Faith, Hope, and Love
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
The apostle Paul often brings up these 3 virtues when addressing the churches that he so diligently served; but his intention was never to leave them as vague ideas, but rather to be recognized as real actions in the lives of those who had chosen to follow Jesus. Today is no different, our faith, our hope, and our love are meant to be seen by the world around us as significant changes in our lives as followers of Jesus. They are intrinsically connected but they are distinctly different.
Faith is both simple and complex. In its essence it is simply an assurance of what we do not see. The complexity is in how we express it in our lives. We cannot acquire it ourselves; it is a gift from God, a gift for our salvation.
Love on the other hand is a virtue that we can develop ourselves in how we decide to apply our Faith to our actions. We have to work at it, which is why we hear the expression ‘the labour of love’. Biblical love is recognized in our devotion to and commitment to loving God and loving our neighbour, honouring others more than ourselves, being joyful with a hopeful attitude, and in being patient in troubling times.
Hope in a worldly context generally reflects uncertainty. When we hope we are not sure. Hope in God on the other hand is filled with confidence. That hope is core to the interconnection of the triad of virtues; but that hope requires training and endurance.
Faith, Hope, and Love are the foundations of Christian living. They are not abstract mental concepts. They are recognizable realities of how we choose to live our lives by nourishing the gift of Faith, working at developing the habits of love, and training to become more confident in our hope and confidence in God.
I encourage you to read more about these three virtues so you will know more about how you can ensure that others see each of them reflected in your actions.
Josh Ross
