What is the base of your faith?
• “And now faith, hope, charity, these three remain; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1Co 13:13).
Everyone knows the importance of faith and love. Nonetheless, did you already pay attention in the correlation between “faith” and “hope”?
• “Now faith is the substance of things *hoped* for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1).
And the importance of the hope is so big that it is the hope that allow us to come into the intimate presence of the Creator:
• “so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which *enters into that within the veil*, where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 6:18-20).
After all, think: do you know someone that is capable of exerting for something that they perpend being a lie?
• “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1Cor 9:24-27).
Paul bore all that he endured because he well knew Him in whom He had faith, and he was certain that Jesus is able to keep that which he had given into His care till His coming (2Tim 1:12):
• “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Php 3:13,14).
Why should we sacrifice our self (Rom 12:1; Col 3:5) if our faith in the eternal life is shallow?
• “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1Cor 15:13,17).
Not to mention the importance of the hope to pull down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God so that every thought can be brought into captivity into the obedience of Christ (2Cor 10:5):
• “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1Th 5:8)
It’s not in vain that Paul prayed this on behalf of Ephesians:
• “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; *that ye may know what is the hope of his calling*, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (Eph 1:18).
Finally, what is your hope? The “sand” of material things or the “rock” of eternal communion with Christ and His Bride amidst righteousness and truth (see Mat 7:24-27)?
Have a good day knowing what you really can and ought to hope in Christ so that you never come to blame Him for thwarting your wrong expectations about Him.
• “And now faith, hope, charity, these three remain; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1Co 13:13).
Everyone knows the importance of faith and love. Nonetheless, did you already pay attention in the correlation between “faith” and “hope”?
• “Now faith is the substance of things *hoped* for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1).
And the importance of the hope is so big that it is the hope that allow us to come into the intimate presence of the Creator:
• “so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which *enters into that within the veil*, where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 6:18-20).
After all, think: do you know someone that is capable of exerting for something that they perpend being a lie?
• “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1Cor 9:24-27).
Paul bore all that he endured because he well knew Him in whom He had faith, and he was certain that Jesus is able to keep that which he had given into His care till His coming (2Tim 1:12):
• “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Php 3:13,14).
Why should we sacrifice our self (Rom 12:1; Col 3:5) if our faith in the eternal life is shallow?
• “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1Cor 15:13,17).
Not to mention the importance of the hope to pull down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God so that every thought can be brought into captivity into the obedience of Christ (2Cor 10:5):
• “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1Th 5:8)
It’s not in vain that Paul prayed this on behalf of Ephesians:
• “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; *that ye may know what is the hope of his calling*, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (Eph 1:18).
Finally, what is your hope? The “sand” of material things or the “rock” of eternal communion with Christ and His Bride amidst righteousness and truth (see Mat 7:24-27)?
Have a good day knowing what you really can and ought to hope in Christ so that you never come to blame Him for thwarting your wrong expectations about Him.