Faith, Hope, and Charity

Faith: (Heb. 11:1)
“Seeing the unseen; doing the undoable”

Whenever the Bible speaks of faith to the Christian, it refers to the “work of faith” in our hearts, as well as a work of faith in our lives. It is speaking of a daily faith that we must walk in every day, and exercise every moment. Faith is refusing to doubt; it is walking in the assurance that God will meet all needs; defeat all obstacles; and win all our battles for us. Simplified: it is trusting in His promises.


Hope: (Rom. 11:29)
“Hope is the wish that faith delivers”

Hope is not faith; it is weaker than faith; it is not expectation, but a longing; a wishful thinking It is man’s dream apart from God’s grace. Many times we mistake hope for faith. Hope has no power; it moves no mountains--but it rides upon the wind and dissipates as a cloud; it delivers nothing. Hope only sees what faith delivers…yet we must never lose hope in the Lord, never quit dreaming.


Charity (1 Cor. 13)
“Charity is the essence of love”

Of the “big three” Charity rates the highest! Yes, even higher than faith for the Bible says “The greatest of these is charity” (1 Cor. 13:13). Charity is love’s action; it is the greatest because it gives, which is the ultimate goal of love--to give. Charity is the “giving” of love, and our God set the example--“For God so loved that He gave…” That, my friends, is the ultimate charity.