This month's emphasis of leaving a spiritual legacy for our children has focused on three primary factors: faith, hope, and love. Paul connected the three in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 as characteristics evident in the life of those who are fully committed to Christ. We often talk about these words in church settings, but do we really know what they mean? And more importantly, how do they work together?
The Greek word for "faith", pistis, denotes a supreme confidence in the truth of something. When we have faith in God, we believe that He is exactly as He describes Himself to us.
Agape, "love", is set apart from the other two types of love-brotherly love and romantic love-in that it is the love Christ had for us and the love we should have for others. To agape someone is to love them as Christ loves them: sacrificially, unconditionally, and radically.
The word translated "hope" is the Greek word elpis, meaning "to anticipate". It can actually mean an expectation of fear or evil, but when used in context of the Christian faith, it always denotes something good, such as the expectation of eternal salvation.
Though the words are quite different in their meanings, they have one thing in common: a degree of difficulty. First Thessalonians 1:3 highlights this. It is a work of faith, a labor of love, and endurance of hope. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit working in us to have faith in God and salvation in His Son. And that faith gives us the ability to hope in a future we can't prove in earthly terms. And when we let that faith guide our relationships, we can then genuinely love others through our knowledge of Christ's compassion instead of our preferred relationships or comfortable settings.
These three characteristics of believers don't fall on us when we are saved, we must choose to cultivate them. However, when these elements are observable in the lives of believers, we see Christ revealed in them, evidence to a world in need of Jesus.
"We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ..." - 1 Thessalonians 1:3
From May 27th "Deepen Your Understanding" in Life Truths study
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