Galatians 5:5 tells us, “For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” That verse should cause each of us to ask some serious questions: What is your hope as a Christian? How strong is that hope? Are you truly and eagerly waiting for what God has promised?

Much of the joy and patience we experience in the Christian life is connected to the reality of our hope. If heaven, the return of Christ, and the resurrection are real to us, that hope will affect how we live and serve God right now.

We Hope for Righteousness

Paul first speaks about “the hope of righteousness.” This is our hope of being justified—being able to stand before God free from the guilt of sin. The Galatians were being tempted to seek justification through the Law of Moses, but Paul reminded them that our righteousness does not come through the law. Our hope rests in Jesus Christ and in faith in Him.

Paul understood the power of that hope personally. He had once persecuted Christians, but after encountering Christ and obeying the gospel, his entire life changed. He endured persecution, beatings, imprisonment, stoning, shipwreck, and opposition because he knew what awaited him.

What kept Paul going through those darkest moments? He had hope.

We need that same hope. When life becomes difficult and serving God requires sacrifice, we need to remember what awaits us. Our present circumstances are not the end of our story.

We Are Waiting for Jesus

We are also eagerly awaiting our Savior’s return from heaven. Hebrews 9:28 teaches that Christ will appear a second time to those who eagerly wait for Him, bringing salvation.

Jesus is coming again. The question is whether you are looking forward to His coming or afraid of it.

If our lives are right with God, the return of Christ should be something we anticipate with joy. Our hope isn’t simply that tomorrow will be better than today. Our hope is ultimately in a Person—Jesus Christ—and in His promise to return.

We Hope for the Resurrection

We are also eagerly awaiting the redemption of our bodies.

First Corinthians 15 teaches that our present bodies are corruptible, weak, and mortal, but the resurrection will change that. What is sown in corruption will be raised in incorruption. What is sown in weakness will be raised in power. The natural body will be raised a spiritual body.

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, so a glorious transformation awaits God’s people.

Therefore, our Christian hope looks forward to three tremendous realities: justification from sin, the return of our Savior, and the resurrection from the dead.

We Wait by Faith

But how do we eagerly maintain this hope? Galatians 5:5 says it is “by faith.”

Biblical faith is a strong conviction concerning things we have not seen. None of us have physically seen Jesus, heaven, or the resurrection, but our conviction rests upon God’s revealed Word.

That is why Romans 10:17 is so important: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

If you want stronger hope, you need stronger faith. And if you want stronger faith, you need to spend time in God’s Word.

It isn’t enough to say that we read the Bible once years ago. God’s Word is something we need continually. We can study passages we have read many times and still discover something we had never noticed before. Scripture teaches us, strengthens us, comforts us, and gives us hope.

The eagerness with which we await God’s promises will be closely connected to the strength of our faith.

We Wait Through the Spirit

Galatians 5:5 also says that “through the Spirit” we eagerly wait.

God has not left us to struggle through the Christian life without help. Romans 15:13 speaks of abounding in hope “by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Galatians 5 tells us to walk in the Spirit rather than fulfilling the desires of the flesh.

We need to set our minds on spiritual things. We need Scripture, and we need prayer. As we open God’s Word, we should ask for His strength and seek His help to live according to what He has revealed.

The stronger we grow in faith, and the more diligently we walk according to the Spirit, the more real our hope becomes.

How Strong Is Your Hope?

So ask yourself again: What is your hope as a Christian?

We hope to stand justified before God. We hope for the return of Jesus Christ. We hope for the resurrection and eternal life. We hope to stand before our Lord and hear Him say, “Well done.”

But how strong is that hope in you?

Are you growing in faith through God’s Word? Are you seeking God’s strength through prayer? Are you living as someone who genuinely expects Jesus to return?

We have no guarantee of tomorrow. We have right now.

If Jesus returned today, would you be ready to meet Him? Would His coming fulfill the hope you have eagerly awaited, or would you realize that you were not prepared?

Our hope is more than a wish. It is a desire joined with confident expectation because we trust God’s promises. So let us grow in faith, walk in the Spirit, and live every day eagerly awaiting our Savior, our resurrection, and the righteousness for which we hope.