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March - April 2000 The Sabbath Sentinel
Faith, Hope and Love
John Conrod & Doby
"And now abide" Paul wrote, "faith, hope,
love, these three . . ." (1Cor
13:13). The word "abide" is from the Greek (Strong's
#3306 ), a root word meaning: 1) to remain, abide: 1a)
in reference to place, 1a1) to sojourn or tarry, 1a2)
not to depart, 1a2a) to continue to be present, 1a2b) to
be held or kept, continually, 1b) in reference to time,
1b1) to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure,
1b1a) of persons, to survive, live, 1c) in reference to
state or condition, 1c1) to remain as one, not to become
another or different, 2) to wait for, await one.
As long and complex as the definition is, it does seem
to give the meaning of this clause some extra
clarity. In addition to this, the Scriptures show a
special connection to "these three" qualities in the
overall view of a Spirit filled life. We see that they
work well together for our edification.
In a sense, faith must come first. Jesus compared faith
to a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20, Luke 17:6). It's not
difficult for us to see the analogy between the true
Christian life and that of any growing flora. As the
plant begins life as a seed, so our walk with God begins
with faith. In fact, we see that the Eternal tried to
teach faith to the first people that He created and
placed in the Garden of Eden. Faith was their first
test. . . .
After our loving Creator instructed Adam and Eve in the
necessities of life (with what they should and shouldn't
do), He then gave them some space. God left them alone:
so that they might have the opportunity to exercise
living by faith. (That meant putting their trust in Him
during His absence.) . . . The purpose
of this was to allow their development past a childlike
obedience, which merely relied on the sight of God's
Parental presence.
Our original human parents failed that first test of
faith - and thus lost God's
trust. . . . Throughout God's dealings
with Israel, He likewise tested the nation's faith. The
Scriptures tell us of times when Israel was blessed with
miracles that they could see, as well as other times,
when they were expected to remember these, and to live
by faith - not by sight.
Verse six, in Hebrews 11 (the faith chapter), is
important. It says, "Without faith it is impossible
to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must
believe that He exists and that He rewards those who
earnestly seek Him." This is a reasonable
statement, saying that God expects us to initially
believe in His existence before we come to Him.
Without faith in His existence, we can't even begin to
please Him! Since our first parents failed their test of
faith in the Garden of Eden, this was an extra
requirement of faith. (Adam and Eve could see God -
therefore, they knew that He existed. The test was
whether they would have faith in His Word.) We must not
only have the faith (of Hebrews 11:6) that God exists,
but we (as they should have) must also put our trusting
faith in His Word. It's quite simple: first, we must
believe in Him - then, we must
believe Him and His Word.
God's Word is truth. Jesus Christ came and gave His life
for the forgiveness of our sins. He earned our love,
respect, and trust. For us, He is God's Word (John 1:14)
- in whom we must have faith.
This step of faith is summed up in one of the most
memorized Bible verses - often called "the Gospel in a
nutshell": John 3:16, "For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him, should not perish, but have
everlasting life." We must have faith in what Jesus
did for us; . . . and, since He died
almost two thousand years ago, we must believe it
without seeing it. . . . To "doubting"
Thomas, He said, "Because you have seen me, you have
believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet
have believed." (John 20:29.)
There is much more to say about faith, but let us now
look at a verse of transition - Hebrews 11:1; "Now
faith is the substance [realization] of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In
this verse faith is connected to hope.
. . . There, in the book of Hebrews,
chapter 6, verse 19, we find hope describes as "an
anchor of the soul. . . ." As we'll see,
it is that - and more.
We need to understand that faith and hope have a
symbiotic relationship. They are mutually
dependent. Certainly, you can not have a healthy one
without the other. Faith and hope grow in grace and are
both to the glory of our God and Saviour.
Notice, as well, the further connection here in chapter
6 of Hebrews; verses 10-12: "For God is not unjust
to forget your work and labour of love, which you have
shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to
the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one
of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of
hope until the end: That you do not become sluggish, but
imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the
promises."
Reading here of God's perfect and sworn counsel of
promise, we continue in verse 18,
" . . . that by two immutable things,
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have
a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay
hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as
an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and
which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the
forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become
High Priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek."
Our hope for eternal salvation is through faith in God
and His Word. That faith in our Messiah's promised
return, which brings us true and everlasting life in the
Kingdom of God, must be undeniable. In fact, the
Scriptures call this sure and steadfast hope of True
Believers "blessed": "Looking for
that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ," (Titus
2:13).
If we continue with the analogy of a plant for
illustrating the Christian life, we could say that faith
and hope can be compared to a plant seed taking root and
growing. Through God's Holy Spirit, the seeds for His
Kingdom are sewn within us. (Indeed, Jesus uses the
analogy of the mustard seed to describe both true
Christian growth and God's soon coming Kingdom! Read
Matthew 13:18.
In Colossians 1:27 Paul wrote
" . . . Christ in you, the hope of
glory. . . ." Hope takes root and
our faith grows to bear fruit. Colossians 2:6-7 says,
"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and
established in the faith, as you have been taught,
abounding in it with thanksgiving." This Hope
abides in Christ. . . . Note Jesus' use
of a plant to illustrate this in John, chapter 15:5 -
"I am the vine and you are the branches. He who
abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit for without
Me you can do nothing."
We start with Faith likened to a plant seed; out of this
seed, the roots of Hope grow, which in turn nourish the
trunk and branches of our Faith tree to grow- that we
might produce Godly fruit. In Ephesians 3:17-19 the
Apostle Paul was inspired to write,
" . . . that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all
the saints what is the width and length and depth and
height; 19 to know the love of Christ which passes
knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness
of God."
We are trees in God's garden of grace. Love is our fruit
and the source of our seeds. Consider this amazing
analogy: in Love, through His Holy Spirit, God plants
the seed of Faith; Hope takes root, then the seedling
Faith grows into a mature tree and bears the fruit[s] of
Love. In Galatians 5:22 Paul said, "the fruit of the
Spirit is love. . . ." Thus we see
that these three things
abide/remain/ . . . for true Christians:
to continue their walk of Faith with Christ, growing in
Hope (being rooted in Christ), and to soon produce Love
as the product of this growth. . . . (The
fruit of Love itself indeed bears seeds for endless
cycles.)
Although Paul gave to the church of Galatia what appears
to be a whole list of spiritual fruits, the Corinthians
were told that Love was all of the spiritual fruits and
more. Some think that the translators should have put a
colon after "love" in the Galatians list. Galatians
5:22-23 would thus read " . . . the
fruit of the Spirit is love: joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance. . . ."
What do you think? Is joy a fruit? (Love makes
Christians rejoice.) Is our peace a fruit? (Love is not
easily angered.) Is patience a fruit? (Love is patient.)
Is kindness fruit? (Love makes one kind.) Is goodness a
fruit? (Love does not delight in evil.) Is faithfulness
a fruit? (Without love, even the faith that moves
mountains is nothing.) Is gentleness a fruit? (Love is
not rude.) Is self-control a fruit? (Love is not
self-seeking.)
Even hope is used to describe love. Love always
hopes. By all means - in Romans 13:10 Paul said that
love fulfills the law.
When Jesus was asked, in Matthew 22:37-40, what was the
greatest commandment in the law, He offered two - both
based on love: love for God and love for one's
neighbor. He said that on these two hung all the Law and
the Prophets. Hence, we not only have to have faith in
Him and believe His words - our faith and hope should be
followed up by our loving actions. Truly, we must live
His words.
The apostle John gave a good summary in chapter 4, verse
8 of his first epistle - "Whoever does not love does
not know God because God is love." Thus, these
three things abide/remain for Christians- faith, hope
and love; but the greatest is
love. . . . Now go, as Jesus said, and do
likewise.
TSS
March - April 2000 The Sabbath Sentinel
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