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Faith, Hope, Love, these three;
"But now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love."(1st Corinthians 13:13).
These are concepts all to which the Bible refers as "things which are not seen."
The scripture further informs us,"For the things which are seen are temporal,
but the things which are not seen are eternal."(2nd Corinthians 4:18)
First of all, note that "faith," "hope," and "love" are very important parts of
the message for Christian living . Moreover, they are always mentioned as being
specifically related to each other, as though they form a sort of binding of
the Christian life.
"faith," "hope," and "love" are a related set of spiritual gifts granted by the Holy Spirit,
to each and every Christian; furthermore, God set them to work together as a system to
accomplish specific tasks in the body of Christ as "the church" for His purposes, and
pleasing to his will (Romans 12:2) in the lives of His Christian servants.
FAITH
"For in it (in the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith;
as it is written, 'But the righteous man shall live by faith."(Romans 1:17).
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ."(Romans 5:1).
"So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17).
"The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God."(Galatians 2:20).
Faith in the gospel is the basis for people to receive the "righteousness of God".
It includes justification and sanctification in Christ, bringing about salvation of
sinful human beings, reconciling them with their Creator God. The "righteousness of God"
is revealed and granted to sinful human beings through their faith in Jesus Christ.
(Romans 3:22)
Because we so need the righteousness of God, but cannot earn it on our own due
to the fact that we are all born sinners, we can goto the word of God and abide
in his word; believe in his only begotted Son Jesus Christ, that he died for
our sins and rose again so that in him we might have life eternal.
So by grace we are saved through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord; it is a free gift from God,
and not by works are we saved lest any many should boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9).
Moreover, faith comes by our hearing His Son's word
(gospel of Jesus Christ). The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto
salvation, to everyone that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greeks.(Romans 1:16).
"As your faith grows, we shall be, within our sphere, enlarged more by you."
(2nd Corinthians 10:15).
Faith is given to every Christian in a "measure" that grows during the Christian life.
And as "faith" grows in the Christian because of his continuous obedient relationship
with Christ, so shall his activities under the grace given to him be enlarged.
A Christian's "faith" gains potential as his spiritual relationship with Christ progresses.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 john 5:4)
LOVE
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent
His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His
Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved if God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another." (1st John 4:7-11).
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."(Romans 5:8).
"But whoever keeps His word, in Him the love of God has truly been perfected.
By this we know that we are in Him."(1st John 1:5).
"No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us,
and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us,
because He has given us of His Spirit." (1st John 4:12-13).
"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39).
The word "Love" used here in the bible is NOT the common word we hear
trown around loosely to express human personal preferences.
This kind of love is NOT a natural attribute with which we are born with.
We are the object of God's perfect affection, but we do not give off naturally
this holy conversation and godliness (1 Peter 3:11) affection toward other humans.
But God wants people to have, and to utilize His unique "love" in order for them
to exercise it in performance of the fulfilling of the Law (Romans 13:10) as Christians
in His eternal Kingdom. So when people embrace Christianity by a "new birth of
water (Baptism), and the Spirit," God grants to them the gift of His "love,"
poured out within their hearts through the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:24-30).
Through this gift of His perfect "love" God shares Himself with Christians.
So this "love" comes only from God into the hearts of those who are "in Christ,"
with the Holy Spirit being the communication link (Romans 8:26-27).
"Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you." (Ephesians 5:2)
"I say unto you, love your enemies." (Matthew 5:44).
"Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and
is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not
provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails."
(1st Corinthians 13:4-8)
Christians receives great benefits when God's "love" flows through their hearts
to react with affection one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring
one another; and serving the Lord in prayer; And reproving the world of sin,
rigtheousness, and of judgment (Romans 12:10:-27), (John 16:7-11).
God's love is reflected in the Christian's life, and flows from the heart (Romans 6:17) to
perform the "good works" for which God has purposed (Philippians 2:13).
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God
and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands.
And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.
(1 john 5:2-4)
HOPE
"... He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death,
in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and without reproach -
if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast,
and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, ..." (Colossians 1:27).
"Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27).
"Christ Jesus, who is our hope;" (1st Timothy 1:1).
"... the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, preached long ages ago,
..." (Titus 1:2)
This "Hope" is NOT the kind that expresses a mere wish that
"everything will probably turn out all right or which is usually
in reference to expectations of fleshly things.
This "hope is actually a spiritual word dealing with things "not seen,"
or things not detected by the five fleshly senses of the body.
"Hope" is an "output" of a process God sets in motion in the lives
of those who are dedicated to Him, in anticipation of the fulfillment
of his promises (Romans 8:24-25).
It is received through the working of a God-driven process that deems God's
promises "as good as done" (Isaiah 55:11) through his word (the gospel of Jesus Christ)
It is the "output" of a process involving the interaction of "faith" and "love."
Now the God of Hope will fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13).
For what is our hope, joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are you not even
in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his comming?(1st Thessalonians 2:19).
We "draw near to God" even in our fleshly life through our "better hope." (Hebrews 7:19).
"Everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself just as Christ is pure."
(1st John 3:3) (the word "pure" here means to be without sin).
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before
the world began (Titus 1:2);...Looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who
gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for
himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:13-14).
"FAITH," " LOVE," AND "HOPE" Are Used Together By Christians
In The Spiritual Presence Of GOD.
"We give thanks to God always for all of you,...
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith
and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in
our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our
God and Father." (1st Thessalonians 1:2-3)
As you can see here it is mentioned how each gift
is used in the life of a christian :
The phrase "work of faith," indicates that a Christian's faith
does something profitable unto God through faith in Christ (Hebrews 11:6).
The accomplishment of God's purposes through the faith of a
Christian from the heart (Ephesians 6:6); is for God to work in
that Christian both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
Faith must have a flow to motivate the christian's life.
This brings us to the Christian's use of the gift of "love."
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Christians will never be able to duplicate God's "labor of love," but nevertheless,
God's advice is for Christians to perform this "labor of love" to the point of being
in a constant, never ending "current flow" (Romans 13:8).
steadfastness means "patience," "endurance," or "continuance.
This indicates that God's gift of "hope" in the Christian life is
"enduring" and gives "continuing" help until the "hope" is fulfilled
and is no longer needed (James 5:7-11).
"hope" is a sure promise which is generated by the "faith in Christ", caused
by the "flow of love" through the word of God (the gospel of Jesus Christ);
concerning the promises of the Kingdom of God to us all (being one in Christ),
to become sons and daughters of God (2 Corinthians 6:18), and heirs according
to the promises (Galatians 3:28).
Each part of this great spiritual system has its own unique part
to play in God's will of saving mankind.
So all the working parts are in place.
We can now see how the motivating potential ("faith") and the current ("love")
flows from God the Father through the Communications Link (the Holy Spirit),
into the active elements (spirits and souls of people "in Christ Jesus") to
transmit the Gospel to mankind on earth today.
With "Hope", everyone enjoys the Christian life even while living on earth,
satisfying their knowledge, challenging to the decisions made, and pleasing
to the will of God who will bring the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
(1 Corinthians 15:57) for all who believed (2 Thessalonians 1:10).
They will be in the kingdom of heaven, where the throne of God and of the
Lamb (Jesus Christ) shall be; and his servants shall serve him; and they
shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. (Revelation 22:3-4)
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