What does Faith, Love, and Hope Look Like?
There are three distinctives in a Christian life. I’ve mentioned it earlier. And they are faith, love and hope. Now faith, love and hope are distinctive characteristics of a Christian life, but practically how do they look like? And how are they to be manifested in us? Well, amazingly in 1st Thessalonians 1 and verses 9 & 10, I see three practical manifestations of faith, love and hope. Now look at the text with me. 1st Thessalonians 1 and verse 9 … the second half it says “how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from Heaven.”
Do you realize the emphasis of what I’ve just read? You turn, you serve and you wait. I say… these three words correspond to faith, love and hope. What is faith? Faith is turning from what I have believed in to now in God. That is what faith is. Faith in God is turning from our past dependences to God himself. And I say that’s right! How do I know I have faith? When I turn from anyone else or anything else to have allegiance to the living and true God. That’s faith! Practically it means a turning of our dependence and our allegiance.
Number 2. Let’s look at love. How do I know I love God? Well I see a second thing. You turn from God or turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Real love will manifest itself in obedience and service to God. Do you really love God? Then you will serve Him! Our service to God is not one of bondage or fear but one of joyful love. We love him because He first loved us. He gave Himself for us. He gave His son for us and so today we joyfully serve Him. So that’s the practical manifestation of love – obedience and service.
Finally what does hope look like? Verse 10 – it says and to wait for His Son. In other words to expect, to long for his Son, to anticipate the second coming of Jesus Christ. A man of hope is constantly looking to the return of the Son.
So my friends, have these things characterized your life? Faith, love and hope. Or to put into practice- a turning from serving any other thing or any one apart from God to Him, Jehovah alone.
And number 2 – Do you love Him? By serving Him and obeying Him.
And number 3- Do you have hope in that you are waiting for the return of the Son.
May God bless you again with these three characteristics that you may grow thereby in His fullness. God bless!