In the New Testament, hope, represented by the Greek word elpis and its verb form elpizo, carries a profound sense of waiting for salvation with joy and full confidence. This hope is particularly focused on the return of Christ and the establishment of God's Kingdom on earth, instilling a confident expectancy in those who hold it. As illustrated in Hebrews 6:11-12, the author urges believers to maintain diligence in this hope until the end, avoiding sluggishness. Further, in Hebrews 6:17-18, it is emphasized that God's unchangeable promise and oath—two immutable things in which it is impossible for Him to lie—provide strong consolation to those who have fled for refuge, encouraging them to lay hold of the hope set before them. This act of seizing and clinging to hope is vital, as it serves as a motivator, keeping believers focused and moving forward amidst life's dangers and temptations. Without this hope, there is a risk of giving up, but with it, there is a powerful source of strength derived from God's unwavering promises.

The hope of salvation for God's called-out ones stands in stark contrast to the worldly view of hope as an uncertain wish for future desires. For a member of the Body of Christ, hope is rooted in God and His promises, not in government or personal effort. This hope is not a mere wish but a full expectation of good, especially in a religious sense, as reflected in the New Testament Greek word "elpis," which conveys trust and faith. Paul writes in Romans 8:24-25 that we are saved in this hope, a hope for what is unseen, eagerly awaited with perseverance. This hope supports and comforts us through life's troubles and adversities, assuring us of receiving all the good we need from God's hand and the resurrection of our bodies from corruption. Unlike the audacity to hope, which suggests boldness without assurance, our hope is based on faith in God's truth and His unbreakable Word, carrying us out of sin through the trust and conviction He has given us.

Everyone alive is or soon will become damaged goods, broken or defective in various ways, physically and spiritually, by forces that control and corrupt our environment. The apostle Paul in Romans 8:19-25 discusses that we, as creations and children of God, are subjected to our frailties in hope for the repair of all our defects and the renewal of our damaged bodies upon our adoption and redemption. He also implies in verses 20-22 that the whole creation, including the physical world around us, shares this same hope. Peter tells us that we have a living hope, with the goal of our hope being Jesus Christ, for because He is alive, we have a sure anchor for our hope. Having been figuratively raised from the dead at our baptism, we can fully place our hope in Him with complete confidence through our faith. Colossians 1:5 informs us that our hope is laid up in heaven, and Colossians 3:1 admonishes us to seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Christ holds two key points for our hope: He is the goal of our hope, and He is the One we depend upon to realize it through His atoning work as our High Priest. Because God has called us and desires to save us, possessing all the power necessary to bring us into eternal life with Him, we can have a sure hope in the gospel we believe and the ongoing work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. By faith, another virtue given by our Creator, we trust that the hope He has given us is true and will be realized at some future point. Our faith should remain certain in the power and willingness of God to bring His children into the Kingdom, anchoring our hope in this truth. Despite our weaknesses and doubts, often fueled by sin or negative emotions, we must focus on the goodness and power of God and His promise to guide us through trials. Our hope remains strong as it is based on the works and love of Jesus Christ, who, having suffered for us, now sits at the right hand of God the Father and makes intercessions for us. Faith and hope are like interlocking gears powering our walk with God, with faith strengthening our hope and hope realized by our faith, both having Jesus Christ as their end view. Our hope motivates us to right actions toward our future good, supporting the vision of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Godly hope always looks toward a future good, encouraging us to strengthen our relationship with God and develop patience and resolve to stand fast in the faith. Because our hope contains a prophetic vision and is a desire placed in us by God, its object is not ourselves but Jesus Christ and the work He does. For us, the children of God, along with the earth that groans under the weight of our sins, the hope we have draws closer to its promised fulfillment with each passing day, as we become heirs according to the hope of eternal life through His grace.

Salvation, as it pertains to the hope of eternal life, carries profound significance. It is not merely an acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior but comes with essential conditions. Those who accept Christ's blood for the remission of sins must remain faithful in their commitment to Him, demonstrating a living faith that is active and dynamic, producing growth, change, and overcoming within the person. God's purpose in salvation is to create a new creation, forming sons and daughters in His image, a glorious transformation already underway. Hope, a vital motivator in this journey of salvation, derives from the relationship with and revelation of God. It is listed among the great virtues of faith, hope, and love, providing energy by keeping us in anticipation of greater and better things to come. This hope conveys the absolute certainty of future good, continuing even in the Kingdom of God as we eagerly look forward to endless blessings. Our hope is uniquely Christian, a direct result of God's calling, uniting us into one body and transforming life into a confident, bright, and optimistic existence filled with endless possibilities. Before our calling, we were without hope and without God in the world, but now, through the New Covenant, we have continuing, never-ending hopes due to a continuous relationship with Him. Our hope is not in mere human experiences or teachings but in the living reality of Jesus Christ and the Father, who exert sovereign control and cannot lie. This living hope sustains us, ensuring that all things work together for good for those who are called and love God. The Bible presents numerous glorious reasons to hope, such as the hope of resurrection from the dead, which motivates us to endure and suffer to achieve what we anticipate. The change from the Old Covenant to the New fills us with boundless potential and great hope, inspiring boldness in our actions. Hope serves as a defense, a motivator to protect us from losing sight of the glorious end of God's purpose, propelling us to persevere and endure, knowing that only the hopeful will press forward. Our hope, anchored in Jesus Christ as High Priest, stabilizes our lives, keeping us from drifting to spiritual destruction despite the tempests around us. Because He lives, intercedes for us, and watches over our lives to bring us into the Father's Kingdom, we have a sure and powerful hope. This hope motivates and enables us to endure, providing the means to fulfill our part in the relationship established through God's calling and Christ's sacrifice.