Hope is eager and confident expectation. In our relationship with God, our hope rests on the promises of God. Faith in God’s word keeps hope alive and thriving. For those who live by faith, heaven is not a mere dream, it is a reality.

Hebrews 11:8-10 says, “By faith Abraham obeyed... For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Because of Abraham’s faith in the truth of God’s word, to Him, it was as if he had already received the city.

Hebrews 11:13 says of those who lived by faith in God, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them…” Faithful men such as Noah, Abraham and the others lived with complete confidence that, after they died, God’s promises would be fulfilled. Their trust in the faithfulness of God enabled them to hope in His promises. Their faith in God stood under and held up their hope in the promises of God. This is the meaning of Hebrews 1:1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for…”

We can hope for many things, but the faith that pleases God has confidence only in that which He has promised. “just as you were called in one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4).

What if our faith and hope are based on something other than God’s word? In 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, the apostle Paul warned against this. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

God dealt with the false hopes of Israel in the Days of Ezekiel. “They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken” (Ezekiel 13:6-7).

Through His word, God has revealed “the faith” to mankind. “The faith” is the body of knowledge given by God that must be believed by those who will be saved. And that faith was delivered one time for all time (Jude 3).



Just as faith that pleases God is a faith based exclusively on God’s word, we need to ensure that the things we put our hope in are in fact things God has promises through His word.

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).