KEEP YOUR "HOPE OF SALVATION" BRIGHT!

THE hope of being saved can help a person to hold on even in the direst of circumstances. A shipwreck victim afloat in a life raft can endure much longer if he knows that help is on the way. Similarly, for thousands of years, hope in "the salvation of Jehovah" has sustained men and women of faith in times of trouble, and this hope has never led to disappointment. (Exodus 14:13; Psalm 3:8; Romans 5:5; 9:33) The apostle Paul likened "the hope of salvation" to "the helmet" of a Christian's spiritual armor. (1 Thessalonians 5:8; Ephesians 6:1) Yes, our being confident that God will save us protects our thinking faculties, helping us to keep our senses despite adversity, opposition and temptation.

"Hope respecting the future was not a characteristic of the pagan world," the world surrounding the first-century Christians, states The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. (Ephesians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:13) Yet, "the hope of salvation" is a basic element of true worship. How so? First, the salvation of Jehovah's servants is tied in with his own name. The psalmist Asaph prayed: "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake and glory of your name; and deliver us." (Psalm 79:9; Ezekiel 20:9) Moreover, having confidence in Jehovah's promises blessings is essential to having a good relationship with him. Paul put it this way: "Without faith it is impossible to please him well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him." (Hebrews 11:6) Furthermore, Paul explained that the salvation of repentant ones was a key reason for Jesus' coming to earth. he declared: "Faithful and deserving of full acceptance is the saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1Timothy 1:15) And the apostle Peter referred to salvation as "the end [or end result] of our faith.' (1 Peter 1:9) Clearly, it is proper to hope for salvation. But what really is salvation? And what is required to attain it?

Next time: What Is Salvation?

Watchtower, 2000