Continuing In Faith, Hope & Love (Part 4)
CONTINUING IN FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE - Part 4
Yeow Chin Kiong
Generally, "faith" (Greek PISTEO) is belief, i.e. agreement or trust in a thought which becomes the reason for certain "hopes" (Greek ELPIS) which, in turn, conditions our character and conduct. For the Christian, even when push comes to shove, matters of faith (affecting our "HEAD" or intellect) influence our hope (touching our "HEART" or desire) to move our "HANDS" (moving us to act in certain ways that exhibit LOVE (Greek AGAPE, self-sacrificial regard for others). It is easy, for example, to surmise that the charitable actions of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) was anchored in his religious FAITH which moved his HOPE or desire to lessen the pain of the victim of thieves and hence to so act as to display LOVE in physically caring for the injured person.
That faith motivates hope is evidenced in scripture's defination for "faith" in Hebrews 11:1,- "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." There are some aspects of Christianity which are not yet visible,- like the resurrection of the dead. However, reasonable HOPE for our own resurrection from the dead in future lies squarely with the FAITH or belief in at least one resurrection in the trustworthy and historically-reliable gospel record of Jesus' resurrection. This was precisely Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Those who have faith in Jesus' resurrection are not like those who have no such hope, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (see also John 11:25).
1 Peter 1:3-4 refers to Jesus having "begotten us again to a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." A whole load of promises for our personal and eternal benefit are tied to our Lord's resurrection; they will remain hopes until the time of their fulfillment, when they will become reality.
As we "groan and labor" in our earthly existence, "eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body ... we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance." (Romans 8:22-25). This is the hope that sustains all of us "appointed ... to die once, but after this the judgment" as we "eagerly wait Him, (to whom) He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Hebrews 9:27:28).
As FAITH without WORKS is dead (James 2:26) the bridge between them of HOPE is necessary for us to bear fruits of works of love. It makes perfect sense for faith, hope and love to be bound together as the three things which remain after all other encouragements to loyality to God and His works,- especially as regards what is required for the continuing practice of love towards God and others (1 Corinthians 13:1-7),- like miracles, signs and wonders have ceased (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).