An Anchor, Not a Penny

By Danny Saavedra

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” — Ephesians 1:15-23 (NIV)

Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church begins with praise and a prayer. The praise is all about what God has done for us through His Son Jesus. He says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (v 3), particularly how “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ” (v 7-9) and how we were “marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory” (v 13-15).

It's at this point that Paul pivots to a beautiful prayer over the believers at Ephesus, asking God to bless them with very specific spiritual blessings that we, too, can experience today. Paul asks the Lord to give them through the Holy Spirit “wisdom and revelation” to know Him better, that their eyes and hearts would be “enlightened” in order that they may be secure in the hope of the gospel, and experience “his incomparably great power” in their lives.

I want to key in on the word hope. In Greek, this word is elpis. Want to hear something amazing? The word elpis, or some variation of it, appears in the New Testament well over 150 times! Now, before I get to the definition, I want to point out how we generally interpret this word nowadays. I believe the word hope is misused a lot today. You may hear someone (or yourself) say something like this...

“I hope I get an A on that test.”

“I hope the Miami Dolphins win.”

“I hope he calls me!”

“I hope this lottery ticket is the grand prize winner.”

Maybe you’ve never said any of these things, but chances are you’ve said, thought, or heard someone say something along these lines. What does this line of thought sound like to you? To me, it sounds like wishful thinking, like dropping a penny in a wishing well or blowing out birthday candles. So much of the concept and perception of hope is rooted in this line of thinking. It often seems like something we’re not really all that confident about.

Can I tell you something, friends? This is not at all what elpis, the biblical word for hope, means. Instead, elpis is like an anchor for your soul. It’s not a wish; it’s an expectation, something you trust in and are confident about. The definition is literally “the expectation of what is sure or certain.”

So, when you read, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,” it’s not like, “I hope I have eternal life and a glorious inheritance.” No, my dear friend, it’s a certainty that says, “I can’t wait to spend eternity with the same God and Savior who adopted me, redeemed me, and gave me a purpose and calling.” It’s a confident expectation because God has given us “the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13–14 NIV, emphasis added).

This is the kingdom of hope we get to be part of, the kingdom that is built on “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV) and “does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5 ESV).

Pause: Why do you think the way we view hope in our world today is so different from what Paul is talking about here?

Practice: Consider the manner in which you’ve used the word hope in the past. Think about things you’ve said you hope for, things you’ve said you hope don’t happen. If you, like most of us, tend to use it in a wishful thinking sort of way, today commit to reframing those thoughts. Commit to a) reserving the word hope for the things of God and using it with confidence and expectation in His promises and truth, and b) subbing out the word hope in those other moments with prayer. “I pray I’m able to deliver this work presentation well. I ask You, Lord, to help me have confidence and clarity in my words.”

Pray: Heavenly Father, I thank You today for the true meaning of hope. I thank You that my salvation, my inheritance, my purpose, and my life do not depend on me or on random chance. Instead, it is fully dependent upon and secure in the person and work of Jesus and the seal of the Holy Spirit that You generously gave me. May I never forget that in You I am secure, that my salvation and my very life are in Your hands, and that any work You call me to will equip me and work in and through me to accomplish according to Your good pleasure. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.