THE INTERPLAY OF FAITH AND HOPE IN CHRISTIAN LIFE
THE SEED
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? Rom 8: 24 NIV
If you promise to buy ice cream for your child, the child already believes (faith) and is confident that daddy will buy the ice cream when he goes out. If daddy eventually buys the ice cream, the child will stop to get ice cream, as she already got it. As believers, we should know that these two words are different, yet they are interrelated. Therefore, they co-exist in a believer’s life. Heb 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Faith is the foundation of our belief in God, and it enables us to trust in Him for our salvation and existence. After this comes hope, which is realistically more about the future. If we have seen it, this is no longer hope. However, hope is an expectation that something will be received in the future. We can see the difference between faith and hope in 1 Corinthians 13:13: “Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” The bible recognises these two as part of the three greatest gifts that will remain forever. We need to understand that faith is necessary for a life that pleases God. Heb 11:6 reads, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” You can only seek whom you believe in. Hope comes from God, and it is in God through the Holy Spirit working within us that strengthens our faith. When faith is strengthened, hope is also strengthened.
BIBLE READING: Hebrews 11: 1-6
PRAYER: I pray that my hope is maintained in Christ for the assurance that He will accomplish all He has promised me IJN.
ÌGBÀGBỌ́ ÀTI ÌRÒYÌN NÍNÚ ÌGBÉSÍ AYÉ KRISTIANI
IRUGBIN NAA
Nítorí nínú ìrètí yìí ni a ti gbà wá là. Ṣugbọn ireti ti a rii kii ṣe ireti rara. Tani o nireti ohun ti wọn ti ni tẹlẹ? Romu 8:24
Ti o ba ṣe ileri lati ra wàrà dídì (ice cream) fun ọmọ rẹ, ọmọ naa ti gbagbọ tẹlẹ (igbagbọ) o si ni igboya pe Daddy yoo ra wàrà dídì nigbati o ba jade. Ti o ba jẹ pe Daddy ra wàrà dídì, ọmọ naa ko ni sọ fun awọn ọrẹ rẹ pe o tun nireti lati gba wàrà dídì, bi o ti ti gba tẹlẹ. Gẹ́gẹ́ bí onígbàgbọ́, a gbọ́dọ̀ mọ̀ pé àwọn ọ̀rọ̀ méjèèjì yìí yàtọ̀, síbẹ̀ wọ́n ní ìsopọ̀ pẹ̀lú. Nitorinaa, wọn wa papọ ni igbesi aye onigbagbọ. Heb 11:1. NJẸ igbagbọ́ ni igbẹkẹle ninu ohun ti a nreti, ati idaniloju ohun ti a kò ri. Ìgbàgbọ́ jẹ́ ìpìlẹ̀ ìgbàgbọ́ wa nínú Ọlọ́run, ó sì ń jẹ́ kí a gbẹ́kẹ̀ lé e fún ìgbàlà àti wíwàláàyè wa. Lẹhin eyi ni ireti wa, eyiti o jẹ otitọ diẹ sii nipa ọjọ iwaju. Ti a ba ti rii, eyi kii ṣe ireti mọ. Sibẹsibẹ, ireti jẹ ireti pe ohun kan yoo gba ni ojo iwaju. A lè rí ìyàtọ̀ tó wà láàárín ìgbàgbọ́ àti ìrètí nínú 1 Kọ́ríńtì 13:13 : “bayi, àwọn mẹ́tẹ̀ẹ̀ta wọ̀nyí wà: ìgbàgbọ́, ìrètí, àti ìfẹ́. Ṣugbọn eyiti o tobi julọ ninu iwọnyi ni ifẹ.” Bibeli mọ awọn meji wọnyi gẹgẹ bi ara awọn ẹbun titobi julọ mẹta ti yoo wa titi lai. A nilo lati ni oye pe igbagbọ jẹ pataki fun igbesi aye ti o wu Ọlọrun. Heb 11:6 kà pe, “Ṣugbọn laisi igbagbọ́, kò ṣee ṣe lati wù ú, nitori ẹni ti o ba tọ̀ Ọlọrun wá kò le ṣaima gbagbọ pe o wà, ati pe oun ni olusẹsan fun awọn ti o fi taratara wá a.” Ẹniti o gbagbọ nikan ni o le wa: Ireti wa lati ọdọ Ọlọrun, ati pe o wa ninu Ọlọrun nipasẹ Ẹmi Mimọ ti n ṣiṣẹ laarin wa lati fun igbagbọ wa lagbara. Nigba ti igbagbo ba ni agbara, ireti na ma ni agbara.
BIBELI KIKA: Hébérù 11:1-6
ADURA: Mo gbadura pe ireti mi wa ni idaduro ninu Kristi fun idaniloju pe Oun yoo ṣe gbogbo ohun ti o ti ṣe ileri fun mi ni oruko Jesu. Amin.