June 22, 2015 – Ephesians 4:3-5

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, Ephesians 4:3-5When we become one with Jesus, we find the treasures of hope and peace in our hearts and lives.  Who can live without hope?  Hope is seeing forward instead of backward and living expectantly for what will be in Christ Jesus.In hope we find assurance and trust in Jesus Christ our Savior.  Often we think we have come to the knot in the end of our life-rope and hanging by our own strength. In our weakness, Jesus is strong.  It is then through Jesus we know there is more, however dimly we see what will be.  We know that we can trust Him for the future.  We only know in part and when the ‘then’ comes, we will know exactly what ‘is’.Abide – that which endures, stays and stands.  Faith, hope and love abides!  Where are these in our lives?  Who is associated with these three life-giving qualities?  Jesus Christ.Through Jesus we learn to believe in His Words.  Through Him we have hope for the future.  Through Him we understand how to love.  Love, first, Jesus Christ with all our hearts, minds and souls.  Through this devotion to him we learn to love others unconditionally. We love because He first loved us.That glorious day – we shall know fully, even as God knows each of us.For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:12-13