“The Well-Known Three”

Paul refers to the trio of faith, hope and love many times in his letters (see 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Colossians 1:4-5), but why do they belong so well together? His fullest explanation is in Romans 5:1-11, a passage which contains a refrain of Christian rejoicing: in hope of the glory of God (v2), our sufferings (v3) and in God himself (v11).

We can rejoice “in hope of the glory of God” (v2) because we know we are destined to spend eternity with him through our faith in Christ; we will see Jesus face to face, and worship our triune God without sin.

We can rejoice “in our sufferings (v3) because we know they have a purpose: God works through them to produce endurance, character and hope in us (v4). This year particularly, we have all felt the sting of disappointed hopes, but we can be sure that the hope of heaven will never disappoint because we now enjoy a foretaste of it through the love that the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts (v5).

And ultimately, we can rejoice “in God” (v11). The first question and answer of Westminster Shorter Catechism express this well:

Question 1: What is the chief end of man? [That is, what is the point of our existence?]

Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

Those who don’t know the Lord may find this hard to understand, as to them, God seems like a spoiler of pleasure, rather than its source. But the truth is there is no lasting contentment in life without enjoyment of God; we were made for loving relationship with him. We can know this is true because God has proved his love by sending Jesus to die for us (v8).

Sinclair summarises, “Faith in Christ leads us to the hope of glory. That hope is anchored in God’s love for us in Christ. Our love is simply the overflow of the love he has poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”

Today, think about how you might express the fact that God’s love has been poured into your heart this Christmas. How can you show your faith, hope and love? Rejoice in God, and pray for opportunities to demonstrate your faith, love and hope.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.