So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 

Remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love  and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 

Recurrent Thought

Maturing in Life includes understanding and regularly exercising the three Primal Life Virtues. 

No virtues sustain human life as the triad of Faith, Hope and Love. The three are so significant to social and human existence, without which our very existence remain at instinctive animal level. These are powerful principles of human existence.  “Faith, Love, Hope are necessary for health and for life as a whole, for without them we cannot exist. The three virtues significantly impacts the essence and quality of human existence. They are the Primal life forces of human existence. When we refer to theses as Primal virtues, we imply that they are basic and fundamental to an existence of a thing.  The bible shows that Faith, Hope and Love are three human virtues that are deeply ingrained in our existence such that when they are missing, one does not enjoy a high quality life. Even if we do not frame, these three virtues in religious terms, no human being survives well without them

These three elements are classified as Virtues by Behavioral experts. Virtues are attitudes, dispositions, or character traits that enable one to become morally good, excellent or admirable. However, in the Gospels, the word Virtue was used in the Gospel to refer to the Power of the Lord to heal or perform Miracles. The three are also called Graces, especially so in this case, when we recognize them as virtues coming from God.

Apostle Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote that “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1Cor.13:13). These three virtues are the most significant primal life forces that sustain, keep and invigorate human life as we know it. They are essential or elemental central and indispensable virtues. These are basic to every human being; and because of their critical importance every generation has the responsibility of passing healthy forms of primal life forces to the next generation. It is critical to understand that the natural virtues, are impacted by the power of God when people become devoted followers. These natural virtues are baptized intro the Holy Spirit and become powerful Graces, Virtues that impacts the Life of Christ-devoted Follower.

Apostle Paul commends that Thessalonians for their diligence in actively engaging these three Graces.  

1. Work of Faith

   • Although there are many ways to describe this virtue, Faith is the ability to have confidence, strong belief or trust in someone or something. 
   • Faith is basic intuitive element of human life that ensures connectivity both with context and community of humanity; 
   • Faith makes people understand and trust interactions with other human beings. Faith sustains life. As people relate with the environment and with other human beings, they do it through the medium of faith and trust. 
   • Every person has this form of Natural Faith. It is the faith that all human beings have to live a normal life by in this world.  
   • Without this primal faith, human beings wouldn’t understand each other. All human interactions are sustained by this primal faith. 
   • As children get born and are raised within a family and larger society, one essential ingredient for their growth is acquisition of this faith and understanding how it works in sustaining all human interactions and endeavors. 
   • We must however, differentiate this primal daily natural Faith from the type one gets when they become a Christian, Biblical Faith. 
   • Biblical Faith is a way of life distinctly aligned to the teaching and knowledge of Yahweh. 
   • For Christ-devoted followers, Faith is grounded in the trust we place in Yahweh. This kind of Faith is not transferred by birth, by ritual or by ceremonies. It is not transferred through culture. 
   • It comes as a seed when one becomes a follower of Jesus, by declaring allegiance to him (Romans 10:9-10). 
   • Rom 10:17  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 
   • When it comes to Biblical Faith you have to first teach people for them to catch it. We transfer faith by teaching. 
     In 1 Thess. 1: 3  Paul commends them for their Work of Faith 
   • This is not referring to the principle of faith for Salvation, for such is God's work. We can’t work for Salvation but it is referring to the product, the results of this grace.
   • Apostle Paul ruthlessly taught justification by faith alone; this is the very first time he mentions that the power of Faith leaves its witness in work. 
   • Faith is not a work, but faith does produce a certain result in us: the work of faith. Our faith affects our actions; Faith affects what we do. 
   • There is always Work of Faith, evidence of what you believe. Faith is a conviction with regard to things unseen, that makes them present and real (Heb. 11:1)
   • Wherever it exists, it works: he who is interested can see what it has done. 
     
     Reflection # 1
     Working Out our Christian Faith implies we produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Mathew 3: 8). If you were to be arrested as a Follower of Jesus Christ, would there be enough evidence to find you guilt
2. Labor of Love
   • Love is the second life force that enriches human beings’ existence in the earth. In 1 cor. 13:13 it is mentioned last and deemed to outclass the other two virtues.
   • Love is an earnest desire for and an active and generous (benevolent) interest in the well-being of one loved..
   • Love is expressed both in attitudes and actions. Love is appreciated more when expressed through actions.  
   • Although people can claim they do not need the care and love of others, no one individual escapes the dire demand of love in life. 
   • Love is a life force that holds and links human beings together. It is a glue of human relationships. 
   • We must hasten to state that love is not only something that links human beings together but that individual persons need love for themselves too.
   • Individuals, who are socially and psychologically healthy, tend to have a health level of love and care for themselves. Human beings are incapable of surviving without love.
   • Healthy persons love and care for themselves. The second part of the Golden Rule stated by Jesus underscores this fact (Luke 10:27). In effect Jesus implied that the best way to express love to others is with the measure one expresses it to they themselves. Individuals who don’t love and care for themselves are a distressing sight.
   • Love sustains relationships; while hate maintains anger that destroys lives. 
   • Whoever scorns the power and the need of love misses out to the most exciting emotion and action of life. In a way such persons dies within themselves from the lack of the life force of love. 
   • Human relationships revolve and anchor around the action and emotions of love without which destructive relations emerge. 
   • Families and communities are built on it; but they are decimated with its absence. 
   • Love is an essential life force that sustains human relationships and life.
   • Visionaries and generational thinkers transfer not only wealth, but the life force of love that enriches human relationships.
   • The transfer of love from one generation to another is important; but what is more important is the kind of love transferred. We suggest that the God-kind of love be the most critical love to be transferred from one generation to another. 
   • God’s love is the unique kind that demonstrates care for a person in the absence of pleasing qualities in that person. Romans 5:8 states that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
   • Human beings do not have the capacity to demonstrate this God-kind of love. They can only do this when God endows them with it; and this He does whenever people accept him as Lord and Savior. 
     ​​​​​​​1. Thess. 1: 3 Paul comments the people for their Labor of Love
   • The Word Labour in this context means to labor to the point of weariness or exhaustion.
   • "A labour of love," in current language, is a piece of work done so willingly that no payment is expected for it. But a labour of love is not what the Apostle is speaking of; it is laboriousness, as love’s characteristic.
   • Being worn out by tiredness as you expend yourself with Love for others. 
   • Our love for God is such that we don’t really consider the weariness of our own bodies.
   • One can labor, grow tired working, for God but without Love. This is ironic but true.
   • Love to God and Christ constrains a believer to engage in, and go through, great hardships, difficulties, toil, and labor, for their sakes
   • Paul was ready to spend and be spent at its bidding,  2Co_12:15  I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?
     
     Reflection # 2
     Working Out our Christian Faith demands we measure our demonstration of Love for Kingdom Work. Do you get exhausted expending your love for the sake of the Gods Work?
3. Patience of Hope in Our Lord Jesus Christ
   • Hope is an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
   • Human beings are propelled by hope without which they despair. 
   • Yearning for hope is the default setting of human existence. 
   • The whole world rotates around this virtue. Children grow with the hope that they will become meaningful in their adult age. 
   • Companies operate with hope of making profits. Governments govern and lead with the hope of bringing solutions to its citizen’s challenges. Hope is what makes people face the future with confidence. 
   • Human beings are sustained by hope. Everything human beings do is framed within the element of hope. 
   • Everyone works in the hope of a reward, otherwise work becomes meaningless and a monster of human life. We sleep at night with the hope that the following morning we will rise up. 
   • Without hope every human activity is useless and has no possibility of reward. Without it, people despair; without it, many commit suicide. 
   • Hope is the virtue that gives meaning to our work, to our aspirations and our dreams. 
   • Hope is the essence of living. A life without hope is a meaningless life. The biblical text calls it a life-giving tree without which humanity is constantly depressed and sickly (Pro. 13:12 CEV). 
   • When children are born, through human interaction, they learn the power of Hope. Here then is an important fact: every generation has a responsibility to pass on to their posterity very strong elements of hope. 
   • The word “hope” is used in places and circumstances of uncertainty. It is optimism where things are uncertain.  
   • Biblical hope is different. It is an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one's life grounded on the knowledge presented in the scriptures. Hope is optimism based on biblically inspired truth.
   • Christ-devoted followers’ hopefulness is based on what the scriptures declare and not on the predictions of experts such as economists. 
     In 1 Thess.1: 3 Paul challenges the Church in Thessalonica to have Patience of Hope  
   • Paul Cleary sets that the object of Hop is the second coming of Christ
   • Christians not only believed Christ would come again; they not only expected Him to come; they were eager for His coming. "How long, O Lord?" they cried in their distress. "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly," was their prayer.
   • For a Christ-devoted follower their Hope is a satisfying expectation of a future life with Jesus Christ (1Thess. 1:10). Hope is a person, he is Jesus Christ.
   • The operation of the true hope is manifold. It is a sanctifying grace, as appears from 
   • But here the Apostle characterises it by its patience. The two virtues are so inseparable that Paul sometimes uses them as equivalent; twice in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, he says faith, love, and patience, instead of faith, love, and hope. But what is patience? The word is one of the great words of the New Testament.
   • However, the Hope of a believer is always anchored in Patience. It is hope that bears up under all burdens because the Lord is at hand. Patient Hope
     
     Reflection # 3
     Working Out our Christian Faith is demonstrated in our waiting for his appearance. 1Jn_3:3: says And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. How consciously do you pursue living a holy life in this dark world?  ​​​​​​​