Why do we have hope?

Here at Hope Mommies™, we believe that there is hope -- hope that comforts, hope that encourages, hope that helps you survive infant loss. That hope is Jesus Christ, as He revealed Himself through the Bible.

• What is the Bible?

  We believe that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” resulting from God (2 Tim 3:16) having superintended human authors with their own experience, personality, methods, and style to produce the very words of Scripture – the Word of God – without error in the original writings. We believe that all the Scriptures center on the Lord Jesus Christ and when properly understood, lead to Him. We believe the Bible to be the revelation of God and His will for the salvation and practical instruction of man. We also believe God’s revelation is completed in the sixty-six books of the Bible; and therefore there is no new revelation. (Mark 12:26, 36; 13:11; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 17:2-3; 18:28; 26:22-23; 28:23; Romans 15:4; I Cor. 2:13; 10:11; Eph. 2:20; 3:5; II Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:1-2; II Pet. 1:21)

• What can we know about God?

  We believe in one God, the living and true God, existing eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – each having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections. (Matt. 28:18-19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-4; II Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6) We believe that God the Father, unlimited in holiness, power, and majesty, especially showed His exceedingly great love in giving His only beloved Son to redeem man from sin for eternal fellowship with Him. This act of grace was carried out according to His eternal, sovereign plan. The nature of the Father is completely and perfectly revealed in the Son. (Gen. 3:15; Isaiah 53:1-10; John 3:16; 14:6-9; Romans 16:20; Col. 1:15, 18-20) We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God and continues to be the God-Man forever. We believe Jesus to be the second person of the Holy Trinity, being of the one and same essence, both co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. We believe that He was born of the virgin Mary, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, entered into human flesh in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man by shedding His precious blood for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that He Himself, through His substitutionary death on the cross, is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world and that, along with His bodily resurrection from the dead, guaranteed redemption and salvation for all those who believe. We also believe that He later ascended into heaven, is exalted at the right hand of God, where He is our High Priest and Advocate. (John 1:1, 14, 18; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-26; 4:25; Eph. 1:7, 20-21; Heb.4:14; Phil. 2:9-10; Col. 1:17-19; Heb. 1;3, 3:1, 7:23-25, 9:24, 12:2; I John 2:1-2) We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, eternal in being, took up His abode in the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to save men. Beginning on the day of Pentecost, according to the divine promise, the Holy Spirit never departs from the church, nor from the feeblest of believers, but indwells and seals the believer unto the day of redemption. We believe that His abode in the world in this special sense will cease when Christ comes to receive His own at the completion of the church. (John 14:16-17, 16:7-15; I Cor. 6:19; Eph. 1:13, 2:22; II Thess. 2:7) We believe that under the New Covenant, certain well-defined ministries are committed to the Holy Spirit. The following ministries are found in Scripture: the restraining of evil according to His divine will; the convicting of the world respecting sin, righteousness, and judgment; the regeneration of all the elect; the indwelling of all believers; the sealing of all believers unto the day of redemption; the baptizing of all believers into the one Body of Christ; the distribution to every saint of at least one spiritual gift; the filling of the Spirit; and the teaching and guiding of the Spirit to enable all saints to walk pleasing to the Lord. (John 3:6, 16:7-11; Romans 8:9, 14-16; I Cor. 2:11-13, 12:11-13; II Cor. 3:3-6; Eph. 4:30, 5:18; II Thess. 2:7; I John 2:20-27)

• Can humans relate to God?

  We believe that man was created in the image of God, but fell from his original state of spiritual life through sin against God, which was transmitted to the entire human race with Christ being the only exception. We also believe that every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is totally depraved apart from divine grace. Man can only obtain spiritual life and salvation through the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. (Gen. 1:26, 2:17, 5:3, 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3, 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 3:6, 5:40, 6:53; Romans 3:10-18, 8:6-7; Eph. 2:1-3; I Tim. 5:6; I John 3:8)

• How can we be saved?

  We believe that salvation is the free gift of God to unworthy sinners based on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ as presented in the Holy Scriptures. Salvation is granted on the basis of God’s grace alone, not man’s good works, by regeneration by the Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ alone (John 1:12, 3:16-18, 36, 6:35-40; Acts 20:20-21, Romans 3:21-28, 4:1-5, 10:9-13; Eph. 2:8-9) and repentance from sin (Mat. 3:2, 4:17; Mark 1:15, 6:12; Luke 5:32, 13:1-5, 24:44-47; Acts 2:37-39, 3:17-26, 17:30-31, 20:20-21, 26:17-20; II Cor. 7:10, 12:21; I Thess. 1:9; Heb. 6:1). At salvation, the believer immediately passes out of spiritual death into spiritual life, and from the old creation into the new; being justified, accepted before the Father according as Christ, His Son, is accepted; loved as Christ is loved, having his place and portion as linked to Him, and one with Him forever. (John 5:24, 17:23; Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1; I Cor. 3:21-23; Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; II Peter 3:18; I John 4:17, 5:11-13) We also believe that the greatest degree of reformation, the highest attainment of morality, the most attractive culture, baptism or another ordinance, cannot help the sinner to take even one step toward heaven. Only by a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word, may one obtain salvation and thus become a child of God. (Lev. 17:11; Isaiah 64:6; Matt. 26:28; John 3:5, 18; Romans 5:6-9; II Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 6:15; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; I Peter 1:18-19, 23)

• What happens when babies die?

  We believe that for children, who are too young to mentally process the revelation of God in Christ through Scripture, death is not the final word of judgment. At their death, like the death of a believer, they are rushed into the presence of the Lord in joyful fellowship in Heaven through the grace of sovereign election and Christ’s work on the cross where they too will await a resurrection body. (Rom. 1:18-20; 2 Sam. 12:19-23) *We recognize this suggests an “age of accountability” where children until a certain age cannot fully understand sin and the Gospel. Scripture is unspecific on this issue and we therefore cannot be dogmatic or declare a specific age.

• Are our babies now angels?

  We believe angels are individual beings capable of reasoning, speech and interaction, and are not deceased humans. Angels active on earth are normally invisible to human eyes. They are sent out by God in response to prayer and/or God’s commands, and wage war on behalf of God and men against demons as well as serve the elect in ways consistent with the will of God. Angels can take on physical form and appear as humans. We can respond to or interact with angels, unaware of their identity (Dan. 8:16-26; Luke 1:26-38; Dan. 10:13, 31; Rev. 12:1; 2 Kings 6:17; Dan. 9:21, 23; 10:12-13; Rev. 12:7; Gen. 18-19; Heb. 1:14, 13:2).

• What is Heaven like?

  We believe Heaven is a real, actual place, is constantly referred to as “up” in location, and is the dwelling place of God, the staging ground of His angels, and the dwelling place of redeemed from earth that have died. There is immediate conscious existence, great joy and pleasures. Heaven provides for the believer delivery from material decay, corruption, and the sinful human condition. In heaven we will be reunited with Christian loved ones who have gone before and those who will come after us, worship God with all the angels and redeemed, and sing praise with all of God’s creation. (John 1:32; 6:33; Acts 1:2; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:51; Deut. 26:15; Matt. 6:9; Luke 2:15; Matt. 28:2; Heb. 12:22-23; Rev. 4-5; Luke 16:22-25; 23:43; Phil 1:23; 1 Cor. 15:20, 48-49; 1 John 3:2; Psalm 16:11; Matt. 6:20; Rom. 7:24; 1 Thes. 4:14-18; Rev. 7:9-12)

• What does the Bible say about grieving?

  We believe that grief is a valid emotion and necessary response to loss in every believer’s life. Jesus Christ himself experienced grief, as did King David and many other persons recorded in Scripture. God promises to be near to the grieving and provides comfort and hope through His Spirit, His Word and fellow believers. We are to “weep with those weep.” (Ps. 34:17-19, 43:5, 88:8-9; Is. 53:3-4; John 11:1-46, 16: 5-9, 19-22; 2 Sam. 12:15-23; Jer. 8:18; Zec 12:10; Rom. 12:15)

• Why is there hope for the Christian?

  We believe that the hope of the believer lies solely in Christ and His promises towards us. Hope has a forward-looking aspect of greater things to come, which is ultimately fulfilled in heaven. Because of Christ, believers have hope while on earth in God’s goodness, faithfulness, nearness, provision, salvation, love, justice, mercy, grace, kindness, and sovereignty. (Ps. 121; Rom. 8:24-25; Col. 1:5, 26-27; 1 Tim. 1:1; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 6:19; 1 Peter 1:3, 13)