The REAL Hope of Heaven

Paul writes in Colossians 1:5–6:

“…because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you…”

The Gospel brings hope. Paul says our hope is reserved in heaven. Using the metaphor of fruit-bearing, the Gospel plants hope in us.

But what exactly is this hope?

What Is Our Hope?

Imagine you were told you had won a billion dollars. The hope isn’t in running out to grab the money immediately, but in knowing it’s waiting for you. It’s not the location of the prize, but the reality of the reward.

Paul makes the same point: our hope is not heaven itself. Our hope is reserved in heaven. It’s not about the destination, but the Person at the destination. God Himself.

From the very beginning, Adam and Eve didn’t just lose paradise, they lost a perfect relationship with God. The Good News of the Gospel is that this relationship has been restored. When we die or when Jesus returns, we will finally enjoy that hope in full. We will be given new, resurrected bodies and live with Him forever.

That hope is untouchable. That is the gift of the Gospel.

False Hopes: The Prosperity Gospel

Sadly, many preachers offer a lesser hope. They claim that if we have enough faith, God will give us only good things here and now. But if that were true, did Paul and even Jesus Himself simply lack faith? Their lives of suffering prove otherwise.

This is the false promise of the “prosperity gospel,” the idea that God exists to make us healthy, wealthy, and comfortable if we only believe or give enough. Scripture tells a different story. Jesus warned of persecution, and His earliest followers often died for their faith.

Even if we reject the prosperity gospel outright, many of us still fall for “mini prosperity gospels.” We believe, deep down, that if we are faithful, go to church, give, pray, read our Bibles, then God owes us a good life. So when suffering comes, we feel betrayed.

But God owes us nothing. His love is already perfect. His promise is not a life free from suffering, but Himself.

A Better Hope

When hardship strikes, it reveals what we truly believe about God. If we blame Him for not rewarding our faithfulness with ease, we’ve bought into a lie. Our performance does not earn God’s blessings.

The Gospel gives us something better than performance-based rewards. Our hope is not tied to circumstances in a broken world, but to the promise of God Himself.

That hope is secure. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the guarantees of our future. If even death could not stop God’s plan, then neither can the trials of this life.

The Good News plants a seed of hope in us… hope untouched by circumstances.

Childlike Hope

Hope is something we both “have” and “wait for.” Sometimes distractions (work, family, daily tasks) make us lose sight of it. That’s why Jesus pointed us to the faith of a child.

When I say the word “Disneyland” to my daughter, she lights up. She talks about what she loved and what she wants to do when she goes again. Just the thought of it excites her.

Friends, heaven and being with Jesus are infinitely better than Disneyland. The thought of being with Him should energize and fill us with joy.

Conclusion: Our Hope in Jesus

This world, even at its best, cannot compare to what is waiting for us. Our true hope is not prosperity, not ease, not circumstances… it is Jesus.

Being with Him is our real hope. And that hope is planted in us from the very first moment we trust in the Gospel.