A brief meditation intended to bring you back into the restoring power of God’s love.
2026-11-08
Faith, Hope and Love Working Together
You have heard me and other ministers in GCI speak often about faith, hope and love. GCI even structures its approach to developing healthy churches around these three essential gifts God has given us in Jesus. We call that approach the Three Avenues (Faith, Hope and Love Avenues).
This is not a new “method” for doing church; it is an approach to life and ministry grounded in God’s design for the church, keeping us active and productive in Christ’s holiness. See what Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna and one of the first-century disciples of the apostle John, wrote to the church in Philippi about faith, hope and love:
“Faith is the mother of us all; with Hope following in her train, and Love of God and Christ and neighbour leading the way. Let a man’s mind be wholly bent on these, and he has fulfilled all the demands of holiness; for to possess Love is to be beyond the reach of sin.” –Polycarp. The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, paragraph 3.
“Faith is the mother of all,” Polycarp wrote. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and rewards those who earnestly seek him,” the author of Hebrews wrote (Hebrews 11:6).
James also gave us an active perspective on faith:
“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18).
We cannot simply confine faith to the mental realm; it must be externalized and put to work. It is like having a fully charged car battery, but if we never install it and use it in the car, it is as good as not having it.
Then Polycarp also wrote: “with Hope following in her [faith’s] train.” Notice that hope is connected to faith. No faith, no hope. See how Paul connects faith, hope, and love in this paragraph:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Rom. 5:1-5).
Faith and hope work together like a battery and a car, taking us safely and confidently through life’s suffering and challenges to a final destination called “the glory of God.” In that journey, God pours his love into our hearts, giving us the spiritual energy to produce the works of faith James wrote about.
Speaking of love, Polycarp wrote to the Philippians: “For to possess Love is to be beyond the reach of sin.” Love not only produces good works for others but also protects us from sin, since love is the opposite of sin. Paul explained how this happens:
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Rom. 13:8-10).
If, in legal terms, sin is the transgression of the law, then love is the fulfilment of the law and keeps us from breaking it. So Polycarp is right that sin cannot reach someone who possesses love.
There we have it, faith, hope and love working together to “fulfill all the demands of holiness,” as Polycarp wrote. That is why, in our GCI congregations around the world, we continue to emphasize the path of faith, hope and love that God designed for our benefit and for the benefit of all mankind, until we all perfectly share in God’s glory.
Walking with you in Christ’s way to glory.
Alvaro Palacio
Matthew: Living Ready for the Kingdom.
