Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

“A Christian’s definition of hope is far superior to that of the world.  Instead of wishing or hoping for something to happen, a believer knows that their hope is solid, concrete evidence because it is grounded in the Word of God and we know that God cannot lie (Heb 6:18; Num 23:19).  The Christian has a hope that is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).  It is a hope that is like faith…a faith that cannot be moved by circumstances or what the eyes see because an unseen God is seen in His faithfulness.”

In Romans 8:24-25 Paul writes, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” because “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom 8:31)?  If God is on our side, how sure is that hope! Today believers are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) and “and everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:3) but for those who reject Christ, there is only “a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (Heb 10:27). 

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31) for even Christ Himself has said “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18).  That is a most hopeless situation to be in.

Excerpts taken from a sermon given by Pastor Jack Wellman in May 2014. (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/05/26/what-is-the-biblical-or-christian-definition-of-hope/)