1Cor.13:13(Amp) says, "And so faith, hope and love abide (faith-conviction and belief respecting man's relationship with God and Divine things; hope-joyful and confident expectation of Eternal salvation; love-true affection for God and man, growing out of God's Love for us and in us), these three, but the greatest of these is love."
Paul received the Revelation of Jesus as the Messiah and the Last Sacrifice directly from Jesus, so why does he only list these three things as "abiding?" Paul went on to say in Rom.10:17(Amp), "So faith comes by hearing what is told, and what is heard comes by the preaching of the Message that comes from the lips of Christ, the Messiah Himself."
We've heard the Word of God preached, whether in church, the airwaves or from family members and when we heard it, faith came. The Word was sown in our from hearing, even if we did or didn't receive Jesus as our Lord. And, because God's Word is "incorruptible Seed," it remained in our hearts. Like the prodigal son, when we decided God's Word is true and wanted to be freed from our old lifestyle, HOPE CAME. When we received Jesus as our Lord, God's unconditional Love accepted us, without any reservation. James2:17(Amp) tells us, "So also faith; if it does not have works, deeds, and action of obedience to back it up, by itself is destitute of power, inoperative, dead."
We read about the condition of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark5:25-34. She had this issue of blood for twelve years, even though she had seen many doctors and had spent all of her money. If I had been in her shoes, then I would have no hope. She though, heard Jesus' Message and that produced faith, which inspired hope. Heb.11:1(Amp) says, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things we hoped for; being the proof of things we do not see; and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)."
We're instructed to put hope in God's Word, when we're confronted with situations in our lives. When we put hope in God's Word, then faith can bring it into being. James2:14(Amp) tells us that, "Faith without works is dead." The woman with the issue of blood, heard Jesus' Message, had hope and that hope produced faith that Jesus could heal her. She then, pulled herself up and pushed through the crowd surrounding Jesus and touched the hem of His garment. She heard His Words and that brought forth faith. Her faith then, brought to pass what hope had inspired.
We've all probably heard lots of teaching and preaching about faith, but did you know that hope had to be a companion to your faith? Did you know that you need to see yourself coming out of that hopeless place and step into what faith promised? I heard the Word of salvation, but didn't become a doer of it all at once. Until my life was broken into pieces, hope in what I had heard about Jesus came alive in my heard. When in hope, I used faith that Jesus could and would change my life and I responded to that faith in hope that God is True to His Word. Then, that thing I hope for became the substance and reality, resulting in my life being gloriously saved.
I've found that when we read of hear God's Word, faith comes, but if we don't use hope as a blueprint for faith to work with, then it's still something dead and without hope bringing it to pass. God told Abraham in Rom.4:18-23 that "he would be the Father of a multitude," then faith came, even though hope in the natural realm was gone." Abraham was past the age of becoming a father and his wife was barren. Thus Verses 18 tells us, "For Abraham, human reason for hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been promised, So numberless shall be your descendants." Verse21 says, "Fully satisfied and assured God was able and mighty to keep His Word and do what He had Promised."
Abraham hoped against hope for twenty-five years, until the promised came and his son was born. We can't let the world's hopelessness to stop our hope in God's Word, because when we turn loose of hope, faith is "inoperative and dead and destitute of power," according to James2:17.
We're trusting that we'll go to be with the Lord when we die. We believe this by faith, but hope is what keeps this promise alive and operative in our lives. I haven't seen or been there, but hope in that promise keeps my faith alive and faith is the "title deed and substance of my hope," according to Heb.11:11. Whatever you're setting your faith on, allow hope to remain the blueprint for faith to build from and you'll receive it. Let's be like Abraham who believed that God was able and mighty to perform what He Promised.
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