The Meaning of "Hope"

The English sense of hope (as read in translated Scripture) is different than what is conveyed in the Greek. Timothy Keller explains why this is important in his notes on Galatians 5:1-15:

3. Why do you think Paul would say we hope for righteousness (v.5) when in 3:6 and elsewhere he says we have righteousness? How can we wait for it practically?

Why does he tell us to hope and wait?

The Biblical word elpida translated “hope” does not have the much weaker connotations that it has in English. Cf. Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” In the Bible, “hope” does not mean “hope so.” It means a powerful assurance and certainty of something. This is a major problem for the reader of the English Bible. The very word that means “assurance” in Greek means “not so sure” in English! It is hard then to understand many passages.

The true sense of the word “hope” is indicated in the very verse we have in front of us, because Paul says that we simply “await”for this righteousness. We don’t work or strive for it. We know it is coming, on its way. In fact, we eagerly await it, not anxiously. What is it that we await? Righteousness means more than goodness, but rather, a completely right record and right relationship with God. Paul is saying that we can live today in light of our certain, guaranteed future glorification and welcome by God into his arms. He already said it in 4:7: “Since you are a son, God has made you an heir.” No one else, no secular person, no adherent of any other religion, can look at their future like this! Irreligious people have no idea where they will be a million years from now, and religious people without the gospel are anxiously striving for it and cannot relax nor eagerly await it. (We do not say this to put others down, but to give our own hearts a due sense of our privilege.) The certainty of our future with God is a fruit of the gospel. (Note: See why this does not comport well with the idea that we can lose our salvation if we don’t “keep up” our Christians lives?)

By referring to the future, Paul turns our imaginations to what it will mean to be radiant, glorious, beautiful and perfect. Elsewhere Paul says that Jesus lives to present us to himself “…radiant… without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph.4:27). We know that this is guaranteed, and therefore, is essentially true now. What Paul is saying in v.5 he says eloquently in Colossians 1:22. “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” We are to live today knowing we are, and always will be, an absolute beauty in the eyes of God. Put another way, we are as loved and honored by God now as we will be when we are perfectly radiant in heaven (Paul's Letter to the Galatians, 134-135).

The Implications of Being Clothed With Christ

I've been working through Timothy Keller’s study on Galatians in a small group and recently arrived at an encouraging section analyzing what it means to be "clothed with Christ":

2. [Galatians 3:27] says all Christians have "clothed themselves" with Christ. Meditate on this image. What are the implications of the metaphor? What does it tell us about being in Christ?

“This is a favorite metaphor of Paul’s (cf. Rom.13:12; Eph.4:24; Col.3:12f.). But here (and in Romans 13:14) is his most daring use of it, in which he likens Christ himself to a garment. The expression conveys a striking suggestion of the closeness which exists between Christ and the believer. Those who put on Christ can do no other than act in accordance with the Spirit of Christ… The metaphor conveys essentially a new kind of life. Everything is now to be related to Christ.”
— D.Guthrie, Galatians, p. 110.

The idea of “putting on” Christ like a garment implies:

a) Our primary identity is in Christ. Our clothing tells people who we are. Nearly every kind of clothing is actually a uniform showing that we are identified with others of the same gender, social class national group. But to say that Christ is our clothing is to say that our ultimate identity is found, not in any of these classifications, but in Christ. (Paul spells this out in the next verses.)

b) The closeness of our relationship to Christ. Your clothes are kept closer to you than any other possession. You rely on them for shelter every moment. They go everywhere with you. So to say Christ is our clothing is to call us to moment-by-moment dependence and existential awareness of Christ. We are to spiritually “practice his presence.”

c) The imitation of Christ. To practice the presence of Christ entails that we continually think and act as if we were directly before his face. A similar Biblical phrase is to “walk before him.” It means to take Jesus into every area of life and change it in accordance with his will and Spirit. We are to “put on” his virtues and actions. We are to “dress up like Jesus.”

d) Our acceptability to God. Finally, clothing is worn as adornment. It covers our nakedness (cf. Gen 3.) To say that Christ is our clothing is to say that in God's sight we are loved because of Jesus’ work and salvation.

In summary, it is a daring and comprehensive metaphor for a whole new life. It means to think of Christ constantly, to have his spirit and his character infuse and permeate everything you think, say, and do. This goes so far beyond the keeping of rules and regulations. This goes even beyond simple obedience. This is virtually to be in love with him, bathed in him, awash in him. So Paul counters the teaching that a baptized Christian needs some additional commitment to the Mosaic law in order to receive or maintain full acceptance with God. (Paul's Letter to the Galatians, 80-81)