What Hope

Galatians 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The flesh hopes for many things, but since we are talking about an experiment in evidence of faith related to hope, then hope also must be God’s hope and not of the flesh. Since God sent His only Son to die on the Cross, hung on a tree, then the blessings of Abraham are connected to receiving the promises of the spirit through faith.

When we began this experiment I said that the substance of faith was qualitative. The promises of the spirit through faith are qualitative. Qualitative in an experiment indicates characteristics which identity the element being studied. They act and react in a predictable manner which allows us to label them as being of a particular order.

Galatians 5:22-23a But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:

These are qualities produced in believers by the Spirit. They are not instant, they are grown, like fruit, to be matured, ripened over time.

I can look at each trait and declare that man can manufacture each trait by force of will, in accordance with his understanding. If we decide this is what we need to prove our faith is real, by human effort, its production will be instant and will fail the same way that fruit rots on a tree and is never harvested. Human will is vanity trying to duplicate spiritual production.

Duplicitous actions are Satan’s tools, the anti-christ, supplanting the promises of God with the promises of the flesh.

Grow in Christ

Ephesians 4:20-24 But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Referring back to our scientific experiment, you are on an adventure of discovery, not so much of your faith as much as He who is faithful, Christ. Learn who Christ is in you. While Christ, like Father God is unchangeable, who He is in you is more about what He is doing in you. He does not create each of us to be cookie cutter duplicates. Each of us are molded to fit into a bigger model, His bride, the church. While we are individuals, we are not alone, and we are given different gifts in order to serve the needs of the whole, in which we are part.

Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Believers do not question their faith once they move beyond the infant stage. The most often asked questions are; 1 What are my gifts? 2 What is my calling? The fact that believers ask that question indicates growth in Christ. These two questions are the leading edge of a change of heart from selfish desire to a desire to serve.

This is evidence of things hoped for.

Daily Christian Devotionals