On this Christmas Eve 2024, the PR Theological Seminary extends to our PRC members, and to our friends and supporters the desire that the abiding peace, joy, and hope of our Savior Jesus Christ might be yours in this season and in the new year of our Lord.
For your reflection in this Christmas season, we post a portion of a word study that Rev. W. Langerak (PRTS, 2003; pastor of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, MI) wrote on the subject of "hope." You may find the full version of it here. May it fill you will eager longing and confident looking for our Lord's return on the clouds of glory.
"Finally, Scripture distinguishes between the objects of faith and hope. The special quality of both faith and hope is their confidence in the reality of things even though they are unseen. However, hope usually refers to confidence in those unseen things we must wait patiently to be perfected or fulfilled in the future.
"The true hope of Christians is laid up for us in heaven (Col. 1:5). Our blessed hope is in the future appearing of Jesus Christ (Tit. 2:13). Our hope is that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him and see Him as He is (I John 3:2). Our lively hope is in the resurrection of the body, glory (I Pet. 1:3; Acts 24:15; Rom. 5:2; Col. 1:27), and that, being justified by His grace, we shall be heirs of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began (Tit. 1:2; 3:7).
"To us who believe, therefore, hope is most precious. We rejoice in hope, for by means of hope we are blessed (Rom. 12:12; Jer. 17:7). The Lord takes pleasure in and His eye is upon those that hope in His mercy (Ps. 33:18; 147:11). Through hope, God gives us good courage and strengthens our heart, so that, although we experience sore trials and severe tribulations, we can be happy (Ps. 31:24; 146:5; Prov. 10:28). Though we may be filled with anxiety or sorrows, through hope we are given everlasting consolation, our flesh finds rest and our soul is quieted (II Thess. 2:16; Ps. 42:11; 16:9). Having hope, we are protected from every evil (I Thess. 5:8), we persevere to the end (I Pet. 1:13), and cannot be moved away from the gospel (Col. 1:23).
"And so, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost (Rom. 15:13)."
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