And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is Love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
The Intertwining of Faith, Hope, and Love
I view faith, hope, and love not as a summary but as foundational.
They are the alphabet for the language of heaven.
Let's look at some connectedness between these three.
Faith AND Hope
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Hope is more than a wish; it is the expectation of good from our Abba Father.
Faith cannot work if we have no hope.
Why would we need faith for something we didn’t want?
Consider those folks who struggle with ANTs.
Automatic Negative Thoughts.
Anytime they are given a future possibility, they automatically imagine the worst outcome.
Sometimes, this is to guard against disappointment as a learned behavior.
Or their mindset has been conformed to the patterns of this world.
Regardless of the ANT source, expecting a bad outcome takes no faith in God.
None.
Only with a hopeful expectation of good can we activate our faith in our Abba Father.
Faith AND Love
Paul stated as far as our relationship with Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn't matter whether we are circumcised or not.
But all that matters is a faith that expresses itself through Love.
Without Love, there is no need for faith, either.
Because God is the object of our faith, and He is Love.
Unless faith is expressed through Love, it is of no use.
The beautiful thought is that faith is either a gift from God or a fruit of the Spirit, all substantiated by Love.
Faith isn’t something we invent; it is something we exercise!
Examine the role of faith, hope, and Love in your life.
How can you see the role of each leading to an abundant life?
Lord, You are amazing Love. Thank you for bringing Your eternal life to us. Thank you for equipping us to experience you now through faith, hope, and love.