Corinth, located in the Roman province of Achaia, was infamous for its corruption. The first letter to the Corinthian church has much to do with discipline within the body of believers, as Paul addresses conflicts in which they were involved. Hope enables our faith and love to endure, and our faith in Christ drives us to obey His commands in love, which endures because of the hope He gives us. For the Christian, our hope is in God’s promises.
Hope is looking forward to and expecting something good. Our patience of hope is built on Christ’s righteousness and promises ( Titus 2:11-14, 1 Peter 2:6). When we consider the Father’s love, it manifested itself in the giving of Jesus ( John 3:16) and in adopting us as His children ( 1 John 3:1). When we love someone, it is never passive it always involves doing. It is never just faith it is a noun that carries a verb that promotes its work (e.g., keep, display, have). “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.” Faith involves work. And due to His perfect, loving nature, we love Him as our hope and faith increases.ġ Thessalonians 1:2-4 (emphasis added) gives us a great summary of the relationship between faith, hope, and love. With God, our faith and hope are in the only One we can trust for eternal life. When we drive a car, both are relevant we have faith the car will transport us safely to our destination and we also hope no one crashes into us (or us into them). They both hinge on the trustworthiness of the person or object of an individual's core belief. What Is the Relationship between Faith, Hope, and Love?įaith and hope both involve trust. This does not mean people will never sin (that won’t happen until heaven), but it does mean they do their utmost to obey and follow Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who now indwells them. At true conversion, a person makes a 180 degree turn from a willful, sinful life. When a sinner is saved (from spiritual death), faith, hope, and love are involved, with faith and hope being a simultaneous work in the sinner’s heart. Since God loves us, He sent Jesus to save us from our sins ( John 3:16), and we love Him with reason we love because He first loved us ( 1 John 4:19). Amen.What happens when someone decides to say, “yes,” to God’s kind invitation to become His ( Romans 2:4)? We trust He has been at work in the sinner’s heart because it is the Father Who draws men to the Lord Jesus ( John 6:44). I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. O my God, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all good and worthy of all my love. O my God, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
I believe that Thy Divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. With these acts of faith, hope, and love (charity), express your faith and hope in God, and your love for God and for your neighbor.Īcts of Faith, Hope, and Charity Act of Faith “ Charity is the virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God ( 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 )” ( Baltimore Catechism ). “ Hope is the virtue by which we firmly trust that God, who is all-powerful and faithful to His promises, will in His mercy give us eternal happiness and the means to obtain it ( Romans 8:24-25 )” ( Baltimore Catechism ). “ Faith is the virtue by which we firmly believe all the truths God has revealed, on the word of God revealing them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived ( John 20:29 )” ( Baltimore Catechism ). Faith, hope, and charity, the three theological virtues, are infused in the soul by God when we are baptized.
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