Jump Start # 3583
1 Corinthians 13:13 “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Within the context of this passage is a major contrast. The spiritual gifts were coming to an end. This is as God intended. Prophecy, tongues, and special knowledge were all coming to an end. They would cease. They would cease, but faith, hope and love abide. Some things would end. Other things would continue.
Faith, hope and love—those three seem to be God’s special ingredients that are sprinkled upon all the principles of God. Faith, hope and love are the substance of the life of our Lord. Jesus lived a life of faith. Jesus was the hope of the world. Jesus loves. Faith, hope and love.
These three, faith, hope and love seem to be progressive in nature. Faith produces love which leads to hope. These three also work together to prevent troubles. Faith prevents fear and worry. The greater our faith the less we worry. Love prevents selfishness and stinginess. Love leads to generosity. Love thinks of others. Hope prevents the negative, gloomy spirit.
Without faith, we cannot move forward with God. Without faith, religion becomes shallow, empty and a farce. Faith sounds true as much in the darkness as it does in the sunshine. Faith gave young David the confidence as he ran toward that massive giant. Faith gave old Daniel the courage when he was thrown into a lion’s den. Faith was the fuel that kept the beaten apostle Paul going. Faith is first and foremost in our relationship with God. We know because we believe. We act because we believe. We trust because we believe. We need to teach the young the reasons why we believe. Evidence. We need to remind the older ones not to give up when the journey seems so long.
Without love, our work becomes duty. When duty bound, we attend worship not because we want to, but because we have to. We pray, not because we want to, but because we are supposed to. Guilt drives a loveless faith. The Ephesians lost their first love. They were still worshipping. They were still standing for what was right, but love no longer was the mechanism within them. There are many today who have a faith that stands upon guilt. The next step, although never achievable, is perfection. Don’t miss a worship service. Don’t eat without a prayer. Don’t forget a step. Don’t neglect a duty. The loveless heart lacks joy and appreciation. Never doing enough. Never content. Never happy. Never. Never. Never.
Without hope, we give up. Hope believes the future can be better. Hope pushes through the greatest pain and the darkest of troubles. Hope combined with faith, believes God is still there. Hope with faith knows that God will help.
If we could write out God’s recipe for success, it would simply be faith, hope and love. It’s not just one, but all three. We need love, but we also need hope and we cannot survive without faith. Think about how many church troubles and family issues could be solved with a whole bunch of faith, hope and love. The burdens seem greater when faith, hope and love are running low.
There is something special about God’s recipe of faith, hope and love.
First, these three are in reach of every person. Not everyone gets physics. Not everyone can identify an oak tree. Not everyone can travel the ocean blue. Not everyone can go to college. But everyone can have faith in God and everyone can love the Lord and one another and everyone can have the hope of God’s promises. Those in Corinth who had a storied past and were divided, could have faith, hope and love. Those in the small villages of Europe in the 1200s could have faith, hope and love. And, today, in our fast paced, social media driven times, we can have faith, hope and love. And, when we don’t, not only will it be manifest in hurt relationships, but the fault lies with us. There is no reason we cannot do these things.
Second, with all the culture problems plaguing our times, faith, hope and love would cure most of them. Hatred, racism, prejudice, violence and self-righteousness don’t do well in heart of faith, hope and love. Our times do not need more laws, more rules, more politicians telling us what to do. What we need is faith, hope and love.
Third, while we cannot impart, nor mandate these upon others, we can hold them dear to our hearts. Within us we can be models of faith, hope and love. This can our lights in the world. Through us, we believe when others doubt. Through us we can have hope when others are hopeless. Through us we can manifest love when others would rather hate.
Faith, hope, love—God’s big three.
Roger