In 1Corintians 13:13, the text reads, “But now abide faith, hope, love, these three…” While this is not a lesson on these foundations of Christianity per se, we do need to be begin here. Let’s first be sure we understand the meaning of the terms….

Faith, Hope, Love Faith is specifically defined a couple of times in the text:  Heb.11:1 says it is, “the assurance (or substance) of things hoped for, the conviction (or evidence) of things not seen.”  Heb.11:6 further includes the elements of Belief - knowledge/understanding in the mind; Trust - assurance in the heart; and Obedience - conformity in the body/life. Thus faith requires the complete involvement of all our constituent parts- mind, heart, and body, to make the soul what it ought to be!

Faith, Hope, Love Hope is likewise defined in the text, though not quite as specifically.  Rom.8:23-25 implies a couple of aspects of hope: Earnest Anticipation - “waiting eagerly” v.23; a looking forward in attitude and desire, v.25b. Legitimate Expectation – “in hope we have been saved” v.24a; the dative tense is important as it speaks of salvation that is yet to be received as already possessed; thus, assurance is given. Trust – “for what we do not see” v.24b-25a; salvation is possessed as a promise of future reward, thus requiring trust. (cf. 2Cor.5:7)

Faith, Hope, Love And Love is certainly well-defined in the text- 1Cor.13:1-8a:  as the necessary and proper motivation for all we do, vv.1-3;  By its various characteristics, vv.4-7;  By its abiding/enduring nature, vv.8a,13;  By its being the very essence of the eternal God, 1John 4:7-8; Thus, it must become the essence of who we are and what we do if we are to live with God eternally.

Now that we have at least a cursory understanding of these essential principles of Christianity, let’s ask an important question: What is the greatest, or perhaps the most common, hindrance to the possession and continued appropriation of Faith, Hope, and Love?

The Most Common Hindrance to Faith, Hope, Love is: Not Satan, though he is obviously a contributing factor, but Self-Reliance. Think about it with me…

Self-Reliance: the Enemy of Faith, Hope, and Love Self-Reliance is the enemy of faith:  Because it destroys our ability to (mentally) believe Someone greater than ourselves, Rom.1:  Because it destroys our ability to (emotionally) trust Someone greater than ourselves, 2Cor.4:18 > 5:7.  Because it destroys our ability to (physically) obey Someone greater than ourselves, Rev.3:15 >

Self-Reliance: the Enemy of Faith, Hope, and Love Self-Reliance is the enemy of hope:  Because it destroys our earnest anticipation of anything beyond the physical possessions of the here and now that we suppose we provide ourselves, Luke 12:  Because it destroys our legitimate expectation of anything beyond this life, Matt.6:1-18 (cp. “your Father will repay” vs. “they have their reward in full”).  Because it destroys our ability to trust in anything we cannot see now, Heb.11:13-16 >

Self-Reliance: the Enemy of Faith, Hope, and Love Self-Reliance is the enemy of love:  Because it destroys the necessary & proper motivation of all we do- either we serve self, or we serve God & others, Rom.12:1-3 > 9-21; Gal.5:13.  Because it destroys virtually all of its incumbent characteristics, 1Cor.13:1-8a; which one of them is about self?  Because it destroys our ability to lovingly depend on our Father in heaven, Matt.6:32; (for physical provision); Jas.1:2-8 (for spiritual understanding); Titus 3:5-7 (for eternal salvation).

Self-Reliance is the Enemy of Faith, Hope, and Love Faith, Hope, and Love are the foundations of relationship with God now, and our key to eternal reward eternally. Self-Reliance is about “me” in the here and now only. It, therefore, just cannot co-exist with true Christianity, Acts 17:28.