...the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven...
The word "hope" in Scripture is the confident expectation of something that is going to happen. It is not a wish or something you simply want to happen. You know it will happen; it just hasn't happened yet.
The confident expectation of being with Jesus and experiencing all that He has promised in the future is a motivation for our faith and love in this present world. Because we know this world is not all there is, we can make sacrifices joyfully now as in investment in what is coming.
Sometimes we feel guilty about thinking of rewards in heaven, but it didn't bother Jesus. He spoke of rewards and treasures. So did Paul. Having confidence in the future gives us strength in the present. If we have no faith in a rewarded future, we will be much more susceptible to temptation now. Why do many parents get their children involved in sports? Because they know if their children have goals and dreams, they will be less likely to give into peer pressure, drugs etc. The same s true of us.
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