These Three

Remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Thessalonians 1:3.

Faith, hope, and love are anchors for the Christian life. Paul described how the Thessalonians’ faith led to work, their love led to labor, and their hope led to endurance. These characteristics ought to be seen in all believers. Too often, however,

• a believer claims to have faith in Jesus Christ as Lord but is not motivated to work to promote his kingdom or the spread of the gospel;
• a believer claims to hope in Jesus Christ as the one in control of his or her life, but when faced with difficulty or disappointment, he or she does not endure in the faith and turns away;
• a believer claims to love Jesus Christ, but when serving in Christ’s kingdom becomes labor, he or she backs off.

Faith, hope, and love must result in work, labor, and endurance that will guide all believers through life—showing what to do and how to do it. How are your faith, hope, and love being shown?

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
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