{"id":15818,"date":"2013-01-25T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2013-01-25T18:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?p=15818"},"modified":"2015-03-10T19:43:53","modified_gmt":"2015-03-11T02:43:53","slug":"hope-of-eternal-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/hope-of-eternal-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Do We Only Hope we Have Eternal Life?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Here is a theology question that a reader sent in last week:<\/p>\n I am a new convert to the truth in God’s word of eternal security, therefore I was once a “conditional” securist but I no longer believe in this false doctrine. However something has been bothering me and I am having trouble understanding it, I have searched your website for the answer and was unsuccessful.<\/p>\n In the book of John in many places it is recorded as Jesus having told us we “have” eternal life now in the present, however elsewhere it the scriptures it seems to say we have the hope of eternal life but we don’t actually posses it.<\/p>\n This has confused me, does the Bible mean we have eternal life now, we just enter into it when we die? Or does it teach that we don’t yet have eternal life, but we will obtain eternal life in the future? The latter one sounds to me like conditional security (which I know we both do not believe in). However I am having trouble with this.<\/p>\n Could you perhaps help me to understand this?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Here is my answer:<\/p>\n The verse you might be thinking of is Titus 3:7. The way to understand this verse is to recognize that in Scripture, \u201chope\u201d is not the same thing that we think of as \u201chope.\u201d The Greek word for \u201chope\u201d (Greek: elpis<\/em>) is a certain or confident expectation, not a \u201cI wish and dream it might possibly come true\u201d (See Vine\u2019s Expository Dictionary<\/em><\/a>, p. 311). So the best way to understand \u201chope\u201d in the New Testament is as an \u201cexpectation.\u201d Since \u201ccertain expectation\u201d is not what we usually think of when we use the word \u201chope\u201d in speaking today, it might be wise to translate elpis<\/em> as \u201cexpectation\u201d as that word better carries the meaning of the term.<\/p>\n So, for example, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:1 about \u201cChrist is our hope.\u201d In the context, Paul is pointing out that Jesus is a certain and sure way of receiving eternal life. \u00a0Also, in Romans 8:24 he argues that our hope in God helps us know we will get what God has promised, even though much of what we hope for will only be received in the future.<\/p>\nEvery so often, I answer Bible Questions<\/a> and Theology questions<\/a> that people send in by email. I not only answer them by email, but also try to post the answers on my blog, since I am sure that others might have similar questions.<\/p>\n
Question about the Hope of Eternal Life<\/h2>\n
Answer about the Hope of Eternal Life<\/h2>\n