Where There is Hope, There is Life

5–7 minutes

‘Where there’s life, there’s hope’ is a deep truth. Deeper, however, is the converse: ‘Where there’s hope, there’s life.’”
—J.I. Packer

A few years ago, one of my closest friends and I attended The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference together. One evening, we sat down for dinner. We live in different states, so when we do get time together, it’s a deep and wide kind of catch-up. I love it.

At the time, she was walking through one of the hardest seasons of her life. An ongoing ankle injury had disrupted nearly every part of her daily routine. The injury kept creating new complications, and by then, it had been years. Doctors had tried multiple strategies, but nothing seemed to bring full recovery.

Through tears, both hers and mine, she told me that her days had become so difficult, she began each morning on her knees, asking God for strength to face the responsibilities ahead. Each night, she returned to her knees, thanking Him for the ways He had carried her through.

It was incredible. Her hope wasn’t in what she could do, but in what Christ could do through her. It was a beautiful picture of living hope. Though her injured ankle left her physically weaker, she was growing stronger spiritually.

When it seemed like death was at work in her, hope in Christ was quietly producing life. This is the beauty of living hope. Christ is risen, and He is at work within us. There is no place so dark, so broken, or so weak that His hope cannot bring life.

This picture of unseen life being formed in us is exactly what Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 4:16:

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

From this verse, we see three things that living hope produces.

Living Hope Produces Belief

 “So we do not lose heart.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Notice that Paul doesn’t say, “We do not feel sad.” He is not telling us to ignore or suppress our emotions. Instead, he is showing us the power of belief in the midst of them.

To “lose heart” is to let discouragement or fear convince you that holding on to faith is not worth it. To not lose heart is to let belief, rather than discouragement and fear, rule your heart.

Earlier in the chapter, Paul reminds us, “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence.” We may not know how our current circumstances will unfold. We may not see the ending or feel resolution. But we take heart, remembering that God is at work even in the darkest moments. In Jesus’ death it seemed that death reigned, yet that was the very moment it was defeated.

We do not take heart because we are trying to stay optimistic. This is not about a mindset shift or a positive outlook. It is about belief. Belief gives us the freedom to feel whatever our circumstances bring, yet not let discouragement and fear rule us, because we have fixed our eyes on the promises of the resurrection.

Living hope produces belief because it points us to a God who is alive. Jesus’ resurrection forms a deep conviction that even when death seems to be winning, God has promised to bring life.

Living Hope Produces Submission

 “Though our outer self is wasting away.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

We live in a culture obsessed with youth and appearance. It places a premium on staying young while quietly pushing aging to the sidelines. Even funerals are becoming less common. There is nothing inherently wrong with caring for our appearance or choosing not to hold a funeral. However, perhaps collectively these trends reflect a deeper impulse, our desire to avoid the unwanted and unchangeable experiences of life.

Our outer selves are wasting away, whether we recognize the signs or not. Scripture refreshingly acknowledges this inevitable reality without sugarcoating it. We face circumstances that are both unwanted and unchangeable. No amount of effort or insight can alter them. That is because we are not God.

Submission to the things we cannot change is not a sign of defeat. It is a bold declaration that these things do not define us. God’s sovereignty does. Submission is not giving up. Instead, it is entrusting ourselves to the One who has the final word. We bring all our desires, disappointments, and longings to Him, who has promised to work all things together for the good of those who love Him.

Do not fear, if God brought eternal life out of Christ’s death, He can bring life out of the unchangeable realities we face.

Living hope produces submission by helping us accept what we cannot change, knowing that the surpassing power belongs to God.

Living Hope Produces Waiting

 “Our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

This verse contains two promises: first, that we are being renewed, and second, that this renewal happens day by day.

David Powlison once said, “The wisdom of suffering is like manna. You must receive nourishment every day. You can’t store it up, though you do become more familiar with how to go out and find what you need for today.”

This is probably the one I resist the most. Waiting is hard. I often find myself longing to know what grace and mercy lie ahead. But if we were given all the answers about how grace and mercy would come, we would not feel the need to know Jesus.

The gift of waiting is that, just like my friend, it draws us into daily conversation with the Supplier. Living Hope is not an object to obtain but a person to know one day at a time. So when we feel like we are simply making it through one day at a time, that is exactly what He promised. Do not resent this daily renewal; rely on it. He will strengthen you each and every day.

Living hope produces waiting because knowing and trusting Christ happen daily. Mercy and grace are supplied in communion with Him.