“Hopeless Hope”

Friday, June 30, 2017

Have you ever heard of "hopeless hope"?  If so, what is it and where can it be found in the Bible?

Sincerely,
Uplifted

Dear Uplifted,

We believe the verse you are thinking of is Romans 4:18.  When Abraham was promised a child, he was a hundred years old, and his wife, Sarah, had never bore a child (Rom 4:19).  Yet, in spite of these facts, Abraham believed God.  Abraham’s faith in God was in direct contradiction to all logic.  Abraham had zero reason to hope for a son... but Abraham hoped anyway.  That is what the Scriptures mean when they say that Abraham “hoped against hope”.  Trusting in God when all normal logic says that you will fail – that is hopeless hope.  Hope that exists in spite of the evidence is the purest form of faith.  When we do what God says when there is seemingly no benefit for obedience, we truly place our trust in the Lord.  Our faith comes alive when we do what God says (Jas 2:21-24).

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