From Paul[a] and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you![b 2 We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantly[c] in our prayers, 3 because we recall[d] in the presence of our God and Father[e] your work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope[f] in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We know,[g] brothers and sisters[h] loved by God, that he has chosen you,[i] 5 in that[j] our gospel did not come to you merely in words,[k] but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you).[l]
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received[m] the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction. 7 As a result you became an example[n] to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For from you the message of the Lord[o] has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread,[p] so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For people everywhere[q] report how you welcomed us[r] and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.[s]
Endurance of Hope because Hope builds endurance.
Note what Paul points out about the church of Thessalonica. He remarks about their work of faith, labor of love and endurance of hope. Such a beautiful play on these words. Their work of faith because their faith bring works. Their labor of love because true love labors sacrificially. Hope endures because endurance builds hope. So, which comes first? Or is this a Antinomy of Grace and Will? Two seemingly paradoxical ideas, both of which are reasonable conclusions in their own. So, often God writes, that only those who endure can be saved. While at the same time noting that only by grace can one endure. In other words, the endurance of hope is a gift of grace, purchased by Jesus Christ for all. However, those who know Him truly as Lord and Savior will endure to the end. Their lives will transform step by step.
Jesus said, 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:12
Or Hebrews 10:
36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.[ap] 37 For just a little longer[aq] and he who is coming will arrive and not delay.[ar] 38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I[as] take no pleasure in him.[at] 39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Yet our endurance of hope is secure:
God has said concerning the new covenant of which we are apart:
39 I will give them a single-minded purpose to live in a way that always shows respect for me. They will want to do that for[bz] their own good and the good of the children who descend from them. 40 I will make a lasting covenant[ca] with them that I will never stop doing good to them.[cb] I will fill their hearts and minds with respect for me so that[cc] they will never again turn away[cd] from me. Jeremiah 39: 39-40
Or in some versions it says, I will place my fear within them. A reverent fear, recognizing the depth of His righteousness. Or look at Ezekiel 26.
26 I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone[r] from your body and give you a heart of flesh.[s] 27 I will put my Spirit within you;[t] I will take the initiative, and you will obey my statutes[u] and carefully observe my regulations.
But where does this hope come from?
And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.”[a] 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him,[b] so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15
Both are True.
Endurance is a gift and endurance is a duty. And these are not in conflict. When dealing with a holy and sovereign God, these are not contradictions. We MUST endure to the end, for he is holy; and we SHALL endure to the end, for He is sovereign.[1]
Our endurance of hope is a gift from God. We will endure to the end because of the hope we have been given in Christ Jesus. Does that fully eliminate our responsibility? No. How are both true. I do believe this is best explained by J. I Packer. This is an antinomy, a paradox which uses correct reasoning with both being true; although it seems impossible that both can co-exist. The same as the antinomy of Free will vs Predestination. We may not fully understand how both are true; yet both are given with the same emphasis in the scripture.
The Creator is incomprehensible to His creatures
We ought not in any case to be surprised when we find mysteries of this sort in God’s Word for the Creator is incomprehensible to His creatures. A God whom we could understand exhaustively, and whose revelation of Himself confronted us with no mysteries whatsoever, would be a God in man’s image, and therefore an imaginary God, not the God of the Bible at all. For what the God of the Bible says is this: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways… As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8 f.).
The antinomy which we face now is only one of a number that the Bible contains. We may be sure that they all find their reconciliation in the mind and counsel of God, and we may hope that in heaven we shall understand them ourselves. But meanwhile, our wisdom is to maintain with equal emphasis both of the apparently conflicting truths in each case, to hold them together in the relation in which the Bible itself sets them, and to recognize that here is a mystery which we cannot expect to solve in this world.[2]
Concluding thoughts on How to have Endurance of Hope
When all of life seems impossible. The job is far too hard. People are confrontational. The family is falling apart. Finances are a dismal mess with inflation soaring and tomorrow uncertain. War is breaking out everywhere. Our own freedoms are in question. But we can continue with endurance of Hope and the hope of endurance. Actually, the certainty of endurance.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,[a] we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For[b] the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.[c] 3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed[d] in your struggle against sin Hebrews 12
Romans 8:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] 2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit[b] in Christ Jesus has set you[c] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For God achieved what the law could not do because[d] it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us,
We are set free from our penalty of sin
27 And he[ae] who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit[af] intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. 28 And we know that all things work together[ag] for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, 29 because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son[ah] would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.[ai] 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
He will complete what He began
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers,[aq] nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Once you know Jesus Christ as Savior, nothing can separate you, you will have the full endurance of hope. The Holy Spirit Guarantees it because Jesus Christ paid the price for your salvation and guarantees your endurance.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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[1] John Piper, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-fruit-of-hope-endurance
[2] J.I Packer, Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility how both biblical truths coexist in God’s grace, page 10 found