Faith, Hope and Love

Since the Enlightenment, the two tiers of experience are separated by the world. The visible is real, factual. The invisible is a matter of personal preference and is relative, like religion. Not so in Jesus’ day. Both are real. Most importantly the Holy Spirit is real, and he recreates in our heart the great values we must grasp for Christian living.

LOVE – The high, distant God comes near to love us.
“Why do you speak to them in parables?” “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” Matthew 13:10-17 v. 10-11
For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens… Ephesians 2:11-22, v. 18
FAITH – The disciples faith would fail, but Jesus’ faith would not. Jesus becomes a “sheepless shepherd”. Murray Harris
Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; Zechariah 13:7
I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous
Joshua 1:3-9, v. 8
HOPE – Until “that day”, the ultimate day. The serpent is crushed
as in “The Passion of the Christ”.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. text v. 33
everyone… born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4
See also: John 14:6; John 16:1, 7, 8, 12-13, 23-24; Matthew 15:15-18; John 1:12-13; Mark 9:30-32; John 19:23-25, 37; Revelation 1:7; Ephesians 2:1, 4-6; Luke 8:10; 1 Corinthians 15:4, 35-49; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 9:26; John 10:12; Mark 14:27; Psalm 22:1-31 v.4-5; Matthew 26:34; Matthew 27:27-31, 39-44.