Faith, Hope and Love

Yesterday we asked:
“Am I becoming more like Jesus—or simply becoming better at being religious?”
Today I want to go deeper.
Before we ask what kind of people we are becoming, perhaps we should ask:
What kind of God do we believe we are becoming like?

When you hear the word God, what rises inside you?
Fear? Safety? Distance? Acceptance? Judgment? Love?

That's harder than I expected.

Perhaps because there can be a difference between the God we say we believe in and the God our hearts have actually learned to trust.
Then John gives us this extraordinary statement:
“God is love.” — 1 John 4:8
Not simply, God loves.
God is love.

So love isn't just something God does?

Exactly.
Love tells us something about who God is.
And suddenly Paul's three words become more than three Christian virtues:
Faith. Hope. Love.
Perhaps they describe three dimensions of our relationship with God.
Faith says:
I can trust His character.
Hope says:
I can trust His promises.
Love says:
I can let His character become visible in me.

But why does Paul call love the greatest?

Think about what happens when Christ returns.
Faith, which now trusts what we cannot see, will encounter sight.
Hope, which waits for what God has promised, will encounter fulfillment.

But love?
Love doesn't become unnecessary when the waiting is over.
Because love belongs to the very character of God.
Love isn't merely preparation for eternity.
Love is part of what eternity is about.

Now let's return to 1 Corinthians 13.
We've often read it as instructions about how Christians should behave.
But what if Paul is giving us a glimpse of the character of the God we are being invited to reflect?

Love is patient.
Love is kind.
It isn't proud or self-seeking.
It doesn't keep a record of wrongs.
It bears, hopes and endures.
If God is love, then these aren't merely rules for Christian behavior.
They reveal something about the character of the God we are becoming like.

Let me try an experiment.
For a moment, don't tell me what you believe about God.
Ask yourself:
What would my life look like if what I believe about God were actually true?

If I really believed God was patient, maybe I'd have more patience with people.

If I really believed God forgives, maybe I couldn't keep someone's failures on permanent record.

If I believed God welcomes sinners, perhaps people who are struggling would feel safe around me.

Now we're getting somewhere.
We're no longer asking: “Do I believe God is love?”
We're asking: “If I truly believe that God is love, what should that belief produce in me?”
Because if I say I believe in a God who is love, but become increasingly harsh, proud, suspicious and unforgiving—something is wrong.

If I believe God is patient, but has no patience with weakness...
If I believe God forgives, but keep people's failures on permanent record...
If I believe God welcomes sinners, but certain people never feel welcome around me...
then perhaps I'm not merely failing to love.
I'm giving people a distorted picture of the God I claim to know.

If we want to know what God's love looks like, we don't have to invent it.
Look at Jesus.
He washed feet.
Touched the untouchable.
Welcomed sinners.
Confronted hypocrisy.
Wept with the grieving.
Forgave His enemies.
And went to a cross.
Jesus doesn't merely tell us that God is love.
He shows us what that love looks like.

So perhaps spiritual maturity isn't simply knowing more about God.
It is becoming more like the God Jesus revealed.
And that brings us to the question I want you to carry today:
If God is love, what is my life telling people about the God I believe in?
Not what my doctrines say.
Not what my mouth says.
What does my life say?
Perhaps the invitation of faith, hope and love is this:
Trust His character.
Wait for His promises.
And let His love become visible in you.