Faith, Hope and Love

I've posted a pretty long string of silly blogs in a row. Most of you who know me well, know that I can be a pretty silly (and corny) guy. I love to laugh. As some of you may have noticed, I can occasionally be so joyous that I will start to giggle in the middle of my own sentences :)

I am sure, though, that those of you who really know me also know that I am extremely serious about loving the LORD. I love the Word of God, which I believe the Holy Bible is. There is a concept, and a correlation between faith, hope and love that is difficult to grasp fully. These concepts seem to be difficult to grasp by themselves, but when you put them together and begin to see how they intertwine, it can become rather confusing. I was thinking about this a lot as I prayed today.

Faith:
Faith is Biblically defined as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

*** Without it, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6)

*** Everything that does not come from it, is sin (Romans 14:23)

*** It seems that it cannot coexist with possession or sight (Romans 8:23, II Corinthians 4:18, Philippians 3:7-21)

*** It is the defining characteristic of the life of the righteous (Habbakuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, II Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38)

*** It has its own Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11)

Hope:
Is not as well defined or discussed in the Bible as faith or love, the best definition that I can infer from the context clues in the Bible is as follows:
Hope is the expectation of something good in the future.

*** When it is deferred (or delayed), the heart is sickened (Proverbs 13:12)

*** The loss of hope is likened to depression and death (The whole book of Job, many of the Psalms - Psalms 42 is a good example)

*** If it is placed in the LORD, your strength is renewed (Isaiah 40:31)

*** If it is placed in the LORD, you will not be disappointed (Isaiah 49:23)

*** The Plans the LORD has for you are to give you more of it (Jeremiah 29:11)

*** It is developed in us through perseverence, which is developed in us through suffering --> and it does not disappoint us (Romans 5:4-5)

*** It is the basis of our faith (Colossians 1:5, I Timothy 1:1, Colossians 1:27, Titus 1:2)

*** It is to what we were called (Ephesians 4:4)

*** It protects our minds (I Thessalonians 5:8)

*** It is an anchor for our soul (Hebrews 6:19)

*** It is how we draw near to God (Hebrews 7:19)

Love:
It is Biblically defined thus: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" I John 4:10

*** It is described in I Corinthians 13:4-8a
*** Love is Patient
*** Love is Kind
*** Love does not Envy
*** Love does not Boast
*** Love is not Proud
*** Love is not Rude
*** Love is not Self-Seeking
*** Love is not Easily Angered
*** Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs
*** Love does not Rejoice in Evil
*** Love Rejoices With the Truth
*** Love Always Protects
*** Love Always Trusts
*** Love Always Hopes
*** Love Always Perseveres
*** Love Never Fails


*** It is greater than Faith or Hope (I Corinthians 13:13)

*** It is how faith expresses itself (Galatians 5:6)

*** It is the nature of God (I John 4:8)

Love could be given a much, much, MUCH longer and deeper treatment than I have given it, but you get the idea..... Please take the time and REALLY search out the love that God has for you. Please take the time to read all about love in the Bible. True love is so much deeper than most of this world can fathom.

HERE IS MY REQUEST:
If you really know me, leave a comment and let me know how the love I have shown you measures up to the Truth of what love is. I want to love you better, stronger, and deeper. Thanks. I love you!!!