FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE

Yesterday, I wrote about the three Spiritual gifts which will "fail," "cease," and "vanish" from 1 Corinthians 13:8.  Today, I would like to talk about the three enduring characteristics of born again believers:  "Faith," "Hope," and "Love" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:13. 

FAITH:  All born again believers have faith.  We could not be born again believers without faith according to Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast."  The writer of Hebrews defined faith this way:  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1).  According to that Holy Spirit inspired definition, we can deduce that when we see Jesus in all His glory (1 Jn. 3:2), we will no longer need faith to believe in Him; we will know Him!  Praise God!  I so long for that day!

HOPE:  All born again believers have hope.  Paul wrote:  "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that we see not, the] do we with patience wait for it" (Rom. 8:24-25).  Notice that our "hope" will end when we see Him.  That is why our "hope" is not a "hope so" kind of uncertainty, but it is more the object of our faith, as described by Paul:  "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).  Again, Paul wrote:  "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope" (1 Tim. 1:1).

LOVE:  All born again believers have love.  We love God, and our "neighbors."  The Scriptures say that "We love Him, because He first loved us" (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4; 1 Jn. 4:19).  Our love for our fellow man is evidence that we are saved; "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren . . . " (1 Jn. 3:14).  Clearly, the opposite it true; if we do not love the brethren, then we do not have evidence that we are saved.  Those without assurance of their salvation, fear God.  However, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear . . . " (1 Jn. 4:18).

 

Greater than faith and hope, love will never end because "God is Love" (1 Jn. 4:8, 16)!