Faith, Hope, & Love – 2of2

~ A Triad of Christianity ~

Most Christians can recite 1 Corinthians 13:13 which reads, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Consider this triad of faith.

In the Scriptures we have many examples of individuals who displayed faith, hope, and love. Consider three:

Moses left all in faith  ~ Moses gave up his earthly privileges to follow God by faith (see Hebrews 11:24-29).     

Joseph endured all in hope  ~  While the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis does not use the word hope, it is clear that Joseph maintained a clear and persistent hope that he would be one day be united with his family (Genesis 37-50). 

Jonathan surrendered all in love  ~  Jonathan loved David and would do anything to help his friend (i.e., 1 Samuel 18:1-4).   

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 provides another glimpse of our triad:

(2) “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

(3) “remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

(4) “knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

(5) “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

(6) “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

(7) “so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.

(8) “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.

(9) “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God [the work of faith in verse 3] from idols to serve the living and true God [the labor of love in verse 3],

(10) “and to wait for His Son [the patience of hope in verse 3] from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”   

The triad of faith, hope, and love is also found in 1 Thessalonians 5:8. “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:8-11). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW