The Greatest of These
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (1 Corinthians 13:13).
As we sail the sea of life, our faith, hope and love are like protective barriers that surround us and enable us to navigate through the fiercest of storms that so often arise on our voyage through this life. Faith is not just believing in God although believing is necessary (Heb. 11:6). True faith is one evidenced by a life of obedience to the word of the Lord Romans 6:17; Heb. 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:7-9). Hear the words of the Lord from Jeremiah 7:23: "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you".
Hope is founded on that which we cannot behold with our human eyes. It is grounded in that which we have not yet attained (Rom. 8:24; Phil. 3:12-14). Thus, hope is the anchor of our souls as we sail this sea of life with all of its trouble and strife. Although I cannot now see it, I know there is a place prepared for me that is more wondrous than any words can adequately describe (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:9; Rev. 21:1-4; Rev. 22:1-5). Without this hope dwelling steadfastly in my heart, my life would, indeed, be a miserable existence (1 John 3:1-3).
Love is the foundation upon which our faith and hope is built. It is the love of God for us (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8-9) along with our love for him (Mark 12:29-30) that will impart to us the strength and courage we need to see us through each day. Our love for the church becomes an integral part of our faith and hope (Matt. 6:33). And we must not forget the importance of loving each other (John 13:34-35; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 4:10-12, 19-21). There is no doubting that love is the greatest of these because without a great love there would be no faith, no hope for a better country
Suppose for a moment that you are standing before the judgment seat of our Lord and he says to you, "According to your love for me, the church and your brethren, so be it unto you". Where will you spend your eternity? Sobering thought, isn't it?
Charles Hicks
