Skip to main content

Faith, Hope, and Love

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13

I started pondering this verse tonight on my walk back from Bible study up at the Lighthouse. As I was dwelling on God's Word, I began to think about these three qualities individually.

Faith:
In recent months, God has revealed to me that what our faith is based upon is far more important than the quantity of our faith. If our faith is placed anywhere other than in Jesus Christ, we believe in vein because we lack truth. However, faith the size of a mustard seed can grow a multitude of fruit when that faith is in Christ.

In my studies, I have continually seen God's grace add to my faith, and I humbly give Him the credit and the glory for my faith.

Hope:
Hebrews tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for. So what are those things hoped for? Where is my hope? Where are my sights set? My hope is in the promise of Jesus Christ that all who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. My eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith. The transformation I have experienced is more than enough assurance that Jesus is who He says He is. Just because the world laughs at the mere mention of Christ, does not mean that He is any less real and that His message is any less true. Be assured that Jesus indeed rose from the dead and will return. Let us hope in His promise and have faith that He loves us!

Love:
Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God. The second greatest is to love your neighbor as yourself. In light of our faith and our hope, love should prevail. It pours out from a sincere faith and overcomes the hatred found in the world. Love is patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Lord, may we learn to love in the way that you love us. May we rejoice with the truth. May we trust and persevere knowing that all things work for the good of those who love you who are called according to your purpose. May we know your love that never fails. Amen

Comments

  1. EHDecember 17, 2008 at 9:41 PM

    I read this in Francis Chan's new book- insert your name in the verse for love example- Matt is patient so on and so forth lets just say I might of failed the exam. Hey good thoughts here.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Convicting And Compelling Gospel

Which adjective in the title more closely aligns with your predisposed way of thinking about and speaking the gospel to yourself and others?   Are you more likely to present a gospel that is heavy on the convicting realities of sin, righteousness and judgment?   Or do you find yourself more readily appealing to the benefits of following Jesus?   If you think about it, neither adjective fully encapsulates the message of Jesus.   It’s right to compel people using the promises of God and the joy filled benefits of a life submitted to Jesus.   But it’s also right to warn of the consequences of rejecting Him.   Since we’re all naturally inclined to emphasize one, we need to allow the other to constrain us, to balance us from taking our natural disposition to the extreme, which may confuse the gospel and the Jesus we wish to present.   Let me attempt to illustrate one example of an unconstrained leaning toward each in turn.   A compelling gospel that is...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Off-The-Charts Good Providence Of God

What do Joseph, Jonah, Paul, Naomi, David, and Job have in common?   Besides all of these folks’ lives being recorded for us in Scripture, they also all suffered serious trials for God’s good purposes.   Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery.   Jonah got a sunburn (it was worse than it sounds!).   Paul was shipwrecked, bitten by a viper, stoned, beaten.   David was chased by a spear-chuckin’ king for years.   Job lost all of his wealth and all of his children.   Naomi lost her husband and two sons from famine. Amazing things resulted from many of these situations.   Joseph saved God’s people from famine when he rose from a slave to second in command in Egypt.   Paul planted who knows how many churches and saved countless people after evangelizing the entire known world in the first century.   Naomi’s lineage eventually brings us Jesus the Savior.   Job’s sufferings shamed satan by showcasing why a man would worship God despit...
Post a Comment
Read more

Life Update: A Growing Confidence

    It’s been awhile since we updated everyone on things, and this seems like a particularly pivotal time to do so.   June 14th is my last day of service as associate pastor of Christ The King Church, Kenosha, WI, where I’ve been privileged to serve for the past three years on staff, and where, more importantly, Elyse and I have been built up into Jesus for the past 7 years.   Our relationships and experiences at Christ The King have been instrumental in both our personal sanctification and in our sense of call toward church planting, specifically a multiethnic church, and ministering to the poor and marginalized.   I’ve become a little bit better at preaching, a little bit better at leading, and I hope both spring from being a little bit better learner of Jesus, my King.   I’m fully aware of my deficiencies as His student, but nonetheless there is an unwavering commitment to keep at it since where else could I go to find the words of eternal life? ...
Post a Comment
Read more