GOOD HOPE

In order, then, to have a good hope, we must expect and desire what God has promised, and not settle down in the expectation of that object, unless we have the fullest assurance that we are complying with every condition on which that object is promised. We see, then, that a well-grounded hope must be a matter of promise, and as every promise of God is made on conditions before we are entitled to the promise, we must be sure we are complying with the conditions.HPGO 6.3

That all God’s promises of reward and punishment are made to us on condition of our obedience or disobedience, is the only reasonable position we can take. When we appeal to the Scriptures, we see they give us a general rule reaching all such cases. We read, “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And, at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” Jeremiah 18:7-10. Complying with the conditions of a promise, constitutes us the heirs of that promise. “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29. “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” John 8:39.HPGO 7.1

While we see that a true hope must be based upon the promises of God, and that none can truly cherish that hope as theirs unless they are complying with the conditions; yet there are false hopes, and there are hopes cherished by those who are not complying with the conditions of God’s promises, or else hoping concerning matters that God has never promised. Job says, “The hope of the wicked shall be as the giving up of the ghost.” “As a puff of breath, ” margin. Job 11:20.HPGO 7.2

We have seen, by the reading of Hebrews 6:17, 18, that the true gospel hope is based on the promises of God, confirmed by an oath. So a false hope would be a hope not based on the promises of God, or, if comprehending what is in that promise, cherished by one not obeying the conditions of the promise. Paul says of those who were ignorant of the promises, and, as a matter of course, not obeying God, not complying with the conditions of the promise, “Wherefore, remember that ye being in the time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:11, 12. We see that one important reason why they had no hope was because they were strangers to God’s promises of future blessings. Then, indeed, every hope, to be well-grounded, must be based upon the promises of God.HPGO 7.3