Cong Fang

From one perspective, the Christian life is about pressing on and pressing in.

从一个角度来说，
基督徒的生命就是竭力追求、忍耐到底。

基督徒的生命就像 John Bunyan (班扬) 所写的《天路历程》。

保罗说 “我乃是竭力追求 (press on)”；他说： “弟兄们，我不是以为自己已经得着了，我只有一件事，就是忘记背后，努力面前的，向着标竿直跑 (press on)，要得神在基督耶稣里从上面召我来得的奖赏。”

(cf. 腓 3:8, 12-14; 林前 9:24; 提后 2:5; 太 11:12, 24:13; 来 3:6, 14)

Summary

Hope = a firm conviction (an attitude of full assurance) regarding the fulfillment of God’s promises (The resurrection of God’s people and the coming of God’s kingdom).
盼望 = 对上帝的应许（上帝子民的复活和上帝国度的来临）的坚定信念（完全确信的态度）

Holy Spirit = A down payment on the kingdom = A sign and the sustainer of hope
圣灵 = 天国的预付 = 盼望的预兆和帮助者

Paul: Until the kingdom comes in its fullness, believers can only have an assured hope; they must “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
保罗：在国度完全来临之前，信徒们只能有一个确定的盼望； 他们必须 “行事为人凭信心，不凭眼见” (哥林多后书 5:7)。

“我们这有圣灵初结果子的，也是自己心里叹息，等候得着儿子的名分，乃是我们的身体得赎。我们得救是在乎盼望。只是所见的盼望不是盼望。谁还盼望他所见的呢？但我们若盼望那所不见的，就必忍耐等候。” (罗马书 8:23-25)

by Reformation Study Bible Notes

Biblical hope is a firm conviction that the future promises of God will be fulfilled. Hope is not mere wish projection, but an assurance of what will come to pass. “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain” (Hebrews 6:19).

Hope takes its place alongside faith and love as one of the Christian virtues that the apostle Paul sets forth in 1 Corinthians 13:13. Hope is faith directed toward the future.

Hope is used in two ways in the Bible. The less common usage points out the object of our hope. Christ is our hope of eternal life. The more common usage is as an attitude of assurance regarding the fulfillment of God’s promises. The Christian is called to hope, that is, to have full assurance of the resurrection of God’s people and the coming of God’s kingdom. Hope is inextricably bound up with eschatology.

Paul reminds Christians that until the kingdom comes in its fullness, believers can only have an assured hope; they must “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). This hope is neither unfounded nor groundless. Though the life of the Christian is marked more by suffering than triumph (1 Corinthians 4:8-13; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18), the foundation for hope is in the Godhead.

First, the believer looks upon the death and resurrection of Christ. His death was the darkest hour for His disciples. The promised Messiah was dead, His kingdom apparently lost. With the Resurrection, that despair turned to hope. Alongside suffering, whether great or small, the Christian’s hope must endure. God is always sufficient and faithful.

Second, the believer has the Holy Spirit as a down payment on the kingdom. His presence assures us that the kingdom will be fully consummated. The Spirit is not only a sign toward hope, but the sustainer of hope. He fulfills the role of Comforter, girding up the believer in strength and hope. It is the Spirit that encourages the believer to pray to the Father, “Your kingdom come.”

“The ancient man approached God (or even the gods) as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man the roles are reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge: If God should have a reasonable defense for being the god who permits war, poverty, and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that Man is on the Bench and God in the Dock.” — C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock 

“古人面对神就像罪人面对法官。对于现代人来说，角色被颠倒了：人成为了法官，神成为了被告。人自认为是一个宽容的法官：如果神可以给予一个合理的解释为什么祂作为神却容许战争、贫穷和疾病，那么人就愿意听审。审判的结果也许是神被算为无罪。但问题的是，人在法官的位置，神在被告的位置。”