Hope is a constant expectation of good, not a "50/50" shot something might happen. Nor is it a prayer for a stroke of luck. We all have believed this way though. How does one "hope" the right way?
Often we only hear half of the Gospel. We hear that Jesus died for our sins. Or maybe that Jesus took our place and got what we deserve. But that is only half of the equation.
Think about the story of the Israelites. They were freed from slavery. Then they marched out into the desert to go and live in a land that was better than anything they could have imagined. But a whole generation never made it through the desert simply because they did not believe that God was good. They lived in between slavery and goodness, forgiven but never making it to their destiny. They completely fell short of what God had for them. Everyday they saw the goodness of God, literally protecting and feeding them, but they didn't believe that He was good.
The same happens to many believers. We have been freed from slavery only to be found in limbo. We know Jesus got what we deserve but we need to hear and believe that now we get what He deserves.
Some made Him out to be a liar by saying, "You are not able to do what you promised." (Hebrews 3:16-19)
But the truth is that God chose us to have His grace. (Ephesians 1:3-9) We are supposed to know the full richness of His kindness every day. The Bible says that Jesus did nothing wrong but took all of our sin on himself at the cross, literally becoming sin. In this same way, He literally made us righteous.
Are you ready to start hoping? We are supposed to continue in our faith just as we started it, by grace. The full Gospel, or Good News, says that Christ got what I deserve and that now I get what He deserves. Does Jesus deserve to be loved? Yes. So do I.
