Stand in faith, walk in love, and rest in hope.

Faith is our response to God’s Word. It is our trust that the Good News about the Lord Jesus Christ is the Truth.

And the authenticity of this faith is proven by the way we love one another.

Colossians 1:4 says: …we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints (fellow Christians) …

 

Love is indispensable for every true believer. Jesus said:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

 

John says: “If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

 

You certainly can’t read any of these passages of Scripture and come to any other conclusion that if we truly believe, our lives will show true love.

God is love.

Those who confess faith in Christ and follow him as his disciples will learn from the Lord to love. Following God in faith and walking in love are one and the same thing. You can’t have one without the other.

Are you walking in love?

 

We stand in faith, walk in love, and rest in hope.

Look at Colossians 1:5. “…the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven…”

 

Hope in God is not a vague expectation. It is a faithful anticipation that God will fulfill all his promises – even those that now seem unlikely and improbable.

 

This hope in God, this expectation that he will fulfill all he said and give us everything he promised in Christ, makes us willing to endure, even sacrifice, for the sake of our faith, true love and our future eternal glory.

Hope allows us to rest in God’s promises. The glorious eternal destination we look forward to, inspires our faith in God and our love for our brothers and sisters.

Is your faith still standing?