Enjoy a Hope Without Disappointment

 1. Why can we say that Abraham’s hope was well-placed?

JEHOVAH promised his friend Abraham that all nations of the earth would be blessed by means of his offspring. (Gen. 15:5; 22:18) Because Abraham had deep faith in God, he was convinced that God’s promise would come true. Even so, when Abraham was 100 years of age and his wife was 90, that faithful couple still did not have a son. (Gen. 21:1-7) Yet, the Bible says: “Based on hope, [Abraham] had faith that he would become the father of many nations according to what had been said.” (Rom. 4:18) You know that Abraham’s hope was realized. He did become father to the son he had long hoped for, Isaac. What was the basis for Abraham’s confidence?

 2. Why was Abraham convinced that Jehovah’s promise would come true?

² Because of his close personal relationship with Jehovah, Abraham was “fully convinced that what [God] had promised” would come true. (Rom. 4:21) Jehovah approved of Abraham and declared him righteous because of his faith. (Jas. 2:23) As indicated at Romans 4:18, Abraham’s faith and his hope were connected. Let us now consider what the apostle Paul says about hope, as recorded in chapter 5 of Romans.

 3. What does Paul explain about hope?

³ Paul explains why we can be sure that our “hope does not lead to disappointment.” (Rom. 5:5) He also helps us to understand how our Christian hope can grow. As we examine the process Paul outlines at Romans 5:1-5, consider your own experience. In doing so, you will likely recognize that over time your Christian hope has become more certain. Our discussion will also reveal how you can make your hope grow even stronger than it is now. Let us first consider a glorious hope that Paul says will not lead to disappointment.

 4. What is discussed at Romans 5:1, 2?

⁴ Read Romans 5:1, 2. Paul wrote those words to the congregation in Rome. The brothers and sisters there had learned about Jehovah and Jesus, had exercised faith, and had become Christians. God thus “declared [them] righteous as a result of faith,” and he anointed them with holy spirit. Yes, they gained a valid, wonderful hope.

 5. What hope do anointed ones have?

⁵ Paul later wrote to anointed Christians in Ephesus about the hope to which they were called. That hope included receiving “an inheritance for the holy ones.” (Eph. 1:18) And Paul also indicated to the Colossians where their hope would be realized. He called it “the hope that is being reserved for you in the heavens.” (Col. 1:4, 5) The hope of anointed Christians, then, is that they be resurrected to everlasting life in heaven, where they will reign with Christ.​—1 Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 20:6.

 6. What did one anointed brother say about his hope?

⁶ Anointed Christians cherish that hope. One of them, Brother Frederick Franz, said from his heart: “Our hope is a sure thing, and it will be fulfilled fully to every last one of the 144,000 members of the little flock to a degree beyond what we have even imagined.” After serving God faithfully for decades, in 1991 Brother Franz affirmed: “[We] have not lost our sense of value of that hope. . . . We are appreciating it all the more the longer we have to wait for it. It is something worth waiting for, even if it required a million years. I evaluate our hope more highly than ever before.”

7-8. What hope do most have? (Romans 8:20, 21)

⁷ Most who worship Jehovah today have a different hope. It is the hope that Abraham had​—everlasting life on earth under God’s Kingdom. (Heb. 11:8-10, 13) Paul wrote about the glorious outcome awaiting those who have that hope. (Read Romans 8:20, 21.) When you first learned of the Bible’s promise for the future, what did you find most appealing about it? Was it the fact that one day you will be perfect, no longer prone to sin? Or were you thrilled to learn that your dead loved ones will live again on a paradise earth? This gave you much to look forward to “on the basis of hope.”

⁸ Whether we expect to enjoy everlasting life in heaven or on earth, we have a glorious hope that gives us reason to rejoice. And our joyful hope can grow even stronger. What Paul writes next explains how that can happen. Let us consider what he wrote concerning our hope. Doing so will make us more confident that our hope will keep growing and will never let us down.

9-10. As shown by Paul’s example, what can Christians expect? (Romans 5:3) (See also pictures.)

⁹ Read Romans 5:3. Note that tribulation may be involved in developing a stronger hope. That may surprise us. In reality, all followers of Christ can expect tribulation. Consider Paul’s example. He said to those in Thessalonica: “When we were with you, we used to tell you in advance that we would suffer tribulation, and that is what has happened.” (1 Thess. 3:4) And to the Corinthians, he wrote: “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the tribulation we experienced . . . We were very uncertain even of our lives.”​—2 Cor. 1:8; 11:23-27.

¹⁰ Christians today, too, can expect tribulation of some sort. (2 Tim. 3:12) What about you? As you put faith in Jesus and follow him, has tribulation come your way? Friends and relatives may have ridiculed you. They may even have been hostile. Has your determination to be honest in all things created problems for you at work? (Heb. 13:18) Have you faced governmental opposition because you shared your hope with others? No matter what type of tribulation we may encounter, though, Paul says we should rejoice. Why?

11. Why do we need to be determined to endure any trial?

¹¹ We can rejoice when undergoing tribulation because of what it produces. As Romans 5:3 says, “tribulation produces endurance.” All Christians will face tribulation, so all Christians must have endurance. We need to be determined to endure whatever trials we may face. Only then will we be able to see the fulfillment of our hope. We do not want to be like those whom Jesus had in mind when speaking about seeds that fell on rocky soil. They accepted the word with joy at first but “after tribulation or persecution” arose, they were stumbled. (Matt. 13:5, 6, 20, 21) Granted, facing opposition or trials is not easy or pleasant, but enduring them brings definite benefits. In what way?

12. How do we benefit when we endure trials?

¹² The disciple James highlighted the benefits of enduring trials. He wrote: “Let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything.” (Jas. 1:2-4) James describes endurance as if it had a task, a work, to perform. What work is endurance assigned to accomplish? It can help you to develop to a greater degree such qualities as patience, faith, and reliance on God. However, we gain another significant benefit from enduring.

13-14. What does endurance produce, and how does that relate to hope? (Romans 5:4)

¹³ Read Romans 5:4. Paul mentions that endurance results in “an approved condition.” Your endurance brings Jehovah’s approval. This does not mean that Jehovah is pleased that you are experiencing trials or problems. What God approves of is you. Your endurance results in an approved condition. What an amazing blessing!​—Ps. 5:12.

¹⁴ Recall that Abraham endured tests and enjoyed divine approval. Jehovah viewed him as His friend and counted him as righteous. (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:13, 22) The same can be true of us. God does not base his approval on the amount of work we do in his service or on the privileges we enjoy. He grants his approval because of our faithful endurance. And no matter what our age, circumstance, or ability is, all of us can endure. Are you faithfully enduring a trial right now? If so, take comfort in knowing that you have God’s approval. Realizing that we have God’s approval can have a powerful effect on us. It can strengthen our hope.

15. What further point does Paul make, and why might that puzzle some?

¹⁵ As Paul explained, we gain Jehovah’s approval by enduring trials successfully. Note how Paul continues his discussion: “The approved condition, in turn, [leads to] hope, and the hope does not lead to disappointment.” (Rom. 5:4, 5) This might puzzle some. Why? Because earlier, as recorded at Romans 5:2, Paul mentioned that those Christians in Rome already had a hope, the “hope of the glory of God.” Consequently, someone might ask, ‘If those Christians already had a hope, why does Paul list hope later in his discussion?’

16. How does hope begin to grow in a person? (See also pictures.)

¹⁶ We can understand what Paul meant by keeping in mind that hope is something that grows. To illustrate: Do you recall when you first heard of the marvelous hope contained in God’s Word? At that point, you may have thought that the idea of living forever on a paradise earth was mere wishful thinking. However, as you got better acquainted with Jehovah and with the Bible’s promises, you became more convinced that this hope would become a reality.

17. How does your hope continue to grow after your dedication and baptism?

¹⁷ Even after your dedication and baptism, your hope continued to grow as you learned more and matured spiritually. (Heb. 5:13–6:1) You have likely experienced what is mentioned at Romans 5:2-4. You had various tribulations, but you endured them and sensed God’s approval. Confident of God’s favor, you now have even greater reason to expect to receive the things he has promised. Your hope has become stronger than what you had initially. It is more real to you, more personal. It affects you more intensely, influencing every aspect of your life and changing how you treat your family, how you make decisions, and even how you use your time.

18. What guarantee does Jehovah provide?

¹⁸ The apostle adds a very important point regarding the hope that you possess after receiving God’s approval. He assures you that your hope will be fulfilled. Why can you be so sure? Paul includes this inspired guarantee to Christians: “The hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given to us.” (Rom. 5:5) You have every reason to be certain of that hope​—your hope.

19. Of what can you be certain regarding your hope?

¹⁹ Reflect on Jehovah’s promise to Abraham and on how God approved of him and viewed him as His friend. Abraham did not hope in vain. The Bible states: “After Abraham had shown patience, he obtained this promise.” (Heb. 6:15; 11:9, 18; Rom. 4:20-22) He was definitely not disappointed. You can be just as certain that if you remain faithful, your hope will be rewarded. Your hope is real; it is a cause for joy, not disappointment! (Rom. 12:12) Paul wrote: “May the God who gives hope fill you with all joy and peace by your trusting in him, so that you may abound in hope with power of holy spirit.”​—Rom. 15:13.