in a strong rope. One of the pictures or images that helps me see the relationship between faith and hope is a rope that is anchored to the distant bank of a raging river. In faith, I step into the river believing that the rope is securely fastened at the other end. Step by step, hand over hand … is faith. My confidence in the anchor holding … is hope. Faith is past, present and future. But when you talk about faith in a future in which God has given us His promises … it is referred to as hope!
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul,
a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having
become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:19–20
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to
stir up one another to love and good works ...
Hebrews 10:23-24
If you were to write down what your hope is in, what would you say? Would your hope be about what God has promised you for the future? Would it be about the joy, salvation, redemption, healing, heaven, eternity and more that is yours? How are these things you believe or confess, an anchor for your soul today as you face the trial, tribulations, and turbulent waters of life?
Because He is our only Hope!
– Pastor Jerry