Faith, Hope, Love

Faith in Christ Jesus

Colossians 1:3-8 “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come to you, as it is in all the world; and brings forth fruit, as it does also in you, since the day you heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: As you also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.”

Paul begins his letters to the different churches by offering greetings to the congregation and expressing gratitude to the Lord. This may be seen at the beginning of his epistles. Paul takes the opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation to both God the Father and Jesus Christ, Whom He sent, in the greetings that he writes at the beginning of each of his writings. He often thanked the saints to whom he was noted for their faith, and we often find Paul praying for the saints and begging God for their continued health and spiritual development in the prayers he wrote.

As Paul had become a prisoner of Christ, he was compelled to write his letter to the church located in Colossae while incarcerated in Rome. To protect those who believed in the glorious gospel of grace, Paul was thrown in prison. How encouraging it must have been for him to hear some good news about the believers at Colossae from Epaphras, a fellow worker for Christ whom Paul affectionately referred to as "our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf" (our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf).

Have you singled out the most important words—faith, hope, and love—in that passage? One may claim that these are the apostle's most treasured expressions. This trio is seen in a few of his letters written by him. In the book of 1 Thessalonians, Jesus refers to "your labor of love," "your patience of hope," and "your labor of trust." The magnificent trinity found after 1 Corinthians 13: "And now abide faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love" is likely something many of you have previously brought to mind.

Indeed, love is exactly what is required in our world. On the other hand, this Colossian passage asserts that love derives from faith. And where does one find the foundation for their faith? According to the New International Version (NIV), this concept is expressed as follows: "the faith and love that come from the hope stored up for you in heaven and which you have already heard about in the word of truth." It is of the utmost importance to acknowledge the connection between these lovely and uplifting concepts: faith, love, and hope. Love and hope are also examples of four-letter words, demonstrating that not all are bad. These remarks highlight what we may very well refer to as characteristics of genuine Christians. If you are really a Christian or one of the "holy and loyal brothers," the mark will be that you have faith and love that spring from hope, and that hope is found in the gospel. If you do not have faith and love, the mark will not be that you are one of the "holy and faithful brothers."

Paul refers to them as "loyal comrades" in another passage. This is the first indication that the church at Colossae is experiencing any conflict. Strange theological notions were being sent to anger these individuals and convinced them to abandon their religion. Yet Paul urges them to stay "loyal comrades," which means persistent, reliable, genuine believers since the Spirit provides a steady source of love and hope (verse 8). By the way, the only time the Holy Spirit is mentioned in this letter is in the verse 8 reference, where it is stated. Paul is not focusing on the work of the Spirit in this letter; instead, he is dealing with the results of the Spirit's work, which are faith and love arising out of renewed hope. This is not because the truth about the Spirit is not essential; it is because Paul is dealing with the results of the Spirit's work.

According to what I've read, Some people are like the little girl who kept crying out throughout the night for someone to come and sit with her in her bedroom. Her mother told her, "You should be OK from now on. Don't be concerned. You shall have the protection of the angels." The youngster said, "But I don't want angels; I want humans with flesh on their faces."

Definition Faith Hope and Love

Faith is translated from the Greek word pistis, which means "belief, trust, or confidence in someone or something." It indicates a belief or conviction with the corresponding idea of trust. Faith is not a mere intellectual stance but a belief that leads to action. As James 2:26 says, "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." James talks about demonstrating his faith through his works. Often what we do says more about what we believe than what we say. A typical example to illustrate faith is that of a chair. I may say I "believe" the chair can hold my weight, but I do not put faith in it until I sit in it.

Hope The word Hope in the New Testament is from the Greek word elpis. According to Strong's Concordance, Elpis means expectation, trust, and confidence. It comes from the root word elpo, which means to anticipate (with pleasure) and to welcome. Elpis is an expectation of what is guaranteed.

Love Eros: erotic, passionate love. We might as well get that one out of the way first. ...

Philia: love of friends and equals. It can be the love between lovers when they've been together for a long time and are not so hot and bothered anymore.

Storge: This Greek word refers to love we have for our parents, siblings, our children and other members of our family.

Agape: love of mankind This is the kind of love that we should have for all men, and also for our enemies. It is a selfless kind of love that Christians must have in regard to acting in the best interest for all human beings.” But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44).

Summarize

The book of Colossians was written to put a stop to a heresy that had taken root in Colossae and was threatening the church's very life. Even though we do not know what Paul was told, this letter represents Paul's answer to whatever it was.

Love, Hope, and faith are not just enduring and priceless qualities of character but also the heart. They are immutable, all-pervasive, and very potent factors in the life of a human being. In addition, Christians are relentlessly tied to Christ as their source and embodied image since Christ is the picture that best represents them.

Christ is responsible for the beginning and the completion of our trust in God. Christ is and will always be our Hope that one day everything will return to its proper place and that life will triumph over death. He is our one remaining Hope when every other option has been searched and discarded.

Christ is both the origin and the driving force behind the divine love that is unconditional. Because of Christ, we can comprehend that God has loved us. We receive access to this love via trust in Him, and through His power, we learn to live as if we are appreciated and accepted by others. Because of Jesus, we can love others, and we also gain the ability to love our neighbors in deed as well as in thought.

Faith – an Attitude of the Heart

Faith is always the first step in any attempt. The Bible clarifies that one must have faith to approach God and do what is right in His eyes. Faith is the conviction that there is a God and that God rewards those who diligently seek him. This mindset makes it a priority to seek Him in all aspects of life, whether large or tiny.

The eyes of faith are capable of beholding God. Faith is confidence in a God who is all-powerful, all-wise, all-holy, and all-loving. Trusting in the kindness and wisdom of God is a decision that must be made. Acknowledging one's limits and incapacity and the need for forgiveness, redemption, and healing are all necessary components of faith. Faith provides us with the full conviction and knowledge that God is on our side, that he is working to redeem our suffering and bring sound and benefits into our lives, and that he is actively involved in these endeavors.

It is not by chance that the cross has come to represent the Christian faith. It is a metaphor for the Christian life and how it leads to Christ. The Christian life is one in which we live by the power of God and accomplish what is good and pleasing to God.

Let us listen to what the voice of religion has to say. Religion asserts that "God has already handled the situation, and everything has already worked out" (even before they do in experience). He has made all of the provisions necessary for me and my life, both during my time on earth and for eternity. I depend entirely on God's provision for every day of my existence.

Hope – the Anchor for the Soul

Without its sister, Hope, faith cannot perform its duties effectively. Faith alone is not enough. In addition, we need to have confidence that our lives will be shaped by the kindness of God and the anticipation that wonderful things will happen to us. There is a reason why Hope is compared in the Bible to a sturdy and safe anchor for the soul that reaches past the curtain into the unseen and eternal. This comparison is not made by mistake. Hebrews 6:19

The foundation and the assurance of our Hope are God Himself, who is not changing. About all that God has spoken and promised, we can have complete Hope. Both his intentions and his words are unchangeable and fixed. No matter how our emotions or circumstances change, the unchanging nature of God's Word cannot be denied. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but what I say will live on forever." (Matthew 24:35)

This is how the voice of Hope sounds: "I am certain that everything will turn out for the best; nevertheless, I am unsure of how and when." God must answer my questions regarding how and when things will happen. I have faith that things will turn out for the best. I can put my faith in God and His love for me. Everything that occurs to me, even the things that hurt me the most, is not in vain, but God will use it for my benefit in the end

Love – the Greatest of All

Why is love the most crucial thing in the world? The response is that love endures even when other things, such as faith and Hope, are lost. In this world, we need both Hope and trust. On the other hand, we won't need them for eternity. During the complete restoration, when God will create everything new and end death and suffering, we shall interact face-to-face with Him.

Since we can view things for what they are, we won't require faith. There is no reason for us to have Hope since everything has already been accomplished. Yet the love that God has for us, and our love for him and everyone else we carry in our hearts, will last forever. Love endures over all of time and space. It is the key to understanding everything and lies at the heart of everything.

This is what love says about the situation: "Even if things don't work out (in practical experience), nothing can separate me from the love God has for me." And my love for Him is unshakeable regardless of what happens."

As with all the early churches, the issue of Jewish legalism in Colosse was of great concern to Paul.

So extreme was the concept of salvation by grace, apart from works that those inspired by Old Testament law found it very difficult to grasp. Consequently, there was a continual movement among the legalists to add specific requirements from the law to this new faith. Primary among them was the requirement of circumcision, which was still practiced among some Jewish converts. Paul countered this error in Colossians 2:11-15 in which he declares that circumcision of the flesh was no longer necessary because Christ had come. His was a circumcision of the heart, not the flesh, making the ceremonial rites of the Old Testament law no longer required (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4, 9:26; Acts 7:51; Romans 2:29).

Although Paul addresses many areas, the primary application for us today is the total and complete sufficiency of Christ in our lives, both for our salvation and our sanctification. We must know and understand the gospel not to be led astray by subtle forms of legalism and heresy. We must be on guard for any deviation that would diminish the importance of Christ as Lord and Savior. Any "religion" that tries to equate itself with the truth using books that claim the same authority as the Bible or which combines human effort with divine accomplishment in salvation must be avoided. Other religions cannot be combined with or added to Christianity. Christ gives us absolute standards of moral conduct. Christianity is a family, a way of life, and a relationship—not a religion. Good deeds, astrology, occultism, and horoscopes do not show God's ways. Only Christ does. His will is revealed in His word, His love letter to us; we must get to know it!

Faith and Hope are complementary. Faithfulness is grounded in the reality of the past; Hope is looking to the existence of the future. Without trust, there is no hope; without Hope, there is no true faith. Christians are people of faith and Hope. We have "the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time" (Titus 1:2).

The Bible says we are to love others the way God loves us. We are to love the family of God (1 Peter 2:17). We are to love our enemies—that is, we are to seek what is best for them actively (Matthew 5:44). Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25). As we show benevolent, selfless love, we reflect God’s love to a lost and dying world. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

What do you think of the connection between faith, Hope, and love?

"We give thanks" (vs. 3a)

"praying always" (vs. 3b)

Faith in the Savior (vs. 4a)

Love for the Saints (vs. 4b)

Hope of Salvation (vs. 5)

The What –

"We give thanks" (vs. 3a)

The When –

"praying always" (vs. 3b)

The Why

Faith in the Savior (vs. 4a)

Love for the Saints (vs. 4b)

Hope of Salvation (vs. 5)

The How –

because of the impact of the gospel that was brought by Epaphras (vs. 5c-8)

Faith – an Attitude of the Heart

Hope – the Anchor for the Soul

Love – the Greatest of All