Now along with Humility, there are many attitudes associated with the Christian life, all of which are interrelated. Three of the most fundamental, often mentioned together are Faith, Hope, and Love. For example in 1Cor 13:13 he mentions, "now these three remain: faith, hope and love." 1Th 1:3 "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
FAITH is believing or trusting God concerning what He has said. While Christian faith should not be presumptuous concerning what God has not explicitly stated, nonetheless Christian faith does also include making inferences and deriving applications concerning what God has said - even though one may be mistaken concerning such inferences from time to time. For example when Abraham was commanded to kill Isaac, he realized that somehow he would get Isaac back because God has promised that Isaac would have children. Thus Hebrews says, "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." Heb 11:19 So based upon what God said, Abraham "reasoned" - that is, he made an inference - that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Though he was mistaken about how God would do it, nonetheless his inference, which was based on his faith in what God had said, was generally correct.
And thus Christians do their best to try to understand what God has said, and make inferences from it so as to derived particular applications of faith. But faith which is not applied is not Biblical faith.
HOPE is the feeling of anticipation one has concerning what one believes about the future. In particular the Bible most frequently associates this with the hope of the resurrection from the dead and the eternal glory to follow. Note for example the following verses:
Ac 23:6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
Ac 24:15 and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
Rom 8:23-25 we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
1Cor 15:19-20 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Love incorporates a genuine concern for the welfare of others along with the intention of doing something about it.
As a counter-example John notes, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him." 1John 3:17
Now Paul notes these three attitudes concerning the Thessalonian Christians, "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."1Th 1:3
Notice that he evaluated each attitude based upon its outworkings. What is the outworking of Faith? Simply works of faith. What is the outworking of Love? The intensity with which they did the works of faith. And what is the outworking of Hope? The endurance with which they did the works.
But notice also the correlation between faith, hope and love which he mentions of the Colossians, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel." Col 1:3-5
Here he says that their faith and love spring from their hope (concerning heaven). But how can faith spring from hope. Isn't hope contingent upon faith? Yes indeed. For how could they have the hope of eternal life if they hadn't first believed God's promise concerning eternal life. But that's not what he's referring to as "faith" in this context. What happens is:
Faith in God's promise concerning eternal life leads to => The feeling of anticipation of that eternal life (hope), which leads to => outworkings of faith and works of love for others (and for other Christians especially).
And not only that, but hope also produces boldness. For he also says, "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." 2Co 3:12
Hope also leads to purity. For John writes, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." 1John 3:2,3
So if there's some deficiency these, such Christians need to be reminded of the hope they have stored up for them in heaven. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."1Peter 1:13
FAITH is believing or trusting God concerning what He has said. While Christian faith should not be presumptuous concerning what God has not explicitly stated, nonetheless Christian faith does also include making inferences and deriving applications concerning what God has said - even though one may be mistaken concerning such inferences from time to time. For example when Abraham was commanded to kill Isaac, he realized that somehow he would get Isaac back because God has promised that Isaac would have children. Thus Hebrews says, "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." Heb 11:19 So based upon what God said, Abraham "reasoned" - that is, he made an inference - that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Though he was mistaken about how God would do it, nonetheless his inference, which was based on his faith in what God had said, was generally correct.
And thus Christians do their best to try to understand what God has said, and make inferences from it so as to derived particular applications of faith. But faith which is not applied is not Biblical faith.
HOPE is the feeling of anticipation one has concerning what one believes about the future. In particular the Bible most frequently associates this with the hope of the resurrection from the dead and the eternal glory to follow. Note for example the following verses:
Ac 23:6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
Ac 24:15 and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
Rom 8:23-25 we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
1Cor 15:19-20 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Love incorporates a genuine concern for the welfare of others along with the intention of doing something about it.
As a counter-example John notes, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him." 1John 3:17
Now Paul notes these three attitudes concerning the Thessalonian Christians, "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."1Th 1:3
Notice that he evaluated each attitude based upon its outworkings. What is the outworking of Faith? Simply works of faith. What is the outworking of Love? The intensity with which they did the works of faith. And what is the outworking of Hope? The endurance with which they did the works.
But notice also the correlation between faith, hope and love which he mentions of the Colossians, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel." Col 1:3-5
Here he says that their faith and love spring from their hope (concerning heaven). But how can faith spring from hope. Isn't hope contingent upon faith? Yes indeed. For how could they have the hope of eternal life if they hadn't first believed God's promise concerning eternal life. But that's not what he's referring to as "faith" in this context. What happens is:
Faith in God's promise concerning eternal life leads to => The feeling of anticipation of that eternal life (hope), which leads to => outworkings of faith and works of love for others (and for other Christians especially).
And not only that, but hope also produces boldness. For he also says, "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." 2Co 3:12
Hope also leads to purity. For John writes, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." 1John 3:2,3
So if there's some deficiency these, such Christians need to be reminded of the hope they have stored up for them in heaven. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."1Peter 1:13
