“And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).” 1 Corinthians 13:13
There is coming a day when faith will become sight, and as the Apostle Paul expressed it: “…But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away…for now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face.” (1 Cor. 13:10,12) What is the Apostle speaking of? It is that moment when Christ shall come, or we shall go to be with Him, when we will see Him, the very object of our present faith, the essence, foundation, and strength of our hope and expectation, and supremely our love, for God is love. In seeing Christ as He is, we shall be forever changed into His glorious likeness, and that which was partial in our vision and knowledge, will be complete, and perfect, for we shall know Him as we are known. But what about the interim, that period of time on this earth, when believers are called to look up, and live for Christ’s coming? What is there that God has provided so that we can walk this earth, living for Christ, serving Him, abiding in Him, so that He is truly honored and glorified? Three of the most important things that must be laid hold of, things which God has given to the believer to know, and live by, are faith, hope, and love. We know that faith is that means of appropriation of all that is in Christ, and in the absence of seeing Him with the natural eye, faith is the great provision of God. The greatest of these three gifts of God to be known, experienced, lived by and given to others, is the love of God. It is in this highest and greatest of all revelations of God that we find our purpose on earth, to communicate the great and wondrous nature of God as it is revealed to sinful men, who alone can be reached, and saved, by the grace of God. Between Paul’s mention of faith and love is the matter of hope. What is it, and why is it located there?
If we were to give a definition of “hope,” we might say that objectively it is an anticipation, an expectation, of things promised, but not as yet seen. From a spiritual standpoint, this “hope” which is a gift of God, is directed solely to, and solely fixated in God, or the Lord Jesus Christ. The expectation is founded upon who God is, and the expressed revelation of His good and perfect will, with regard to individuals, peoples, and nations. The strength of hope is in the very commitment of God, and His power to fulfill the awaited promise. We have an example of this hope when Paul writes his letter to the Roman believers: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:24,25) What is Paul saying? This hope, or resolved expectation, and anticipation, is a God-given capacity and ability to look beyond that which is seen to the unseen. The hope is anchored in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and laid hold of according to His words. That which makes hope different from faith, is the aspect of enduring patience, waiting with certainty, living in the anticipation of the intervention of God in the realization of His words, His promises.
When Abraham was confronted by God concerning him being “…a father of many nations,” he “…believed God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (Rom. 4:17) It is then that the matter of “hope” comes to the forefront, for Paul writes of Abraham, “…who against hope believed in hope, that according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.” (v.18) Abraham’s HOPE was Christ, the entirety of his expectation.
Dear Father, Fill us with Hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.