How do faith, hope, and Trust work together? Let’s start with faith. Faith is provided by God which we must decide to exercise. We must decide that with our faith in God, He will provide for all our needs. Our faith will allow us to be in the Kingdom of God. However, we must also understand that without faith there is separation from the presence of God. There is no forgiveness of sin and no eternal life. Hence, we must develop hope in our future and it starts with trust which leads to faith. This begs to ask. How do faith, hope, and trust work together in our relationship with God?
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith vs. Hope
Faith is a complete trust or confidence in something. It is the difference between the saved and the lost. Faith in Jesus saves us from our past sin and future judgment.
It is a moral thing and of the spirit, without faith, it is impossible to please God. Hope is built on faith. Hope is the anticipation that something good is going to happen in the future.
Faith is our belief that Jesus is coming back. Our hope is in the anticipated joy of his return one day. Faith is in the now based on the past and hope is in the future. This is the main difference between hope and faith.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
How do faith and hope work?
Hope isn’t Faith but they work together. Our hope is built on our faith. It is a confident expectation based on our faith. We have to want to grow in our faith to find the faith in our hope. Scripture does not entirely define faith. However, We know that it is a gift from God. This gift starts with a biblical foundation. Faith comes from reading and hearing the word of God. God is always asking us to seek and look to find our faith in Him. In the Bible, we will find that faith is demonstrated by action. Review the following passages in the Bible:
Numbers 21:4-9 written by Moses. Moses sought the Lord to heal the people from the bite of serpents. By faith, the people were asked to look at the brass serpent placed on a pole to heal the people. If they had faith and looked like the brass serpent they would be healed.
In John 3:14-16, Jesus referred to this passage when he teaches his followers how by faith they can be saved. Based on these past scriptures we can believe in the hope of our salvation.
Faith and God
Abraham is credited with having faith that God would keep his promises. God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. Romans 4:3 NLT
Faith is looking to God for mercy. Psalm 34:5, 123:1-2
Jesus found power in looking up to God. John 5:19-21
All of these passages show a deliberate action of looking up to and seeking God. Moses and Jesus trusted God and, in their faith, to seek God with confidence in what they hoped for. Therefore, our faith has to be an active part of our lives. Participation is a requirement for our faith to grow.
How do faith, hope, and trust go together?
Faith and hope start with trusting in God. Based on our level of trust in God, this will allow our faith to operate and lead to our hope in the future. We have to trust that God is who he is and that he has always existed. We must trust in God’s promises. You have to trust that He will fulfill all those promises. We have to believe what the Bible speaks the truth. Review these scriptures on trust, promises, faith, and hope:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord. Jeremiah 17:7
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! Psalm 40:4
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust in Him, and He will act. Psalm 37:5
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:10
Faith, hope, and Trust is Believing
When we start to believe our trust begins to grow, we then begin to use our faith and confidently hope in our future. We believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. That He came down from heaven to be with us for a while. Believe that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be a helper and to reside in us. In other words, to help our faith, hope, and trust grow.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Mark 11:22
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. John 14:1
Faith And The Presence of God
God has always been there and was here first. We have only to seek His presence and welcome him into our life. God is a gentleman and will never force his way into our life. The Lord will knock and wait for our answer. To know God is to commit time to get to know him. Therefore, share with him and grow in your faith.
God has been in our past and we see him in our future. However, he is very much in our now. We have to understand that we are not alone in our now. We are never alone. God is present. He is with us always.
Can you feel his presence in your faith, your hope? He is in the midst with us just like in the book of Daniel (3:1-30), when Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were placed in the fire and God showed up. God is always with you even during the fires in your life.
He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:25 NIV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Psalm 62:8
Do you have faith, hope, and trust in God?
Faith is believing in God like a child believes that his parents will provide for his every need. Child-like faith is what God desires of us and comes from the power of the Holy Spirit.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
Psalm 91:2
Children are trusting, joyful, and express a sense of freedom this is a result of their faith, hope, and trust in their parents. For us to have the same we must trust that God is who He says He is. We have to experience the joy of the Lord and live in His freedom. We have to believe that His promises are for us. That these promises will come true and are based on our hope in these very promises.
How do I know I have faith in God?
When you seek God during the bad times when you praise God during the good times. Listening for His answer and obeying His word. Believing that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that we are forgiven. Also, in your faith, you will give your time, talent, and treasure. God will bless you as you follow the plans He has for your life. Out of your faith, you will shower the love of God pouring out of you onto others. In other words, you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Practical Tools for growing your faith
- Prayer – Talk to God. Share what is on your mind, what is bothering you, what brings you joy. Spend time thanking Him for your past, current, and future blessings. Ask for wisdom and guidance with a grateful heart.
- Read your Bible – There is so much truth, encouragement, and love to be found in the word. Read it daily allowing God to speak to you.
- Fellowship – spend time with other Christians sharing and encouraging each other. The greatest gift is sharing tests that have become your testimony and theirs.
- Serve – there is nothing more fulfilling than helping others. The joy of giving of your time, talent, and treasure is extremely uplifting and faith-building.
- Guard your Heart – be super careful with how you are feeding your soul. Every media we interact with influences who we are. What we watch on TV or at the movies, what we listen to on the radio or our phones and tablets, what we read on various media. Information is at our fingertips so we need to use discernment to determine if what we are consuming is true and good for our souls.
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Old Testament v.s. New Testament
Peace and joy,
Sabrina
I feel like what you said about being careful what you allow in is so important, music movies and outside influences can make it so much harder to keep faith hope.
EXCELLENT! Thank you for sharing your heart. I pray that it will be received and inspire many! Merry Christmas!
So important to be mindful of what we let ourselves take in…too many ways out there to influence is with all the social media and tv
I love the application of how to gain faith at the end of the post. I like taking steps to achieve goals.
Thank you for sharing these verses and your faith. My grandparents would really love this article so going to send it to them too. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season
Awesome. Lots to think about… especially about remembering to feed your soul!
Great information.
That’s an interesting and complex topic. Thank you for clarification.
Thank you for sharing your heart! Faith, Hope, and Trust are intertwining to create a beautiful relationship. Thanks for the great tips to help you have faith again.
Two of my favorites sayings – I have faith – I am hopeful. Thanks for sharing.
It’s so comforting to know He is always with us. That gives us so much hope.
What a perfect comparison…equating faith to the way a child views a parent.
Trust has been a big issue for me. I’m so grateful that God walks with me step by step, increasing my trust and faith. It makes hope a precious things.
Love the in-depth analysis of faith, hope, and trust. They are so connected! And I’ve grown stronger in all of those areas because of my relationship with God. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Thank you for sharing this. I enjoyed reading about how faith, hope, and love are connected. Knowing God is always walking with us gives me hope every day!