Romans 5:2 (ESV)
² Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Without hope life is hardly worth living. Human beings long for hope. We are sustained by it, and without it, we struggle to survive the drudgery of everyday living. Sometimes the only thing that can help a person make it through a particularly difficult time is the hope of a brighter day. The story has been told of a young boy who was dying after being badly burned in a fire.

“The school system in a large inner-city had a program to help children keep up with their schoolwork during stays in the city’s hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the child’s regular class teacher. ‘We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,’ the regular teacher said, ‘and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them, so he doesn’t fall too far behind.’ The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain, struggling to survive. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, ‘I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.’ When she left, she felt she had not accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, ‘What did you do to that boy?’ The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. ‘No, no,’ said the nurse. ‘You don’t know what I mean. We have been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He is fighting back, responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.’ Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: ‘They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?’”

This boy’s attitude changed, and he started to fight for his life, when he realized there was hope. Hope does the same thing for those of us who are Christians. It helps us to have a better attitude and rejoice no matter what difficult situation we are facing. We rejoice because of the surety of our hope. When referring to the inheritance involved in our hope, Peter used three terms to describe it. Our inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, and it never fades away. In other words, our inheritance is not liable to corruption, susceptible to contamination, or in any danger of losing its beauty. How different is the hope of our inheritance from that of an earthly inheritance? What can you inherit in this world that does not soon lose it attractiveness and appeal or does not eventually perish altogether? Can you think of anything? The truth is, earthly inheritances do not offer much hope. However, our hope involves an inheritance that is endless and eternal. Our hope, Peter says, fades not away because it is reserved for us in heaven.

What is our hope? Well, it involves more than one thing. Heaven, of course, is the place of our hope. We are looking forward to being in a place where there is unimaginable beauty (Revelation 21:10-15), totally sinless surroundings (Revelation 21:7), and, most importantly, the presence of God (Revelation 22:1-4). Can you imagine a more perfect place than that? But, there is something else. In heaven we shall be clothed with a glorious body like that of our Lord’s (Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2). What a wonderful hope.

No one can rejoice like the Christian because only we share in this hope. How did we come to receive it? We did not earn it. We do not deserve it. Nevertheless, it is ours because, by the grace of God, we have been justified by faith.

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.